Sutton Bank Gliding Club.
Posted: 01 Jul 2021, 20:17
In Yorkshire. Had an update to X-Plane 11 last night and there were changes which included Sutton Bank Gliding Club being introduced. 
Went for a week with our gliding club back in 1972 to gain our 5 hour duration flight towards a Silver 'C'. We underwent a number of check flights there to become accustomed to ridge flying and during that week it was almost always a westerly wind blowing which meant that we had to launch on the small runway 24.
There is also a gulley just before touchdown on R/W24 and the brief was that we were to approach high and fast to avoid a nasty fright in high winds. One of our members Paddy McGuire (I think that was his name) was flying the K4 which had spoilers and not airbrakes, I think he must have forgotten that and came in high and fast touched down and I can still remember his expression of 'oh sh*t' as he went off the edge!!
Very nearly cost him £5 as that was the field he landed in and if the farmer caught you that was the price to retrieve the glider. It was common practise for the pilot to pay for a round of drinks for the retrieve crew, we all raced for the van and put the trailer on it and I do believe we set a record blasting down Sutton Bank Hill which is a 1 in 4 gradient and also including a very sharp hairpin bend. We practically threw the glider over the fence and back to the airfield. Ever since we renamed the poor soul to Paddy MacOvershoot and he had to bear the rounds that night!!
I did not get my Silver 'C' as forgot to take up my piddle pac and after 3hours and 59 minutes had to land as my water pipes were about to burst!!
Still, it was one of the best week's flying especially when in the Motor Falke with one of our instructors as had to do some practice field landing checks we got a bit bored so decided to fly low level back and I do mean low level over the hills and between the valleys. Never get away with that now!!
On the ground awaiting the tug aircraft.
View of the White Horse.
This is about where £5 Field is.
To the right of the road is where the gulley is and we had to come high and fast when the wind was high!
Regards
Nigel.
Went for a week with our gliding club back in 1972 to gain our 5 hour duration flight towards a Silver 'C'. We underwent a number of check flights there to become accustomed to ridge flying and during that week it was almost always a westerly wind blowing which meant that we had to launch on the small runway 24.
There is also a gulley just before touchdown on R/W24 and the brief was that we were to approach high and fast to avoid a nasty fright in high winds. One of our members Paddy McGuire (I think that was his name) was flying the K4 which had spoilers and not airbrakes, I think he must have forgotten that and came in high and fast touched down and I can still remember his expression of 'oh sh*t' as he went off the edge!!
Very nearly cost him £5 as that was the field he landed in and if the farmer caught you that was the price to retrieve the glider. It was common practise for the pilot to pay for a round of drinks for the retrieve crew, we all raced for the van and put the trailer on it and I do believe we set a record blasting down Sutton Bank Hill which is a 1 in 4 gradient and also including a very sharp hairpin bend. We practically threw the glider over the fence and back to the airfield. Ever since we renamed the poor soul to Paddy MacOvershoot and he had to bear the rounds that night!!
I did not get my Silver 'C' as forgot to take up my piddle pac and after 3hours and 59 minutes had to land as my water pipes were about to burst!!
Still, it was one of the best week's flying especially when in the Motor Falke with one of our instructors as had to do some practice field landing checks we got a bit bored so decided to fly low level back and I do mean low level over the hills and between the valleys. Never get away with that now!!
On the ground awaiting the tug aircraft.
View of the White Horse.
This is about where £5 Field is.
To the right of the road is where the gulley is and we had to come high and fast when the wind was high!
Regards
Nigel.
