Latest flying reports - 2009

Monday 29 June 2009

A lovely sunny day after clearance of early showers. Only 3 on site so went up in the K21 with Jamie Sage. The SE lenticulars seen from the ground did indeed work and we slowly climbed above them to 7500' over Hay.

Stunning views above cloud. Where were you all?!
Ralph Johnson

Saturday 27 June 2009

Lulled into a false sense of urgency by a weather report that reckoned high cover would spoil the afternoon i launched early into a good looking sky that only fired up for 1/2 an hour. A re launch after midday secured good lift interspersed by some pretty serious big sink resulting in high speed 80 kt dashes twixt themals to stay air borne.

The high cover or hefty showers didn't happen and we all had a good time fairly locally , in my case to the hills north and nw. for at least a couple of hours.
Mike Rossiter

Monday 1 June 2009

Wave again in the S Bowl most of those present contacted it and got to circa 5k.
Robbie Robertson

Sunday 31 May 2009

Looked similar but good blue wave over the South Bowl all day with most people contacting. Snoopy went to 5000ft giving 14yr old David from Neath his first taste of wave and a personal best height of 5000ft in Snoopy (photo above). What a smile he had afterwards! Later Don G and Robbie took Snoopy up for an evening wave flight and ended up at 6000ft above site and all cloud tops! Great views and not even cold.
Robbie Robertson

Saturday 30 May 2009

started slow and blue but got better and better and better ending up with a 5500ft QFE cloudbase and great visibilty. Rumours of wave in the NE wind but only sink found as far as I know. Great BBQ in the evening under the Talgarth Oak.
Robbie Robertson

Sunday 3 May 2009

What a great day Sunday was! Ridge, strong thermals and wave-exceptional visibility, busy but friendly helpful airfield-Tony Crowden managed 20 launches and stopped to refuel in 2 hours--!! Then carried on to do 38 !! Our new 13 year old twin boy members and their Dad flew as did many members and some new members. Martin P got to over 10K but I think Geoff King got even higher. Ridge was working very well down to Hay Bluff, 6 or 8 up thermals and wave [for some!] over Talgarth. Ralph went round Carreg and Ludlow Castles - just another great Talgarth day !! Credit crunch or not-Talgarth is having a great season--lets hope the forecast of a "barbecue" summer is accurate!
Clive Micklewright

Easter Monday - 13 April 2009

We usually (but wrongly) write off S and SE conditions, but Monday showed they can be useful. The sky looked good from about 11.00am. Those out included Mike T and Robbie, plus Graham, Annette and John from Bicester and our friends from Tibenham.

For my part, I got to within 5k of CCC then went east to HER.
Clarkie

Saturday 11 April 2009

Local conditions really got going well in late afternoon. A black mass of cloud parked itself over the Black Mountains and provided a huge area of lift with a cloudbase of about 6600 QNH.
Ian and Jan Atherton and others from the Norfolk expedition were flying until sunset, landing around 7.45, most local pilots landing a bit earlier in order to get to the club AGM.
Some XC flights also done today, but no details posted yet.
Mark Fisher

Sunday 5 April 2009

big turn out on another great day this year. Light southerly breeze but with some good strong thermals and base around 4-5000ft amsl rising to an amazing 6000ft by the evening.

Mike T and Robbie did the Talgarth Triangle in about 1hrs 20 mins and 1 hr 30 mins respectively. I flew up to Stone (just south of Stoke on Trent) and had a fairly straighforward flight till I got back to Hay and nearly ended up in a field. Managed to get back so then flew down to Crickhowell, Llangynidr and Brecon before landing.

Gerry flew down to Tredegar whilst James Metcalf did Monmouth, Rhigos and Builth Wells. Others out included Gordon Dennis, Dick Jeffcoate, Mike Ashton, Mike Rossiter, Simon Withey (who wanted it known he went to Llangorse lake - twice!!!), Anne Crowden, Robin Howarth, John Horley, Anna Baik (another solo flight), Mike Hutchinson, Peter Saundby and Don Gosden in charge of GAZPA.

