Today was quite eventful. Having decided to stay local took a trip up to the nearby site of Fairlie (An LLSC managed site) its actually called Kaim hill on the map.
The forecast that I saw showed the met wind was going to max out at 6mph starting NW and throughout the afternoon backing to SW. So decided if I was up on top for around noon that would be ideal considering the sun was beating down I reasoned that it would be quite thermic so dynamic wind was not going to effect things.
I met Roger on top (an older pilot from Glasgow I think) and he had been up there half an hour before me, commented that it was quite overcast when he arrived and quite light. Spent 20 minutes with him with light stuff coming through, and his departing comment was "It's very light and I think I'm going to head down".
Well as Roger headed off I walked back to the glider and started string it up. 10 mins later I was ready to give in a go. Launched and within a couple of minutes I had latched into quite a feisty thermal that took me up to around 500 ft above TO it's restricted to airspace regs and since I wasn't getting a true reading (GPS went tits up and was reading 1000ft, well that wasn't right because TO is 1000ft) I decided not to take it to the full 2500ft and try an XC. Anyway after a lumpy ride I floated about for a while finding thermals all around, but most were to small to use. Roger must have been spitting teeth when he looked up and saw me in a climb.
Top landed once to turn the go pro on and took off into another strong thermal. Boated about a bit get hit regularly by strong punchy wee therms. With plenty of lift all around crossed the Glen easily to connect with the hill above Fairlie fishery then I got bored and decided to land next to the car. That was easily said than done and took me 15 minutes to loose 200/300 ft it was so buoyant I couldn't believe it. Landing when it finally came was interesting with no effective wind and major sink I had a fast final glide in and trying to run that off in heather is quite a knack to stay on your feet (Think that I need longer legs than I have)
Anyway had the get home in time to see Andy Murray win the Wimbledon crown.
Sean.
