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First XC's of 2020 - in JULY!

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Well hasn't this year been fun, everyone? It's been a long time since I wrote anything - but that's because it's been a long time since there was anything to write. The weather in February was bad, even for February, and as we were looking forward to getting going again in March/April, along came a global pandemic! Thankfully we had the ability to get flying again as soon as regulations allowed in May, but the lockdown period had enjoyed a searing spring, and we returned to some less than stellar gliding conditions - not only that but we all needed to get some local flying done to get in practice after what was effectively a long winter break. June came and went with no chance to use what few good flying days there were due to annual maintenance on the glider which is normally done in March before serious flying begins and so July was the first opportunity to try and get something out of the year. The first day where me, my airworthy glider, and some good weather were a...
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Yorkshire Gliding Club Task Week 2018

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I missed out on last years Task Week by becoming Bronze/Cross Country qualified about three days after it had finished, so I was looking forward to competing in this years 'friendly' competition. I had the week booked off work, I had a glider booked for the full week, and the weather looked as though it might have been a little better than it had last year too. Having sat in on a couple of last years briefings for the tasks, there were often 'smaller' versions for pilots competing with a bronze badge. I joked that I hadn't actually had my paperwork back yet confirming full silver, but no, I would have to compete on an equal footing to everyone else - maybe not even that, since several of them were using self-sustaining gliders, and had the option of an engine if they got into trouble. Task week has a basic scoring system that involves taking distance and speed points from a valid flight uploaded to OLC; and then adding a series of bonuses for other achieveme...
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A grand day out in Yorkshire

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After my venture towards the pennines in the club motorglider the other week, I was invited to fly again with the instructor in his own private machine (a Super Ximango), so that we could go and see some more of Yorkshire and pick up some navigation pointers. It would be again a learning exercise but also a bit of a sightseeing exercise - the main purpose was just to see some of the main towns and landmarks that are considered local flying. I plotted a course on Saturday evening; with turning points at Breighton, Beverley, Bridlington Scarborough, Full Sutton before passing over York, back to Rufforth airfield. I marked up my map with headings and 5-mile markers to each TP. I added rough timings based on 70 knots, but we all know that gliders don't fly in a straight line at a constant speed, so this was more just to make sure the flight didn't go on too long. In all, the route just over 100 nautical miles. I purposely routed to the coast for some sight...
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