All Lasham pilots or pilots making flights from Lasham are encouraged to click here and use the form provided to tell us of their exploits. We want to know about

First Solo's
Badge flights (or heroic attempts) or personal bests of any kind
or any flight that put a big grin on your face

10th October 2004

Sejul Shah and Edward Coles Gale

Aircraft: G103
registration: 496
Task: Wave Flight
Duration: 48 mins
Story: Well Sunday was an interesting day... the launchpoint set up with a white sock which rapidly turned to a red, and a few launches later a yellow.

After Imperial colleges grob had finished with the trial flights, I decided to brave the skies, (even with the 80kts approaches that were going on) with the promise of some lift in cloud streets which others had experienced.

Offering the front seat to Ed, we attached to the last cable before lunch. We launched east into what we thought would be a circuit, into a blue sky (what we were told were streets had fizzled out).

Reached the top of winch at 2200' where the vario started climbing first to 2kts then to 6kts indicated, heading into wind. We climbed to 3600', with the vario generally showing strong lift (up to 8kts indicated) before turning round to head back the way we had come, trying to track under the clouds that had appeared. Unfortunately I never quite managed to find such good lift again, and we slowly started descending.

We did see, about 3 or 4 "streets or oscillations" north of us a very impressive wave bar, looking at a top height of 8000 foot (twice the height of the cloud), shearing the Cu that was underneath - Breath taking, pity we did not have a camera.
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16th September 2004

Alex Grimwood
aircraft: K-13
registration: K
task: First Solo
duration: 6 minutes
story: What a dream come true. I had a great time learning to fly. Clive Thomas kept me relishing the challenge, and finally capped it off by sending me solo! Thanks to everyone at Lasham, you all gave me an experience I shall never forget; and left me with the will to keep gliding!
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4th & 5th September 2004

Michael Rubin
Aircraft: Discus B
registration: SH2
task: Sat: GRL-PIC-PET-GRL, Sun: GRL-NOW-NOR-GRL
distance: 185 & 157
speed: 58 & 83
duration: 3:06 & 1:55
story: Interclub League Final

GRL=Gransden Lodge; PIC=Pickenham Mast; PET=Peterborough; NOW=Northampton West; NOR=Norman Cross

I competed in the intermediate class in the interclub league final at Gransden Lodge. Saturday was semi-blue / wisps of cumulus to the east. Sunday was forecast to be blue but to towards Northampton and Peterborough there were good cumulus (and even some spreadout).

Saturday's task turned out to be a good task. The worst area was around GRL, with weak blue thermals to barely above 2000 feet (QNH). I eventually set off from just under 2500 feet (QNH) and immediately got very low down track, ready to land before escaping in a 2-3kt climb. After that there were wisps of cloud to mark the thermals, and despite the narrow cores and low operating heights I made steady progress to PIC. It took me a while to escape from the huge mast at the turning point as it was rather grotty there. But eventually I pushed back upwind to the best part of the track. For 10-15km on approach to PET there was a line of large cumulus a bit north of track but curving right into the turning point. I had a great run along these straight to the turning point. At this point I noticed all the clouds shrinking, flattening and starting to disappear as the day wound down. I was still well below final glide but headed off at best glide back towards GRL. A few weak climbs later I had just enough energy for a low energy marginal finish so continued. But fortunately on my way back I went through a large area of lift that pushed me high enough to speed up and be able to finish at 110 knots, whizzing past another marginal finisher about to land straight ahead.

The Lasham pundit was also right behind me when I finished, along with several others. So although I didn't know it we (almost) had a nice formation finish. I was just relieved to get round the task and make it back without landing out. (I've never picked so many fields in one XC flight!) The provisional results showed me as 2nd, flying at 58kph. But after an error in the handicaps was fixed overnight Sunday morning revealed me as the intermediate class winner! The results were that close that a small handicap error made the difference. (Novices scrubbed, Lasham Pundit came in the lower order after a starting error.)

