| Flight details: | A grand BCC day out, with real flying this time. A start just the way I like it, with a rapid climb to what I think was an inversion at about 3600'. I don't think I've flown in a gaggle that big before, but stayed on the periphery truth be told as I was more comfortable there. This resulted in me losing a little height at the top behind launch, dropping back down to 3400 or so before I put some bar on to get over the other side of Treorchy. It was hard going when I arrived at about 2000' and I gradually lost my height until I was level with the top of the ridge. Worked it for 30 mins or so, and thought I'd at last got something decent, but it wasn't to be and I dropped out at the back near the windmills and couldn't make it back. I got drilled not far from where my fellow SWWSC team mate Rhun was, so at least I wasn't the first to land. Great fun, and got a retrieve in the back of a sauna (transit van) all the way to launch. Beats walking though! I was also impressed with some others getting a lift back to launch in a police car.
Just under an hour of decent thermal flying. As we were walking down, one chap flew over Treorchy, cored a large one and got away. It just goes to show that patience pays off.
Nice to catch up with everyone on the hill, and am so impressed with Richard Chambers for his 134km to Birmingham.
Here's a short video of the (short) XC and longer retrieve. http://youtu.be/0x1cI5koJHE |
