Saturday @ Ettrick

[David Howie]

Guys

Big thanks for the warm welcome on Saturday nice to finally put faces to the names I’ve heard bantered around for a while, makes the transition from school to club much easier. Dorita I owe you petrol money. Weather permitting will meet up with some of you again shortly.

 

Dave

 

email: david.i...@tiscali.co.uk

Tel:    01387 253486

 

[David Thomson]

Hi Folks,

 

Great to see so many folk at the Borders - given the last than classic weather forecast.   Saturday at Cacra turned out slightly complicated with good climbs in the morning, but increasing stability in mid afternoon producing sharp edged broken thermals which made climbing difficult and gave lots of active flying practice.  The patches of sun were less than we'd hoped for, but there were a few (see photo - with our excellent campsite in the background )

 

I think everyone got a flight (?) and quite a few got the turnpoints just off the ridge.  Tony climbed out and left but only to Blackknowe Head (between the Ettrick and Yarow valleys ).

 

It was getting slightly beyond conditions appropriate for a Scottish Nationals Round so we stopped the task but the scores achieved up to that point will count ( I made that rule up !)    I hope everyone gave George a task sheet ? 

 

However, there was some great soaring in the early evening.

 

After another gourmet BBQ , the pyro technics evening was topped by Tommy's hot air balloons - Did anyone get any photos ?

 

We even went up and had some flying on Sunday morning before the cold front moved in.

 

Thats the brief story - Lets hear the details !

 

See ya

David

[Dudley]

Great to be at another Borders round of the Nationals it's just a pity that Dave T's appeasement of the sky gods on Saturday night wasn't more successful for the Sunday weather!!

 

Dudley

[Dave Hutch]

BORDERS ROUND A big thanks to Tommy, George and co. for organising another successful Borders Round of the Nationals. It really was a fun weekend wtih everyone getting up in the air and, as always a cracking BBQ at the campsite in the evening complete with pyrotechnics!   After meeting up at the Boston Hall on Saturday, we all headed for Cacra to make the most of the southerly winds and somewhat overcast conditions.. DaveT shot off first to assess conditions and showed there was plenty of lift around, so it was decided on a task to goal in Innerleithen via two turnpoints at either end of the flyable ridge. Pretty soon, most pilots were up and flying trying to make the two turnpoints with varying degrees of success. I got plenty of height and went for the farm, but struggled on my return into wind and bombed out on the steep slopes. The steep incline and crosswind made groundhandling and kiting particularly difficult and I had to struggle for a while before I managed to get airborne again. My second flight was immensely enjoyable as I stayed up and succeeded in exploring all areas of the ridge and worked on my weak-thermal technique.. There was lift around to be had, but you had to work at it in between the big sinky areas and after about 90 mins I needed to land and have a rest.   Not long afterwards, the wind backed eastwards leading to the task being cancelled, but not before Tony Spirling had got some height and headed over the back (towards Blacknowe?) to become task winner. The rest of us did some parawaiting, with the odd bit of parawatching (Terry and Adam on their superfast acro machines), hoping for calmer conditions. It didn't help when we saw Jitka launch from the slopes at the far end of the ridge and then shoot skywards as if on some inverted bungee jump! A number of pilots gave up on the waiting, and headed down in vehicles but for those who stayed, conditions eased to become almost marginal, allowing some pleasant soaring/scratching until the evening.   Sunday was due for rain by midday, so we were up on Cacra again by 10.30 to find very light conditions, so a simple spot landing task in the bottom field was set. As the rain clouds began to approach, it became easily soarable with moments of significant lift, but things were spoiled by a couple of early light showers. After a heavy shower, the task was cancelled and most pilots again took the motorised descent, with Sean and Linda heading off along the ridge for a landing at the Tushie(?).   All in all a great weekend and starting on Friday at Broughton, my most consistent run of flying days (three consecutive) which is one better than I got in Piedrahita this year! DaveH --- On Sun, 31/8/08, Dudley <dudley_...@tiscali.co.uk> wrote: