| Flight details: | Going to Pandy was a last minute idea, had on the way back from the pub on Friday night, and Gil took a little bit of convincing. This meant we didn't leave that early on Saturday morning and we weren't at the hill till after 1:00. Having arrived conditions didn't even look particularly good from the lower take off. The wind was off the slope to the south and gusting strongly. A couple of good pilots tried to go for it and sank out. I've not flown there for 2 years so we got a briefing and were told how good the morning had been - even more annoying. Our informer was going to try the upper take off, facing a few degrees closer to east so having driven so far we thought it was worth a few extra steps.
Conditions still were a little more encouraging higher up so I thought I'd give it a shot and took off around 3. I got 90 minutes excellent thermal flying and even got fairly high over the back before running back to the slope. I tried pushing up the ridge but the wind was far off, making the return a bit sketchy so I decided I needed a pee and turned to head back for a top landing.
Isn't that always when you hit the best thermal? Three of us climbed strongly over the back, crossing entirely the valley behind us and over the next ridge beyond - myself, a local and Gil with red streamer floating in the wind. Gil headed back for the hill, and thinking she was going to bomb out I shadowed her a little higher intending to do the retrieve. But I should have had far more confidence she eaked out enough lift and neatly edged around the bottom of the ridge and back to the top. An out and return with a 3 km turn point in thermal conditions - what a way to finally loose her ribbon. Congratulations!
Having no more ties to the hill, and finding renewed lift I turned away to the west again and followed our unknown companion to the west. I could see sugar loaf below and thought if I made it from there to castle meadows I'd surely beat my personal best of 7 k |
