| Flight details: | After a rough and gusty day yesterday it was nice just to get in the air and to feel in control of wing and wind. I had a few flights in the morning and climbed to over 2,500' only to find that my gps batteries were about to expire so I landed and refuelled both gps and body � both of which I was grateful for later.
My first few flights after refuelling involved slightly closer encounters to other gliders than I like so I waited until the sky looked more empty after a lull and managed to get into a fair climb with a few other gliders which had quite a drift; as low as 1800' it was already drifting away from the Dyke. Fortunately the climb continued so by the time we crossed the A23 we were over 5,000' and I joined four or five other gliders � Ed Bewley on his green Sprint Evo, Franco (I think) on his Boomerang, Springy (I now discover) on his red Vega and one or two others (sorry I have forgotten what they are now but I am sure they will identify themselves).
I kept with the other gliders until around Falmer when at least three of them got a much better climb than me and zipped off. I found a few climbs but was behind the leaders. I got a snotty climb over the Ley (must be because the hospitable residents are away) so left that early and headed north to avoid any sea breeze air (there were a few curtain clouds showing) but found no climbs and was expecting to land beyond a fairground near Golden Cross (I could see plenty of wind on Arlington Reservoir). Most of the other gliders had disappeared but the boomerang (Franco?) was floating around at cloudbase apparently waiting for me to catch up � thank you! I very slowly climbed and we were joined by an orange Sprint Evo (who was that?). The three of us played in the air climbing slowly and drifting east. Once I had got back above 3,000' I realised a) that 50km was going to be achievable and b) that I was supposed to be at a friend's birthday party in Brighton at 6pm so though I should bag my first 50 |
