| The Site | Hill Soaring | Pilots new to hill soaring | Wave soaring | Pilots new to wave soaring |
| Thermal soaring | Orientation | Waypoint & Airspace Files | Amenities | Charges | Safety issues |
|
BORDERS GLIDING CLUB BRIEFING NOTES FOR ALL PILOTS To see any of the photos below, enlarged in a new window, click on the photo. To return close the window. Although we are situated less than 10 nautical miles from the Northumberland coast, (see photo under Pilots New to Wave Soaring), the nearby Cheviot hills and surrounding area offer great opportunities for all year round soaring using hill, thermal and wave activity. A glance at your aeronautical charts will show the total absence of controlled airspace, with only one easily avoidable danger area nearby. The recent flight level restriction of FL240 - (altimeter set on 1013 Mb) does not restrict diamond flights, but could spoil an exceptionally good day.
|
|
We operate from the previous location of a WWII airfield, which is now mostly grassed over. We now have available eight take off runs. Circuit patterns vary with conditions and will be allocated at the morning briefing (9.30am). Approach patterns from the East end of the field, especially in strong wind conditions suffer from strong wind gradients and rotor activity. Plan to land well into the field and avoid low final turns. You have been warned! We now have three tugs, a Super Cub 180, a Pawnee 235 and a Pawnee 160. All the tug pilots are current glider pilots. For safety reasons, as is good practice in all clubs, we insist on a site check / orientation flight if you have not flown with us before. Instructors may also want to review you logbook.
The entrance to the site is just above the wingtip. The boundary on this side follows the thin line of trees and at the far side of the field is behind the far hangar.
|
|
The College valley offers good hill soaring from West through North and often transforms into wave in suitable conditions. East wind offers reasonable soaring but cloud bases are usually low. The following suggested safety heights are intended as a guide only, and will vary with your experience and sailplane performance. From the middle of the valley we would recommend a minimum height of 1800 feet to return safely to the site if conditions deteriorate. Further into the valley the Cheviot can be soared with rewarding transitions into wave. To "jump" the gap to Cheviot, we would recommend a starting height of 3000 feet on your first attempt, and leave if your height drops below 2500 feet and there is no obvious lift. There are no good fields in that area to land in.
Looking back along the College Valley towards the site, (just above glider). Hethpool is the lake in the left foreground and Holy Island can be made out on the coast.
Looking in the opposite direction towards the 'Triangular Wood' at the top of the College Valley. Cheviot is behind and to the left of the Triangular Wood. Note the unlandable terrain. To see enlarged photos in a new window click on the photo. To return close the window.
|
|
A few useful tips. Close to hill top height lift will be found close to the hill and as height is gained will move up wind slightly. Vertical gusts close to the hill can cause stalls or wing drops. Low down on the ridge we recommend flying nearer to " landing approach speeds" to avoid stalling if conditions are turbulent. Take care not to try and "pick" the wing up or you could end up spinning. Adjust your flying speed to reduce the risk. If you encounter a thermal low down on the hill, don't attempt to circle, make "S" turns to gain height. It is very anti social behaviour and dangerous to make full turns near hill soaring gliders, and when alone you run the risk of drifting back into sinking air. Always try to complete turns when approaching the end of a beat while you are still in lift. This will assist you in maintaining or gaining height. When heading back to the site don't be tempted to short cut over the back of the hills as you will almost certainly encounter strong sink. Follow the hill contours to minimise height loss. Please follow the BGA hill soaring rules: 1) Perform all turns away from the hill 2) Overtake between the hill and the glider being passed 3) When meeting head on the one who has the hill on the right maintains course. ( i.e. has theoretical right of way ). The glider with free air to the right moves out. 4) Do not thermal low down - S turn.
|
|
We quite often encounter wave activity in wind directions from South East through to North. Depending upon wind direction we might find lift in the mouth of the College valley, further into the valley itself, as well as the Cheviot. Akeld bridge to the East of the hills on the A697 is often a good starting point for South Westerly wave, as well as Wooler and Doddington.
|
|
Expect the aerotow to be extremely rough, this is quite normal when towing out through rotor. The tug pilots, who are all glider pilots, will do their best to position you in good lift. At low level the area of lift may be quite small and weak and turbulent, stay with it ! Once established in lift track along the upwind edge of the wave bar (from below the clouds are often raggy and rarely resemble the classic lenticulars). Only after you are established in the climb start to explore forward and back to find the strongest lift. It is wise to explore upwind first, as you can lose a lot of height in the downside of the wave, and wind strengths aloft are very high. Once established the wave normally goes very smooth and can be accompanied by very high climb rates (see Gallery). Keep a good look out for wave gaps closing in, blocking out the ground, and be prepared for a rapid descent. It is a wise precaution to wear a parachute, carry a radio and GPS, and have at least some basic blind flying functional instruments. Have a plan of action prepared in advance for the event of being stranded above cloud with no gaps apparent. Wind strengths aloft are very high in wave conditions and it is all too easy to drift over the North Sea, it has happened to pilots here before, - see photo below. Keep a track of the time if flying later in the day. At high altitudes it may be sunny but the sun may be setting on the ground. If you can see car lights on the roads below you need to leave the lift. It can take a suprising length of time to descend. Remember that you must have oxygen on board for height climbs above 10,000 feet. We will not authorise height gains made without oxygen above 12,000 feet.
