Flight Logs

Well the plan was good, but as always the weather decided to change things a little, when Gerry, Jamie and myself rocked up at Dungavel. After a short walk up Dungavel we found in the light met wind that was around the thermals were tracking across the hill so a quick chat and we re-located to Tinto. Having got got ourselves up to launch we starting seeing some positive and some negative signs for the day. Positive being nice cumulus forms out in front, the negative was high cirrus was threating to move in and shut it all down.

Myself, Dudley, Sean and Tommy arrived at Broughton  a bit later than most at about 1PM, but I think it was just really getting going. Derek was already there. Lovely day, warm, gentle wind, like summer. Soon after arrival it started working and got pretty good. A little bit lively in front of the hill, and the thermals really started ripping once you drifted past the ridge.

After an initial fifteen minutes of flying backwards and forwards trying to remember how to fly the penny dropped and from that point on, it was relatively easy to get up to airspace if you were prepared to drift behind the hill and suffer the inevitable mauling coming back. It stayed working all day and it was still possible to climb high into the evening, but the climbs seemed to fade for me at least before getting really high.

Everyone flew well though, and I think we all spent a reasonable enough amount of time looking down at gliders not to be ashamed. Great day out altogether. Difficult enough to register high on the excitement scale, without crossing into the f*ck this I am out zone.

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The clocks have changes. This means we can fly in the evenings if the conditions are right.
The first couple of days of longer evenings had crap weather but thursday night had a glimmer of hope (or was it desperation?)
A couple of posts on the LLSC group showed that there were several people heading to Tinto. I half thought cacra might be worth a look but was not sure of the lambing situation there.

Having seen the forecast I was keen to get out, but reports on the internet coming in saying East coast is better for the day and I really didn't fancy going that far. Others were suggesting Tinto and having flown it numerous times I have grown to be bored with it, so my attention drifted to the Ochils again where I'm totally transfixed with its topography.

I arrived mid afternoon at Witchie. Turned out Derek was there already but didn't spot him straight away. Looked up and a new colour of a finned wing emerged in the sky!

  Sat morning and feeling good, an easy lazy morning for me. The windy day was forecast to drop away in the afternoon, and it did. A short drive round to our usual N/E site Bridend.  Derek Traynor our newest member was already setting up on top and was flying around nicely on his Sigma 8 just as Tim and myself were getting near the top after a determined walk up...good effort Tim.