With such a good forecast members arrived early to setup the field. H5 Matt was still a little anxious about the gaps and the unknown quantity of the hills beyond, he tried to secure a P2 seat with someone more experienced to show the way. When Les Blows heard of this he was quick to proclaim: “You don’t need a P2 flight, all you need is a damn good talking too!” After another discussion on the gaps and the reassuring words that the thermals would help bridge them he was soon airborne in the trusty SF.
From the outset the hills were working brilliantly, super strong ridge boosted thermals gave off the clock lift whilst also providing areas of strong sink to watch out for. After a few runs on the local ridge he began to eye up the Amberley gap, 2 turns in a thermal took him to 1500’ which gave the confidence to set off westwards across the gap towards Bury Hill and Bignor bowl. From here it was less complicated to jump forward a mile or so into wind and then onto a very reliable 20km long run to Harting. After this the ridge is less defined and smaller before rising up again on the approach to Butser Hill, the western extent of most ridge tasks. Happy with getting as far as Harting Matthew decided to leave the Butser turn point for another day!
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| Heading North towards Harting |
Now confident with the Amberley gap Matthew jumped across another 3 times gradually leaving lower as confidence and experience grew, the final crossing was from just over 1000’ and he completed 4 beats from the end of the home ridge and the extended ridge to the West. By this time the thermals had subdued so he couldn’t get the recommended 1500’ to jump the 7km Steynning gap in a wooden ship!
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| The Quarry on the ridge near Seaford College, Ducton |
After a fantastic flight H5 Matt landed grinning from ear to ear and proclaimed it was one of his best flights ever! Evening analysis of the trace showed several occasions where the engine noise sensor was activated on his logger, certain that the SF does not have an engine it can only be assumed that the cries of joy (fear?) set off the sensor.
JB turned up at about 14:00 and threw his Ventus together for a quick blast, he was quick to show his wealth of experience and completed a lap of the whole extended ridge from Lewes to Butser without breaking a sweat.
Envious of the forecast, and the fear of missing out on something equally as good the following day, the gang grew in numbers when joined at the local Pub by JP who brought up Eagle BBB and M5 Matt who traveled all the way down from Scotland having forsaken the very benign weather at Portmoak for the prospect of actually getting to fly. - H5 Matt
