Well OK, as Stephen has asked for an entry.
Keen members Nigel, Graham and Jon got there good and early to help Tim set up. Tim then duly dropped the pen when signing the DI book, and it found its way right down into the skid void. Despite the resultant delay, we got the first launch off just after 10.30, by which time a few more bodies had turned up. Jon did everything right and Tim sent him off for his first solo in 15 years – congrats to Jon.
Then Graham did likewise, and was also rewarded with a couple more solos.
Meanwhile, the K8 pilots were getting 16-1800 ft launches, although it wasn’t particulary windy, and heading off to the west to try to out-do each other on the west ridge. Despite it being such a light wind, the ridge was giving some reduced sink, even lift briefly, so there were several flights considerably extended beyond a standard circuit.
All in all, a remarkably decent day for midwinter. The sunset tables now indicate that the sun will begin to set later (even though sunrise will also keep getting later for a few more weeks).
(Off the wire at about 150ft then dive for the ridge!)
The lift along the ridge was very strong in places with climbs of 6 to 8 kts but highest most of us could get to was just over 1500ft. It seemed that the wave was out of phase with the ridge and was supressing any good climbs. As time went by the airmass changed and weak wave was contacted by quite a few including us. We eventually reached 4000ft before going into cloud but few others were lucky and climbed a bit higher in a few gaps. A call went out from the launchpoint saying that the wind had increased and was now gusting to 45kts! So after watching how a few others flew their circuit we began ours. The brief was to leave the ridge at 1,000ft, fly a high circuit, not to go too far back and to approach at 80 kts.