On Sunday we started earlier as despite the hot and blue forecast cu's started appearing in the task area to the north and west. I was the last intermediate to launch, and it also took me a while to get back to the start line from downwind as over GRL it was blue. However that delay I think benefitted me as it allowed conditions down track to develop before I reached there. After I started at just over 3000 feet QNH I followed the wisps towards St. Neots where I found my first reasonable cumulus. At that point I found my first and best strong climb of the day - 6kts average to just below cloudbase which was around 4500' (roughly). From there on I did not turn until just before reaching NOW (catching others up in the process). Every time I pulled up in a thermal I got straight back to cloudbase, and had a great run. Over Northampton the clouds were bigger with spreadout. However I managed to pick my way through, avoiding the worst of the spreadout and getting through large areas of heavy sink OK. Once I got away from NOW and past Wellingborough it was a more straight forward run to NOR. Conditions around there and on the final leg were very good. I took a couple of top up climbs to get enough height for a nice fast final glide, and finished at about 120-130kts - great fun!

Once the results were in we found that the Novice came 7th as he unfortunately landed out. The Pundit came 4th as they got low west of Northampton in the spreadout which cost them about 20 minutes getting away again (although they still made it back at over 90kph - but a Nimbus 4 has a huge handicap disadvantage). Overall Lasham came 4th in this weekend's final. However on a personal note I was very pleased to win the day in the intermediate class again. I flew at 83kph, and 2nd place was 74kph, so unlike yesterday's close finish I blasted the others out of the sky this time and set off home with 2 bottles of wine (one for each day).

Congrats to Norfolk who won the final overall.
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09/06/2004

John Gibson
Aircraft: K13
Task: Solo
Story: My second solo in twenty years! Many thanks to all those who helped me achieve this goal and especially to Merv's Marauders in the Wednesday evening group.

26/05/2004

Graham Essex
Aircraft: K13
Registration: K
Task: First Solo
Duration: All of 7 minutes!
Story: I joined the Wednesday evening group in order to fly more regularly and make it to solo - so was apprehensively delighted when given the chance this week. A big thanks to Merv's Marauders - especially instructors Roger & Ed - and Merv for his never ending enthusiasm.
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25/05/2004

Ian Wilson
Aircraft: Grob 102
Registration: SH7
Task: Lasham - Old Sarum (Salisbury)
Distance: 50km
Story: Silver Distance and Height.
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23/05/2004

