Lots of decision making today. Originally we were heading off to Llangollen, but Mick confirmed it was blown out other than for the really keen. Then it was going to be the Lawley, but it was too far off to the north. Mark was flying at his place, but we didn’t know how to drive up and we were at the foot of Corndon anyway. We met Richard W. and Martin there and all got set up. The wind was fine when we arrived, but got progressively stronger, which meant we had to move down the hill to launch.

Martin launched first and got up, but I struggled to keep my footing in the heather and stumbled about trying to launch. I got off in the end and went with the first thermal which drifted me over the hill far too low, but I was committed as there was no way I was going to be able to make it back to the front. Predictably I lost it and ended up at Tuffins in Church Stoke. Knowing that Kai was on his way I asked him to perform a mercy mission and despite already being at the bottom gate, he turned round and came and got me. I was going to get another chance!

Meanwhile, Geoff was circling overhead on his way over the back.

We got back to launch, and saw Simon Bailie and then Graham Cummings cruising by from Llangollen. Kai launched first, but it was so scratchy he had to slope land half way down the hill and then work his way back up. Richard and Graeme launched too but slope landed, and I got off but was at the other side of the ridge when Kai got the thermal. I raced over but was in the tail end of it. It was weak and drifty, but in the end I got to near cloudbase over Mark’s place. I flew to the next cloud and stuck with it. An even better cloud was ahead, so I headed for that, but it didn’t work (so obviously not even better!). Kai was one cloud ahead and I headed for him. I was at 4300′ at the time, so plenty of height, but I chose a bad line and hit bad sink. I couldn’t make the cloud (and Kai’s climb), so started to look for ground triggers. I decided to fly to a little tree covered ridge with plowed fields below, which had working combine harvesters in it. Better still, there were six buzzards soaring the ridge, messing around. At this time my thinking was ‘Aha!’ (I found the trigger), ‘Ha ha!’ (I’m not going to go down), ‘Oh ho!’ (It doesn’t seem to be working), ‘Oh no!’ (I’m going to land!). And so I did, much to my amazement. Bloody buzzards.

Geoff got to Clun and I got to Newcastle on Clun and we both messed up what was clearly an epic day. Well done to Martin who’s pulled off another great flight.

1 Comment »