Gusty!

Summary of flying for Saturday 22 December 2001
Total Hours0h 40m
Best Height Gain300 feet
Total Flights1

It was cold and it was windy and with 3 months elapsed since I had last flown, I was determined to get back into the sky again! Being a weekend, there were plenty of other pilots around but it was cold!

My glider wanted to fly even before I got to the launch area, so I was appreciative of help in the form of a nose man, man handling my glider towards launch. I probably should have pulled on a little more speed before I launched, but with two to three steps, my glider rocketed upward and appeared to hover about 200 feet directly above where I had launched from. In fact, it looked like I was slowly drifting backward so I pulled the bar further back to maintain my position.

I have to admit, it wasn’t particularly great fun as I was jostled and bounced around the sky. All the time I was weary of drifting backward, so constantly flew with plenty of airspeed which ultimately contributed to me tiring and wanting to be back on the ground!

In the end, not feeling comfortable with the wind and associated turbulence, I decided on another bottom landing. I landed into a slight crosswind which caused my left wing to drop as I began to flare. Fortunately I was able to get my feet under me and run the glider to a standstill.

Flying Log(s)


TypeHill Launch
DateSat, 22 Dec 2001 - 00:00
GliderAirwave Calypso
SiteDevil's Dyke
Duration00h 40m
CommentsWNW - gusting 20-28mph, hard work penetrating, probably a little too strong for flying.
Height Gain300 ft
Distance
Total Hours09h 08m

Total Flying Statistics

The total flying statistics up to and including 22 Dec 2001:

Total Hours9h 08m
Longest Flight0h 52m
Gliders Flown2
Unique Sites Flown8
Best Height Gain1,056 feet
Total Distance0.0 km
Furthest Flown0.0 km
Total Flights32
Hill Launches32
Winch Launches0
Aerotow Launches0