Aboyne Gliding Trip

May 23rd, 2010

Yesterday I got back from a week long trip to Deeside Gliding Club at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire. Unlike last year, the forecast weather for the week was excellent, so we were able to escape the Steam Packet racket and take the Auster.

We still didn’t manage to find any wave lift, where gliders can climb to very high altitudes on the lee side of hills, but at least I had the chance to convert onto the ASW19, which is a step up for me. I flew about 9 hours in total, including 7 in the ASW19. The weather during the first half of the trip was excellent, though there was some thunderstorm activity on Friday.

The trip back from Aboyne to Andreas took 2hrs 20mins, and thanks to the Auster’s new auxiliary fuel tank was done non-stop. Total cost for the there and back element of the trip was just under £300 including landing fees, and was far cheaper than we could have done with the car and boat, and about 10 hours quicker too…

  • Loch Trool, Loch Valley and Loch Neldricken
  • The Southern Uplands with Loch Doon ahead
  • Perth from 5000ft on the return trip
  • The ASW19 under a thunder storm cell
  • Our Auster landing after a local flight  from Aboyne
  • The SZD Junior in the same thermal as the ASW19
  • Looking towards Aboyne and Aberdeen from the ASW19
  • The single seat gliders, Discus, ASW19 and SZD Junior
  • Looking East over Scotland's central belt