Kai launching at Corndon.Finally, some nice weather! The forecast was for light south easterlies and after much debating, phoning round, etc. we decided on Corndon.

On the way there, we got word that it was flyable and thermic at the Gyrn. On Corndon there was wind too and lots of birds thermalling. Graeme, James and Kai also turned up.

Once we were getting ready the wind (predictably) dropped, it turned further south and all the birds disappeared. Hmmmm…

Kai and James did a few hops but nothing seemed to be working. The birds which were left decided to play on the far south corner, but only did four 360s before flying off. I was going to fly to the south end to be closer to the birds, but worried about landing and getting bracken in my lines. So I sat tight and waited. Finally I saw a lonely swift heading out and getting up. He was bimbling about eating, but undoubtably going up and there was a tiny bit of wispy cloud forming above him. I decided just to go for it.

I flew out to where I thought the thermal would be and got good lift. I couldn’t turn straight away because the hill was too close, but I saw James heading towards me and Kai launched as soon as I had done my first 360. At 500′ ATO it got very rough and James climbed past me further out. By the time I had got back to the core, both Kai and James were above me and I was trying to find the core again.

Kai circling over the landing field.James and I were committed to going over the back (me at 900 feet), but Kai flew back to top up in the lift. I was trying to be very patient so was circling in light lift. James got ahead of me to a dark cloud and I lost sight of him very quickly. Kai glided past me high above and as I lost the lift I followed him toward sun on the ground.

He started circling and I managed to get the thermal underneath him about 200 feet above the deck. I managed to maintain for a little while, but then conceded defeat and landed. Kai circled in zeros for another 20 minutes, slowly loosing height until he landed in the same field as I had. 6km. Not far, but good fun. We packed up and went to the pub.

Geoff’s comments: They all did well to get away on what was a very weak day. After they left, I launched and got one short climb to about 400′, but lost it, and had to land. That was it for the next few hours, with nil wind, and the sky closing in. Sam arrived about 4.30pm and I was starting to pack up, when the wind suddenly appeared again, off to the east. We carried over to the east face, and flew for over an hour, later joined by Wayne. No great height, 300 or so max, but easy to stay up and a pleasant evening’s soaring.

See photos of today.

See video of Kai landing.

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