Kai scratching on Corndon.Surprise, surprise we went to Corndon. Is it ever not going to be east?

The forecast was good but lots of cloud from lunchtime, so an early day. We got there at 10.15am at the same time as James, Kai and Nigel. We all got ready quickly because the sky looked so good. There were three buzzards thermalling as we got ready, but then no birds for ages. Richard, Mick, Ellie and Jay also turned up.

We bimbled around never getting much height and slope-landing when necessary, when we saw Nigel in orbit (how did he get there without any of us seeing him?). James and Richard were already in the air and Kai and I launched as fast as possible in pursuit. They all got in it, I didn’t. I headed back to the ridge and landed, resigned to the fact that this would be a replay of Sunday, where everything would go wrong.

Geoff launched shortly after us and was maintaining on the east face; he started circling and Jay and I joined him. We all got to 3500 ATO and were on our merry way. I was lower than the other two until we got to near cloudbase. I was going over the ‘Be Patient’ mantra in my head the whole time, trying to maximise the lift and not rush off on glides whilst there was still lift to be had. We went on a glide after Montgomery and Geoff got low, but found a low save, which Jay and I dashed over to. We all got high again (but not back to base) and got another scratchy climb near Newtown. It was bitty and none of us got into it very well. Geoff and I went on a glide and Jay held back to maintain his height, which was the clever decision. Geoff glided to the ground and I managed to drop onto a ridge with a quarry and a big bowl. The bowl worked and I got a broken thermal which took me over the ridge, but I had to land behind it, near Llandinam.

It turned out Geoff, Graeme, Richard, James and I all landed very near each other. Well done to Jay, who seems to have won the day.

Geoff’s comments: Corndon is a difficult site, mostly because it is pretty poor in ridge lift (dynamic lift). Because it’s more cone-shaped than ridge-shaped, it doesn’t really lift that well during the day, even when windy. Essentially, it’s a thermal site, and the trick is to keep launching, slope land if necessary, until you get a thermal. It’s a place to leave as fast as possible! Particularly difficult for hang gliders, since they only get the one shot and can’t slope land if they are going down. But can be good for PGs – just be in the air as much as possible, watch out for birds, or other gliders going up. Generally, though, the Malverns or Pandy would be a better bet, especially for low airtimers who want to build up their hours (though often you seem to be able to get nice evening flights). On the other hand, it does take a few directions, from N through to SE, so it does have some advantages!

On today’s flight, Judith was right, and patience was the key (as always, really) – and, of course, why Judith and I eventually landed whilst Jay managed to keep on going into a much better sky. We shouldn’t have rushed off on a glide, and should have stayed with what we had till we got back to base. That would have changed a good flight into an excellent one! Still, given the day, we are both quite pleased with what we did, and nice to fly together.

See photos of today.

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