Skip to main content

What was I thinking?

Well it actually did look like it was going to be an OK kind of day.

Got to launch about 1130 and rigged up, conditions looked light but improving. Decided I would have a little kiting session before the others arrived.

That over it looked soarable, and I could mooch around above launch waiting for everyone else. Big mistake, as soon as I launched I knew it was "good night nurse", no lift at all, a zig, a zag, and I was lining up the LZ.

Next mistake, was mis-judging the wind. The Moirs Short Distance Goal Paddock (bomb-out in English) is renown to be fickle when landing in light airs, so as I'm coming in the wind swings and/or fluctuates, and I aim instead for what ends up being a downwind on the road. Missing the barb-wire fence I land on the grass verge, except that grass is actually Blackberry (nice-one Tony), the wing flys overhead, fortunately now very slowly, and although I end up on my knees I manage to control it enough to miss the barb-wire and most of the road. Not that there a lot of traffic, but you never know.

Gathering up my kit I sling it over the fence into the paddock. This action is very difficult because of the Midges. Never face downwind when Midges are about. Today they numbered in the thousands and if you stand still facing downwind your face is soon covered in them. Facing upwind brings little relief. I can hear and feel them smashing into the back of my helmet and body, I can't escape them. Packing up becomes a long slow chore, with breaks to run around the paddock to get rid of the little buggers. I'm sure I packed about a kilo of them in my gear.

Being relatively early in the day I make my next mistake. I decide to climb the hill to re-launch. Luckily as I climb the Midge population decreases, but I am soon stuffed, the top looks alluringly close, but as I find out the hardest is yet to come.

In the meantime, Jeff, Evan, Xen and Adam are in the air, and as I near my last big push for the top they latch onto the thermal that takes them "outta here".

After what is roughly a 2 hour ascent I am at launch again, conditions are still good, so I prep for launch. Two hangies sink out and I wait to see if it improves. It over-improves and is soon blown-out. Nothing to do now but pack up and hit the trail. My brain is in that "I'll show you Mr Moirs" mindset which is always for me a "let it go" flag and I walk away.

Just you wait - Next time!

Fortunately it turned out great for Jeff who set a new OD record for Moirs of 48km. Well done Jeff. (said through gritted teeth).
Leonardo Flight Link

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better at Walking Than Flying?

The sacrifices I make for the greater good. The forecast was pretty good regarding the usual parameters. But a couple of  indicators weren't that great. First, the wind was expected to be more westerly than wanted and, a new one of interest, was that on the Skew-T Plot (the vertical X-section of the atmosphere) the gap between the Blue (dew-point Temperature) and Red (air Temperature) lines was unusually large and grew bigger as the day progressed. In simple terms, "no clouds". And this turned out to be the case. Andy was the only one at the turnoff, so he lept into the car and we proceeded to the end of the road. Out at launch conditions looked perfect, nice back-ground breeze with good, but not strong cycles coming up the hill from the SW. The wind already had a Westerly tilt. But in hind-sight the main indicator was already there. Very few clouds, and what there was were small and not well formed. As we prepared to launch a couple of nice clouds did form out ...
Read more

Don't Climb The Hill

Forecast was good, and it pulled quite a few pilots to the hill. I was the last to launch, while most were climbing out and the rest were sinking out. What was initially a good launch into lift quickly turned into a coulpe of quick passes across the face while gradually sinking below the ridge, finally landing short in the paddock across the road from the Bomb-out. A decision was made to climb the hill (fool) in the hope of a late launch, and after about an hour I was back on top keen to go. But after time to cool down and reassess I walked out to car park, and that was that. Leonardo Flight Link The Climb - Google Earth
Read more

I'm Not The Only One Who Gets It Wrong

It looked possible. Light SE winds possibly swinging SW, so it was worth the trip. By one o'clock there was quite a crowd, Jeff, Kim, John (HG), Xen, Alex, Wayne, Anand, and myself. But it appears no matter how many turn up if it ain't going to happen, it ain't going to happen. The wind was consistently from the Easterly quarter, although light, and the clouds slowly built up and came in from the West. Eventually overdeveloping, but the Sou-westerly never arrived. Gradually pilots left to other commitments as it became more obvious that it wasn't to be, and the die-hards finally capitulated around three, leaving John the Hangie to linger. The sea-breeze looked like it eventually arrived around five, so I hope John was still there to get a bit of soaring in.
Post a Comment
Read more