November is the month when many of the Yorkshire Gliding Club’s private owners start taking their trailered gliders off site to drier locations in local barns for over- winter storage. Club flying does, however, continue throughout the year weather permitting, this November permitting flying on 18 of its 30 days, of which 11 provided soaring opportunities. Most of these opportunities were generated by hill and wave soaring conditions, often coincident, although the 8th of November also provided thermal soaring in addition to wave and hill soaring. The wave was good enough on the 13th to allow a 250 km task to be flown and an altitude of 12,500′ asl to be reached. Another good wave day on the 7th coincided with a visit from another group of trainee, fast jet pilots from RAF Linton on Ouse. As a result, every one of the 6 strong group climbed to at least 7,000′ asl and some nice wave flight photos resulted, as shown below. The first shows the low-level wave cloud nicely aligned over the site, with the White Horse clearly visible. The second shows the high level wave cloud generated by the Pennines, the north south aligned high ground to the west that is the main generator of wave over the site.
November is also the month when the UK rather eccentrically celebrates the attempt of Guy Fawkes and his group of plotters to blow up King James 1st when he visited the Houses of Parliament on November 5th in 16o5. This event was celebrated at the Yorkshire Gliding Club with the traditional bonfire, topped by an effigy of Guy Fawkes, and a splendid firework display. In order to brave the elements outdoors, while enjoying the bonfire and fireworks, the celebrants stoked up internally with a hot meal in the club house before venturing out into a cold, but dry and clear night. Guy Fawkes’ effigy in place on the bonfire and some of the onlookers of the firework display are shown in the following photos.
November also saw the return of the a tail wheel version of the Eurofox for a further demonstration of it towing abilities. On a low wind day off a wet grass runway, the Eurofox proved its towing credentials and resulted in an order for the tug being placed which should result in it being on site in May 2013 to start its towing duties at the YGC.
