Gliding always had potential exitement not far away
My Siver 5 hours was 5hrs and
two minutes off the winch...I really thought I was going to fail at the last minute in a dying day
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Below was (I think) my lowest ever get away during a x country,I really didnt want to land out as it was a (cough) restricted area
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My first ever long x country was Old Sarum - Halfpenny green - Old Sarum and I declared a diamond goal,the outward leg was a piece of wee wee (nice saw tooth on the barograph) but the return was a nightmare and I was really just trying to shorten the retrieve - I never thought I would get home.
I eventually got enough height to cross the cotswolds (into sun - bad viz) and popped out into the clear with a choice of only 2 clouds between me and Home,I scratched around Pewsey with another glider under the chosen cloud trying to find the lift and as soon as I saw him turning - I shot across to join (we were getting pretty low) - it turned into quite a good thermal and I took it for every foot (''i am not going to fail now'' going through my mind)...when I set course for Old Sarum I was ridiculously high and flew home at VNE
...beating up the caravan and then a chandelle into the pattern
6 hrs 30 mins of hard work LOL