Excellent day finished off with a nice pint at the Castle - ahhh! what more could we want.
Martin Pingel

Thursday 2 April 2009

Day started overcast but with signs of East wave in a light (10kt) flow and a reversed windsock. About midday, blue holes appeared and the classic wave gap opened up over the field so I took a launch with a visiting pilot from Brentor. We contacted rough wave over the club and got to about 3200 above site. Geoff Stinchcombe in the Junior and a group from Mendip GC also contacted. Later nice gentle thermal conditions until sunset. Thanks to Brock for tugging.
Interesting to note that the visitor, John Halton, from Brentor had planned a few days at Nympsfield but saw Ian Atherton's article in S and G and opted for us instead .... good decision! Thanks Ian.
Robbie Robertson

Sunday 29 March 2009

Wow what a day - must have been best XC conditions we've had for a very long time. Cloudbase varied from 4000ft amsl to 5500amsl out in the flat lands beyond The Malverns.
It was a very cold crisp start and looked like it was going to be a good day from the start. At 4000ft it was minus 4ºC but with a ground temperature of around 10ºC it meant some stonking good thermals and without any problems of the dreaded spreadout, in fact if anything it started going blue in some places.
Geoff King, Mike Codd and Mike Tomlinson rattled around the new Talgarth Triangle but not sure what times they did it in. Mike T then flew west to Llandeilo to check up on a poorly Angie! Robbie was out but not sure what he got up to but did see him flying Snoopy a couple of times. Tony C was duty instructor and Doc did a sterling job of pulling us out of the field.
I did a 300km to Edge hill (Shennington) and flew over Bidford twice where John Clarke was doing the final touches to his PPL!!
Graham Venning had an excellent day in the K21, Snoopy and then finally went solo at Talgarth in the Junior and had a smile on his face from ear to ear.
Others out included John Horley, Dick, Martin Brock, Mike Entwisle, Mike Rossiter, Mark Fisher, Anne Crowden, Gordon Dennis, and Richard Robbins enjoying the freedom of his own glider once again.
I'll put in an order for at least another dozen similar days for this year.
Martin Pingel

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Mod WNW wind with some fantastic high level wave (see photos I've posted) which none of us could get to. Geoff King was on form today contacting the wave first and getting to 8500ft QNH before flying up to Builth Wells.

Others out included Robbie doing the instructing who got to around 8000ft, John Horley approx 6500ft, me at 7500ft, the ITN boys were there as well, Don G was tugging, Andrew flew the K6, Robin Howarth in the Junior and Anna Baik had another successful solo flight in the K13.
Martin Pingel

Sunday 22 March 2009

wave all day in a mod NW wind. Took a while for a group of us to get away from the ridge but once it turned on we were away and it was only the length of the day that stopped us flying. I think Robbie got best height at around 9500QNH but generally it was working between 5-8k QNH with lennies running SW-NE all the way to shobdon and beyond, which a few of us used. The wave bars were at regular frequencies, although not always working as well as they should have as I found out when I got near Llandod!

Apparently one pilot (haven't got name) did the new TAL triangle, so it's been completed twice within a week of it being announced, so seems Tony C has made good choice with this task.

Could hear Shobdon and Usk pilots all having just as much fun and at slightly greater heights.

Those out incl Martin L, Robbie, Andrew, Geoff, Mike Codd, Gordon D, and a handful of visiting pilots, incl one who flew back and landed at Usk as he got caught out by the increasing cloud cover and couldn't find a way down - good decision and an option worth remembering. Thanks to Peter Saundby for tug duties.
Martin Pingel

Saturday 21 March 2009

warm, high pressure sort of day with an inversion at around 4500ft QNH. Visibility was bordering on the very limits of visual flight rules and to be honest without a good view the flight was almost pointless. I arrived late so not sure who flew but did see Martin L, Robbie, Geoff King, Grev Earle, Mike Ross, Tony Bartlett, etc. Thanks to Tony C for tug duties.
Martin Pingel

Sunday 15 March 2009

Pressure rising after yesterday's vigorous wave conditions, day starting bright and still with very light winds becoming westerly then later NW, causing main ridges from Hay Bluff down to the Cwmdu also Llangorse ridges to work, although weak at times, but with thermic activity as well. max heights around 3400 QNH, a nice day for local flying. Quite a number of flights between 2 and 3 hours done today. A lot of private gliders out today taking advantage of the spectacular soaring conditions.
Mark Fisher

Saturday 14 March 2009

Great wave day! The wind was about 15kts NW on the field going to 25kts+ at height. Most of the people who flew got into the wave climbing away from either the Llangorse or main ridges. When the rotor was right overhead it made some of the tows extremely rough which was in marked contrast to the ground run on the field which is now very smooth thanks to Robin Howarth, (self appointed BMGC groundsman), who spent two full days rolling it last week!

