| Flight details: | I drove down on Wednesday night fearing that it might be blown out, but by the time I got up, people were flying happily, and from 8.30 to 9 or so it was very good, with Paul Watts and others pushing way out front and getting high. The rest of the morning was less pleasant (see Peter's video!), though both PGs and HGs did a fair bit of flying. But when I took off at about 12.45 I found myself by pure good fortune in a super-strong thermal that lifted me vertically upwards; after 100 feet or so I realised that I didn't want to fall out of it, so round and round I went, over the pub and the Dyke, quickly committed to going with it.
I reached about 3000 feet before it fizzled out, whereupon I pushed crosswind with vague thoughts of reaching the Ditchling ridge. I soon realised I wouldn't make it, and headed for a brown cut field just over the A23, where a few gulls were soaring (and which would have done to land in). From about 1000 feet ASL I got a slow but steady climb that took me to 2800 or so, drifting not too fast towards the university. I maintained height there before climbing again from around the stadium, looking out for the sea breeze but not seeing it anywhere close.
Then I had to decide whether to follow the hills past Swanborough to the south-east, or head crosswind again to Lewes and Caburn to be sure of staying inland. I chose the latter but burned nearly all my height, arriving at just over 500 feet at the playing fields on the south edge of Lewes. I got enough lift there to get me safely over the river and power lines to the western slopes of Mount Caburn, from where I got my last climb -- in fact, probably the easiest climb out I've ever had from Caburn, and with the wind not even on the hill! The next decision was whether to go due east along the road and railway, or head for Firle, which had plenty of clouds beyond it, suggesting it wasn't sea breezing there. My mistake was dithering rather than barring it straight to the top of Firle; if I |
