Finally, the first afternoon this season that you could term “nice”—proper cumulus clouds to over 5 grand.
My day started at 2AM. Work and then family, followed by a mad dash to Bradwell. White knuckle ride straight up to a 5.5K ‘base. I felt like I was on holiday somewhere out of XC Mag. Sunny, warm(-ish) and no hailstones! When I’d passed 4 grand, and I figured no-one on take-off would hear me, I let out a WHAAAAAHHH-WHOOOOOOO!!!!!
The ecstasy didn’t last long. When my cloud seemed to die, it was a choice between a downwind dash into the blue towards Sheffield, or a cross-wind glide towards the nearest cloud. I went for the cloud, but it vanished as I reached it. Then sink, sink, sink all the way. Pummelled to the deck near Owler’s bar.
Flights of the day were Helen Gant, Dave Broxholme and Mike Johnson, and there were one or two good flights nationally. There’s some discussion of the day on the DSC forum.
