I came, I soar, I went.

Sutton Bank provides conditions for pilots of all persuasions; winter offers up more hill soaring and wave conditions, whilst in the summer season the thermals can start popping and providing the method of circling height gain that most people (I assume) typically associate with the sport of gliding. I first started learning to fly just as the 2016 season started and I didn't manage to get along to as many days as I perhaps could have, so consequently during the height of that season, I spent more time practising basic flying skills rather than advanced soaring techniques. As my personal flying ability was improving, the weather was descending into winter and so by the time I was ready to start learning these things the options to do so were far more limited. I have therefore spent the off-season working on the areas of my flying that conditions allowed, including some winching, ridge flying and the odd tricky approach into significant headwind; but no real thermal soaring. I had...

Hello. My name's Chris, and I've been meaning to start up a blog for years now, but it always seems like there's something better to do and as much as I have an opinion on all things, I don't believe that the internet cares about what I think all that much - and nor should it! However, since an early age I've been interested in aviation. I wanted to join the RAF as a jet pilot but never had the qualifications for it, then I wanted to learn to fly powered aircraft but never had the money for it. I had been an air cadet in the 1990's and done some flying in both traditional power and in motor-gliders, and had never given a thought to 'pure' gliding - dismissing it as an 'up, round and down' thing. And then I got a gift of a trial flight at the Yorkshire Gliding Club. I was hooked and joined the club the next year (in 2016). So now I have something to write about that might be interesting to some people! This blog documents some of my adventures ...