Sorry for the delay too busy flying, with the occasional
meal etc of course.
Thursday 21
A fairly good day with 5 flights averaging between 1.5 and 3
hours on a moderately difficult windy and overcast day, base generally 8000.
This was the hardest of the days, with the best flight being
only 3.15, 2 of 1.5 and 4 others less than 30 minutes.
Friday 22
Another good day with flights hovering around the 2 hours
mark, only 1 fall down after 22 minutes but he returned and did another 2.23.
Fairly cloudy most of the day with hints of rotor and a
couple of wave flights, base generally about 7-8000 but Martin did manage 13,000.
Richard got to 12500, via France.
Saturday 23
Forecast only moderate with top cover and rain rolling in
from mid afternoon – BUT
775 took off at 1056, released fairly early and then took
quite a while to get up to height for repeated transits from the Hecha Valley to
Sabinajio, restricted further by 7,500 foot cloud base to the east.
431 followed 10 minutes later and was seen frequently by us
further down the valley, he returned and changed pilots.
By 1330 the valley was filling with cloud but both took off
again, 775 returned 2 ½ hours later and took off again, in the meantime 431 was
still away after 4 hours, I should say the weather was not what we had expected
from the morning briefing.
On its second flight 775 climb up to Stage 3 and Andy soon
had Paul rock polishing among the snow up to cloud base for three-quarters of
an hour. The conditions were so good it was possible to fly at 70 knots and
climb at 4 knots to cloud base for several miles, providing Paul with one of
his best flights ever.
775 left again at 1630 and came back just 1900.
431 came back after 5pm – Richard and John managed a
fun-filled 4 and 1/2 hours.
Many thanks to John and Andy for an exceptional weeks
flying.
Long may this continue for next week’s group.
Goodbye from Crown Services until next year.
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