Tuesday, 31 December 2024

Last Club Outing of the Year at Beeding Bowl - Monday 30th December 2024

It was Scott T who initiated yesterdays gathering. We as a club endeavor to get as many members together between Christmas and New Year, more for a social gathering rather than the flying as the weather can be so unpredictable. The weather forecast was advertised as 13-20 mph South West wind, plus 8 and no rain.

Last Outing of the Year

Upon reaching the car park I surprised to find a car in a ditch surrounded with the police blue tape. Those of you who are familiar with the car park will be astounded to see a vehicle imbedded so far in the hedge.

View Looking North West

Two club members were already on the slope by the time I arrived, Ivan and Nick, I also met Russell in the car park who had a stash of models in the boot of his car. The weather was poor, it was dismal with low grey clouds and a substantial amount of moisture in the air and not much wind. To say the least the flying was marginal at best. Better pilots than me struggled with the conditions as the wind would drop without warning.

Ivan and Nick

Nick started the flying with his Dream Flight Weasel which flew well considering the conditions and Ivan was doing well with his Nano Flow glider. Russell started the session with his Ridge Runt and a Tomahawk Hacker, later followed by his Stan Yeo designed Wingbat 48. Scotty arrived with a Dream Flight Weasel and an Ahi, both ideal for the light conditions. 

Russell with his Models

I must say the star of the afternoon was without doubt Russell's Wingbat 48. It flew really well and also looks the part when in flight.

Star of the Afternoon - The WingBat 48

I also had the opportunity to meet up with 2 potential members George and Grant, both of which have decided to join the Club. As previously mentioned the Club has increased it's numbers by over 20% this past year alone. So, to keep the Club manageable we the Committee have decided to put in place a cap on club members, this will now be set at 60. Once this figure is reached a waiting list will be in place  to manage potential members.

Scotty's Models

In summary, a good end to the year despite not the best weather conditions being experienced over the past 12 months but we are all looking forward to the New Year.

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I would just like to take the opportunity to wish all our club members and our wider reader audience a  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I appreciate that this Blog is read by many individuals across the entire globe including Australia and Japan, some have even made contact with me regarding various gliders. 

The weather has not been great this past year but the Club is thriving, we now have some 53 members which is an increase of more that 20% from the start of the year and I continue to receive enquires from potential members. 

We held the Club Annual General Meeting (AGM) last month which was well attended and many interesting points were raised. Many of these will be taken forward by the Committee for further consideration. It was good to see the members without the need for hats, gloves and seven layers of clothing. After the meeting some members enjoyed a sociable meal and had the opportunity to chat about all sorts of things including slope soaring.

We as a club look forward to 2025 and I do hope the weather is kinder to us and we can enjoy the warmer days of Spring and Summer and the fantastic views across the South Downs National Park. 

All the very best to you all.

Tony Crawford

Secretary

Slope Soaring Sussex