Due to an aborted visit to Denbigh, Matt and Ruth found themselves at a loose end. Noting predictions of Wednesday westerlies up North, they set off early to arrive on Tuesday evening at a pleasant warm and sunny Portmoak airfield. Sadly the warm and sunny conditions didn't last, and on Wednesday morning they found it necessary to wear the entire contents of their suitcases. Matt in M5 went hunting for wave but frustratingly never made it above 4500ft, while being taunted by one of the locals just above him in a Junior. Ruth snuck in a quick flight with local instructor Chris to be reminded what a ridge looks like from the side and get the gen on the usual wave spots (which weren't currently working).
Wednesday night was cold. Very cold. So Thursday was thermic. Combined with the now strong south-westerly wind, this produced some good, boisterous lift on the south side of the Bishop, which was reliable enough to hold on waiting for the thermals to coincide and boost the lift to cloud-base. Curl-over from Benarty made launches and circuits "interesting", so Ruth's check flight with Chris was abandoned in favour of a couple of training flights. Meanwhile Matt in M5 made good use of the conditions and set off to play on the south side of the Och Hills, claiming a 100k task to Stirling and back. Tom arrived at lunchtime and wasted no time in rigging DG1 to join in the fun. Pete, Martin, Woolly and Ron arrived in the evening and we all went to the Balgedie Inn for the traditional arrival meal.
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| River Forth near Stirling |
Friday: rain. In the morning we chose the slightly less wet periods to walk to the Loch Leven RSPB hide and the café, which serves fantastic cake. In the afternoon we returned to the clubhouse to be enthralled by a matinée showing of The Wind Rises in the bar.
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| Walking wet |
Saturday: rain. Martin sacrificed himself to the weather gods and began the long journey home. The rest of us drank tea and watched the light patch of sky in the west, arguing whether it was the forecast clearance or a "sucker's gap". The clearance arrived ahead of schedule, and Pete, Tom and Matt soon rigged 230, DG1 and M5 to commit aviation. Pete, having ventured out west to some promising looking clouds was dismayed to find they didn't work and announced he was about to land-out. Tom acknowledging Pete's predicament, air-braked down to land to await the retrieve instructions. A few minutes later a relieved sounding Pete relayed that he had just managed to climb away, a mere couple of seconds from putting his wheel down. Tom used his moment of altruism to grab some lunch before returning to the skies. Woolly and Ruth borrowed a K21 and enjoyed a couple of hours of soaring, with Woolly instructing Ruth in the use of various hand signals when in sight of other DSGC pilots. Jill and Pete arrived in the evening and we all piled back into the Balgedie Inn.
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| A large shower drifts east behind Lomand Hill |
Sunday morning dawned dry but not very inspiring. The forecast for the rest of the week looked wet, easterly or both, so Pete, Tom, Ron and Woolly set off home. Pete and Jill decided it wasn't a day for OL, so contented themselves drinking tea, helping out at the launch point, and learning about the club's new FLARM briefings. Matt, never to be deterred, launched in M5 and turned some windmills not far west of the club. The southerly wind was less fierce than forecast, so Ruth ran out of excuses not to fly solo. After a couple of check flights with local instructor Colin, she flew Junior HRG all the way to the top of the launch (unlike last year) and soared the south end of the Bishop.
Monday: rain. Matt and Ruth went home, leaving Jill and Pete to bring up the rear on Tuesday.
Ruth.
