Yesterday a windy NE forcast, but nice clouds early on.  We made an early break for Barco (20km), hardly going above take off height along the route.  Lee and I made it and Juan and Howard a bit further back.  Down before the winds really picked up.   Some nice evening floating later towards sunset.  Today looks really good with

Today looks really good with potential to over 3000m and a flight towards Avila.

Light NW winds but not going much above 2600m and a bit north in the Avila Valley so Pass and back for Lee and I, though Nigel did a nice circuit going towards the NW.  Good evening conditions as well.

A very nice forecast with Rasp predicting a nice convergence from Avila to Segovia later in the afternoon; so that was the goal.  A few down before the Pass and unfortunately Howard just after ( a day of sightseeing for him in Avila).  Lee landed some 20km short of goal where I waited in the air for about an hour for Fredrick to catch up.  We then had a long glide to goal landing in the usual goal field right up against the city at sunset.   A PB in distance and time for Frederick and a max height PB for Ben.

Segovia Goal

Segovia goal

A light wind day, N low down and SW higher up.  Many of us bombed on the early flight, only Nigel struggling up and off to Barco and a bit back. On the 2nd flights, we had much better conditions with thermals upto 5ms.  Some off to Barco and Lee went the other way, over the Pass and within 5km of Avila.

Tomorrow more west, so it should be more simple.

Yesterday, Sunday, whilst I was retrieving in Madrid, some resaonable conditions were to be had for those left behind (Nigel Page and Phil Bibby).  Last week only Saturday was unflyable.  Today, Monday, a poor forecast as a cold front passing through the N of Spain has brought the winds up quite high.  However, rest of the week and beyond is looking good.  Today, we had an early morning flight before the winds picked up.

Yesterday and today, flights to Barco for some.  A light wind week, though with relatively low climbs yesterday and today and an easterly drift. Only Alister made Barco today, though many of the group managed it yesterday.  A change to NW tomorrow, so hopefully a better XC day.

Another nice day, blue thermals to around 3000m.  3 of us bombed in the sink after the Pass, but Nigel climbed on the other side, then made it easily to Avila, helped by the convergence at Munogalindo.  Great evening restitution with quite a few trying to get down after sunset.

A very light wind post cold frontal day with fantastic visibility and very nice thermals, but not much above 2300m.  Nigel D and I took off very early, expecting a down flight, but stayed up till we got hungry 2.5 hours later after floating around the valley.  On their second flights, Gwen flew to Barco, and Martin in the other direction to Villafranca.   Very nice evening conditons too.

John Youle DSC

I have taken quite a few snaps of the DSC members for wintertime scribbling of caricatures.  I don’t really have any time during the summer months, but I thought I saw a likeness in John as a turtle or tortoise, so tried this one of him.

Last night dinner at our house.  A Piella

4 day pre PWC and liga national which was cancelled).  However, although last week the weather was awful on Monday and Tuesday, for the rest of the week we had good conditions, though not up to the 3000m-4000m climbs and big XCs we had been getting regularly this summer.  Yesterday finished off with with a classic evening flight with decent thermals to 2800 to after 8.30pm.  Thanks to Steve Charlesworth for doing a lot of the organisation of the group beforehand.  See you all next year…and perhaps some of you for a special week at the end of September.

We now into September, these first two weeks being perhaps my favourite of the year as conditions are generally very reliable and good for +100km flights but without the tremendous strength often found in July.  These weeks through to the end of the month are more suitable for those less experienced in XCs and thermal flying as the anabatic winds are usually less, which gives us more chance of re-flights and generally less turbulence.