Lighter winds today and likely to come onto  Peña Negra. Less S in the wind and convergence along the Avila valley and beyond very likely.  A little cooler and not likely to get very good till around 2pm.

Typical conditions for flights to Segovia and beyond.

We must decide on an early start at lastra or waiting at PN.   My feelings are that Lastra would be best due to the HGs, but we can always come back to PN.

1pm

1500

X section to Segovia

winds at top of lift and xc section route

What Happened

Light winds and poor climbs until quite late at PN.  The hang glider task was to Arcones at 150km.  We tried but only Bob Ginger got over the Pass.  An epic cu filled sky from 40km, but we just could not reach it.

1pm

1500

x Section temp over time

We are still affected by the heat low formed some weeks back.  An upper level trough to our NE where the instability remains, though in our area we should not have problems with large Cu development.  The skew T shows blue thermals to over 3000m.

The problem once again are the relatively high winds from the SW.

What Happened.

Windy, so a day at the river and a very nice evening flight down to the Pass from PN (it came on and gave thermals to 2700 after 8pm).

Catherine landing at Cementery

The upper level trough we had over us yesterday has moved northwards which should give us a better day.  Winds around 20km/hr from the SW so we will go directly to Lastra quite early c10.30.

A more northern track should keep us clear of any larger build ups which will tend to be in the Avila Valley.

what happpened

Pretty  breezy at launch but most found courage to go in the end.  Nice conditions across to the plains towards Salamanca but with large congestus as often the case in the Avila Valley.  Although we were well north and possibly with a clear run to over 100km, Rob G and I landed due to a sudden burst of cowardice after being shaken about  in a few of the climbs.

the days tracks

Rob G after landing presenting me with half a sandwich

1pm

12

1500

section

x section to NE

1500

Airport for me today, but Tom may get some flying and it should be on PN for the afternoon.

1pm

1500

Not disimilar to yesterday so we will have the same issues with the take off.  Once again very high potential for a long XC, but those relatively high winds will make it a bit problematic at launch later on.

What Happened

Surprising light winds at Lastra, with hinds of N and W.  Good climbs to around 3000m.  I led and landed near home as the sky looked like it would get windy.  Peter and Marting both flew back to the Piedrahita Valley as well.  Dave headed north making good progress to past Peñaranda de Bracamonte with 72km.

Dave Green, Martin Pink and Peter Blue

Wind started getting up mid afternoon

Steve and Peter , taken by Silvio

Steve leaving Lastra

1pm

1500

XC sectio to NE

This is looking like an epic open distance day.  We will go to Lastra both to avoid the HGs and the backwinds.  Very high thermal tops to over 4000m

What Happened

Mmm, well we went to Lastra but it got out of hand (windy) quick.  We scuttled of to Candelario, where it also looked scary, so we had a lunch, bathed in the Tormes then did a late evening flight from Lastra getting home well after dark.  Looked like a 200km day, but for the brave only.

1pm

1500

Classic  conditions for convegence and big open xc beyond Avila.  Drier airmass, but still with Cu, though hopefully less build up than yesterday.

What Happened

An excellent day.  A climb to 3400m at the Pass then decision time.  Biggish congestus at Avila so Chris, Joaquin and I went quite N to avoid the Avila valley.  Alan carried along to Avila, then flew up north to intersect us.

Chris, who likes to make incremental distances did not want to get too close to 100km, so we wound down from 3000m to land at 62.4 for him.  Alan landed at 72km (besting his straight line distance by 1km), but with the turnpoint at Avila did near 90km.  Probably a 150km day if we had not have been such tired old men landing early.  Nice anyway.

Tracks below.

Green- Chris, Pink-Alan, Red-Tom

1500

XC section to Segovia

Light winds and likely wary on to be from the N.  This should  make launching at PN easier.  The section shows to Segovia, but some risk of large congestus.  An out and return towards Barco or the NE may be a better option.

What Happened

A nice day but with very powerful conditions by 2pm and some large Cu which put a stop on crossing to the Avila Valley.  An easy flight from the Pass back home with some such as Dave wandering a little wider.  Nice evening conditions from quite early.

1pm

1500 31ºC

X section to ENE to segovia with winds at 2400

X section to Segovia

Most of the upper level instability has moved more north .  According to the skew T we should have mainly blue thermal, though some build up in the convergence is likely.   Wind from SW will give us the classic convergence for flights towards Segovia.

What Happened

It did not come onto PN until around 3pm, and then a bit dust devily.  Good Cu and no overdevelopment.  I did a commercial XC tandem going to the Pass and back to el Soto getting around 3200m, but not fully to base.  Chris and Tom bombed just before the Pass, and Alan also after a nasty encounter with a dusty whist taking off,  Nice evening restitution.

1pm

1500

X section to NE

Relatively light SW winds so it should come onto PN reasonably early.  Forecast for storms is mainly for   more to our NE however, we should expect congestus build up from quite early.  this of course is going to restrict our flying today (and tomorrow).  We must stay out of the Ambles valley and try to to to the flatlands to the N, or more likely fly locally and land before conditions deteriorate.

What Happened

No storms but a threatening sky from 11.30am.  An hour of local thermic flying around 5pm and a glide down at the end of the day.