yesterday turned out to be just as the day was was predicted fantastic from start to almost finish. we turned up at 10.20 thinking we would be first there but were the first of the 50 that were already there. so you guess you have picked the right site? well 30 minutes later we were of in some nice smooth air and good thermals. it was a funny day as the climbs were sometimes slow but no drift so made it easy as the only way to get distance was to keep pressing on in search of another climb. the good thing was there was lots of other pilots about making things a bit easier to find the next climb. good lesson keep your eyes peeled and make life easier where possible and use the markers. however it was all going good when at ripon I cross winded to avoid airspace that I was high enough to go through however having alarms set and making my device go haywire big mistake.
ended up getting low save over the AlM and then all the airspaces going off so done a runner error number 2 I was clear then got a proper climb and more alarms going that also stop the vario so left to run again when I would have made base. by this time the hangover was in full swing and frustration as I could not shut the dam machine off and ended up landing at 70k.
the moral of the story is when you fly XC no matter how far you will more often go home disappointed and you nearly always make a mistake that cost you your flight.
yet you go to the coast and ridge soaring and go home so happy as you done what you could and nothing more you could have.
saying all the above the experience is just amazing and so damn addictive that you will never get enough.
a big thanks to Graeme again for picking us all up and the next time I say get off the hill straight away you must obey as you would of had a great hour at least without doing the splits.
the problem was john it was 1 bottle of Becks 1 pint Of Becks 1 small glass of champagne and one small glass of red.
followed by a poor night sleep with the excitement of the following day, just like Christmas day all over again as a kid. why is it people insist you have a drink even though you don't like it or need it?
So now we all no! Like we have always known it is them, the other "people" who make us drink to much. I have always told the wife this! But she just couldn't see how us poor lad's where been led down the garden path??? Just how green are we.
Everyone who lives dies, yet not everyone who dies, has lived. We take these risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping us ...
Lol how true Ron these people that make us drink when we don't want to they should be flogged Gary red wine champers becks I can't think of a worse combination for a hang over I've been there without the Becks
Livetrack24 wannyjollis
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”
I got up mega early did some work then drove to York to get to the meetings I had planned then made a mad dash to Wether Fell getting there around 1-1.30pm decided to go to Dodd which I think works better and saw the last gaggle leave the hill
I was quite amazed that when I took off around 2pm I was the only person at Dodd there was no one left in the air or on the ground but quite a few cars so everyone had gone XC so I didn't hang around despite it being top end
Got a good climb out front but didn't get to base drifted over the back and didn't get a good thermal until well after Wether Fell up to base and onward over the moors I managed a jammy low save somewhere just past Scar House Reservoir on a ridge facing into wind which I thought would work but didn't so I tracked along to some trees where I thought I might pick up a good thermal (I waved to a couple of walkers expecting to end up landing close to them, I was pretty low) but just as I'd hoped hooked a strong thermal above the trees and managed to get back to base near 5000 foot
I continued on flying along the cloud streets but as I was in sight of the A1 it was definitely getting weaker and there were some big blue holes before the next cloud street so had no choice but to give it a try and fly the gap to the next closest clouds I kept flicking the vario to airspace and suprisingly didn't get any notification so continued over the A1 to where I thought I was ok to continue but unfortunately had lost to much height to get back to base so landed near Carlton Miniot
A good afternoon flight just wish I'd taken the day off and got an early start and that my vario was updated with MATZ I think need to check on that
My flight ended prematurely, more on that later. Got in sight of Wether Fell only to see a gaggle disappear over the back. Liam and I walked to the edge of the hill where is was nearly blown out. Liam took off and went straight up. After watching Liam fly around for a bit and waiting for a lull I launched with my vario off. I bubbled around in the thermic air trying to turn my vario on. With my vario on and the sky clear of gliders and climbed out. Over the back of the hill I meet someone on a M4. We flew roughly together for about 20k each making different climbs but close enough to watch each others outcome. At about this point I decided to fly cross wind (on full bar) to a nearby quarry with a nice cloud above, the M4 disappeared down wind get lower and lower (I never saw the M4 again). I continued west getting some nice climbs, now I could see the A1 and oh no RAF Leeming. Here I was stuck by Leeming and getting good climb but unable to take them. And this is where my flight ended prematurely. I say prematurely as the cloud street continued forever...
Conclusion: Plan your flight and know your airspace. What I sometimes do is to set a waypoint(s) around the airspace(s) then all I have to do is to flight to the waypoint(s).
bloody good effort tho Chris and Lloyd too well done 
