Flight

Due to a frustrating start with a rigging problem, I thought I had missed the window. PGs had all come down and SBF looked close over the back. However two pg's took off and started to climb weekly so I went for it. Managed to get enough height to get back in on top if necessary but then started getting weak climbs that took me to over 3000ft amsl. Headed out towards Kittyhawk and just before it managed to climb to over 4000amsl where it was perishingly cold. Managed to maintain this height to Ripe and then headed over to Bo Peep to see what was going on there. Must have hit the convergence on the way as the lift became very stong even on a glide. Was getting quite cold by this time so climbed just north of Alfriston to 4200ft and then on to Alfriston. By this time really cold and and as I headed back towards firle on a fast glide I could hear vario showing I was getting significant lift so turned more inland away from SB to try and get down. Got down to 2000 ft just south of Middle farm where there was no more lift so headed back towards Firle. It was only when I was a few hundred yards out and down to about 1200ft that I could identify the Air Ambulance helicopter in landing field. There was little lift now and would have meant messing about in front of the hill to either try and get up and away or lose height for a landing at the bottom. As the rotors were still I decide that the best course of action was to get down as quickly as possible so descended as rapidly as possible. However the rotors started turning so I gave it as wide a berth as possible round the back and landed about 100 or so metres away up the hill. Filed incident report.