Windy Big Collin - again!

A good turnout at Big Collin this afternoon but with the wind rising and very gusty, only the brave - Maurice McBride and Mark Piggott chasing rough thermals out in front of the hill. I started playing with the BGD Seed ground handling wing that often seemed to have a mind of its own as the gusts came through.

After landing to grab a bite to eat, our intrepid aviators, Maurice and Mark took to the air again, hving decided if they got a half decent thermal they would go with it. I'm sure my offer of a retrieve had nothing to do with it!

It wasn't long before they disappeared over the back. I called on the radio and Mark replied to say he had landed in the valley immediately over the back and Maurice had flown over his head. After setting off Maurice's car alarm in a fruitless search for the keys, I headed off in my own car and soon spotted Mark in a field by the road at the bottom of the hill. Maurice could still be seen high in the sky in the general direction of Slemish mountain.

After negotiating a few roads in that general direction  I lost sight of  Maurice as concentration on the road seemed more important. I stopped at the top of the Ballygelly Road and called Maurice on the radio. He had landed 'near Broughshane' he said, then sent his location on WhatsApp. Brilliant. Having grown up in that part of Co. Antrim, I knew the roads fairly well and was soon on the Creevamoy Road waiting for Maurice to dander down from his landing field.

While I was waiting, Kirsty Mowat rang looking for advice on replacing the side wires on her hang glider On the way back we picked up Mark who had been watching our progress on WhatsApp!

Back at the hill, after a bit of debate they decided to pack it in for the day. Mark left and Ronald arrived just before Maurice's departure. I did some more ground handling with the Seed as Ronald climbed part way up the hill and took off. The wind seemed to have eased a bit so I piced up the Seed and made my way about half way up the hill with my BGD Wasp. Then the fun began. Despite the light wind now in the bottom landing area, the wind on the hill seemed hellbent on trying to see what variety of shapes it could put a paraglider into. At one stage I abandoned takeoff attempts in disgust and then as the wind seemed to have eased a little bit I took a quick trip to the top to check. Naturally the wind saw me coming and was 22mph gusting 27mph on top.

Meantime Ronald had taken off lower down and was soaring, although it looked like a bit of a rollercoaster. I walked down again and took off - only to be dumped on my back almost immediately. Sticking my hands up the wing came back overhead and I was airborne again! Managed soaring with Ronald but it was a case of getting lifted up then just as strong sink, then up again. I flew out towards the farm and over in the direction of the gate and started to go up again then down again, eventually landing by the car.

I had a Fairhaven audio vario with its velcro strap round a back riser. Unfortunately I forgot to attach the backup cord so that after landing I discovered the velcro was still there but the vario had gone! I had put down the lack of vario beep during the flight to a flat battery.