Flying-wise, August has had a 100% success rate so far! We have been debating the forecast with people up and down the country for days, but decided to stay here as the Long Mynd looked as good a bet as any – ok, the front might come in here early, but at least it wouldn’t be blown out. We got up the hill reasonably early and it was already cloudy, a little windy and jam packed full of pilots.

I spent ages and ages on the ridge. I went down the south end because it looked better there and was in good company with Mark Leavesley, Steve Nash, Martin Knight, David Birch and Steve Parsons. We flew around and tried to get up, but nothing was going. I never got above 2000′. After an hour and a bit I really needed to land for a look behind the bracken, and I had started to write off the day in my mind. Just as I was thinking this, the sun came out and I finally got a decent climb. The gaggles above launch had been a disorganised rabble, so I stayed at the edge of the climb until those not serious about climbing or going over the back had left the climb and I then joined the fray. Martin was in the climb, but went back to the front, but Gordon Purdy, Trias and I stuck with it. We went over the back low, but once committed, we couldn’t get back to the front anyway.

We lost the thermal one by one and Trias went on a glide to the south; Gordon and I headed NE. I got to Caer Caradoc high, but had to fly the length of it to get another climb. It was too weak to work, so I headed to the Lawley, where I met up with Gordon. It’s a NW facing ridge and the wind was WSW so the face wasn’t going to work, so I headed to the highest point and hoped for a thermal.

There was a climb there but it was weak and the lift/drift ratio was not in our favour. I spent some time circling, half in half out of the thermal until I figured out that the only chance to progress was to follow the thermal over the back until it became stronger. I took the thermal over the next ridge where I lost it. Gordon didn’t follow me and eventually landed in the valley north of the Lawley.

So where next? I saw a dark field, but there hadn’t been any sun all day. As I flew over I spotted a buzzard flying over the neighbouring field. He was circling half the turn and flapping the other, but clearly still trying to centre in the thermal. I flew to him and I hit the lift before getting to him and I started turning. As I got established in the thermal he came over to me and he climbed up under me. That’s never happened to me before – to have a bird come to me and use me as a marker. I was chuffed to bits! It was a good strong thermal and it took us up highish again.

I spotted Steve Nash to my south as I was climbing and he headed down the valley. Once I lost the thermal, I had to come up with another plan. Everything was in shadow and I watched Steve go on a long glide towards the sunshine. He looked very low, but he started climbing. I figured my best chance to continue my flight was also to head into the sun and try to hook up with Steve. I got to him at reasonable height, but his thermal wasn’t working and he landed. I never got any lift, so glided on as far as I could and landed just beyond Hughley for 27km (with turnpoints). Not far, but very satisfying. It wasn’t an easy day, and I would have been thrilled just to go over the back, never mind getting further.

Frank was a sweetie and picked me up and we swept up Helen on the way back. The fantastic news on getting back was that Ali got her CP!

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