"A Start Stop Start Stop then Start and Keep Going sort of day" (Or maybe all good things come to those who wait...)
That
the first flight of the 2014 Portmoak expedition launched at just
before midday on what was for some the fourth day of their trip says it
all about the local flying conditions to date on the expedition North .
Or
perhaps the weather gods were waiting for the stragglers from the South
West to arrive before providing a limited window of opportunity for
some flying to start.
Simon M and Stu completed a weather
check / site familiarisation flight and Mark and Simon L had some 'fun' in
the DG 505, both flights using the ridge to the South of the radar
installation to good effect in the Southerly wind both then deciding to
land on the North landing area direct into the freshening wind and ahead
of the imminent rain.
Within a few minutes of the rain arriving
the gliders were picketed down with lunch plans rapidly made - a short
period of flying but enough to see a surge of enthusiasm amongst the
eager expeditionees.
In view of the likely inclement weather for
the next couple of hours the opportunity was taken by a number of people
to visit 'Reminisce', a coffee house/cafe in Kinross run by Steve,
Irene and family after many years catering at the SGC Clubhouse, and to
sample Steve's usual cooking skills which had not lost any of their
excellence in the last year.
A return to Portmoak in
anticipation of some improved weather was rewarded with Simon L and
Andria having some 'fun' in the DG 505, again on the South ridge - with
the flying conditions continuing to be interesting...
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| Some optimism |
The DG 505
was handed over to Simon M and Eric but with the next band of rain
rapidly approaching that launch turned out to be a 'straight back to the
landing area flight'.
Time for a hot drink (or two or three) and
an extended discussion on how long the rain would last, whether there
would be flying after the rain had gone through, and importantly what
evening would be the day for a re-visit to 'Reminisce' for a meal cooked
by Steve.
Then with the rain increasing in intensity, and
running down the Clubhouse windows Mark C made a very bold prediction of
"We will be flying before the afternoon is out" - now we all have
confidence in one of our experienced Instructors but even so there were
just a few sceptics...
But the prediction turned out to be
completely true and with the wind having moved round to a Westerly
direction, soon the DG 505 with Mark C and Oliver were joined on the West
ridge around 5 o'clock by Stu in LS 3 (KMV) and James in ASW 20
(ENW)
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| DG505 launching into a great looking sky |
After some suitable careful discussion/negotiation with the
local SGC Instructors it was kindly agreed by them that the SGC K21s
and ground equipment could be kept out and used for the rest of the day -
with Henry cleared to use the SGC winch it was now a question of making
sure that as many people who wanted to fly could do so before the
official time for last landing for the day (A particular mention for
Henry who launched everyone else but did not fly himself today...)
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| James in ENW - worth waiting for |
What a great late finish to the day of which the highlights were:-
- Total of 9 flights, with circa 12 hours in total flying time, completed between just before 5 pm and just after 8pm
- Longest flight was 2 hours 29 minutes by James in ASW20 ENW
- Simon M and Andria climbing to just over 10000' in wave over Loch Leven with James a little lower at just over 9000'
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| KMV over Loch Leven |
And the motto of the day?
"Never lose your optimism, and always believe Mark Courtney's positive weather predictions" (ed: must have learnt something in all those weather lectures) - Mike Sl
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