Me climbing out from Bache. (Thanks to Steve Lowe for photo)The forecast was hot, sunny, light winds and variable direction. Nobody could really work out what was going to happen to the wind. Phil B. came up with the most sensible sounding plan, so we went to Bache on his advice. It was a good call. The wind was on and the sky looked epic.

We got ready and the birds promptly disappeared. We took it in turns to take off and slope land, and Graeme and James went to the bottom at one point. I was determined to wait until I got a good indicator and was rewarded for being roasted on launch by seeing two crows climbing out in a solid strong thermal. I abandoned my long-held belief of ‘never trust a crow’ and launched. The thermal got stronger and stronger and became a 4-up by the time I got to cloudbase at 4500′ AMSL. Steve L. followed me off the hill and climbed in the thermal too, but he went over the back much lower.

There was hardly any drift in the thermal at all, so I glided off towards another good looking cloud. It didn’t work. I flew to a ridge which did work and I got a very weak thermal which I worked for a while. Steve had found a much better thermal upwind from me and I edged my way back to him but never found the lift he got. There was a dark cloud just downwind from me, so I left the scrappy thermal I was in. Big mistake. No. 1 XC advice is never leave lift. I landed under a cloud street you normally dream about. 9km. I was so mad with myself that I didn’t bother hitching to the nearest village, as I didn’t trust myself to be polite to the people who would potentially give me a lift and I also thought I didn’t deserve the ride and did the two mile walk as a punishment for being such an idiot.

I was pleased with the climb out, but I feel I am not thermalling very well at the moment, and I am going through a bad decision making phase. I’m going to start looking for a new glider as well, so will start test flying again soon.

Phil B. flew over my head as I was walking. He connected with the cloud street and got to Adfa for 42km. Steve L. got 20km. I don’t think anyone else did much locally.

See photos of today.

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