Aerotow1.jpg
SteamTrain.jpg
Odiham.jpg
Aerotow2.jpg
MistySouth1.jpg
MistySouth2.jpg
Click here to return to the main Pictures index.
Click here to go to my 2005 diary.
Click here to go to the 2006 images.
Click here to go to the 2004 images.
It was a lovely mild and gentle winter's day today. In the morning I had a great flight in the Falke motorglider. Then after lunch I was kindly offered a free ride in the back seat of Lasham's DG1000. So of course I obliged and took my camera. Plus a few extra shots later in the day. It's not often I get to take pictures during take-off, circuit and landing, as usually I'm the one doing the flying and it's too dangerous to take pics then. But not a problem when the other pilot is doing the flying. :) It was also very quiet as you can see from the completely empty runway. Derek Crabb was in the front seat, and Al Nunn in the Robin tug.
|
Aerotow1.jpg |
SteamTrain.jpg |
Odiham.jpg |
Aerotow2.jpg |
MistySouth1.jpg |
MistySouth2.jpg |
| Back seat view just after taking off on tow. | As we passed Alton a steam train was spotted heading away Westwards. | While towing Northwestwards, Odiham as seen from the South. | View of the tug as we approach the top of the 4000 foot tow near Basingstoke. | Looking South after releasing from tow, the air was quite misty and murky below us. | |
 Banked.jpg |
 Clubhouse.jpg |
 Wingshot1.jpg |
 Wingshot2.jpg |
 Wingshot3.jpg |
| Looking towards Basingstoke while turning. | A slightly fuzzy view of the clubhouse from South of the airfield at about 1500 feet AGL. | 3 wingshots taken while we turn and burn off height before commencing a Northerly circuit. The 3rd shot is notable as the runway reflects nicely on the wing. | ||
 LashamRunway.jpg |
 LashamNorthSide.jpg |
 LaunchPoint.jpg |
 NextAerotow.jpg |
 SunsetCub.jpg |
| Runway 09 as seen from about 1200 feet. | Final approach for runway 27. | Looking at the clubhouse launchpoint from about 100 feet. | Soon after we land another pilot is being towed aloft in the DG1000 by the Robin tug. | Sun shining through the cockpit of the Cub tug late in the day. |
Well winter has arrived. The fog to the Northeast of the airfield lingered all day. But that made for a gorgeous flight at lunchtime, with an aerotow in a DG300 to 4000 feet above the fog. That gave me the best part of half an hour to gaze at and take pictures of the awesome sight. Above the fog and the very low inversion the visibility was excellent, with Didcot and the Isle of Wight (both 50km away) clearly visible.
 AirfieldFog.jpg |
 Basingstoke1.jpg |
 4kOr20k.jpg |
 ViewNE.jpg |
 ViewSE.jpg |
 Didcot.jpg |
| Mid morning we had to stop launching as a bank of fog crossed the airfield. | Basingstoke as seen from the South. The M3 hidden under the fog. | Looking below me it looks more like 20,000 feet than 4,000 feet! | Odiham airfield is somewhere under there. | Looking Southeast. | Didcot power station was working well, throwing lots of water vapour well above the fog. |
 Solent.jpg |
 ViewWest1.jpg |
 ViewWest2.jpg |
 Lasham1.jpg |
 Lasham2.jpg |
 ViewEast.jpg |
| The view South to the Solent, IOW and beyond. The haze below the inversion is clearly visible. | Looking West under my wing along the Southern fog boundary. | The fog was never far from the airfield. | Looking East. | ||
 Aerotow1.jpg |
 Aerotow2.jpg |
 Aerotow3.jpg |
 Tower.jpg |
 FrostPatches.jpg |
 Fog1.jpg |
| A K13 trainer being aerotowed above the fog. | The view from the top floor of this Basingstoke tower must have been awesome. | In the shade there was still plenty of thick frost. | Fog flowing along a valley. | ||
 M3.jpg |
 M3J6.jpg |
 Fog2.jpg |
 2kOr20k.jpg |
 LoneCumulus.jpg |
 L1.jpg |
 L2.jpg |
| Views of the M3 shrouded in fog. | Shallow fog drifting past trees and fields. | Another 20,000 foot view, now from just 2000 feet. | A lone cumulus could be seen through the haze over clear ground far to the Northeast. | A K13 below me flying above the fog. | ||
 Aerotow4.jpg |
 OilTerminal.jpg |
 Fog3.jpg |
 Fog4.jpg |
 Fog5.jpg |
| As I get low a tug towing a K13 up passes me. (The same tug FoxFox that towed me up.) | Passing the oil terminal on the Northeast side of the airfield at about 1500 feet AGL. | Now on the South side of the airfield, these are my last pictures, looking North from about 1000 feet AGL, before I stow the camera away and start my landing circuit. | ||
A largely uninspiring late season local soaring flight today. Although I did play with the camera just before I landed.
