There comes a point when rhapsodising about the weather becomes pointless, and I guess this weekend has been it, so to speak. After yesterdays blast in Glen Coe, and last weekends romp at Lunan, maybe it’s time to start expecting the met to be generally magnanimous and benevolent, and well disposed to the gliding fraternity, para doo dads included. First of April, time of fools and showers turned out to be a shower of fools doing what comes naturally, fooling around, about and above the hill in glorious sunshine.
Murray, Martin and myself, as well as a couple of others, met up at East Lomond expecting pretty much what we got: light and variable winds, mainly easterly with continually changing quantities of north or south depending on the whim of whatever thermal was going through. Go through they did, very broken, workable yes, I think, but not for me really. I just took off, flew up in vario song (wish I’d had the vario yesterday) to rival the larks, then landed as high as I could after a couple of turns so I could get another go. I did that pretty much all day, until about seven o’ clock, as did Murray, with Martin flying down for his tea (he lives at Falkland, lucky sod, or would be if he didn’t have to spend so much time in China!)
Maybe some cynic out there will say “So, what’s so good about flydowns under a great big inversion?” to which I answer “It was warm, it was continual, it was educational, it was excellent practice, but most of all it was great fun.” The guy in the tiger moth obviously thought so too, as he dived and stall turned just to the south. He came over to say hello, passing a few hundred feet above the top of the hill. I rather cheekily gave him six points for his efforts, and he obviously thought he owed his audience a loop, cos he went out and did one. Excellent fellow.
Murray and I took a turn each at retrieve towards the end of the day, so we could get a decent long downhill flight. I was quite surprised to see five down on the vario, but the sink is quite bad out the front sometimes. After I had picked Murray up in the pickup, we headed back to Dundee. If the rest of the years weekends turn out like this, I for one wont be complaining, but I’ll bet it gets a lot better yet. I’ve been predicting it since last September, and I reckon it’s going to be…..I won’t say it. Fingers crossed though, and this high looks set to stay for a week or so yet, and there’s a cold front due to go through, I think about lunchtime tomorrow. Hee hee. Watch this space for a post cold frontal shower of April fools, coming in, need it be said, for perfect landings.
Arrive 1pm, off from below the gate/fence and up to top land…. Murrray is starting to think that perhaps the inversion is not going to be a issue…. next flights, well small but workable strong thermals yep it looking on… land to chat, meet & greet on the ‘shoulder’… OOPS bad move just HEXed the day!
Still up to 5pm I’m mainly working the small & broken thermals to top or high slope land so it’s still a LOT of great fun but not anything like the workability of the first few flights, none the less Scotland at it’s best (if not quite for flying) with lots of folk to chat too, take & be taken (photo’s) and general fly & chill out.
Around 6pm after Ali got a flight down to the ruin field area it was just a short hike up from the car park to see us at the top again… Ali (yes Ali I anm convinced dogs are at least in part a ‘chat up’ tool!) hogging the pretty dog owner… the day looked as if it might go more to the North but it proved not enough so after jetting a few short hops along the north face of the hill (almost in to wind) I wasd off, out & heading down, where even flying over the town there was very little lift but enough to permite a few 360* around the tennis courts then a landing next the road for me while Ali flew towards the pick up, one short ‘thumb’ later got me to the bottom of the view point car park road and a easy 15min walk up to meet up about half way with Ali driving down say the end (apart from editing photos and checking the weather for the comming week) of the day.. another great one for these April (and any other day) Flying Fools!
Comment by Murray Hay — 02/04/2007 @ 03:09 am