Flying Articles & Related Resources - Low Airtimers

Mere Rifle Range - Advice For Low Airtimers

Date:	26/04/2023
Author:	Rob Kingston
Position:	Chairman
For LAT pilots who wish to fly the Rifle Range (RR) here are a few pointers. Firstly it is a very good site to fly when the wind is on the hill. As it is a bowl, it will often feel 'on the hill' (and a wind sock will show the wind coming nicely up the bowl) even though it isn't! A good thing to do is to walk out to the spur and see what the true wind direction is - just because other pilots are flying RR doesn't mean it is ok for you. Flying in bowls with the wind off the bowl can be fatal; the club has lost two pilots at Mere in the recent past, when flying in rotor. When there are strong thermals around, bowls can be particularly messy, as the wind direction can change significantly. Mere is probably one of the most complex set of bowls we fly, as to the west of RR you have both Coward's and Spencer's bowls that are very thermic (facing SW-W) and strong thermals triggering there really affects the air in RR. If the wind is light in thermic conditions, experienced pilots can assess the conditions for themselves, but small hills like these are very hard/frustrating/possibly dangerous for LAT pilots to fly. In these conditions you cannot go to just soar the hill, you have to actively thermal to get as high above the hill as possible! It would be better on those days, for LATs, to go and fly a 'big' hill to lob off. If the wind is SW, Coward's Bowl is a better/safer option. Often in these conditions you will still see people flying RR - do not follow the hoards, and make a sensible call for your own level of experience. The other bowl, Spencer's Bowl is for Pilot rated fliers, and has access restrictions. In the RR, as many LAT (and even experienced) pilots have found to their cost, is that the fence at the back is a barbed wire one!! Make sure your ground handling skills are up to it on a windy day (the field behind the fence is a great place to practice ground handling). If there are several pilots flying in the bowl then you need to be predictable with your flying, and always follow basic collision avoidance rules. It only takes one pilot making up their own rules to cause mayhem. If it is thermic, pilots will be trying to thermal out from the hill, so be aware of this - if you choose to join them, you must join the thermal and circle in the same direction as the highest pilot The field behind take off (the one you walk through to get to launch) is a good safe option to top land if it is windy, but don't land too far back as there are power lines near the track. Mere, what a great site. Just be careful!

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	Saturday, 23rd November, 2024