If the skies look busy over Pocklington this week, it is because more than 40 gliders are flying high as they compete in the 1999 National Two-Seater Gliding Competition.

AERIAL VIEW: Gliders wait on the ground in a break between competitive events at Pocklington

An entry list of 42 gliders from as far afield as Scotland, Hampshire, Norfolk and Blackpool are competing at The Airfield in Pocklington, for this prestigious award. The gliders are competing throughout the week with the winner set to be announced on Sunday.

Simon Parker, gliding club manager, said: "Each day a task is set based on the forecast obtained from the Leeds Weather Centre and if the weather conditions allow flights of over 300km may be possible.

"So far we've had good weather, but it doesn't look set to stay.

"Most gliding competitions are for pilots flying single-seater aircraft.

"This is what makes this competition unique as ours is purely for two-seater gliders.

"It's the only competition of its kind in the country, in Europe and to the best of our knowledge possibly even the world!"

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.