What a weekend…..
I was looking at the weather conditions last weekend, thinking this weekend could be a good one! And as the week progressed it looked better and better! I even put out a message to get cover for my IFP First Flight Duty on Saturday, but fortunately no one was booked in!
Saturday, I (JDP) sat with Pete Startup (230), Richard Roberts (V5) and Simon Minson (SM) and we decided that a club 100 looked on. However, I had it in mind to cover a further distance. I headed towards Barnstaple with the others, turning Brayford, as the conditions to the south where we planned to head looked poor, so I abandoned that plan, only to later discover the other three struggled on in that direction! Ended up turning out past Yeovil, due to deteriorating conditions over the Somerset Levels, and got back with just over 250km completed, spotting Mum and Dad on their Aer Lingus flight back into Exeter on the way. The others, just completed the Club 100!
Sunday, with no duty Instructor today, only private owners, me (JDP) Pete Startup (230), Wyn Davies (W7), Eric Alston (G29), Jeff Taberham (380), Barbie Fairclough (DFK), (BKVG flew with various pilots) flew, thank you to Alan Rappaport and James Flory for stepping in to aerotow and save the day, getting us in the air.
Launched too late, could have gone half an hour, to an hour earlier. However, this meant our first run out to the west was great, because of great streeting, meaning we were hardly having to turn. A long push into wind back up north, with some unreliable climbs, mixed in the some epic climbs, meant a lot of stopping and starting. Really fast flying up around the turn point (Avebury) and a 50k final glide, meant I was back first to claim the first 300km from North Hill of the year!!! (Yes Pete, I am claiming this one!).
Thanks to the Keepers Cottage, who supplied a very weary pilot with an excellent roast on my way home! – Dan Hender