Shaun Lapworth
Aircraft: Discus
Registration: SH3
Task: Lasham - Ilminster - Membury - Lasham
Distance: 301km
Duration: 4 hours +
Story: Romp down the first leg and then tip toe through the spreadout to get home. Reading number plates at Membury not such a good idea!
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Jamie Denton
Aircraft: Discus B
Registration: 296
Task: Lasham - Ilminster - Membury - Lasham
Distance: 301km
Duration: 4:10
Story: My second, (and this time successful) Gold Distance attempt. An easy romp to Yeovilton followed by getting far too low in a blue hole round the first turning point. Then an uneventful, if occasionally frustrating second leg. The last leg was a nice run back to Lasham, time to eat sandwiches and stop picking out fields :-)
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Paul Barnett
Aircraft: Discus
Registration: 397
Task: Lasham - Ilminster - Membury - Lasham
Distance: 301km
Duration: 4:30
Story: When you plan an badge flight, make sure you know what the turn points look like. ILM was not the road roundabout, but the road bridge 1/4 mile further on. But near enough for the GPS to start pointing to the next turn point anyway. I was gutted. For about 3 seconds. It was still a fantastic day, views over all of s/e England, and I am beginning to understand what a fine glider the Discus is. As Ken Summers said under similar circumstances "badges are for boy scouts".
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Derek Copeland
Aircraft: Slingsby Swallow
Registration: HBX
Task: Goal Distance to Nympsfield to collect the 'Wooden Plate'
Distance: 103Km
Duration: 2:25
Story: The Slingsby Swallow was designed as the poor man's Skylark with little stumpy 13 metre wings and the glide angle of a streamlined breeze block. However as a pilot from Nympsfield had collected the 'Wooden Plate' in a SF29 the day before, I set myself the challenge of getting it back in this vintage machine. Launching immediately after the grid, I climbed at 5 knots up to the base of the TMA, 4800' above Lasham, and set forth. After a good initial run, the clouds started to spread out and I got very low near Membury. Scraped back up from 800' and completed the trip with few further problems. About 30 minutes after I landed, the ex-Crown Services Club K13 L99 also landed at Nympsfield with the same aim. We both managed to soar back to Lasham, with the Wooden Plate in the back of the Swallow.
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Steve Dutton
Aircraft: Std Cirrus
Registration: G81
Task: Lasham - Chard - Popham - Langport - Lasham
Distance Achieved: 390km
Duration: 5:54
Story: A flight full of firsts. The first leg was the fastest I have ever flown cross country, 73kph. Only to be exceeded by the second leg, 85kph. The run back from Chard was spent keeping up with a couple of Discus's, a DG400 and a Stemme (well almost). On the run in to Popham another first was achieved with the aid of a freezer bag. Thus distracted I didn't really notice how quickly the spreadout was developing. At Popham a weakish climb and a decision to be made. Head for home or turn away and back under the spreadout. Hoping that conditions would still be better west and maybe still four hours left in the day I went for it. The leg to Langport involved long patient climbs to cloudbase and long, long glides to patches of sunshine. Met up with Nicki Marchant in her LS6, 335, at Salisbury in a couple of weak climbs. She drifted off west on track. I glid off more south of west to what looked like a stronger patch of sunshine. Eventually ended up near Compton Abbas well off track but in the best climb of the leg. Another long glide brought me back on track about 10k from Langport to a weak patch of sunshine with a glider circling in it. It was 335 again. Nicki set off again while I scratched around trying to stay in the air. When the thermal died I reckoned I had enough height to get round Langport and back to another small patch of sunshine. This time all it did was illuminate a large, freshly cut sillage field. The wheel went down at about Lasham ground level when a small flock of sea gulls passed below me - flapping! I touched down 557' below Lasham ground level. What followed were more firsts. My longest, highest and most expensive aerotow retrieve, 9000' passing Salisbury still on tow! Nicely on glide for Lasham even for a Cirrus. I haven't stopped grinning since. Mind you I haven't seen the bill for the retrieve yet.
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Pete Harmer
Aircraft: Nimbus 4DM
Registration: 60
Task: Diamond Distance Lasham - Chard - Popham - Langport - Lasham
Distance: 511km
Speed: 81.4kph
Duration: 6:16
Story: I never got low, first three legs almost straight glides taking about one and a quarter hours each ( even under the spreadout on the third). Then it went slow, tiptoeing around Wiltshire under the clag until the sun came out at Middle Wallop, climbed twice as high as needed just to make sure, last leg 2.5 hours
Only 26 years from second Diamond to third
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Martin Conboy
Aircraft: ASW19
Registration: SH6
Task: Lasham - Ilminster - Membury - Lasham
Distance: 301k
Speed: 50kph
Duration: 5 hours
Story: Gold Distance, Gold completed and Diamond Goal as it was predeclared. Today I received my gliding certificate, suitably endorsed, back from the BGA along with a nice gold lapel stud. I am still indescribably smug about this!
Fairly uneventful flight really, set off from the back of the grid at about 11.30 on a cracking day, got to Ilminster without incident, on the way to Membury ran into some spreadout which had me scratching for about an hour or so, but picked up a great thermal near Rivar Hill which made turning Membury then back to Lasham a comparative doddle. I am very happy with it - yippee!

Mike Sedgwick
Aircraft: Discus
Registration: SH6
Task:Lasham - Ilminster - Membury - Lasham
Distance: 301km
Speed: 49kph
Duration: 6:10
Story: Took the aerotow to the same place as everyone else only to find that the thermal had stopped. Crossed the start line looking for lift and according to the barograph I was down to 500ft before making contact and climbing to 3200ft. Don't hang around over the Test Valley, someone told me, it is wet, cold and there are no thermals. Well, he was wrong, cloudbase here was 4000ft with vigorous thermals. After Salisbury it was all uncharted country for me but although I wandered a good bit south of the course, there were no problems. A good thermal over the turning point set me off to Membury and the barograph trace looks like a saw blade with regular teeth. Great to see all the Somerset and Wiltshire market towns where I have often waited in traffic. After turning Membury I found a fantastic thermal and had my longest glide of 22nm back to Lasham. Gold Distance and Diamond Goal have been confirmed. Two days later, with more enthusiasm and confidence than ability, I set out on a 500km and dropped into Rivar Hill on the way out!

22/05/2004

Tracey Ward
Aircraft: K6e
Registration: FXU
Task: Las-ILL-Mem-Las
Distance: 300KM
Duration: Hours
Story:
Much against my better judgement, I was persuaded to have a go at my first 300km task. Things got much more reassuring when I was introduced to Adrian Emck, who had already been persuaded to shepherd two other pilots around the task with him. I felt a little more confident in that I would at least have Adrian's K6e (36) to keep mine (FXU) company.

