Whips, yelps, and UK flying - Mexico Day Nine

Day two arrives and we are back to five, Wayne has pains again so opts out sensible decision. Normal morning with Steve and Kaz doing the shopping whilst the rest of us fiddle about, well write the blog in my case.

The truck moved out on time, less police at the turn off and less on top, guess we are behaving ourselves. We all get sorted and rigged with Carl, Gordon and Grant on the front, Steve by the road and me deep in the trees, even deeper than yesterday. 

Kaz guards the glider

Task briefing was much quicker with pilots and task setters agreeing, fantastic. 100+k with a fun start all at once then south before heading into the high ground, then east into the flats then back towards take off and into the goal behind it.

Hi - me carries the glider :)

Steve set to go on an epic flight

climbing out above the trees at launch

Window opens and the whole field heads out to cross the cylinder before doing a180 and returning to the ridge. It's an amazing sight as I glide out wing tip to wing tip with Grant, must have looked pretty good from the ground too  We are moving fast and in my case a little too fast and after a short climb back at the "G" spot it's off again to Gordo's knob.  Arrive  a little low and a little early have to take a week, the gaggle flies overhead and on, mistake no 1.  By the time I make next turn point they are long gone and I am low, next 30 minutes sees me taking what ever I can find whilst the masses push onto to turn point 3. Finally I get high and a bit impatient mistake no 2 and glide for turn point, problem is it a little higher than me.  Take  wrong turn and fly into the lee, mistake no 3 and have to make a quick decision to get out ending up flushed onto a low ridge where I remained for the next 2 hours desperately trying to get out.  As the sun dropped so did the thermals and the wind and me landing at 17.30 at 9,500, still it was another good one :)


The other guys had fared better although the flatlands caught many out especially the racers with Carl and Gordon on the ground. Grant and Steve did a superb job changing into UK mode and working their way against the headwind to make goal, a fantastic effort and keeping us in the game.

a super spot just in the wrong place!

Trout farmer

Having landed by a trout farm in the back of beyond with no mobile signal I made contact with the locals and had an interesting wait for retrieve which included a lesson in whip cracking and Coyote calling before being invited into their shed as the sun disappeared for a warm up by the fire and  "freshly" cooked something.  Finally a cackle on the radio and Hi-me and Gordon were in the area, a newly constructed bridge that and no way onto it caused a slight delay and it was into one of my new amigos car to guide them in.

Whip cracking, hope it's not me next

Cooking in the shed

We made it back to base at 22.40, much appreciation the Gordon for his good humour and tenacity in finding me :)

So three years of not flying abroad is not in my favour but still I am having to relearn previous mistakes lets hope we get it sorted to morrow or I will rigging at the turn off point!

Quote of the day " are there any banjo's there"

Tip of the day " if what you are doing isn't working, try something else"