Flight

Arrived at Caburn to see everyone at the bottom chewing the cud, so headed up to see whether it was as windy as they said. It was, but what the hell, We Ares pilots can handle that stuff. Up for for a jolly boat around for 20 minutes, in unpleasant conditions. Then more chewing the cud as the wind refused to die down. The cu-nims inland died down, but the wind still blew. Most headed down - I took off for a last fly and float to the bottom, but found that it wasn't too bad, and tried climbing up a bit in the thermals. Decided to fly to the bottom, but take one last thermal. It was quite good, so I went back to the ridge, and repeated the exercise a few more times. Hit a 1-up over the roadworks, and was idly turning in it when I stumbled into a core, which was definitely going up much faster. Whipped the Ares round, and up we went, to 500 over the top....and didn't stop. Probably a 3 or 4 up, and small as a ducks arse, but no way was I going to sort out my instruments, and arrange the cockpit in this one. Just hang on in, and stay in the bugger. Drifted over Glyndebourne before the vario did the usual Caburn trick, and started making down noises. Concentrate, concentrate, find that core again....drift in zeros forever, reaching the end of the Broyle at 1500 amsl now, still drifting. Didn't stop turning right for 40 minutes pure concentration. Glided for 20 secs and found a better core, now 2 up, and 2000 amsl. Off on a glide, and hit a 3-up - the best of the day so far to 2500 amsl - just below the damned airspace. Pulled out of that, and glided in sink monster to connect with the next thermal. This was another good 'un and took me back to 2500feet again. Damned airspace! Same trick 4 times - cross wind to try and get under the FL35 section, nice thermal to 2500, pull out. The Pope would be proud of me...:0) Flew over the Heathfield mast in a corker of a thermal, but too far to the left of it, so back to 2500 we go... Glide off sideways, and sink, and sink, and sink.