Wednesday XC

Well today was definately better than Monday. Got to the airfield around Midday as Z3 launched (no idea where Tim went) but needed to sort my ballast out before flying. This gave Mike and the bronzers time to change ends to put the launch point conveniently close to my trailer.

Finally got the water in by 2pm and launched on a 250 BOB-RIV-NOS-DID-BOO. The sky had developed nicely to the West and was streeting a bit but looked very blue in the North. I set off on the task never-the-less. Good run down to the M4 at Welford into a light SW breeze with cloudbase about 4000ft.

The sky then went a bit woolly. Couldn't tell if it was the approaching cirrus or just over development but I rounded RIV low and got lower. Desperation took me into the sun and I got a weak climb over a farmstead near Hungerford and got away. Another climb at Wantage and another at Abingdon got me back to cloudbase.

From there to NOS and back to OXF was quite straightforward as Cu had now developed and was reliable but as it was now 5pm the climbs got weaker and the clouds wider. I took a few poor climbs south of Oxford in an attempt to get on climb and as my speed was already slow I decided to play safe and drifted round DID and then home for an easy finish at 5:30

250k declared task achieved at 85KPH late in the day so I was pleased. The bronzers were still playing. Yan had landed out safely at Stokenchurch without doing his field landing checks first! He is now current on field landings! Several of the chaps had gone to get the glider. I guess that will be an expensive round, Yan?

Evening flying was underway as I left for home. See you at the weekend.

Jim Z12