 BasingstokeViewEast.jpg |
 MeInDiscus.jpg |
| Nice contrasted view of fairly low cumulus and high cirrus. Tricky soaring conditions. | I just realised I hadn't pictured myself with my 2005 red glasses on. |
A cold polar northerly brought in air that was unstable enough for the thermals to keep going out to sea. I first went to Havant, then back north to Chievely Services, before coming back to the coast. I decided to keep on going and for the first time in over 2 years hop over the Solent to the Isle of Wight, where it was quite soarable. Last time I was restricted as I was on a badge flight. But this time I had much more time to take in the views and go bananas with the camera.
 PortsmouthApproach.jpg |
 HavantTP.jpg |
 ButserHillPetersfield.jpg |
 HaylingFromN.jpg |
 ViewToSelsey.jpg |
 PortsmouthFromNE.jpg |
| Looking South to Portsmouth from just North of Havant. Look how the cumulus clouds carry on out to sea. | The Havant turning point (HVT), seen from the North. | Looking North from Havant along the A3 to Butser Hill (bottom left) and Petersfield (mid right). | Hayling Island as seen from the North. | Looking Southeast to Selsey and Southwest across Portsmouth from the Northeastern corner of Portsmouth. | |
 HaylingPortsmouthChannel.jpg |
 LeeOnSolent1.jpg |
 PortsmouthBeach1.jpg |
 WestPortsmouthHarbour.jpg |
 HaylingFromW.jpg |
| A much better shot of the channel between Portsmouth (bottom right) and Hayling Island than I managed in 2003. | Lee On Solent airfield seen from Portsmouth. | The beach on the Southern end of Portsmouth including South Parade Pier. | A harbour on the West side of Portsmouth. | Hayling Island seen as I head off from Portsmouth out over the Solent. |
 HaylingFromSW.jpg |
 PortsmouthFromS.jpg |
 IOWFromNE.jpg |
 Boat1.jpg |
 Boat2.jpg |
 LookingSouthFromBembridge.jpg |
| I stopped in a thermal in the middle of the Solent to look back to Portsmouth and Hayling Island. | Looking Westwards as I approach the Isle of Wight. | 2 long range shots of boats nearby and underneath me. | Looking South towards St. Catherine's Point from Bembridge (runway visible bottom left). | ||
 SandownBay.jpg |
 BembridgeThermal.jpg |
 Bembridge.jpg |
 BembridgeZoom.jpg |
 Sandown.jpg |
 Needles.jpg |
| Sandown Bay from the North. | Southwest of Bembridge was this 4kt thermal to 5600 feet. In the background you can see the Needles. | While soaring in that thermal this was the view of Bembridge airfield from the Southwest, and Sandown airfield from the North. | My best view of The Needles, seen from a few miles South of Newport. | ||
 BembridgeSandown.jpg |
 Newport.jpg |
 Ryde.jpg |
 Cowes.jpg |
 Solent.jpg |
| Looking back towards Bembridge and Sandown Bay from South of Newport. | Looking North to Newport. Beyond is Cowes, and across the Solent is Southampton. | Time to head home now. Ryde seen from the Southwest. I crossed from Ryde to Portsmouth. | Cowes and East Cowes as seen from the Southeast. | Looking up the Solent towards Southampton from Ryde. |
 RydeHarbour.jpg |
 RydePier.jpg |
 RydeOH.jpg |
 PortsmouthFromSW.jpg |
 LeeOnSolent2.jpg |
 GosportPortsmouthChannel.jpg |
| The harbour at Ryde, and the tip of the Pier. | A last look out the window down at Ryde before I head back to Portsmouth. | Looking back to Portsmouth from Ryde as I leave Ryde. | Lee On Solent airfield (with Lee On Solent town in foreground) from the Southwest. | The channel between Gosport (left) and Portsmouth. | |
