Last weekend on the mynd

   This weekend is going to be my last of the year where I can have 2 days on the Mynd.

 I've had regular opportunities to fly here for the last few years, so many that it feels like a home slope. Today involved a lot of shower dodging but there's always a triumphant feeling when you have the patience to wait out the bad weather and get to fly.

  The conditions were variable and the wyvern reflected this. There's quite a commitment to that first down wind up turn but as my confidence in the air increased, so did the energy. Great fun and bring on tomorrow!

 Sunday and the clouds parted for a morning on Pole Cott. It was great to be joined by Andy and Les with their matching Mamba S's. It's the first time I've seen this model away from the focused lift of the Bwlch. Not surprisingly bothered Andy and Les made them look good on this very different slope.

 The wind and lift became increasingly variable. When it did come good I was particularly pleased that I kept the wyvern at 3.2kg despite the wind never really topping 13ms. Getting the vertical component of the turn right would really pay off and the pace build.

  A great day and great to meet up with 2 top lads.

Some smooth Wyvern flying

   I often have a tunnel vision as to what I want to fly and how, not every one enjoys thhe drive and walk too the Crest or other racing slopes.

  Looking at the videos of other Wyvern pilots enjoying it's smooth flying is a good reminder that we all want different things from our flying.  I have to say, the energy retention is obvious in both films.

  Great too see people enjoying the model.

Riding a smooth crest

A great chance to fly the crest today. Launching off this slope can be the most difficult part of the experience but I'm on a bit of a mission to force myself to do it.  

  I've put a wyvern together that was a paint seconds to partly convince myself that hitting the slope on launching wouldn't be too bad. The problem I have is that this Wyvern is flying so nicely. I'm confident that although I'll do some experiments through the winter I have some stock settings that feel very easy. A CG slightly forward and reduced flap waffling is providing a great model.

  In my thumbs the Wyvern's set up seems to push me towards 3 settings.

 1 sport flying where the aim is to do everything as quickly and sharply as possible, often at the expense of raw speed

2, my version of f3f practice, where it seems easy to spot where the bases should be and smoothly carry what feels like loads of speed around smooth turns.

3, at a race, I aim for state 2 but seem so tempted to turn things up to get sport turning.

  Today, state 2 felt very, very easy to fly!

Saker with 2nds paint job

I've been contacted to let me know that there's is a double carbon saker with a seconds hinge line cut. There are no structural or mechanical issues but the standards set now means this model is available for £700.

The wyverns make everything better!

  It might not have been the strongest lift but there is something special about a day with nothing more to think about but the lift coming through and the settings on the model.

 The wyvern is a model that flys big lift with low ballast better than any other model I have flown. Being able to fly though the weaker air in between the thermals and rip up the edge is just great.

  Going to Wales to fly is a luxury but it does mean that I wasn't returning to my bag to clean the mess of a club members Jack Russel between flights.

Another Wyvern flying

 

  The weekend didn't have much wind but there was enough to get another Wyvern maidened.  Fellow F3F pilot Graeme was the happy pilot.  Being happy with the fit annd finish is one thing (he is) but seeing a pilot with a huge smile on his face as he flys one of your models is a fantastic feeling.

  It wasn't long before he was picking up thermal lift and converting that to screaming passes and square loops.  A fun day in very light conditions.

Not alone on the crest!

 Being able to slip away for a short notice thrash on the crest is definitely a luxury.  What I wasn't expecting was to bump into fellow flier William and his Freestyler.

 Although the wind never really got up, there was enough for fun between the thermals when the fun really started!

 As William got to grips with the Freestyler I was putting my Wyvern through it's paces in the compression. I think we were both concentrating more than a day at work!