Geoff getting ready at Llangollen.

Geoff’s comments: Another day at Llangollen. Many pilots there, and it was an interesting day. The sky was epic, and it was flyable all day for hang gliders (which I was on), and much of the day for paragliders, though at points it was pretty windy for PGs to launch. However, in spite of the sky, it was difficult to get above 1500 or 1600’ ATO – thermals were strong up to there, then at that height they got much weaker, and even disappeared. For many hours there was a superb cloud street a short way to the east, but for the majority of people who got under it, this just didn’t work. One HG pilot climbed out from Llangollen, flew over to the street, and then glided five miles under it to the ground. This was typical of the XCs of the day.

Not everyone had an extended flop over the top – as far as we know, the best flight was a hang glider, 40 something k. And Martin Knight managed to get under the cloud street later in the afternoon and did 20k (more with turn points) on his PG, which was excellent.

Judith flew at the start and end of the day, but didn’t manage to get away. Neither of us was in a particular rush, because we just assumed that the thermals would really start to build, go higher, and the day would get better. I flew a couple of hours on the HG, along with Wayne, but also didn’t get away, because the thermals continued to get weaker at 1600 or so, and I wanted a nice climb to go over the back with. In retrospect, I should just have stuck with it at that height, and drifted with it, hoping it would turn better as we got further from the ridge. I did try to fly along the ridge to get to the cloud street a couple of times, but didn’t make it.

I later spoke to one of the HG pilots who flies XC from there a lot, about the sink hole which is supposed to exist behind Llangollen. He said that it does exist, up to a point, as it does anywhere where the ground falls away behind you when you leave the ridge (you get the same effect in a westerly in the Peaks, as you leave the Peak District and go into the flatlands). However, once you get beyond it, the thermals pick up again, so make sure you’re high when you leave. Also the track is important – the more east you are, the less likely you are to get the sink because the valley which creates the sink flattens out. Much easier, of course, for hang gliders to avoid the sink – or just fly through it – than for PGs.

So in summary, flyable all day for HGs, much of the day for PGs, but it delivered a lot less than the sky promised in terms of XCs. I guess the lesson is make the most of what the day offers – take your opportunities, and go when you can, don’t expect it to get better. It might not!

Judith’s comments: I spent the time I wasn’t flying chatting, as you would expect! When we got to the site Ali was about to go tandem for the first time and she and Clive had a successful launch on the third attempt. We could hear her whooping from launch. She certainly seemed to enjoy the flight.

It was really nice to bump into Duncan from the Peaks whom we haven’t seen for years. He’s got a new ear which he let me use for a couple of practical jokes (see photos).

See photos of today.

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