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2024-06-06
We all saw the bright red 5-star forecast for Wednesday, June 5th, and the anticipation was high! But as the day approached, the wind decided to change direction and strength, creating less-than-ideal conditions for popular XC sites in the southwest. Despite these challenges, some adventurous pilots started from Frocester at 10am. Turns out it was a rather difficult day with many well-known XC hounds bombing out before reaching the 100km mark. In the southeast, Devil's Dyke saw a few good flights, with pilots surfing the sea breeze convergence line to Margate. James Chancellor, followed by 5 more pilots, covered 130km in just over 4 hours, landing on the beach! However, the day's most remarkable achievement came from Jamie Goodreid and Andy Brown. They made history with the first-ever flight from Woolacombe on the North Coast of Devon to Swanage in Dorset! Not only did they have the best flights of the day, but they also broke the Woolacombe site record. Jamie even broke his personal best distance record. Huge congratulations to Jamie and Andy for their incredible flights and for setting new records! 🎉👏 Pictures courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/JamieGoodreid Check out daily UK flights @ https://www.xcontest.org/united-kingdom/flights/daily-score-pg/ Marcin Egiert XContestUK #xcontestuk #crosscountryflying
2024-05-25
In the spring of this year, we have not been blessed with an abundance of good flying days. However, when a day with a reasonable forecast emerges, enthusiasts eagerly gather, ready to take to the skies. Today, the 25th of May, proved to be one of those special days. The weather above the UK was interesting, with high pressure from Scandinavia bringing in cold air from the northeast and low pressure west of Ireland pushing warm, moist air from the Atlantic. This mix made for a good flying day in the southwest of the country, although it was likely to be cut short by high clouds. A SSE wind direction pointed towards Milk Hill/Golden Ball as an optimal takeoff spot. It turned out Golden Ball was a much better choice with a significant east element to the wind direction. The sky looked quite dramatic from the early hours, and everyone was eager to get going. Although initial indications hinted at a potential early start around 11 am, the formation of the most robust thermals was delayed until closer to noon when the first gaggle went over the back. Overall, the day was a little tricky; many pilots landed along the NW route towards Gloucester and Hereford. More than ten made it over the 100 km mark, with Marek Mogielnicki leading the pack and landing at 200 km. Coming back from the depths of the Welsh backcountry must have been an adventure on its own. Pictures courtesy of Aga Zaborowska & author Check out daily UK flights @ https://www.xcontest.org/united.../flights/daily-score-pg/ Marcin Egiert XContestUK #xcontestuk #crosscountryflying
2024-05-02
Hey fellow pilots! When we're up in the skies with our free-flying, unpowered aircraft, we've got to navigate through a maze of Controlled Airspaces, Danger Zones, Aerodrome Traffic Zones, NOTAMs, and whatnot over the UK. It's super important that we take even the tiniest airspace violations seriously because they're not just about our safety but also the safety of everyone else flying. At XContestUK, we're all about spotting and letting you know about any air traffic violations. Every flight you send our way gets checked by a fancy algorithm first, sniffing out any potential violations. Then, our team digs in deeper, and if we find any, we tag them as 'KO' with comments. Oh, and just so you know, XContestUK is run by volunteer pilots, so sometimes it might take us a few days to get through the process. But don't worry, we're on it! Fly safe out there! XContestUK Committee
2024-04-20
Dear reader, If you're wondering, "What did I miss? Where should I have been on the 20th of April?" the first picture surely answers that question. Leckhampton was bustling, perhaps as bustling as it can get, with approximately 80 pilots crowding the Cotswold Way. The first gaggle took off to the south shortly after 11 am, and three more followed suit soon after. Despite some gusty winds and occasionally wobbly take-offs from the steep, cliff-like hill, we were fortunate to avoid any major accidents. Over 20 pilots surpassed the 100 km mark, with quite a few landing on the southern tip of Portland Bill! All in all, it was another fantastic day. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Pictures Courtesy of Anna Dabal, Will Rome, Tom Janikowski & author Check out daily UK flights @ https://www.xcontest.org/united-kingdom/flights/daily-score-pg/ Marcin Egiert XContestUK #xcontestuk #crosscountryflying
