14/07/2026
The annual Friends and Family Day on July 10th was a glorious day full of
enjoyment and lots of soaring heights! We flew over twenty people in a
steady-paced Aerotow-only operation at the SW end of The Park, giving
everyone around a twenty-thirty-minute flight each. Despite it being a blistering-hot
day, with temperatures exceeding 33 degrees in the afternoon, the day's
thermal activity in the lift made it the best day of the year and one that would
have been outstanding for cross-country task flights. Instructors readily gained 5,000-6,000ft, with one achieving 7,400ft during the afternoon and a 6-knot lift. All could have stayed up longer. We had a broad spectrum of Friends and Family to fly with, from those in their teens to those in their retirement. All thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Two of the youngest to fly were Teddy, who described his flight as “utterly amazing”, and Sid, who described his flight as “truly awesome”! Teddy was a natural at taking the controls, with his Instructor particularly impressed. A big thank you goes to Alastair and all who supported and made this day possible. We all gelled as a great team, making each flight a very special and
memorable experience.
