Booker Gliding

More local flying and site familiarisation, this time from the 23 launch point with landings on 22 where the locals expect you to stop before track that crosses between the two runways. Everyone behaved today and stopped as necessary.

The earlier launches had the pleasure of seeing the Alps to the south before the weather deteriated and low cloud and rain moved in.

Climbing out with the Alps in view
315 an der Position zur Landung auf der 22
Cloud moving in
Last flight of the day

Another glourious meal care of Fiona an Hakan - stuffed peppers and Turkish beans with rice. We will have to start thinking about the B in CBSIFT........ if we keep getting fed like this.

The early part of the morning was spent with a reminder briefing on the site and operations before going out to rig the club 2 seaters and then site familiarisation flights for those who haven't been here before or wanted a refresh before flying their own gliders

Rigging after the sheep had been moved on
Getting the gliders to the launch point
First launchThe evening concluded with an excellent chicken curry courtesy of Fiona and Hakan.

Booker has returned to competing in the InterClub League after a few years off. This comp is an excellent opportunity for pilots with little or no experience of comp flying to learn a bit aboutg how it works.

The comp consists of three classes and we sent a team of six:
Novice - Luke Bishop and Stuart Whitehouse
Intermediate - George Darby
Pundit - George Hunter, Nils Wedi and Tim Scott

Lasham took a slightly different approach, they didn't bother to pick a team, the whole grid flew the tasks - 113km for Novices, 214km for Intermediate and 312km for Pundits - so we were a bit outnumbered.

Our boys did very well. Luke in his newly acquired Nimbus 2 came 2nd in the Novice class, and Stuart, flying Pegasus 318, was 3rd - not bad for a first ever cross country flight. In the Intermediate clas, George very nearly got back, but he picked a very nice field near Thatcham (turned out it belonged to Lord Sainsbury so he maybe picked up a few Nectar points). This gave Luke and Stuart an opportunity to learn about retrieves. In the Pundit class, against stiff opposition, Tim Scott came 2nd.

The grid - mostly Lasham's team but with our six in there somewhere
Briefing
Luke's new Nimbus on the right and its previous owner on the left
George as a guest of Lord Sainsbury
Luke and Stuart with Team captains Bob and Bob putting 318 away before the rain came Well done to the team and to Bob Smith for organising it all.

Time for Booker Gliding Club's summer expedition to Klppeneck. Everyone for week one has arrived and met up for dinner and a beer (or two) at the "half way house" and enjoyed a glorious sunset.

Congratulations to Jetsada Machom on his first solo on Monday. Jetsada is on a Get Your solo course - we hope this is the first solo of many!

SwanageStudlandCorfe Castle towards Lulworth

Wareham

At one point on the flight the only lift was a sea air convergence along the Isle of Purbeck. The lift improved so I continued with the task. On the way back a cloud climb at Chilbolton promised a glide home. Unfortunately ice on the wings modified the glide angle somewhat and I didn't quite make it back. 

It was a bit chilly today, with a strong north wind, but very unstable with strong climbs for those who could handle the wind. Nils went off down to the South Downs and ended up over the sea, still in thermals.





Getting back wasn't as easy as going, with the headwind to battle with, but he made it just before another of the showers which developed in the afternoon.

Scary looking shower approaching WAP

Zulq Ashraf joined Booker as a Junior member because he plans on a career as an airline pilot and he thought it would be a good idea to learn proper flying first. He starts his training with Easyjet shortly, after going solo yesterday.

More fun that airliners
Today Paul Field added to his already impressive list of accomplishments by converting to the Pawnee.

Not quite the same as a Lightning - or an A380