Aboyne 2014

Day 1.
 All 4 gliders arrived on the Saturday safe and in good order, well done all volunteers! Everyone booked into the accommodation and feedback was it is excellent!
 We awoke on the Sunday morning to a spectacular sky full of wave, lenticular clouds everywhere! So waiting for the briefing and then rigging was only for the patient.
Once the DG1000 and the K21 were serviceable check flights commenced. The conditions were interesting with  southerly gusty winds at surface, at +4000'  210/32kts. The conditions in circuit could be described as 'Sporting'. Once on the equally lively tow, wave was contacted from about 2300' over the Lochs with 4-6kts climbs. With 8 pilots to fly on the first day lingering in the wave wasn't an option, so up to 7000' then breaking off to head back down, it's not easy you know!
Dave Paffett and Stuart Waldie were the first to take the Discus and the Grob 102 up. Colin Simpson and Kevin Wood were checked and cleared for solo. However almost as soon as the single seaters got airborne, the wave conditions started to change, Dave Paffett got to 9500ft before a precautionary descent was necessary. For a short while the circuit felt more like Heathrow! The  newbies Bill Vesty, Jon Bareford, Hilton Thatcher and Mike Wilde found themselves having to work hard just to stay up in broken undefined lift and then having their first experience of rough circuits at Aboyne followed by a 90 degree wind on approach, sometimes with a tail wind! Would they manage to 'hit' the runway? Could they stay on it? Could the Instructor recover it? All 8 flew and found the experience 'instructive'. Everyone enjoyed the day including the evening meal at the Commercial in Tarland.