The site, middle foreground, showing the North Sea in the (not very far) distance.
|
|
Most of our best cross-country flights have been done heading South, although some long flights have been successfully completed in a Northerly direction. Airspace can be penetrated with radio permission at Newcastle, Teesside and Edinburgh. Sea breezes can kill lift quickly in the day to the North of the site and will penetrate well up the Tyne valley to the South by mid afternoon. TASKS A list of possible wave and thermal tasks is available in the clubhouse. A computer and printer are available to download barographs and loggers.
|
|
The Club hangar ridge is orientated North / South. The following are good landmarks :- When low, the Cheviot stands out well. To the South, the town of Wooler with its caravan parks. To the North the town of Coldstream situated on a loop in the river Tweed. To the East, Holy Island ( Lindisfarne). The meandering rivers, the Till and the Glen, stand out well near the site The village of Milfield and Ford Castle to the NorthWest. A solitary white mansion set in trees to the east of the site can help with orientation. Photos of the site and surrounding landmarks follow (photos by Ema Gamlin and Andy Bardgett). To see an enlarged photo in a new window click on the photo. To return close the window.
The site, looking West. The Clubhouse and main hangar above the wingtip.
A similar shot but showing the College Valley in the background and the River Till in the right foreground. To the left, beyond the Clubhouse is the quarry and compressor station.
Looking back in the opposite direction, just S of East. Fenton House, a large white house, is just visible in this shot near the top left. This house stands out from the West as the sun shines on it.
Coldstream with the distinct bow in the River Tweed, bottom left
A closer shot of Coldstream, looking West, showing the bridge which is the BGA turningpoint.
|
|
Disclaimer. These files have been provided from various sources and no warranty as to their accuracy is given. Pilots should not rely on this information and should satisfy themselves as to the usefulness of the infomation. BGA 2006 waypoints : click here Newcastle & Luton airspace changes : click here
|
|
We have a modern Club complete with good bedrooms, shower and toilet facilities. There is a well-equipped workshop and compound for trailers. There are two glider inspectors available for problems with aircraft. There are also lots of excellent pubs and B&B establishments in the area. Touring caravans can be accommodated by prior arrangement There is a local tourist information centre in Wooler.
|
|
We use standard conventions - the rudder signal if the tug pilot sees your brakes open, and wing rock for immediate release. Follow the BGA hill soaring and thermaling conventions, and finally, KEEP A GOOD LOOKOUT, Our Safety officer hates the paper work ! ENJOY YOUR FLYING !
|
|
Click here to download a copy of the notes (14 Kb)
Pawnee PA25-235 G-CTUG Flying Notes Table of Contents Flying the Pawnee 235
Because of the high seating position and unusual aspect from the cockpit (the fuselage/nose line is lower and falls away) it takes a little practice to get to know the correct take-off and landing attitude. During take off and level flight the aircraft appears to have a slight nose down attitude compared with most other taildraggers. The take-off is achieved without significant raising of the tail and a good three-point landing is best achieved by trying to land on the main wheels only in a level attitude.
Usual routine for the airframe, the tailplane stays must be tight,( check elevator and rudder end clearances ) check the release. Check the fasteners and screws around the airframe, they tend to vibrate loose, (check the tailwheel bolts pivot & axle ) Check the fuel. You must always start with a full tank, as the gauge is not accurate and the tank cannot be dipped. The fuel capacity is 128 litres and the fuel is always left on. The fuel selector is an emergency fuel shut off valve controlled by a T handle located on the right hand side of the cockpit. Airmanship
dictates that we verify our fuel use by other means: IF IN ANY DOUBT, REFUEL It is club policy to refuel to a full tank prior to putting the tug away at the completion of the days flying, this also prevents condensation forming in a tank with less than full contents and leaving water in the fuel. There is one fuel drain only, located on the lower firewall. Oil is checked and topped up through a separate hatch on top of the cowling, though the capacity is 12 quarts maintain the oil quantity at 9 quarts for normal operations.
Starting Please note. Do not try and run up to full revs with the brakes on as the tug will lift its tail and risks a prop strike ! MAX RUN UP 1800 RPM Priming is not required, and only a couple of pumps on the throttle is usually adequate (1-3 on first start, dependent on ambient temperature, then 0-1 thereafter). Start on the left magneto only, with the throttle closed). After start, switch on both. As soon as the engine responds to the throttle and has satisfactory oil pressure the aircraft can be taxied and the runup can be done. Runup at 1800 RPM and check the magnetos - ensure a drop of less than about 125RPM and recovery. The difference between magnetos should be within 50RPM. Applying carb heat should cause a drop of between 100 to 200 RPM with a full recovery as you go back to cold air. Lycoming recommends that take off is OK as soon as the engine will respond to throttle movement regardless of cylinder head and oil temperatures. In practice this means that when the aircraft has been taxied out and the runup done it is ready for take off.
Take at
least 2 seconds to open the throttle. The crankshaft has self-adjusting
counter weights that require slow and steady throttle movements,
and some forward stick is used to lift the tail off the ground but
not to excess.
(Minimum) Climb speed is 75 mph. For gliders with water or heavy gliders (e.g. Nimbus 4) this can be increased to up to 85 mph. Max CHT is 260°C but in normal operations it does not go much above 200°C.( low towing speeds on hot days will easily exceed this temp)
Slowly reduce power (over at least 10 seconds) to 2000RPM and increase speed to 104 - 115 mph.
On base leg reduce power to approximately 1800RPM and allow speed to decay to below 106 mph and lower flaps. Approach speed in still air is 68-75 mph,( during rough thermic conditions and strong winds, a 10 mph higher approach speed may be used) and a good three-point landing is best achieved by trying to land on the main wheels only in a level attitude. The stalling speed is 58 mph with full flaps. The aircraft is very forgiving for a taildragger and directional control is good with rudder only – so you do not have to ride the brakes! (heels on the floor, not on the brakes when landing, will reduce the risk of prop strike)
Apart from
the fuel requirements, the aircraft should be cleaned. If the aircraft requires washing , we have a pressure cleaner. Lets look after this one please…
|
