Winging it

Wingtip to wingtip and back to back thermalling up from a low save with AH. An extremely pleasant day out, if hard work for the first two hours and not entirely as predicted.  It is always fantastic thermally close with someone you know and trust however.

A mid-week day out at Cambridge Aerotow, carefully and fortuitously  scheduled in between work.  Probably going to pay for it with a very busy day tomorrow - but I will  be suitably reinvigorated!

Three and a half hours airtime and then chose to land getting cold, tired, and hungry and failing to achieve the task set off to do.  A low inversion around 2200' made things very difficult first thing.  It was also small punchy thermals tricky to keep centred in and made for possibly the roughest aerotow I have ever had.  Release early around 1200' as I was pulling the tail of the tug up and thought CR may appreciate it :-)  Into a good climb though, above the inversion as it turned out.

The inversion slowly rose to 3500' before dissipating late afternoon.  On my last approach to the airfield to land I ad another 500' save but this time it was easy and rude not to take it all the way to 4700'.  I just went on a glide (through lift) with this to extend triangle and back ... and it was then very difficult to get down.  Really had to work at losing height :-)

Top flights of the day though from the Suffolk winch, a couple downwind 50kms but a record breaking 146km (before wiggly bits) from SB.  So, there I was, just settling down with a beer for the evening when there was an impromptu retrieve plan formed.  Thus started the second part of my day.

All top stuff though, it's a great sport all round really!  Thanks again to CR for the tugging.