The wind direction was ideal but the strength coming and going just like yesterday at Slieve Gallion. I walked about the top of the hill to try to get a signal on my phone, I found a spot where I could get a data connection and received an email that the club's head coach Dave Tweedie was on his way.
As I was to have company I laid out my wing and started my daily checks, while I was doing this I felt the wind pick up a little. I also noticed that another couple of cars had arrived in the car park that were probably other pilots. I thought that I would bring my wing above my head and ground handle which would tell any others that there was someone on top of the hill, unfortunately by the time I was ready there was no wind at all so I just stood and waited.
Soon enough Dave appeared with someone carrying his rucksack containing his kit.It seems he got talking to a guy who was out running and the guy offered to carry Dave's kit up for him. We stood some more and the wind came and went, but so did fine rain. After a while Dave took off (it is easier to let someone else who is much more experienced like Dave provide a reference, for example are other pilots staying up or are they getting chucked around). We were joined by a few other pilots now and we watched Dave's flight take him down to the end of the cliffs and back. He only landed because he forgot to make a phone call but he reported nice smooth conditions.
I was holding off launching because of the rain. It seems that as the air was being blown in from the sea over the land it was being pushed up and forming the cloud just in front of us that was dropping the fine rain. Interesting weather to watch but frustrating to experience when your kit is laid out on a hill and you are ready to go. Eventually everyone admitted defeat and the three of us that had already got their kit damp decided to fly down. The wiser pilots walked down with their nice dry wings still in their rucksacks.
An audience in the form of a family out for a walk were taking photographs of us. Dave and Carlos reversed launched (bring the wing up facing it, then turning to launch) off the hill. When I it came to my time to launch I decided to forward launch because my wing is made of heavier material than theirs and requires a bit more wind or effort to pull up. I was quite pleased with my launch (although I did get help to lay the wing out so the cells at the front were open and ready to inflate). As usual in very little wind after the initial heave to get the wing overhead I had to run as fast as I could to get enough speed to get airborne. From the second I took off it was obvious that I would have little or no lift so with a face full of rain I headed along the cliffs towards the car park and landed next to the other gliders.
The rain was a little heavier at landing and by the time I had got the glider into it's bag it was soaked. It looks like the kitchen floor will have to double as a drying area tomorrow.
The rain was a little heavier at landing and by the time I had got the glider into it's bag it was soaked. It looks like the kitchen floor will have to double as a drying area tomorrow.
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