So I finally score my first decent commendable XC flight which just might be better than sex!.

Quadey, Danny Deck Chair and myself arrive at the launch on Pig at around 11.30am and observe a very nice cu just out in front of launch.  The cloud was flowing up in the middle and sinking out the edges at a very nice rate of knots which was a good sign.  We set up and watch a paraglider take of and be thrown around and go up and down - another good sign.  I hook in, stand on launch for a few minutes then felt a cycle come up the hill and bang off I went.  I flew out in front loosing height at first before hitting the thermal and climbing up to about 1500ft above launch at which point I lost the thermal.  By this point Quadey had taken off and was climbing in front of launch, so I pulled on the VG and headed his direction.  I arrived about 1000ft above him and managed to climb out nicely.  When I again lost the thermal I decided to head south downwind as I had a fair bit of height by now.

My first glide was about 6km or so and towards the end of the glide I was drilled with some fairly strong sink and then hit a small climb of about 1.5m up.  I boated around in this for 10min or so where I was going up then going down and I wasn’t really gaining any great height.  I decided to head another kilometer or so south where there had been some earth work going on which paid off as I was treated with a very nice climb which brought me up nearly 1000ft higher than I was when I left the hill.  From here I headed on a 4km or so glide to Bullen Range which runs north/south.  I had to make a decision here to stay on the east or west side of the range.  The east side looked the safest as there were plenty of landing opportunities where as on the west side I would have to glide for 5 or 6km to get to the first landing paddock.  I decided to fly along the ridge line hoping to hit a thermal which I did.  The thermal felt fast and sharp.  I managed to gain about 1000ft at which point I lost the thermal but had plenty of glide to now to head west into the valley.

This glide was long, fast and the smoothest of the day for me and I took the opportunity to take a happy snap of the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station.  It was really really cool to fly near the station.  I flew west of the station between it and the Brindabella Ranges.  About 4km SW of the Tracking station I got to about 500ft above the ground and was flying above the paddock I had picked as a possible landing option where I was treated to another climb.  I managed to climb about 1000ft in this one that was weaker than the others and drifted a lot quicker.  Once I either got to the top or lost it I went on glide and flew over what I think is the Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre. Here I needed a lot more height to keep going as the was now a few hills and some tiger country in front of me.  I flew around the visitors centre where turn after turn I found no lift and when I was a couple of hundred feet above the ground I opened up the harness to get ready for landing.  All of a sudden BEEP BEEP BEEP the vario went nuts and the nose of the glider popped up, gold!  I had hit a short sharp climb which took me up the side of a rocky hill.  I climbed about 800ft and had drifted behind the hill.  From here I reckon I needed another 1000ft to get over another hill down wind to get me safely into the next open area.  I made the decision here to head back to the visitors centre and hope for another climb as I had dropped out the side of the thermal I was climbing in.  I found nothing and 10 minutes or so later went into land and landed pretty well which topped it all off!

All in all a bloody top flight with a straight line distance of 24.6km.  This flight has taught me a hell of a lot.  At all times throughout the flight I always made sure I had a paddock within glide that I knew I could reach easily if I needed to land for any reason.  When on glide I headed towards hills, treed areas and open bare ground hoping that a thermal would be pumping up off them.  I think this worked for me twice which was pretty cool (the other climbs were pure luck).  When getting low to the ground over the paddocks I had picked as possible landing options I looked closer for power lines obstacles and had a good look at the slope of the paddock.  I found that picking the slope of the paddocks to be hard the higher up I was, in fact the paddock I landed in was nearly flat even though from higher up looked as though it sloped away a little.  The wind on the day was all over the place too.  I took off from a north facing hill while there were others flying off NW and even an east facing hills all within 40 odd km’s of each. As I approached for my landing I did a few 360’s and watched my shadow on the ground to see which direction my drift was and how fast the shadow was moving along the ground.  I picked the wind as being NW and when I landed in the paddock I had picked it perfectly which was comforting as I can see how hard it could be to pick the wind direction in variable conditions.

So in summing up I’m hooked!  I must add here too that I am flying an Airborne Sting 3 154 which I am very impressed with in all respects.  I’m off with Quadey later this week to get our aerotow endorsements which I have no doubt is going to open up yet another door in this awesome sport.  As for being better than sex, well I’d probably have to say no but the thrill certainly lasts a lot longer!!! hehehe :p

Happy Flying

Andrew >:-)