Fantastic friday

Rasp was showing a good XC day, so a last minute decision and excuse for absence phoned in to work. Thinking I might have missed out already, arrived at Dyke 10am to see gliders laid out across the whole takeoff area, and a few testing the light wind conditions~ inc. yet another reputable flier testing a Gin GTO: and Tefal giving a min. by min. countdown to launch. Blue sky above with occasional Cu’s, and an overcast sky to the West which was due to spread East~ which it did by 12.00.

Climbing out was slow in broken convergence lift as large scraggy Cu’s started forming at 3000ft. Some pressed North of Ditchling ridge, and a few of us over the back. I watched Tefal save himself over Plumpton and wind himself up to cloudbase, and push back out front. The sky was soon 5-7 of 8 right the way to the coast, with no clear definition of a Sea-breeze line. Over Lewes falling below 2000ft, I could see gliders scratching on Caburn, and 2 others climbing under cloud way out in front nr. the refuge site~ Matty and 1 other, who came over to meet me as I climbed over the Eastern side of Lewes. One returned from out front of the ridge, and now we had a gaggle of 4: Matty, myself, John Young and David Hague. The wind had picked up some, which didn’t help us keep in lift, but did help us move along; and soon we were behind Hailsham, and then Battle where it got a bit rough: but it was great flying between clouds as they formed around us, now topping out at 40000ft+. The lowlands at Rye, was the only blue sky patch we had seen so a more northerly tract was tested. I bombed at Northiam, and watched Matty and David fly overhead (they got to Ashford) and John was close by but didn’t know how far he got ‘till later; a mile away at Bletchly. I flew over my work place~ hope they didn’t notice!

Ozone Mantra, Axis Vega, Sky Attis 2, Sky Antea !