Pete St and JB headed for Parham on Tuesday afternoon and Peter Sm set
off on Wednesday morning in anticipation of a nice day's ridge running
on the South Downs. The wind was forecast to be 15 - 18kt Northerly
with only the slight risk of an isolated shower towards the east. JB and
Pete St planned to run between Butser Hill and Lewis, a 74km beat and just
trickle along and enjoy the view while Peter Sm was hoping to get a
ride in a K21 with one of the local Instructors and sample the
South Downs for the first time.
Wednesday dawned with a 1400ft
cloud base and an unexpected rather damp looking sky. Pete St and JB rigged
and were on the grid ready to launch immediately after the 10am
briefing. Pete St was about 5th to launch, but just after he launched it
started to drizzle at Parham so he headed east to avoid getting wet. The
gods were not smiling and when he was jumping across the Amberleigh gap
he hit some prolonged sink and within 15 minutes of leaving Parham he
had landed in the grounds of Seaford College. Peter Sm went to
retrieve him as the drizzle stopped and JB launched.
.jpg) |
| Discus in school playing field (and LS7 nearby) at Parham |
It was still
raining to the east so JB and Rob Thompson from Nympsfield teamed up and
took some extra height before venturing across the Amberleigh gap to
Bignor Hill and on past Seaford College where the two Petes were
preparing to de-rig 230.The wind was not as strong as forecast and was about 15degrees west
of North which was not ideal. But they had an uneventful run out to
Butser and back down to Lewis.
Returning from Lewis they had a
momentary shock when the smoke from a bonfire by Devils Dyke indicated
the wind to be almost Westerly and along the line of the ridge. They
thought they were doomed to a field, but it turned out to be a local
phenomenon and pressing on to Truly Hill they soon climbed up to the
1300ft necessary to jump the Storrington gap and arrive on the west side
level with the top of the ridge. On arriving back at Parham they
decided to call it a day; 148k and a nice time was better than 175 and a
wet field, so they ended the day with a few beats of the home ridge at
90kts trying to get below 800 ft before going in for tea!
Peter Sm had
a flight in Parham's K21 and although it was only a short flight he did
get cleared to fly solo next time he visits.
Thursday
Having visited his cousin in Southampton Hospital on Wednesday evening,
JB stayed over at Parham and flew again on Thursday. Thursday's weather
was what they should have had on Wednesday! It was glorious with not a
drop of rain in sight, but the wind was a bit light at only 12 kts
Northerly. Soon after launching JB stumbled into some weak wave and climbed to 2400.
A couple of pilots ventured forth but most stayed on the home ridge and
enjoyed the peaceful conditions for a change. After an hour JB got
lonely and spent the rest of the flight buzzing up and down the ridge
until about 3pm when the wind died and everyone landed.
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| Wave at Parham |
It was the
most relaxing flight I've ever had at Parham and made a real change from
the rough and tumble ridge-top thrashes we usually experience there! - JB
