Sunday 23rd March 2014
A Promising Spring Forecast.
Earlier in the week:
"Tim, the weekend is looking like it could be good for a few XC miles"
"Are you getting over excited again, Ben?"
"No, really, RASP and XC Weather are looking quite promising"
"Yep, but that's still a few days away".
How many times have I had that conversation with Tim King, Class 5 Brit Champ (when he is not broken that is)? Such is the joy of living on this fair isle, that making any kind of reasonable prediction for free flying aviation, even just a few days ahead, is as reliable as an investment on the AIM market. It's a gamble. A complete lottery.
With the UK drying out after the wettest (and darkest?) Winter on record, the warmth of the Spring sunshine over the last week had been giving hope to lots of hibernating Hang Glider pilots that we would get to fly again. Me included. How many other pilots were checking over their kit over the last few days? I don't think I was alone. Even though I had been lucky enough to get a few hours over the last couple of weeks, I was keen to start my XC campaign for 2014.
And then the weekend arrived. With two kids in tow, I have to pick my times carefully to make sure I have quality time with them, while also having some "me" (ie hang gliding) time. Saturday: football, cricket, walks, cycling, curry night and films. Sunday: you guessed it - flying.
Sunday.Wake up. Check XC Weather. Still looking NW. RASP? Showing a 4500' cloud base and good lift. MetOffice: Hmm, not quite so positive with what looks like some kind of front moving through. Emails, texts and phone calls between the usual suspects including Tim, Grant Crossingham and Malcolm Beard. I had been eyeing up Frocester in the Cotswolds as it gives good downwind XC potential, but there was concern that it would be too turbulent at TO in a strong NW. With reports of storms at Westbury, it was off to Combe Gibbet in Berkshire, a beautiful drive in glorious Spring sunshine.
Driving up to launch, the instability of the day was all too clear. I was met with 50mph gusts and driving rain. Undeterred, and with the Crossingham family joining me and Malcolm at the West launch, we sat it out to let the localised rain pass through. Sure enough, half an hour later we were rigging gliders, with looming clouds on the horizon...
Grant was soon in the air, quickly disappearing below ridge height, chasing Red Kites who were starting to soar the ridge. Fighting to maintain, the birds flew to the West side of launch and started climbing with Grant in amongst them. Not surprisingly they were going up. The threatening clouds were accelerating toward us and a dark grey mass was building rapidly above him. (Malcolm has a pic that I will try and drop in here). Meanwhile, as the gust front approached I attempted to keep the glider safe on the ground by dipping the nose behind a slight ridge and raising the keel on a small support. (I am not a fan of partially rigged flappy gliders in sudden strong winds - rather having it fully rigged, flat and structurally strong, or wings completely wrapped up).
Grant made a great landing down the East side of the ridge and soon had the glider parked behind a hedge. I waited for the storm to pass through, and then, looking at the next wave of rain coming towards us, decided that enough was enough. I put the glider up on the a-frame to dry off before de-rigging but was caught out by the speed with which the next gust front approached. Battling ridiculous wind speeds I could not turn the glider back in to wind to lie flat, so had to go in to speedy derig mode, something which cost me a broken No8 batten. Ah well. Could have been worse.
It wont be long. Spring has sprung, and the XC hounds are getting hungry...!
A Promising Spring Forecast.
Earlier in the week:
"Tim, the weekend is looking like it could be good for a few XC miles"
"Are you getting over excited again, Ben?"
"No, really, RASP and XC Weather are looking quite promising"
"Yep, but that's still a few days away".
How many times have I had that conversation with Tim King, Class 5 Brit Champ (when he is not broken that is)? Such is the joy of living on this fair isle, that making any kind of reasonable prediction for free flying aviation, even just a few days ahead, is as reliable as an investment on the AIM market. It's a gamble. A complete lottery.
 |
| Unstable, but potential to deliver a few XC miles... |
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| Sunday 16th March at Westbury |
And then the weekend arrived. With two kids in tow, I have to pick my times carefully to make sure I have quality time with them, while also having some "me" (ie hang gliding) time. Saturday: football, cricket, walks, cycling, curry night and films. Sunday: you guessed it - flying.
Sunday.Wake up. Check XC Weather. Still looking NW. RASP? Showing a 4500' cloud base and good lift. MetOffice: Hmm, not quite so positive with what looks like some kind of front moving through. Emails, texts and phone calls between the usual suspects including Tim, Grant Crossingham and Malcolm Beard. I had been eyeing up Frocester in the Cotswolds as it gives good downwind XC potential, but there was concern that it would be too turbulent at TO in a strong NW. With reports of storms at Westbury, it was off to Combe Gibbet in Berkshire, a beautiful drive in glorious Spring sunshine.
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| Hmm, not the most welcoming sky... |
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| Grant, Luisa and the boys. A true flying family! |
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| Rigged and ready to go with Cbs as a backdrop. |
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| Malcolm Beard getting ready |
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| Grant about to launch |
Grant was soon in the air, quickly disappearing below ridge height, chasing Red Kites who were starting to soar the ridge. Fighting to maintain, the birds flew to the West side of launch and started climbing with Grant in amongst them. Not surprisingly they were going up. The threatening clouds were accelerating toward us and a dark grey mass was building rapidly above him. (Malcolm has a pic that I will try and drop in here). Meanwhile, as the gust front approached I attempted to keep the glider safe on the ground by dipping the nose behind a slight ridge and raising the keel on a small support. (I am not a fan of partially rigged flappy gliders in sudden strong winds - rather having it fully rigged, flat and structurally strong, or wings completely wrapped up).
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| Nose down, tail up in the gust front. Copyright 2014 High Viz Photography www.highvizphotography.co.uk |
It wont be long. Spring has sprung, and the XC hounds are getting hungry...!
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