| Flight details: | Forecast didn't look that good, but what the hell, it's flyable. Arrived at 10:15ish, and already several were up. Had a couple of short flights which convinced me that today was going to be 'High-and-Overish', that combination of exhilaration and sphincter-opening fear that can only be High and Over. The sea breeze sort of kicked in, and there was loads of wave about, causing the wind to be either a pleasant zephyr, or howling gale 2 seconds apart. Luvverly Jubberly!
Took off, and got hoiked up in a 'never-ending thermal' aka wave effect. Far too scary to see what happened when it all ended, so I turned round and round, and off I went, Carlo and one other now doing much better than me, but I'm in the calm stuff, and they ain't. Kept in a zero, over the golf course, where Tefal had landed a while back, thus failing the 'fly to the nearest supermarket' challenge. The zero went to pot (wherever that is), and I went on a glide to Newhaven. Oh noes, not Sainsbury's! Looking at possible landing fields, I decided this side of the river was looking rather safer, but then flying low over a housing estate, I got a good kicking, and the vario started making happy noises again. Took a rough climb to 2,300 ATO, ensuring that I could glide clear of Newhaven, at least. The thermal never really stopped ; just got more elusive, so I concentrated on flying upwind until I reconnected. This flying upwind was the key to not bombing out at Sainsbury's this time. Flew over Peacehaven, and Saltdean, now looking for lift. No evidence of same, just bad sink, so added rather a lot of speedbar to get the glide back to double figures, when loads of seagulls started turning below me. I wasn't actually watching them, so the surge when I came off the bar, and into the brick wall that was the thermal they were in can be classed as 'interesting'. Ooh er... Climbed away from Rottingdean, and had Brighton Beach in view, Tefal chooses the tricky initial climb out to phone me up to ask where I am. |