 Gosport.jpg |
 Boat3.jpg |
 Glider.jpg |
 Spire.jpg |
 PortsmouthBeach2.jpg |
 PortsmouthBeach3.jpg |
| Gosport as seen from the South. | Another passing ship. | Another glider passing me on its way towards the Isle of Wight. | The Spinnaker Tower on the Southwestern edge of Portsmouth. | 2 more shots of the beach front on the Southern edge of Portsmouth as I arrive back from the Solent. | |
I was at Bicester today on the ground helping out a couple of guys at the Junior Nationals.
 96.jpg |
 SH3296.jpg |
 942.jpg |
| Shaun Murdoch and Jamie Denton at the nose of the Imperial College ASW27. | Surrey & Hants and Imperial College's Discuses SH3 and 296 buried in the grid, being flown by Nick Smith (crewman Bob Bickers visible in picture), and Jamie Denton. | Ed Foxon in his Ash flying past low and fast as he and his co-pilot finish a task. |
I didn't fly today, but I was at the finish line for a short while when some of the finishers went past. I took a few pictures.
 KV.jpg |
 Finishers1.jpg |
 86.jpg |
 Finisher2.jpg |
 450.jpg |
 Finisher3.jpg |
| Some competition gliders finishing low and fast. | |||||
 JRG.jpg |
 Y4.jpg |
 Finisher4.jpg |
 Finisher5.jpg |
 X96.jpg |
| Some more competition gliders finishing low and fast. | ||||
I got a surprise today. After we scrubbed the last day we had the final awards ceremony. I was awarded the Best Newcomer award which was a pleasant surprise. Highlight of the comp were definitely coming joint 2nd on the 29th, since only one person finished. So I was far from alone in landing out. Overall I came 22nd of 32 in the B's. I had hoped to do better, but never got a chance to make up for a poor first day thanks to the awful comp weather. So here's to next year. I quite fancy having another go currently and hopefully showing my true potential in decent weather.
 BestNewcomer.jpg |
| Me with the Best Newcomer shield. |
We got given an assigned area task today. I was doing OK until the sky closed in on me as I was coming South from Oxford. After crossing over Didcot power station fairly low and finding nothing, I promptly descended into this cut rape field nearby. Good job it had been cut and de-stalked, leaving a nice smooth surface. A short while later two other gliders joined me in the same field. They turned out to be two fellow competitors. It was nice to have someone to chat to while waiting for a retrieve. :)
 AnotherLandout.jpg |
 Combine.jpg |
 DidcotPowerStation.jpg |
 PackingAway.jpg |
| 3 of us in a cut rape field. | A combine harvester cutting the rape nearby. | Didcot Power Station as seen from the field. | The first trailer arrives. Mine came just after they left, and the 3rd trailer arrived as I left the field. |
A few long range shots of the Lasham DG1000 getting rather low. It had the role of the 'sniffer' which tests the conditions to see if it is worth the competition gliders being launched. A little while later we did launch, but I couldn't get away and ended up landing back at Lasham. I got scored for all of 4km!
 DG1000-1.jpg |
 DG1000-2.jpg |
 DG1000-3.jpg |
| 3 long range shots of the Lasham DG1000 soaring. | ||
The 23rd was the first day of the Lasham Regionals. There was also an ATC open day, and while we were waiting to launch various aircraft, including a Chinook and a Hurricane, were coming in to land.
