A Trip to the Bottom

With the wind blowing from a westerly direction the lift was concentrated on the pub hill only. After rigging and checking over my Target hang glider, I made my way to launch. The wind wasn't particularly strong and those already airborne appeared to be doing ok so I launched. I didn't really climb that high and was soon established with everyone else in the soaring pattern.

I was mindful of a possible bottom landing and had already noticed that the bottom landing field was in crop. Any bottom landing would need to be in the designated landing area to avoid a crop landing! I suspect my focus was a little too much on bottom landing and after flying a little too far out from the ridge, I had managed to leave the best of the lift and drop below ridge height. I had set myself up for that bottom landing that I didn't want to do!

More down to pure luck than skill, I was able to lose what remaining height I had and safely land in the designated landing area, albeit a landing that I ran off, but down safely and not in the crop! No one was there to collect me, so after half de-rigging my glider I climbed back to the top to recover my car and later my glider before returning home.