3 hours of thermic fun. NWW swinging round to SWW over the course of 11:30am to 4pm.
You can clearly see the cloud streeting occurring in the photo (left).
These are ideal conditions for cross country, so we all had our phone, wallet’s and camera’s on board! (Just in case we needed a retrieve).
Four pilots, Don, Andy, James and myself all made it over to the Oxenbourne ridge, only to find conditions rather variable and the lift diminishing fast, so we all landed out after about 2 km up-wind. A long walk back, but some good exercise.
A little later in the afternoon, I hooked into a 3 m/s thermal and took my chances by turning back over the round house and towards the aerial mast. I made it past the mast and had my eyes set on the valley ahead, but lost my house thermal and landed at the back of the hill; very well because if i’d continued I could see myself landing in rotor and an extremely busy A3 dual carriage-way!
About this time Greg called to say he was on this way to the hill. He’s taking his Elementary and Club Pilot study in Sussex, and seems to be doing extremely well. I think he’ll definitely be a top pilot, and qualified by the spring or summer this year which will be great as I expect the both of us will unite in the ever search for thermals!
On the note of exams, I’m hoping to get my Pilot rating this year as I feel it’s now time to change into a new pair of flying boots 🙂
- Andy and James
- Greg; prospective student of the Paragliding fraternity 😉
- Strange man with Geo