Ringstead - Wednesday 22nd September

A lovely warm, sunny morning as Brian C. and myself set off for Ringstead with the promise of some gentle coastal soaring.  We arrived early afternoon to a gentle 12-14mph SW – and the news it had been stronger earlier!  Several PG and an ATOS present, all making the cliffs without difficulty.  However, the light wind and low cloudbase limited height gains.  By the time we finished rigging, orographic cloud had blotted out White Nothe. 

We waited it out and sunny spells appeared on the horizon as Portland emerged from the clag.  I launched for a short 10min run along the cliffs, gaining 300ft before entering the mist.  (Enough height to get back to the hill for a comfortable top landing.)  A further wait, then another 30min flight.  The cloud ceiling limited height gains but fun was had nevertheless.  (The hill was working nicely without the usual rough thermals from the farmyard below – no sun, you see!)

Another surprisingly comfortable top landing – I expected more rotor from the hedgerow. The mist descended further as everything became damp.  We decided to pack up and head from home.  (It was refreshing to "play around" on the glider in the smooth conditions; more height next time, please?)
Brian P.

Westbury HG 12th Sept and 17th Sept

Novice under direction of Wayne.
 
12th Sept. Thermic? Rough at times. 15mph
Brilliant day for me with 3 flights of 20+min each with top landings. PG traffic thinned out with an increase in wind and allowed me to enjoy 3 significant flights,
Every take off provides a learning opportunity but equally enjoyable is the like minded company who all share their experience and flying wisdom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW8xEPAYs2w   all comments welcome!
 
17th Sept. Light. 10mph
 
I still have hesitation to get back far enough over the ridge to stay in the lift by the time I have completed the turn. I think some of it is related to concerns about being bumped in  the turn. Anyway the first flight was 4min to the bottom and then I put it down too far out. At least the t/o was ok!
Several pilots waited for the wind to increase as a couple soared above. Then in text book form a squadron of swallows arrived feeding on insects carried up with thermal activity. Within 5 minuets everyone launched.
With some prevarication we decided to go for it and I did the most appalling launch ever, nearly stalling it. I believe I was not prepared for a gust and just got lifted before I was ready. I have never had to think about launch, it just seemed natural? Anyway, got on with it fighting to stay up in the back end of the thermal and followed Alex to the bottom for 8-9min. Just hope it won't freak me out next time.
 
Ian P
 

Westbury 12 Sept

Loooovely day at Westbury today.

Hangers out in force.

Good conditions, last of the summer wine....

James R

Mercury Friday 3rd Sept

 

Mercury Friday 3rd

Arrived at Mercury to a couple of PG’s flying and absolutely no hangies. Rigged and flew as soon as some good clouds came over and immediately headed north for Abingdon…

Perhaps a bit over ambitious for a 2PM start as the blue hole beyond Basingstoke caused me to hesitate tried to carry on but got low only finally recovering over the A34 north of whitchurch which was well west of course. Toyed with giving up and flying home to Andover but instead decided to try and get back. Unfortunately should have hung around in the last bit of lift a bit longer as I was 200 feet to low to get back on top in the non soarable SE so ended up landed at the bottom and get a lift back from a generous PG pilot who kindly came down to fetch me…

Mercury - Sunday 5th Sept

Having just got back from a beautifully sunny week in the Swiss Alps (no flying) I was disappointed to wake up to grey and wet sky. I had even loaded the glider onto the roof on Saturday night in anticipation of a day on Mercury.

So I canned it fairly early in the day but couldn't resist a quick round robin text at lunch time to see if anyone had headed out. Obviously that was silly as I was informed that Grant was flying so of I headed only to receive a second text, 10 mins from Mercury, to say that it had gone way off to the South.

I carried on and arrived to see Grant flying in a SE, Tim was there drying his Atos.

Headed home.

