I’ve been looking at July and have come up with some stats. Everyone knows it was a poor month, and this doesn’t apply to any areas apart from here and it’s worth noting that we don’t go in for desperation flying, but we only flew paragliders seven times and hang gliders three times. 19 days were a complete write-off for flying, due to wind and rain. We only went xc four times and Geoff only tried and failed to fly twice (it was that clear cut when it wasn’t flyable). This is shockingly poor for summer.

In contrast, in February, we flew paragliders 13 days, skied six days, went to the beach twice, tried and failed to fly twice and only lost 5 days completely to the weather. Roll on winter…

Geoff writes: we did eventually fly today. The forecast was a front clearing at some point in the day, after dumping lots of rain – early would mean a good day, possible XC; late would mean just ridge soaring. In the end it was late, of course. We drove up the Long Mynd about 3.30, as it was clearing. Light winds, so I didn’t take the hang glider. People were flying but struggling to stay up. We went to the front, unpacked, trying to avoid all the wet sheep shit. I clipped in, at which point the wind abruptly picked up, a lot, and that was it for the next four hours. The only person flying was Wayne, who had taken his hang glider. I could have gone home and got mine, but I was sulking. In the end, we did go home, and did bits and pieces for an hour, going out again just before 7.00, when it was dropping. Had a pleasant evening flight on the PG for an hour or so, at which point it started picking up again, wave probably, and I landed. Others who didn’t land in time, landed backwards.

Still, overall, a pleasant end to the day.

See photos of today.

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