| Flight details: | A low inversion was never going to make this into a perfect XC day but the combine harvester cutting the rape out front of take off kept the thermals in good supply. Patience, patience, patience. Gain some, lose some. But with a little synchronised flying the Gin Sprint Evo Club (Grita, Pete Impey, Ed Bewley, myself and Andrew Craig on his light weight Nova) finally managed a nice climb out, near the ridge and directly downwind from the harvester. Drifting back we all realised that this was perhaps the best opportunity of the day and before long we were on our way. None of us got very far! Ed and I landed near Buggery Poke while Grita, Pete and Andrew took a more southerly route. Pete landed in Newhaven, Grita stayed up for ages and went on towards Telscombe before coming back to land near Pete. Andrew landed near South Heighton I think? In the blazing heat on the A26 with thumbs out for a lift, the cars kept on rolling by, all smiles and waves but none had the courtesy to stop. Ed decided to walk back over the top and down to The Lay while I hung on thinking only another pilot would stop and save my day. And he did! Dear Mr Richard Chester-Nash hooted from the other side of the road, outward bound on a milk run to eventually collect us all. Thank you Richard, I wait for my chance to do the same! So, not a long flight for any of us but certainly one that brought sheer delight to us all! |
