So much for an epic June...

Unseasonal weather and an unusually positioned jetstream put paid to any hope of a decent June and what is normally one of the best (most consistent light wind) months for flying in the UK was an almost complete washout. I had 8x days in North Wales and 3x free weekends out of 4 and managed 0 hours...

July hasn't been much better but I had a crack at the Foot Or Flybubble challenge, exploits detailed on the Flybubble site in the near future (if not already). www.flybubble.co.uk/news/section/855

I mentioned previously how comps had changed, the biggest changes are in the scoring and post flight analysis thanks to the advances in GPS technology.  When I was last competing the 'standard' was to set a goal at an optimistically achievable distance downwind.  For example, the Pandy bottom landing field from Merthyr.  Soon after, one or two turnpoints would creep in and my last 'proper' comp at Piedrahita in '96 had people racing off to the East end of the ridge and back (set in an attempt to spread out the pack) but this would result in pilots going round in circles, in close proximity, trying to take photos of ground features, often from not far above the ground.

Personally, I found this to be all too much, I wanted to learn from others and was learning nothing, sick of being slapped in the face by tips and trying not to snag a brake cascade with my boots I made a decision to quit on the way home.  So why am I going back for more..?

Well, for one thing, times have changed.  From the outside, the sport appears less 'gung-ho' at the upper levels now, there appears to be more restraint and tolerance.  I watch the videos of Philippe Broers on Vimeo and it looks like huge fun, plus the advent of GPS trace, together with Google Earth, allows the aspiring pilot to see exactly how the winners achieved their glory.  The opportunity to learn has never been greater.  Lastly, I want a break, I want to fly every day, in the company of equally able pilots, not be worried about retrieve, share some tales of 'there I was' and fly somewhere new in 'relative' safety.

For me a this comp is kind of like a guided holiday with an element of challenge, Fof2012 has proved I'm not x-alps material, my ankle is not quite as fubar as I thought but my fitness is nowhere near 'cos I've had 6 months of being comparatively sat on my backside. That and I like my creature comforts too much, there's always vol visa but why do that when you can just vol, vol, vol...?

Dos cerveza por favor!!!