SAFA Skysailor Magazine

14 SKY SAILOR November | December 2020 with little chance of flying from the summit. We rested under a tree 50m beneath launch whilst waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. The saying ‘Fortune Favours the Brave’ was true this day – the wind dropped almost as soon as all the pilots arrived and we headed out to the high wind launch to complete our pre-flight checks. With the wind averaging 13kt and gusting 15kt at the weather station (which sits at the top of the hill) only the experienced pilots flying high performance wings were preparing to launch. Julian Belmonte was first to take off and test the air. Glider by glider, the gaggle started to grow in front of the hill, with the team reporting broken climbs and dynamic lift in abundance out front. Once the wind started easing a little more, the less experienced pilots began getting ready. Within an hour of arriving at the hill, 30 odd pilots were flying and gaining valu- able flight time and experience. The conditions remained constant and some racked up a further three hours of flying that Sunday afternoon until, at 1630, we pulled the pin and asked everyone to land at the official LZ. Smiling faces were plentiful in the LZ, and many a beer was sunk and jokes told. In total, some of the pilots had hiked up the hill four times (1600 vertical metres), flown up to five hours during the weekend, made first top landings, experienced outlanding from a mountain and met wonderful new flying buddies. Bring on the season! Lake St Clair Hike & Fly