Big Collin again.

Back at Big Collin today. At one point I thought that I might be sat on the hill on my own as I started to ring around to make sure someone else would be there. I needn't have worried because it seems that if the weather is right, pilots will flock in.

After yesterday's low number of flights I decided to make sure I would get a lot more little hops in if the
conditions were right. To start with I took of from the top to try to get a bit of soaring in. It seems that I fly too far out to get the strongest lift which is right up tight to the hill on this site. This was communicated to me in flight by the pilots climbing up the hill waving me back further towards the hill. Unfortunately by the time I had started taking their advice I had lost too much height and my flight ended in a slope landing.

The wind picked up and others were flying back and forth while I sat, watched and waited for the wind to die down again. I eventually got bored and decided to move further down the hill to do some ground handling and small flights. I got plenty of practise doing small flights that were maybe one or two beats back and forth across the hill before landing, then ground handling the wing shakily back up the hill until I had enough height to go again. All this considerable effort and by the end of the day I was pretty knackered, but I did manage a record number of flights (6) even if they were only smallish hops.

Having watched some of my landings Bertie mentioned that it looks like I am specialising in fast slope landings. It seems I can't get enough brake into the wing when flaring for a landing at speed (i.e. a slope landing that isn't into wind, or a landing in light wind). I will have to practise taking a wrap with my controls before I do my landing flare.