Written in a bouncy car thundering through darkest Wales on the way to collect the Eagle from Talgarth.
With a forecast for largely blue skies and a moderate Easterly wind the start for this year’s Competition Enterprise didn’t get underway ‘till nearly 2:00 pm. With five tugs and a nice wide runway things moved smartly once set in motion. The task was the usual unfathomable combination of turn points stretching East to Bedford Bridge and West to Talgarth. An Enterprise “String of Pearls” where you can shuffle back and forth between turnpoints. Ron and Daniel in 711 were the first Nomads away about halfway down the grid and found the conditions very hot and tiring. The more laid back approach of Phil and Nick in DD3 saw them near the back of the grid. The subsequent excuse they came up with to disguise their lack of organisation, being that: there would be more gliders ahead marking the blue thermals! Similarly Team Eagle were positively arctic in their cool approach and were last to launch. Obviously they had formulated their plan well ahead of time.
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| Back of the grid ( Phil Morrison) |
Phil and Nick pressed on in the blue at times applying the experts approach to flying in the blue. Just aim at the turn point and go. Just like running through a forest blindfold sooner or later you will run into a tree!
As forecast the conditions to the East did improve with time and some thermals became a little more reliable with small clouds at their head. Nevertheless with evening fast approaching and pubs calling they decided to turn for home at Towcester one turn point short of the furthest East set. Figuring if they got back to Aston Down they could tack on a few more km returning to one or two of the nearer possibilities.
Meanwhile the Eagle put their master plan into action. Heading West, downwind, a logical decision for ancient kindling, they aimed at Nympsfield a good 10k distant and missed. Such was the strength of the tail wind they were forced on in blind panic across the Severn estuary. Fearing a watery grave in Cardigan Bay they sought refuge at Talgarth. To add insult to injury for their retrieve crew, who at this time were still toiling under a fierce sun some way to the East, they boasted of being presented with raspberry split ice creams on arrival.
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| JB and Malcolm landed the Eagle at Talgarth - with raspberry splits |
Ron and Daniel suffered from the heat and only managed a short flight and were no doubt doubly penalised by their considerable handicap.
Pete Bennett in the DG 100 managed a creditable 100k and returned at a comfortable height to Aston Down. Later rueing his failure to implement a more ambitious plan of continuing past Aston Down and crossing into Wales to claim extra points for visiting another country. This could have been further enhanced by crossing the Severn West of the old Bridge which benefits coastal zone points. But perhaps on this occasion “discretion was the better part of valour”.
Nick Harrison applied the same rule, but from the off and decided to have a quiet day on the ground, or so he thought. Running around and helping rig and de-rig gliders plus a 4 hour trip in a car to Talgarth and back, I suspect he wished he had chanced the rigours of flying by the end of the day! Thanks Nick.
Pete Bennett in the DG 100 managed a creditable 100k and returned at a comfortable height to Aston Down. Later rueing his failure to implement a more ambitious plan of continuing past Aston Down and crossing into Wales to claim extra points for visiting another country. This could have been further enhanced by crossing the Severn West of the old Bridge which benefits coastal zone points. But perhaps on this occasion “discretion was the better part of valour”.
Nick Harrison applied the same rule, but from the off and decided to have a quiet day on the ground, or so he thought. Running around and helping rig and de-rig gliders plus a 4 hour trip in a car to Talgarth and back, I suspect he wished he had chanced the rigours of flying by the end of the day! Thanks Nick.
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| The Feast at Talgarth |
So as I continue this missive, we are being driven back by Nick (the retrieve) Jones after a marvelously unexpected barbecue with beers prepared by the good ladies of Talgarth. Such is the nature of the gliding fraternity that what could have been a long and tedious retrieve turned into an interesting and enjoyable evening. It was however a weary bunch who finally returned to Nick's caravan for whiskey and chocolate before retiring around 1:00am.- Phil Morrison
NHL results Day 1
7th DD3
19th BBB
20th 711
26th DG1
DNS JDD
NHL results Day 1
7th DD3
19th BBB
20th 711
26th DG1
DNS JDD