 Chinook.jpg |
 GridView.jpg |
 Caravan.jpg |
 Hurricane1.jpg |
 Hurricane2.jpg |
 Hurricane3.jpg |
| Chinook landing. | My view up the grid (about 60 gliders) from my glider near the back. | Given the bad weather I was glad to be renting this caravan and not in a tent! | 3 shots of a Hurricane performing a flyby and then landing on the grass next to the runway. | ||
 Sh2InField1.jpg |
 WheatStubbleField.jpg |
 Sh2InField2.jpg |
 CountryLane.jpg |
| The result of my first comp day - I landed in a wheat stubble field. | Glider pushed to end of field near entrance. | A gorgeous country lane running alongside the field. | |
I had a wonderful flight today. It's always fun to visit the South Coast when the conditions are right. One of my turning points was Arundel castle not far from Bognor Regis. The vis was great, the sea looked like paradise, and the thermals were strong and plentiful right to the coast. So out came the camera as I approached, soared near, and left Arundel, all around the 2pm mark.
 WitteringHayling.jpg |
 ChichesterSelsey.jpg |
 Chichester.jpg |
 BognorRegis.jpg |
 Littlehampton.jpg |
| Looking towards East Wittering and Hayling Island. | Chichester, with Selsey beyond. | Closeup (Zoom) of Chichester airfield. | Bognor Regis. | Littlehampton. |
 LookingEast.jpg |
 SeaBarriers.jpg |
 Arundel.jpg |
 BognorSelsey.jpg |
 Butlins.jpg |
| Looking along the coast. Littlehampton in foreground, Worthing beyond. | Sea barriers. | Closeup of Arundel (My turning point). | Looking back across Bognor Regis to Selsy. | A closeup of Butlins in Bognor Regis. |
 ArundelCastle.jpg |
 LocalClouds.jpg |
 RiverArun.jpg |
 GoodwoodRacecourse1.jpg |
 GoodwoodRacecourse2.jpg |
| Closeup of Arundel Castle. | The local clouds, base just above 4500'QNH, with decent 4kt thermals underneath. | Closeup of the river near Littlehampton. | Goodwood Racecourse. | |
Early this morning I decided to have a go in a Primary (T38). That was one wild ride! Completely open. As close as I have ever gotten to flying a broomstick. It gets towed behind a tow car and can get several hundred feet high. After releasing the cable it comes down quickly enough not to need airbrakes. It's not hard to see why it has a nickname 'The Grasshopper'.
Then later in the day I got offered the back seat of a Nimbus 3D. This is the biggest winged glider I have had the opportunity to fly, and certainly made for an interesting flight. When cruising it just goes for miles and miles. When soaring the wings feel very heavy because there is so much wing to shift.
 PrimaryBirch1.jpg |
 PrimaryBirch2.jpg |
 PrimaryMe.jpg |
 PrimaryColes.jpg |
| Mike Birch flying the Primary as I came out from the clubhouse. | Primary launching with me in the hotseat. | Chris Coles landing the Primary. | |
 2T-P9.jpg |
 JRG.jpg |
 2T.jpg |
 NimbusWing1.jpg |
 NimbusWing2.jpg |
 Chilbolton.jpg |
| Other gliders soaring and flying with us early in the flight. | Looking down the long wing of the Nimbus 3D while soaring. | Chilbolton telescope and air strip. | |||
Saw a large event taking place just East of Basingstoke as I passed on my way to Didcot. Then I took more pics after returning both in the air and on the ground.
 LargeEvent1.jpg |
 LargeEvent2.jpg |
 GreenhamCommon.jpg |
 Harvest1.jpg |
 Harvest2.jpg |
 Train.jpg |
| 2 shots of a large event just East of Basingstoke, seen from the Southwest. | A hazy look along Greenham Common from the Eastern side. | A harvest in progress near Basingstoke. | Train approaching Basingstoke station from the West. | ||
 T21Aerotow.jpg |
 T21-1.jpg |
 T21-2.jpg |
 T21-3.jpg |
 K13.jpg |
| A T21 flying late in the day. Low light levels meant slow shutter speeds and soft focus. | One of the last flights of the day around sunset. | |||
I passed and took pictures of Bullington Cross today. I also saw a large quarry. If only I could remember where that was! (I flew Lasham - Petersfield - Bruton - Wantage - Lasham.)
