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I was at Aboyne airfield (home of Deeside Gliding Club) for the second week of Lasham's annual expedition to this site. I arrived on the 2nd and had a check flight, followed by three solo soaring flights. I flew the same glider (Sh2) on the 3rd and 4th as at Gransden, and then flew a Lasham 2 seater solo to 18,400 feet above Aboyne on the 5th to claim a gold height. After the 5th I did not fly as the weather was poor, but there was still plenty to do. It made for a rather nice holiday, and my first trip to Scotland.
Further down the page I have also added pictures taken by other people on this trip.
Some pics taken when I arrived, before my best flights on the 4th and 5th.
778InHangar.jpg |
Clubhouse.jpg |
EarlyThermal.jpg |
GlendavanHouse.jpg |
The Lasham K21 at the front of Aboyne's hangar. The Lasham Grob103 is parked just behind it to the right. | The Deeside gliding club clubhouse. | Crows making use of an early thermal. | Glendavan House where the Lasham expedition stayed overnight. |
On the 4th and 5th I got up to 10,800 feet above site in the S&H Discus (Sh2), and then 18,400 feet in the Lasham Grob103 (45) to claim gold height.
Sh2At8k.jpg |
Sh2ViewWest8k.jpg |
Sh2ViewEast.jpg |
Stormtrooper.jpg |
Sh2ViewNorth.jpg |
Sh2ViewWest10k.jpg |
Me climbing past my previous height record in Sh2 on the 4th. | Views out the window on the 4th from about 8,000 feet to the west and east. | At 10,000 feet I had to put my oxygen mask on. I look like a stormtrooper! | More views north and west up the Dee valley towards the Cairngorms now from above 10,000 feet. |
Muick.jpg |
Davan.jpg |
Kinord.jpg |
Tarland.jpg |
778InField.jpg |
View south west from Ballater to Loch Muick through a gap in the clouds. | On my way down near Aboyne I took more pictures of Lochs Davan (and Glendavan House) and Kinord (and the river Dee) from the East. | View north to Tarland. Note the field to the bottom right. See the 2 white oblongs on the track? That's the Lasham K21 and it's trailer (wings already put away) after a landout. |
45Landing.jpg |
ViewSoutheast.jpg |
GliderAbove.jpg |
ViewSouthwest.jpg |
ViewNorthwest.jpg |
The Lasham Grob 103 landing before I took off in it on the 5th. | View Southeast back to the airfield as I climbed above the clouds just West of Tarland. | Glider above me in the wave. | Looking westwards towards bad weather over the Cairngorms from about 15,000 feet just north of Ballater. |
EastCoast.jpg |
45At18k.jpg |
ViewSouthwest18k.jpg |
ViewWest18k.jpg |
AboyneFromWest.jpg |
From 15,000 feet the whole of the East Coast of Scotland was visible from many miles inland. | Climbing slowly through 18,000 feet above Tarland. | Everything looks so small this high up. The local lochs are just visible 1st pic bottom. The dark cloud 2nd pic top right is a wave lenticular cloud. The 'scratches' there are ice crystals forming on my canopy. The ground looks dark as it is in the shade late in the day. | As I descended I took a picture of the airfield from 9000 feet. |
On the 6th and 7th it was too showery, damp and unstable for good (and safe to use) wave. Then on Friday high pressufre moved in, killing the wind and the wave with it. However we kept on having fun.
Morven.jpg |
RocketSetup.jpg |
FinalDrinks.jpg |
Rocket.jpg |
RocketLaunch1.jpg |
RocketLaunch2.jpg |
View northwest to Morven (shrouded in cloud) as a shower passes through. Morven is a good local wave source at 2,800 feet QNH. | On the last night (Friday) we set some rockets off. Here Gordon and Nicki are preparing them. | Waiting for the rockets. From left to right: Gerry English; Mike Birch; Al Nunn and Andrea; Paul Barnet and Alison Booker | Rocket 1 before launch, a blurry rocket 2 during launch, and a slow exposure of rocket 3 during launch. |
JohnChris.jpg |
Al.jpg |
John Simmonds and Chris Mann decide to celebrate Christmas early during the final evening meal. | Al Nunn preparing his next masterpiece - a shot of the whole group. |
I have managed to get hold of some pictures from other people from the Aboyne trip. Thanks for letting me put these up here. The name of the person who took the original for each picture appears below the main description.
45And778.jpg |
778MikeNicki.jpg |
778Nicki.jpg |
45AlDave.jpg |
The Lasham Grob103 45 and K21 778 being readied for first launch. | Mike Birch trying to hide behind the canopy while Nicki Marchant prepares to get in. | I'm not the only one who can do Stormtrooper impressions. ;) | 45 about to follow 778 into the air. Al Nunn in the back, Dave Greasley in the front, and Mike Rubin standing behind looking slightly bemused. |
Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett |
45Aerotow1.jpg |
45Aerotow2.jpg |
Al Nunn and Dave Greasley launching in 45. | |
Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett |
NickiGordon.jpg |
778Alison.jpg |
Nicki Marchant and Gordon MacDonald enjoying the ride back as we retrieve a glider. | Next up in the front of 778 is Alison Booker. |
Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett |
Clubhouse.jpg |
InstrEyeView1.jpg |
InstrEyeView2.jpg |
InstrEyeView3.jpg |
LochsMorven.jpg |
Clubhouse as seen from 778 during takeoff. | Views from the back seat of 778 during an afternoon launch and flight. Nicki Marchant in front. | Lochs Kinord and Davan with Morven in the background, seen from the southeast. | ||
Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett |
LochsDee.jpg |
Morven.jpg |
MorvenDee.jpg |
DeeValley.jpg |
Another view of the Lochs from the south-southwest, with the river Dee snaking past in the foreground. | Two shots of Morven from the south, one with the river Dee in the foreground. | A view westwards up the Dee Valley from the local ridge to the northeast of Aboyne airfield. | |
Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett | Paul Barnett |