The Beacons were also working very well for those who ventured in that direction. Cloudbase was a bit variable but rose to about 3,500ft QFE by mid afternoon. The best wave seemed to be to the North of the site in the Shobdon/Mynd direction. The only fly in the ointment was the fact that the wave slots closed up with monotonous regularity! Several pilots found themselves over 8/8 cloud and had to fly back towards site before finding a decent slot. Mike Codd beat us all by getting to FL125 and has a probable gold height claim (I had a quick look at his trace and I think he's in by more than 300ft by my reckoning). He's put it on the BGA ladder for those who want to see it.

Many thanks to Don Gosden for all the tows, who said that some were "quite interesting".
Tony Crowden

Tuesday 10 March 2009

The day started grey with low cloud on the hill but rumours of clearing skies later in the day. With a good wave profile and a long list of jobs to do at home, I opted to stay on a bit. By 2pm, there were signs of clearances from from the west with definite signs of wave in the slots and a 10/15kt WNW wind.
The K21 launched at around 1500hrs with Robbie and Mike Rossiter on board followed by Robin Howarth in the Junior and John Horley in the IS32.
Everyone contacted wave and we all had a lot of fun with climbs to around 7500ft above site. The K21 ventured well to the north but it went a bit flat so we scurried back to the ridge.
A lovely day with beautiful light yet again on the hills in the evening. Thanks to Don G for towing.
Robbie Robertson

Monday 9 March 2009

Almost everybody missed what turned out to be a marvellous day that just got better and better - unfortunately there were only 3 of us there (plus Doc as tuggie).
Strong westerly wind in nice sunshine (most of the time) gave an easy 3 - 4000 ft from Hay Bluff to the scree slopes. Then super cloud streets to Brecon that needed nearly 100kts in the K21 to keep below 3 up and under cloud!
John Pollard and Chris Mann played in the Junior and I had my first solo at Talgarth (in the K21) - quite different in the front seat isn't it? On the drive home looking back I reckon it could have waved after we had gone?
You missed what turned out to be a good day.
Jamie Sage

Wednesday 4 March 2009

NW wind 10kts. Cloud base went up to about 3,400ft QFE in the afternoon. Congratulations to Stephen Moore who came with a RN expedition, launched in their Junior at 12:55 pm and managed to get his 5 hr Silver duration landing just before dark. I took Carl Watson, another member of the RN exped down the Beacons in K13. The highlight of the flight was climbing over 1,400ft from the base of the Pen Y Fan ridge to the top in one beat. He was gob-smacked by the flight, which for a Talgarth Xcountry pilot would have been a `normal' run into the Beacons. It just serves as a reminder what a special site Talgarth is. Carl took some photos during the flight showing the Beacons covered in snow which I'll put them on our website the next time I'm at the club.
Tony Crowden

Sunday 1 March 2009

A dull start with the remains of a cold front dragging through soon gave way to a brilliant bright post cold front day with winds going west then further NW.

Quite a few private gliders out: Mike Rossiter (Cirrus HUR), Alan Cridge (Sie-3 FRG), Mark Fisher (Club Libelle FYG), Robbie Robertson with several P2s in Snoopy (T21 ASB). North Hill visiting pilot Simon Minson in his ASW20 managed a flight of just over 6 hours. Plus the Bronze course was out flying most of the afternoon on all 3 club 2-seaters.

No-one really went anywhere as far as I know, but there was a lot of local soaring to be had... ridge and thermal, the cloud streets being very impressive at times. Ridges working from Hay Bluff down to the Crickhowell scree slopes, plus the Llangorse ridge and for at least one pilot, parts of the Beacons were used but in general probably too much west in the wind for it to be epic out there.

No wave reported this time, maybe we just didnt notice it...

A good time had by all who flew, followed by a classic Talgarth sunset, that magical light that you get on the mountains sometimes just before the sun goes down.... Here's my best photo of it:

Mark Fisher

Sunday 22 February 2009

A classic Talgarth weekend. You've already had some good reports from Doc and Gerry so I'll just fill in the gaps, just like the cloud did yesterday at times!
Mod/strong NW wind and a very robust ridge working up to cloudbase. Didn't take long before we sussed out the wave contact points and then it was a day above the clouds.

Robbie probably holds the record for the number of wave ascents to 6000 ft + sitting in the back of the K13 singing "Free Bird"!