James R

Mercury - Thursday 2nd September

An unpleasant day for me, personally. For a weekday, surprisingly busy with 4xHG, a bevy of PG (some visitors?) and several models. A gentle E-ESE wind promised much and Wayne B. had an impressive tour of the valley on his ATOS before I arrived at midday. Some PG got away during the afternoon from Whitewool and Mercury when the gentle lift patches came through, (well done!) but it was not consistent despite the breeze.

I had a horrible experience on my first launch, got a nasty wing up just over the fence. (Later, a PG suffered a minor collapse in the same spot.) Luck smiled on me and somehow I recovered, but the remaining 15min flight was just as nasty. The air was jumbled and difficult to work. (The southerly component probably didn't help.) Then the sky filled with PG which made it impossible to navigate safely and I had to land.

It was a long wait for a spell of clear, lifting air to attempt another flight. Once airborne, the sky filled with PG again. Like Dementors, they sucked the joy out of the flight. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the improving conditions, I spent the entire time dodging canopies and pleading loudly for others not to launch. I guess my shouts were heard, but not before half a dozen or more had packed out the 150ft lift band. Matters weren't helped by the wind direction which prevented access to the bowl. We were all operating in a very confined space, altogether far too risky.

This is not the excitement we fly for, is it?

Wayne was coaching a couple of CP red-streamers. With no room to explore the ridge, they inevitably ended up at the bottom. Experienced pilots may be able to cope, but we are doing our novices a disservice with this density of traffic. It just ain't safe, folks.

Brian

Photos not uploaded

Strange eh? My photo's haven't made it to the blog!

Simon Vacher

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Harting - Monday 30th August

A lovely looking day.  Started blue but Cu started forming early.  The previous day's strong winds appeared to persist so I didn't make a move until lunchtime. On arrival I thought I'd blown it as the wind had dropped significantly.

The car park was very busy with folk out for the day enjoying the scenery. A HG top landed as I was getting the gear off the car – this spurred me on!  At the top Dean ? from TVHGC was finishing off rigging. Mark B. was in the bottom field having just had his second flight of the day – after a 2-year break!

Dean launched, gained around 100ft for a while but ended up at the bottom as well.  Not so encouraging. The sky became overcast at times with occasional sunny breaks.  The lift definitely improved during the sunny spells.

I launched around 3pm with Mark B's help. (He had walked back up – character-building stuff!). Lovely!  Scatchy at times but workable thermals to 800ft ATO.  Best lift in front of the Beacon in the N breeze. Played with a group of buzzards for a while. Got some nice height behind launch so worked forward towards South Harting village – and lost the lot! Elected to top land after 35mins, a surprisingly gentle affair.

Second flight around 4pm produced height gains of around 1,200ft ATO and more organised lift above the Beacon. The wind strengthened, backed NNW and the air became lumpy.  The lift faded so a second top landing.  The third flight was entirely at ridge height. At one point I had resigned myself to a "downer" as I was scratching half way down the hill.  Not a pleasant place to be as the trees created all manner of turbulence.  I flew east towards the lower tree-covered slopes and was rewarded with some weak lift. Working this for several minutes I gained sufficient height to slide in for a top landing.

Phew!  Time to pack up and head home – a better afternoon than anticipated! 

Brian

Westbury, Monday 31st August

 
Westbury, Monday 31st August
 
Left the hill once a few Cu's appeared after midday. Flight downwind to behind Bell (nr Dorchester) quick and uneventful, then turned around and started the trip back, but at Shaftesbury the overdevelopment appeared, meaning I had to fly westwards towards Gillingham/Wincanton just to stay airbourne. 2 sailplanes below me landed in the flat lands, I lucked out near A303, back to base (typ. 4300asl) and faced with spreadout cloud-flew to 5000ft for height advantage. Continued north, flying west of the ridge near Bruton, thought I could make it back but downed at Frome in the spreadout, 6 miles west of Westbury. A nice 4 hours soaring though........
 
Nev