Flight

What is he on about? Could he mean only 3 people at Caburn today? Nope, many more than that. Three people went XC today? Nope, 7 did I believe. Three XC's in 3 days? Nope and Dave M has that particular record all sewn up anyway with 9 in 10 (or is it 11 in 12 now)? Okay so that leaves one wholly improbable possibility; 3 XC's by little old me all in one day! Nothing grand in height or distance but as I've only ever made a couple of kms at Caburn before then my PB is well and truly spanked and my XC/day tally set a likely unbeatable goal.

The day:
There was a risk of it blowing out quickly today and thus I arrived earlier than normal to find Acro Kenny in the car park already. The 'ox brothers Tim C and Jon F pitched up soon after with similar thoughts as to the wind and so we were off in a trice. It was, at best, southerly up top and light but what a nice day, view and company, two Sussex instructors and 2 ex-students. So we set our sites on Deal (Kent), well Jonny did anyway and as that is the type of enthusiasm you need for an XC I bought into his idea as well. Many more arrived as the time ticked by, making it quite busy for a Tuesday but nothing much happened for some time bar a few cycles. Ghandi showed that the lift was there demonstrating his supreme skill at staying up in nothing, followed by Carlo demonstrating his supreme skill at finding the lift and staying in it (at about 1500'). Meanwhile we all struggled much lower down in small cycles. Things slowly improved though, Cu were poppin upwind and above and people began to find height but not before Carlo had returned to terra firma. I finally found some good lift shortly after 11am and decided it was enough to be the first to make a break before the good Cu downwind got too far away or it blew out. Simon was ahead of me and higher but flew back as I went and I saw him and Ghandi getting higher still out front, bugger! Too late now, XC mode engaged. It was tough staying in the lift but remembering that was the key at Caburn I concentrated on doing just that. It wasn't long before I lost it though and I wished I'd gone for the gulls just downwind of me 1 minute earlier. Ho-hum! I looked for good trigger points and then landing options as I dropped into the dead zone behind the hill and chose a spot near to the Glyndebourne road to put it in. It was a heavy landing but no damage done thank god apart from a chalky white leg on the black flying suit. I watched others leaving the hill after me with that sinking feeling of 'shot my bolt too early' as I packed. Simon soon joined me though as he couldn't stay with Carlo (who went on to 20km I believe) and felt sorry for me. Paul from Newhaven was next to land a field or 2 away and then Dave Massie and an unidentified pilot another couple of km further on. Simon and I met up with Paul and we all walked back to launch hoping that it was the right decision, rather than hitching to the car park. It looked like we'd blown it with nobody but Dangerous Dave (briefly) airborne. Boo-hoo, the long walk down then! We found a dead ewe along the way with sad lamb in attendance but Simon did the decent thing and put it out of its misery. No no no, he actually phoned Chris B to contact the farmer (then sorted it with a local later), nice one Simon. Arriving back on the top we were gobsmacked. Everybody, I mean everybody, that had been there when before we XC'd had gone and only Dave Lewis was there with tandem passengers. He reported not enough wind to stay up but improving so we set up for another go in the now empty skies, result! The air was different now, more sea influence (typical of Caburn as the day goes on). Thermals were coming through but lots of broken, spring-like stuff and maintaining height above the hill was, at first, harder. I soon found that an area of the roadworks was providing reliable thermals though and then gulls started to mark other regular sources so it became easier. In time I worked enough height to push out further and there I found a nice strong climb and decided it was time to give it another go. I noticed 2 more walking up the hill as I went (Jonny was one of them I found out later) which turned out to be key to my epic day. I had better height this time and a better thermal, drift was more amenable with the wind now SW so off I went. Again the lift pettered out and I was going down but I headed for the treeline behind Glyndebourne and it provided the start of some hope. I must have only been about 500' and already vaguely considering landing options but I worked and drifted and worked and drifted and found myself slowly climbing. Ringmer Gliding Club appeared on the GPS and I started to think about the overflying rules and etiqutte. Again I recalled advice from others and decided 1600' and climbing seemed okay as long as I didn't cross towing operations. My brain was just about coping as staying in the lift was non-stop work but I had just enough spare capacity to observe the field and work out that they weren't winching only 'tugging'. One came past me some distance away as I reached the field and as I crossed the runway at about 45 degrees, watching all the while, the tug landed well below me, job done, good decision. I stuck with the unreliable lift and just drifted as far as I could until I lost it. A brown field with tree-line looked like a last chance low save and nearly was but lower down thermals were rougher in the sea air so I bottled it and came down in a nice field near the main road. Chuffed as 10! Simon had bottom landed after I'd gone and had to get Jack so my 2nd, reluctant, call was to Dave 'thermally unlucky' Nickels. He obliged (as he always does the kindly fellow) as he was only 5 minutes from me, thanks again mate. Back at the car park Dave suggested I tried again (I don't think he was serious though) as he drove off. Jonny had just arrived back from his own XC inspired by seeing me climbing out (well done mate, a few km to him) and was keen to try again so we got a briefing on conditions up top from Dave Lewis who'd just bottom landed. "Strong but 'doable' with better thermals" convinced Jonny and in turn he convinced me that it would be rude not to have another look. He was knackered already but I had adrenalin still flowing so I followed his enthusiastic lead even though it was quite windy down below. Every step found more wind and by the time we'd reached the top I was regretting it. However, the walk around to the front proved that you never can tell! Although strong, the wind was blowing around the hill making it feel worse behind than on the face. Steve Spice and one other had been up top for a little while and reported 11-16mph so Jonny briefed them on conditions and we set up again. I chose a cautious slope launch but Jonny took off above me and was fine. It was stronger near the hill but better and very thermic out front. Steve joined us in the air and within 15 minutes he was heading over the back looking like he was going on his first XC. I joined him with better height but as we drifted back he decided not to go and bombed out on the spine behind the dome. Jonny found some lift too but mistook it for purely stronger wind (he told me later) so opted to bug out and bottom land. Glyndbourne arrived more quickly and more upwind this time but snotty, broken thermals were all that was on offer so I drifted ENE hoping for something from the nice looking fields below. No luck this time but it was worth a try even though it was a longer walk to the road. Jonny was there in 5 mins to take me back to the camper so all in all we had a splendid day before the rubbish weather to come. Dave N and I had collected Dave L and Jonny (on his first Caburn xc) last year so it was rather fitting that Dave L was around to inspire us to go again and Jonny to retrieve me, thanks to the both of you, just wish Dave N had been there :o(

PS. Not suprisingly (for an unfit 40-something) I am completely whacked today!

PPS. I'm blessed (at the moment) with having so much time to pursue this sport that I love but whilst I am lucky to be in this unique position writing up the days events can be time consuming and not always easy to get done plus of course I'm not always out flying (or at every flyable site :o)) especially at weekends. Do you, the readers, find my (and others) diary postings useful and/or interesting? Would you prefer a different format etc? I'd also like to, once again, encourage more people to add their day to the diary. I came into the sport shortly before the diary was born and thus I make my entries to promote what I believe to be a great idea. I do it purely to benefit the club, the website and hopefully to inspire new pilots, but definately not to gloat over my own modest achievements and this I am always wary of. Please readers and members give me (and all the contributors) some feedback on your feelings about the Flight Diary / League.

Thanks
Richard CN