Creeping away from the cliffs lining the face of Panetone launch, I circle slow and wide. Looking for any tell tale of thermic activity, I continue moving cross wind and align myself with potential sources.
An intersection of flight path and releasing thermal.
The wing pitches back slightly and bites in.
Pause. The vario starts to beep.
The beeping continues. This one is large enough to turn in.
A carve is begun.
Opened and closed with each pass, the carve divides down the distance separating the core and myself.
The vario beeps grow in pitch and frequency.
Glance up.
The wisps of a cloud being born.
Salvation.
1300 meters.
Kelly and Olle are within an easy glide. I join up with them over the small ridge line east of Paderno. We spread out, trying to find an elusive climb that will enable us to continue to the second leg of the triangle.
Ten minutes later, the ridge line delivers, allowing Kelly and I to continue southward. Olle remains, trying to top up before joining us. It is during this part of the flight that I begin to take notice of the wings tendency to 'sniff'. One of the tips will pull back slightly and release, repeatedly. There is something in the air that is causing this reaction, though I have yet to identify how this relates to any nearby thermals. Likewise, I begin to work with the wing, rather than against - once the wing is in a carve, it will tend to pull towards stronger lift. Also, when the wing initially hits a core, it pulls back slightly, but quickly bites in. It is obvious it will take time to adjust to the style of flying the Delta 2 wants vs. my previous EN-B wings.
Gliding southward past Paderno, we pause over the same factory I landed beside the week previous. We are below 500 meters, the wind is picking up, and climbs are becoming disorganized. Every attempt to climb out is bound by yet another low inversion and becomes wasted trying to drive back into the wind.
I lose sight of Kelly while focusing intently on trying to work through the inversion. Patience (or lack there of) gets the better of me and I set down in the field. Packing up, I see Kelly low, yet making his way back to the hotel.
Post mortum of the flight reveals that this was one of the most challenging flights for Kelly's thermalling courses and would rank on par with a decent XC course route.
Oh and yes, Olle and I missed lunch...
Again.
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