We had a short pre flight briefing, discussing safe separation, radio procedure and so on. Then it was onto the grid and away!

The first leg seemed to be almost never ending. The battery on my (handheld) radio gave out just past Chilbolton, making communication just that little bit more tricky. It is funny how one minute the sky can seem to be full of gliders, and the next it is a big lonely place. I was sticking to Adrian like glue, and could only marvel at how quickly his K6 seemed to climb compared to mine, and accelerate away from me with seemingly very little height loss between thermals. I made a mental note to ask Adrian about that when we next saw each other on the ground.

If I thought the leg (downwind) to Ilminster was hard work, then starting the leg back to Membury was terminally slow. The lack of into wind penetration of the K6e began to take its toll on me. I lost count of the number of times I left Frome, only to get blown back there again whilst thermalling upwind. My last decent climb was over Keevil airfield, set my sights on the next town of Devizes, with that wonderful flight of locks on the canal, glinting in the sunshine. It is impossible as a glider pilot not to marvel at views such as that from our position of advantage thousands of feet above the English countryside. Did I say thousands? Well it was turning now towards hundreds, and I began to realise just how tired I was becoming. I had finally lost visual contact with Adrian some 50 kilometres back. He had wisely given up coming back (and down) to find the last of his flock.

I resigned myself to the inevitability of a field landing somewhere near Devizes, but looking down, was at a loss to find any field which looked appropriate. Finally deciding on one which had short looking crop in it, I tightened my straps and tried to work out how I would explain to my syndicate partner that FXU no longer had a tailplane. Then I saw it, just a little further along, a playing field. Surrounded by tall trees, a huge building along one side, but with a handy 15m wide gap in the trees at the downwind end. I passed the adjacent cricket pitch, gathering fleeting images, the bowler the only one watching the batsman, who like the rest was watching me! Bails sailing through the air, bowler s arms held high in victory.

I sideslipped off the last couple of hundred feet (thank you Gareth), squeezed through the gap in the trees, turned slightly to optimise the landing distance, and settled FXU down gently easing away from the tennis courts on the ground run and rolling to a halt with a good 30 metres to spare. At last, all was tranquil again. I opened the canopy, climbed out and called my crew. Devizes eh? Whereabouts? I m not sure, but there is a windsock in the corner of the field, and I even landed the right way! A windsock, can you see any police cars? came the reply.

Within minutes, I was surrounded by men in uniform. Had I really landed safely, or was this heaven? Then a loud noise brought me to my senses, looking up, I had even attracted the attention of a police helicopter! Paramedics with defibrillators at the ready, a fire crew, and more policemen than you could imagine! I thought now I m in trouble! For those of you who haven t already guessed, I had landed in the grounds of Wiltshire Constabulary HQ!! I had apparently prompted five 999 calls from alarmed locals who thought I was a terrorist planning to crash into the HQ. They must have mistaken my beeny hat for a tea-towel. How much trouble can one girl cause?

The boys in Blue were great, especially one who thankfully turned out to be a glider pilot at Keevil. He, and the helicopter crew were very complimentary about the circuit and landing. I was treated like royalty, and they happily supplied two men to assist with the derig when the trailer arrived.

To all my fellow female pilots out there, if you are in need of a place to land, that one comes highly recommended! My thanks go to Adrian Emck for making it all possible, and helping me to feel more confident about flying over the horizon. He was great, even making notes to give me pointers in improving my thermalling technique, and inter-thermal speed
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15-16/05/2004

Sejul Shah and Shaun Murdoch
Aircraft: Discus B
Registration: 296
Task: Lasham - Bicester
Distance: 82k
story: Congratulations to Shaun Murdoch and Sage Shah who both got their Silver Distances in 296.
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24/04/2004

Shaun Murdoch and Michael Mortimore
date: 24th Apr 2004
aircraft_type: Discus B and Grob 103C
registration: 296 and 496
task: Silver Duration Flights
duration: 5:20 and 5:30
story: Silver duration flights! :) Blue day, but nice thermals. Launched around 1, landed around 6:30. Very happy but with sore asses! Michael tried the day before and got 4:48!
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07/04/2004

Michael Mortimore
date: 07/04/2004
aircraft_type: K13
task: First Solo!!
story: Well done to Michael Mortimore of Imperial College Gliding Club on achieving his FIRST SOLO today, and the first first solo of this year for icGC!
Submitted by: Shaun Murdoch
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