Off and Onable

The best of it was certainly in the morning. When I arrived mid-morning the wind was bang on [perhaps a hint of east in it], so after a quick chat I returned to my car to collect my glider and rigged it.

Stood on launch the wind had picked up and turbulence rolled up the front of the hill and across launch. Steve assisted me and when I felt a lull in the wind I was off, probably a little quicker than Steve had anticipated!

For the next 20-30 minutes I enjoyed all the airspace to myself; well, a Kestrel and a few crows had an air-to-air combat session beneath me. The air wasn't particularly buoyant [I assumed a result of the high pressure system sat across the UK)], so I scratched close to the ridge. Every now and then my patience was rewarded with a small thermal; one took me to 700 feet ATO before it dissipated.

I had set a personal goal for a flight duration exceeding one hour! After 20 minutes, Steve joined me. We both flew the larger Sting 3's and it was incredible how similarly matched we were; one moment Steve was above me, then next I was above him.

Later a third Sting joined us and we all enjoyed a thermal which took us to 700 feet again. The third Sting was exceptional, out climbing Steve and I every time! It turned out it was piloted by the legendary Johnny Carr, test flying it for a client!

Eventually I met my personal goal of an hour flight duration and my arms began to ache. I watched Johnny Carr almost top land on another glider then decided it was time for me to come down. There were gliders rigged all around the hill so I decided not to repeat Johnny’s close call and landed well clear of them. It required a bit of a carry back to launch and when back, I collapsed my glider and decided to conclude my flying for the day.