Those out included Geoff King 13500ft, Martin Brock 11000ft, me at 16300ft, John Poland 2 x 8000ft, Alan Cridge 8000ft, Robin Howarth 6000ft, Tony Bartlett 8000ft, Anna Baik 7000ft, Peter Saundby 10,000ft, Gerry Martin, Mike Tomlinson, Mike Hutchinson, John Horley (sorry didn't get your heights).

At 16000ft it was minus 8C with 55kts of wind and so flying backwards and going up became the method! However, I was running low on oxygen and so let down out of a steady 2kt climb and then flew into a solid 8kt down over Builth and before you knew it I was scuttling back to Talgarth.

Could here a few from Shobdon also having fun in the wave and at least one came over and joined us over Llyswen for a while.

In all 32 launches on Saturday and 23 on Sunday so thanks to tug pilots Keith and John Price and John Horley. Total hours for weekend? well lots but didn't get chance to add up.
Martin Pingel

A fantastic day with ridge and wave up to 16,000ft + QNH for Martin Pingle ... near Builth I think.
Many others contacted the wave inc, Alan Cridge, Martin Brock, Doc Saundby, Mike Tomlinson, Tony Bartlett, Gerry Martin, Mike Ashton, Robin Howarth, Geoff King and several visitors and the two seater with various pupils and Robbie R in the back. The gaps showed a tendancy to close but all were well briefed and returned to earth safely with huge smiles on their faces.
Apologies to any I have forgotten and commiserations to Mike Rossiter who was elsewhere!
Robbie Robertson

The local wave structure on Sunday 22 Feb at low level was complex with a short wave length of about 1.5 nm between peaks and a confused pattern. At higher level the wave structure was simpler with a wave length of 7 nm or more. Thus some low level waves did not go high and others at the internodes were strong. One of these was above where the river Wye turns NW at Llyswen. There I left 4 kts climb at 10,000 ft. The upper wave continued in a line from north of Brecon to just south of Shobdon. I was 8000 ft at Shobdon. Reports from Herefordshire GC and other gliders reported wave further north at Knighton and Oswestry so long distance cross country flying should have been possible. The lower wave system was quite irregular in the Black Mountain area but south west towards Neath the cloud tops indicated that the longer wave length predominated at lower level. The forecast had indicated multiple inversions which might be the explanation. Cloud base remained clear of the mountain tops but a GPS is vital when above cloud and although I could have descended through gaps, a cloud descent proved easier.
Peter Saundby

Twas a fun wave day with the early pilots martins Brock&Pingle cruising around mid wales at 16k in NW WAVE. Others where on there way up there Tony Bartlet,Mike Ashton Alan Cridge mike tomlinson Geof king ect, Robby kindly rigged 464 for his syndicate to fly as he was flitting around all day in a K13.
I arrived late for a evening 2 hour flight to 9k, after my drive down from lancashire.
Gerry Martin

Pushed out to Bronllys Castle from the ridge and had a slow climb through the wave gap, then 6kts to 6500ft and explored along the wave ridge towards Hay, keeping an eye on the Wye through gaps, Had an interesting descent through a gap which closed so used the T&S tokeep a straight descent and emerged over Talgarth town at 2500. Theres fun for you.
Tony Murphy

Saturday 21 February 2009

Saturday started very soft with about 10 of us batting back and forth just above ridge level, which concentrated the mind somewhat. Later it started to work slightly better as Martin B and myself managed to get into some low level wave around 4-4500 QNH over towards Hay and Brecon.
Could hear pilots on the radio in wave over Yorkshire at 9000ft +.
Martin Pingel

Monday 16 February 2009

Light west wind and pleasantly warm (well after what we've had recently anything above 2 degrees C is warm!!) Nice bit of ridge lift, if a little weak at times, but the occasional thermal kept things interesting.

Those out were Rhona, in Junior, Mike Barratt, T10, John Horley in FAV, Martin Brock in 209 and I took the wife (Judith) for a spin in K13 - well not literally so don't panic Martin L!!
Peter "Doc" Saunby did a sterling job of towing us out.
I left early, so many thanks to those who put K13 away, so not sure what the flying was like later in the day.
Martin Pingel

Sunday 15 February 2009

It turned out much better than forecast and gradually improved thro the day. Martin Pingle contacted weak wave in Cymdu and later Martin Langford took the club K6 to 5000ft near Talybont. Ridge and weak wave set up later in the day as the sun struggled through and took most of us up to 2300 on the main ridge to Hay Bluff.
Out playing were Martin L and Martin P, Alan Cridge, Mark Fisher, Rhona and Mike, Andrew Richards, Steve Kessler.
Simon Withey was duty dog and Don G tuggie ... thanks both. Snoopy was up for over an hour with Robbie and Steve ...brrrrr!
Robbie Robertson

