| Flight details: | Arrived on top around 9.30, early to avoid the sweaty hike up. Unpacked, got ready and sat in the hot sunshine with Ghandi, Swanny and a few others while keeping an eye on the tell tale ripples on the river out front and teasing seagulls doing their thing. Ghandi launched first and those on the ground watched his every move. Lifty but not enough. He took a line straight to the landing field and then miraculously found a small climb which brought him back to the slopes of the Airworks training field where he landed and then made his way back up.
Meanwhile, appoaching ripples on the river grew stronger. A few launched and conditions looked better. Hard work it was trying to find enough lift to climb out. Struggled with Vincent in ragged thermals for a while, gained some, lost some and then found a reasonable thermal which seemed promising. I took it and drifted away towards Firle Place, low at no more than 800', thinking no this really isn't it. With too little height to get back I was lucky to see seagulls below, circling in lift, which saved me from a premature landing. And then it got marginally better with a climb to just over 2000' and in an improved position to move on. I noticed Ked a little to the north with good height and I followed a few ks behind. Flying over the Gliding Club and passing the Wok Inn (not my favourite eating place) the climb fell apart, the wind felt stronger and with options rapidly running out I landed a tad south of Halland.
Thank you Ghandi in your pistachio coloured van for doing the rounds which took us on a circuitous route to pick up all the other nearby losers; Martin Long, Ked and Vincent who dropped out of the sky much like I did! |
