It's been a long time since I flew and between the 'perfect' Scottish summer and work commitments I was concerned that the unknown contents of a bag sat in the corner of the room would be a stranger to me. The usual idle banter on the group suggested this week would be flyable and I'd missed the Mountbenger trip the previous night but Thursday looked possible. Jamie's on-line response to my comment that I'd forgotten what to do with the contents of the paragliding bag was "you put them over your head and then run down the hill making squawking noises".....evidently Gerald thought this was a very unkind comment but Tommy just laughed!!
Anyway - is flying like riding a bike - you never forget how?? - Bag thrown in the car and round to Witchie Knowe for 5.30, Tommy and Gerald are already on the hill and the wind seems OK for strength but off to the ESE so obviously the plan is to take off on the SW face (face is probably an exaggeration for a gentle slope!). Tommy launches, takes a couple of beats and then heads across the road to kite up the SE hill. Time to make a new decision, I look at Gerald's glider laid out ready to fly and mine is still in the bag - easy decision after not flying since May - leave it in the bag and walk up the SE hill since it has to be easier than kiting (at least I won't look as foolish) so of I go leaving Gerald to posy up and follow me.
Arriving at the top of the SE bowl Tommy is just managing to stay up in a fairly light breeze that has a tad too much east in it. Glider out, laid out, lines and harness checked, clip in (still remembered how) - turn, build a wall, flick it up and.....no tugging on the lines suggesting no lift!!..I wait a short while then a few short steps and I'm flying. It feels good to be back in the air after so long and I start to feel at one with the wing. A few beats with Tommy both of us just maintaining height in the light breeze as Gerald walks up and lays out on the hill.
Tommy lands as Gerald has set up and I decide top landing may be a good idea, turning in I land just behind them both giving Gerald some air space to have a meander in front of the hill. Tommy persuaded him to take off and it was great to see how Gerald's flying has improved in the last year - he was having the time of his life playing in the lift band in front of the hill. Chris C also arrived with family in tow (evidently his wife has never seen him fly before) and had a short but good flight.
Now it's time to play - Tommy takes off and joins Gerald in beats on the front before heading right to the shallower slope that is more into wind. I follow, a few beats on the front with Gerald (remembering "on the right in the right") before following the hill contours to join Tommy. The shallow slope means you fly below the top of the hill and stay in fairly tight to maintain height but it's working well and I can still 'wagga'. Then I decide to tentatively push out into the bowl since there seems to be very gentle lift - 1s and 2s - forgetting the brakes I just weight shift to remain as efficient as possible until I do a complete 360 just 'feeling' the lift and follow this 'thermal' back to around 400ft ATO with Tommy following below me. In all probably and hours flying before heading for a final top landing on the SE hill before following Gerald and Tommy on the final flight back to the cars as the wind started to die away.
Congratulations all round on landing - just as Jamie and Chris arrive, undeterred by our comments of the wind dying away they walk up the SE hill as we watch and both enjoyed some good, if broken, soaring - Chris pushing out to the far hill in failing lift that resulted in a slope landing before walking up to take off again and scratching the last lift of the evening.
Once Jamie a Chris returned to the lower landing a decision was made, with much arm twisting, to head to Ettrick Bridge for a shandy and natter so leaving Jamie and Chris to pack the rest of us headed down for some well earned re-hydration therapy which is where this story should end .......................but.......
Chris and Jamie arrived in the bar with their drinks already waiting when Chris quietly announced 'I think I've lost my phone on the hill' - this is the same Chris that locks keys in cars (see Bridgend write up) - there's a pattern developing!!!!...Chris is determined to come back the next day to search for it but, as usual, we all ignore what anyone says and head back up the hill forming a plan in an area with poor phone signals...Jamie goes to the SW take off with instructions to ring Chris' phone while the rest of us walk up the hill...think needle and haystack. After a pensive walk over the hill searching as if we have lost a penny Tommy thinks he hears a distant ring so it's now walk 50 yards, stop and listen and keep repeating until the sound gets louder...result - one phone found on the far hill (36 missed calls) and Chris as happy as a sandlark as we all head home - Wingbeat may be small but we all work as a team.
All in all a great evening and flying is like riding a bike - you never forget how!