Sunday 2 February 2009

Strong easterley wind with good signs of wave early on. Tony Crowden launched in the K21, shot up to 9500ft in terrific wave and watched the slot start to close below him .... back on the ground in 20 minutes with a very impressed visiting pilot from Mendip GC. Later, the sky opened up and many members and visitors reaching heights up to the base of the airway with off the clock lift in the Cymdu valley. The launch and approach were interesting but all coped well. Immediately before the 10am briefing, I shot a 10 minute timelapse from the BBQ area looking west ...this shows clearly the wave and why it was bouncy!

Robbie Robertson

Saturday 24 January 2009

Saturday started with cloud down on the hill, very little wind in a slack area of low pressure. The Mendip group were out in force and true to forecast (well one of them anyway!) the cloud slowly lifted and the breeze picked up from the W-SW. I think there were about 20 launches in all with the W and S bowls working, if a little soft, but helped by some thermal activity enhanced by wave influence. Light wave was found in the Cwmdu and out towards Llangorse but only going to just ove 5k QNH.
Much fun was had by all.
Mike Tomlinson

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Well, we flew but no records broken! Light westeries with lotsa low cloud on the hill until around 1400hrs. Eventually Geoff Stinchcombe launched in the club K6 followed by Mike Williams and Robbie in K13. Cloudbase slowly went up as a few holes appeared. Geoff flew twice and Robbie and Mike managed an hour in the two seater.
RR

Saturday 3 January 2009

Unexplained lift in zero wind

Saturday was a very bright start, a huge blue sky, but not a breath of wind. Soaring was not predicted at briefing.

It was my last day and I hadn't flown since Sunday... I wanted to fly, so decided to rig FYG anyway, unsoarable forecasts have a habit of being wrong, especially at Talgarth...

I decided a high tow would be the best way to extend the flight, so went to 3200 overhead the site. The air surprisingly buoyant, and despite me checking out the handling and stall speeds on this my first flight in the glider, it still took what seemed like an age to drop to 2000, although there was never anything above a zero on the vario... Then at 1800 feet, the glider surged, the Ilec vario gave off a musical chirp, and I realised had blundered into an area of unexpected lift. Just off to the NW of Y Das, in nil wind and sub zero temperatures, here was some definite lift - amazing... If anything maybe a SE drift at height, but not strong enough to associate with wave. In some ways it seemed like a thermal, and circling was the most efficient way of staying in it. Tighter turns when it got stronger. But it didnt feel like much a thermal, and it stayed there for a very long time.

I was able to get up to 2300 in that lift and then go off to explore the area, always able to return to the same spot and find it again. Eventually Mike Codd in the K13 came over and joined in. After the best part of an hour I was down to 1600 QFE and decided to go for the circuit. I noticed some smoke near the airfield showing a barely perceptible westerly drift. Landing Easterly in nil wind was ultra smooth and I looked up and wondered what it was that had kept me up for 52 minutes.

Don G in the tug thought it was a thermal, but Mike and I both thought it felt more like wave.

I remember flying with Ivor Shattock in 1989 and experiencing similar conditions. I never did understand what caused that column of lift then, and today seemed the same effect. It seemed a remarkable coincidence that in my first ever flight in Ivor's Club Libelle FYG that this should happen again.

Any ideas on this? in 1989 Ivor just said: "Lift is where you find it" How true.
Mark Fisher

Some possible explanations

It was Tom Bradbury who said that if you want to understand wave, stand on a bridge and watch the surface of a river flowing over a rocky bed. It will have the classic undulations, but also there will be many convergences, eddies, swirls and turbulent upthrusts. The defining characteristic is that they stay in the same place.

With a low level inversion, the lower air may be still, but there can be enough wind aloft to produce effects. Sometimes this is visualised and once, when the valley up to airfield level was filled with a flat topped cold fog, we watched a wave induced rotor lifting fronds of mist which streamed upwards and evaporated in the drier air.
Peter Saundby

mmm...... yes might well have been thermic lift there Mark as there was some weak sun on the slope and the air was very cold but also there might have been abit of wave induction too. I'm glad you got the airtime whatever
Mike Rossiter

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