Sunday 18 October 2015

British Nationals, Ager, Spain

Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th August 2015

Normally I am as keen as mustard to get my blog written up and published. Its serves as my own personal diary as well as perhaps adding some entertainment and information for those back home. 

But two months on from Spain, and I am now only getting around to doing it. Immediately after the comp, I was away for a holiday in Portugal with the boys to celebrate my 50th, and my new contract with iFLY keeps me extremely busy both in the UK and the US. But that hasn't been the main reason behind my reticence to get writing.


Ager launch above the clouds
Team "Wing And A Prayer"
Rev, Chris, Ben, Jonthy

Photo: Hamish Atkinson
The events in Spain started off well. I was in a great retrieve crew along with fellow pilot Chris Pyles. Team "Wing And A Prayer" was run by the Reverend Andrew Dotchin (yes, he really is a man of the cloth) and supported by his son Jonathan. An experienced retrieve driver, "Rev Retrieve" is famous for his speedy retrieves, portable refrigerator stocked with beer and,who knows, perhaps being able to tap in to just a wee bit of extra help for his pilots from the Big Man...



Large field, but the wind switched on landing.
Day one of the comp. I wasn't keeping up with the lead gaggle and experienced a downwind landing. I snapped the keel of my glider as I tried to turn it in to wind, side-swiping it across the ground. With limited spares available I thought my comp was over but Paul Cryer, unexpectedly having to return home, kindly lent me his Moyes RX3. The RX flew beautifully, climbing well and getting me in to goal throughout the comp. I was lucky - I had suffered just a few scratches and managed to get my hands on a replacement glider. I should have been keen to get tapping away on the keyboard to write up the subsequent brilliant flying. 


Nervous times. Taking off with a borrowed glider...
... and landing. Perfect!
Photos: Hamish Atkinson

But, half way through the comp, David "Shedsy" Shields had a serious accident which culminated in him experiencing severe trauma to his neck. Being a close knit community, everyone was and is deeply affected. His closest family and friends went in to overdrive to provide immediate support, making sure he received the best medical,  financial and practical support.

https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/Ifanyonecanshedsycan

From the regular updates, we know you are fighting back, Shedsy.
Keep going mate. And for your amusement and piss-taking I might just write up one flight - the one where I glided down the "no-go" gorge and ended up doing a 30km detour to get back on track and complete the task, not to mention winning a bottle of the Chairman's pee...  

I know when I come up to see you I will get an ear bashing - I'm looking forward to it!


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