Monday 16 December 2019

Just for the fun of it


  A full day’s racing so close to Christmas wasn’t possible this weekend but as my fingers went numb and my phone battery dead on Saturday afternoon it didn’t seem that bad a plan to just have a few on the slopes.  I don’t think it was me but soon after I arrived at the slope the other pilots left, muttering something about brass monkeys and I had the evening air to myself.  The plan was to fly the SOR and the Merlin but as the evening sun became hazy enough to get the Merlin away again I was having just too much fun to put it down and fly the SOR.

  With 1kg of ballast it was a great lesson in driving through the turns and building the energy either leg after leg or as I just screamed around the sky.  The Merlin does remind me of my old Compacts- (or is set up like one) and after flying this one around the world I should be used to it by now.  Balanced and solid feeling in every respect.  I know that I should have been practising bunts to gain energy from the slope but the thermal camber just made things too easy when I did want to slow down and gain height into the wind.

  The sheer pleasure of flying meant that my headlights came on as I started to try and warm up in the car.  I wonder if the money saved not shopping will justify the 450usd for a spare Merlin?  Smiles for your buck the Merlin must be worth it😊

Monday 2 December 2019

Getting out with slope dog


  A cold weekend but Slope dog is getting into the swing of flying.  I’m going to have to get more organised when the spring finally comes and make more flying trips in the warmer weather.  Some really light winds to go and play with the SOR but I’m never one to turn down and opportunity and it does fly really nicely in the light air.  One of those days that 3 months ago the slope lift would have been enough to get you going before you started to pick up some thermal help for fast runs. 
I was going to take my Opus XL out but, as is often the case, once I got flying the one model I kept on just flying that one.  next time! The Opus XL is growing on me as a really nicely behaved sports model, it's slippy wing could be interesting if I ever get to race.