The morning weather looked hopeless. It was windy with frequent showers and drizzle.
Don hosted a discussion about wave and wave flying. After lunch the weather had cleared a little. So, gliders out and on with the show.
The first to fly was Charlie Davies, an air experience visitor who had been patiently waiting while all the kit was readied.
The wind was 12 - 15 knots westerly and this prompted Ged and Don to jump into the K13 to fly 2 or 3 miles across the valley to Cox Tor for a spot of ridge soaring. From the launchpoint we followed their progress with interest.
Don and Ged waiting for epicness
On arrival they were seen to climb and initially everything looked good. A little later they were spotted flying below the top of the hill and then heading south. What had actually happened was that after the initial climb the wind had shifted a little towards the south effectively stopping them climbing. After a struggle to soar the hill they selected a good field for the inevitable land out. However, fortune favours the brave and while approaching the field a thermal presented itself and, 15 minutes of sweaty palms later, they found themselves at cloudbase for an easy glide back to the airfield. Their flight time was a little over an hour; amazing.
Soaring Cox Tor
Several club members managed short soaring flights in the windy conditions and everyone had fun. We made the best of the day.
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