 ThermalSharing.jpg |
 BullingtonCross.jpg |
 BullingtonServices.jpg |
 QuarryPanorama.jpg |
| Sharing a thermal with another glider. | Bullington Cross seen from the South. | Bullington Services seen from the North. | 2 shot panorama of a quarry. |
While local soaring over Basingstoke on a hot and humid day I spotted a small funfair.
 Funfair.jpg |
| A funfair setting up on the Eastern edge of Basingstoke. |
Today I flew my second every 300km flight. Lasham - Birdlip - Northampton South - Lasham (305km). On the second leg it was very easy going, cruising along nicely, so I had a chance to take pictures as I passed between Edgehill and Banbury.
 Edgehill.jpg |
 Banbury.jpg |
| Edgehill as seen from the South. | Banbury as seen from the Northwest. |
I got a surprise in the Surrey & Hants AGM today. I got presented with the Wally Kahn trophy for a meritorious flight or series of flights. The series of flights referred to are my Interclub League flights in 2004 when I flew as an intermediate. Perhaps my favourite ICL flight was from Challock on the 5th June. We got a nice tour of Kent in some variable, sometimes tricky conditions. I finished 2nd that day after touring Canterbury Cathedral and the Isle of Sheppey. I came 2nd again at Parham on 31st July. I then started a winning streak on day 2 of the Parham ICL on 1st August, winning by just 0.4kph. A good performance by the whole team was enough to get Lasham into the ICL final for the first time in quite a while. In the final on the 4th and 5th September I was pleased to win both days in the intermediate. I scraped in on handicap on the first day after a titanic struggle round in semi-blue conditions. But on the second day conditions were excellent, and I blitzed 2nd place by almost 10kph thanks to an excellent run on the first leg.
If you should want to find out details of these days, then the Challock day was written up and is in my gliding stories page. The other days are written up in my diary page. Also look out for pictures in this section on 5th June, 1st August and 3rd - 5th September, all on the Gliding 2004 images page.
 WallyKahnTrophy.jpg |
|
| The Wally Kahn trophy. | |
Late in the day I took a couple of very long range shots of the S&H K8 474 while flying.
 474-1.jpg |
 474-2.jpg |
| S&H K8 474 flying just north of Lasham airfield. | |
I flew the Surrey & Hants Ventus 391 again today. It was soarable in the cold unstable arctic air. See my Gliding 2004 Diary for details of today's flight. However, today's highlight was a brief but dramatic wave climb over Basingstoke. I reached cloudbase at 4400 feet above sea level. Then I managed to climb up the side of a large cumulus cloud. I rocketed up at 8kts in silky smooth wave. But I rapidly had to abandon the climb at 5500 feet above sea level as airspace was restricted above that height.
 AboveCloud1.jpg |
 Basingstoke.jpg |
 ViewSouth1.jpg |
 ViewSouthwest1.jpg |
 ViewSouthwest2.jpg |
| Climbing up the side of a large cloud. Mind the canopy reflections. | Basingstoke from 5500'QNH, cloudbase 4100-4400'QNH. | The view south. The M3 is visible near the bottom of the picture. | 2 views southwest. In the first pic the M3 J7-J8 can be seen between the clouds. | |
 PeeringOverClouds1.jpg |
 ViewSouth2.jpg |
 ViewSouthwest3.jpg |
 PeeringOverClouds2.jpg |
 PeeringOverClouds3.jpg |
 Glory.jpg |
| Peering over the clouds. If only I could have climbed higher... | Another view south. The solent is just visible in the distance. | A cloud lined road to the distant Solent. | Move views from above cloudbase. | A glory (brockenspectre) spotted while descending back to cloudbase. Looking Northeast from near M3J7. | |