Singlie 29 July 2014

After a month away giving the brain cells there annual kicking at the GardenParty, AudioSoup and BeatHerder, it was long past time to fly again before all currency was lost. Something in the way of gentle summer evening flying was in order after a lay of and Singlie came good.

It was difficult to choose a site as the wind arrows on XC weather were all over the place. I hatched a plan with Jamie to meet up at Witchy to asses the wind direction. I got there a bit earlier than him, and it was off to the W so I headed over to Singlie.

That was working with Buzzards and a Red Kite messing about on the main face. I wasted no time getting over the fence, but on the way up the doubts crept in a bit. Why am I bothering, being doing it a long time, do I need to be doing this anymore and so on. I carried on climbing just the same. A deer jumped up right in front of me and bolted up the hill keeping a wary eye on me.

By the time I got to the top there was a nice SW wind, with gentle thermals and convergence clouds, but nothing to close. I could find no excuses not to fly so I started getting ready as quickly as I could. Jamie arrived at the bottom at this point and said Dudley was on Witchy. No mobile signal so I pushed the flying button on my SPOT which sends a text message out. Dudley got this OK and came round to join us.

Straight into the air and it was great. Nice gentle thermals and it felt as if I had never been away. Trying to read and respond to all the little movements of the glider and ripple in the air. What is causing them and how best to respond. You realize straight away why you keep coming back. Even after the hundredth time flying you are learning as much if not more than you did on you're first flight.

The whole ridge was working and Jamie and Dudley joined me after half an hour or so and we spent the evening messing about in the benign air watching the Hares, Rabbits, Buzzards and rest of the world going about there business. The wind died slowly and we sank gently back to earth. Brilliant.

Rob

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