It’s been another busy couple of months at Wolds Gliding Club, with plenty happening both on and off the airfield. From new qualifications and first solos to junior exchanges, special visitors and even a little bit of television fame, June and July have given us plenty to celebrate.
Remembering RAF Pocklington
June began with an opportunity to remember the history of the airfield we’re lucky enough to call home.
A rare and impressive scale model of RAF Pocklington went on public display at Barmby Moor Village Hall, alongside a weekend of events commemorating the 102 Squadron Association and the airmen who lost their lives while serving from the airfield during the Second World War.
The incredible 6m x 5m model was meticulously created more than 20 years ago by the late Bernard Ross and colleagues from Barmby Moor. Built to an accurate scale of 300:1, it depicts RAF Pocklington as it would have looked during its wartime years between 1941 and 1945, complete with runways, hangars, buildings and aircraft.
The exhibition coincided with the dedication of a memorial to 14 young airmen who lost their lives in a tragic mid-air collision just over a mile from the airfield in November 1943. Two Halifax bombers collided while returning from a raid on Berlin, with no survivors.
The weekend was organised in conjunction with the 102 Squadron Association’s annual reunion, with wreath-laying ceremonies taking place at Pocklington, Barmby Moor and Driffield, as well as an association dinner and a hoped-for fly-past from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
For those of us who fly from Pocklington today, it was a poignant reminder of the remarkable aviation history of the airfield and the generations of aviators who have passed through here.
Replica of Pocklington Airfield during the war
Congratulations, Henry!
There was also a fantastic achievement to celebrate at the club, as Henry qualified as an Introductory Flight Pilot at Wolds Gliding Club.
It’s a qualification that takes plenty of commitment. Henry has completed more than 50 hours of flight time and successfully undertaken the required training course, meaning he can now take passengers on introductory glider flights.
We’re looking forward to seeing Henry sharing the magic of gliding with visitors to Wolds and helping introduce even more people to the sport.
Congratulations, Henry, on a fantastic achievement!
Callum goes solo!
Another huge milestone was reached by one of our junior pilots, as Callum took his first solo flight in a single-seat glider.
Going solo for the first time is one of those moments that every glider pilot remembers, and it’s the result of plenty of training, hard work and determination.
Congratulations, Callum! We’re looking forward to seeing where your flying takes you next.
Juniors on tour
Our junior pilots have also been busy building friendships with other clubs and experiencing gliding beyond Pocklington.
The Wolds juniors headed off to Burn Gliding Club for a junior trip. Although both flying days were unfortunately scrubbed, that didn’t stop everyone from having a great time.
These trips are a fantastic part of junior gliding. They give young pilots the chance to experience how other clubs operate, meet fellow junior pilots and build friendships with people who share the same passion for aviation.
A few weeks later, it was our turn to return the favour as we welcomed the Burn Gliding Club juniors to Pocklington.
It was fantastic to see so many juniors at the club throughout the weekend, enjoying the airfield, sharing their experiences and showing our visitors the ‘Wolds way’!
With the Two Seater Competition on the horizon, there was plenty of excitement building too, with juniors from clubs around the country preparing to come together for another fantastic weekend of competition and fun.
Wolds Gliding Club Juniors visit Burn Gliding Club
A surprise visit from above 🎈
We also had some unexpected – but very welcome – visitors at Wolds.
The balloons from Yorkshire Balloon Flights made a perfect landing on the airfield, giving us the chance to get up close to some very different aircraft!
It’s always great to share the skies with fellow aviators, and seeing a hot air balloon up close never gets old. Thanks for dropping in – we hope to see you again soon!
Hot air balloons landing at Pocklington Airfield
A record-breaking flight
While not a flight from Wolds, June and July also gave us plenty of reasons to celebrate the achievements of glider pilots further afield.
Chris Gill completed a remarkable 1,300 km flight, including more than 300 km over the sea – an incredible achievement when you consider that many glider pilots would regard a 300 km flight as a significant milestone in itself.
The flight was a brilliant demonstration of just how far gliders can travel when pilots make the most of the energy provided by nature.
It’s achievements like this that continue to inspire pilots across the gliding community and show just what is possible without an engine.
Cross-country flying
The warmer months have also brought plenty of opportunities for cross-country flying, with Wolds pilots making the most of the improving conditions.
June and July delivered some exceptional cross-country soaring, with July in particular providing some truly memorable conditions. The highlight of the period was an impressive run of five 500km flights from Pocklington, showcasing both the quality of the weather and the skill of our pilots.
21 July - Dave Bowes' 543km Adventure
Flying the AS33, Dave completed an outstanding 543km task:
The Route: Pocklington > Bozeat > Temple Guiting > Bozeat > Pocklington
Total distance: 543km
Dave commented: "A grand day out! Just got beat by the sea breeze leaving me 300ft/6km short, causing a late engine run."
A fantastic flight and the longest of the month's 500km achievements.
31 July - Triple Success to Didcot Rail Bridge
The final day of July saw three separate aircraft complete remarkable 500km flights to Didcot Rail Bridge in Oxfordshire and back.
Stephen Ellin - ASG 29 - The Route: Pocklington > Didcot Rail Bridge > Pocklington. Total distance: 518km
Steve said: "First it was overcast as rain passed to the north of the site delaying launching, then briefly blue as that cleared, then large light rain showers quickly made it almost unsoarable delaying the start until gone half eleven. We cleared the clag a long way south of the Humber, then there were cumulus, then blue to Didcot Rail Bridge. The trip home was the same in reverse, apart from sunshine north of the Humber."
John Williams - LS8 - The Route: Pocklington > Didcot Rail Bridge > Pocklington. Total distance: 518km
John said: "Total cloud cover at launch with rain in the start sector. Made a start down a convergence with rain for the first 10 km and finally got some sunshine south of Newark after 90 km. After that it was good down to Didcot and back to Newark but it was difficult to get a good climb with overcast skies again. The sun finally came out again to get on a glide home."
Derrick Roddie and John Norman - Arcus - The Route: Pocklington > Didcot Rail Bridge > Pocklington. Total distance: 517km
Derrick said: "Difficult to believe but we actually started in the rain and then spent the first 20 minutes just trying to stay airborne within gliding range of Pock. Once south of the Humber, conditions improved steadily and really got going after Newark. Superb run from there to Didcot and back to Gainsborough at which point we ran into dead air and lost another 20 minutes before climbing for an easy glide back to Pock."
Wolds Gliding Club on BBC Look North! 📺
And finally, we had a little bit of television fame!
Did you spot Wolds Gliding Club on BBC Look North?
Steve’s fantastic aerial photograph of the Humber Bridge was featured on the programme, giving viewers across the region a brilliant view from above.
There was another surprise too – presenter Peter Levy chose our Wolds Gliding Club Two Seater Competition mug as his ‘Mug of the Day’! ☕️
It was a great bit of publicity for the club and a lovely way to showcase both our flying and our upcoming Two Seater Competition to a wider audience.
Looking ahead
It’s been a fantastic couple of months at Wolds, with achievements from our newest solo pilots through to experienced cross-country flyers, alongside plenty of opportunities for our junior members to get involved and build friendships across the wider gliding community.
With the Two Seater Competition and the rest of the summer flying season still ahead, there’s plenty more to look forward to.
As always, thank you to everyone who continues to volunteer, fly, instruct, organise events and support the club. It’s the enthusiasm of our members that makes Wolds Gliding Club such a great place to fly.
Here’s to plenty more soaring, adventures and memorable days in the sky!
