A Dyke Classic

I wasn't entirely sure today would be a Dyke day as the wind was forecast to be very westerly and possibly on the light side, but as the saying goes, you don't fly if you don't try so I arrived around 10am to see a few others, but not many, had similar thoughts. The wind however was right on the hill. There wasn't enough north in it to make the Truleigh ridge run feasible, but I was certain I would get my feet off the ground!

As usual, I faffed for some considerable time getting ready but I appeared to be more efficient at it than most of the other pilots. I soon took to the air and joined the pilots already established in the tight flying pattern. Flying around at ridge height required concentration but soon I bumped into my first thermal which took me to 1,000 feet above launch. From thereon, finding lift seemed to be a child's game. Several times I glided well back behind the golf course then pushed upwind back towards the Devil's Dyke. In fact, getting down proved to me more difficult than staying up! Especially when over 1,000 feet.

In the end I forced myself down by flying well upwind of the Dyke - almost the second field across the road out front where I then turned tail and glided back to the hill, low enough to attempt a top landing.

After I safely touched down in the paddock it was time for an ice-cream after which I packed up as the forecast was was for rain in the afternoon. By the time I arrived at home a few drops of that rain materialised, but nothing like the BBC weather forecast had predicted!