An Odd Flying Day

Okay, the weather gods have been kind to me. I'd booked 3 days off work, the previous Thursday and Friday and today! Thursday I flew and today it looked like I'd fly again.

Arriving at the Devil's Dyke it was apparent the wind was more westerly than north westerly. The hill in front of the pub was busy with paragliders and I wondered if there'd be room. At least this time there were some hang glider pilots setting up, including my friend, Tony N!

The weather was a little odd, one minute it was howling, the next smooth and weak. We watched Tony N takeoff and for the first 5 minutes watched him get occasionally tossed around. This didn't look fun! Eventually, the paragliders decided it really wasn't fun and a number of them pulled big-ears in order to come down.

Tony N had now settled down so I decided to give it a go. An Airborne Fun 190 launched and I watched him beat back and forth climbing to a reasonable 200 feet, sink back to ridge height then climb back. I decided to join him and the two of us flew in this strange lift for 5-10 minutes. A short while later a paraglider joined in making the flying pattern a little interesting before the inevitable no lift set in sending me and a short while later the Airborne Fun down to the bottom landing field.

There were plenty of lifts back to takeoff and John B ended up taking me and glider back to the top. I rigged my glider for a second time then assisted Tony N for a second launch attempt. The weirdest wind then howled through and Tony and myself wisely opted not to fly. I retreated to the pub with my wife for a meal then headed for home.