Enterprise 2007 Day 3 – a trip to remember Jon Hart

After everyone else had departed on Monday for a "Day at the Races", I set off and promptly struggled to get going whilst dodging the rain. Went north and to Leyburn, then some cloud flying going north but at first a line of rain was blocking the route to Hexham, west of Newcastle. Whilst dithering and heading east I looked again and saw there was now a gap to the north. This involved flying round the edge of a huge cu-nim centred over Durham and then a long glide to Hexham talking to Newcastle ATC. Starting to regret the decision, I arrived very low over the town picking fields but headed to a hill on the north side facing into the westerly breeze in sunshine and it worked. Not helped by Newcastle enquiring about my wellbeing and whether I would be having to land!! Heading west quickly got very low again over Hexham racecourse and a field selected, just about to go in and spotted some seagulls, centred in on them and got away. Able to report to Newcastle at a more comfortable 3,000 ft and heading west to Carlisle. (Whilst on Newcastle's frequency, Justin Wills came on the air and later joined me above the seagulls although I never saw him.) Stopped for lift lined up with a valley but should have used it a bit more as I pressed on to the westerly ridge of the Pennines and met strong sink, wave I suspect, and realised that reaching the ridge was getting very marginal. But I could see sun and a few clouds off the edges and managed to reach a south facing valley edge that worked and got me round to the westerly facing part.

Time well past 5pm and ahead a lot of dark cloud that proved tempting and although lowish started to work under the downwind edge and it just got better. At cloud base I headed west into the clear air wondering if it was wave but it was a convergence running from Carlisle south west to the Lake District. So out to Carlisle racecourse (photo 1) and back to the lift (photo 2) then headed south east following lift coming off the western edge of the Pennines. Mostly in and out of cloud down to Appleby (photo 3) and then wondering what was the best way to get back over the hills particularly as the cloud base was not very high. I decided to follow the A66 to Scotch Corner as there are many flat fields either side most of the way. Heading east there was little lift and some cloud shadow but sun in the distance east of Barnard Castle. Then I realised I had a 20 kt tailwind which got me to the sun, very low and again picking fields of which one was close to a farmer's bonfire which I aimed for and it worked, gaining a 1,000 ft. Now 7pm very few clouds left but a big one over Darlington so called up Teesside ATC and OK to proceed. Asked if necessary could I land there, again OK. Cross Darlington again low, cloud didn't work, field selected then realised I could make Teesside. Called them again, told me to watch for a landing jet which I saw touching down as I joined crosswind calling "Number 2!" Landed on their main runway but able to taxi off on to a cross runway and wait for 5 security personnel in day-glo jackets to tow me to my parking slot next to the police helicopter and personal jet. I was made very welcome and given a cup of tea in the ATC control tower by a ppl who then introduced me to the guy who talked me down who flies a paraglider from Carlton Bank. He told me that he had diverted the landing jet to the south of the airfield to keep us apart!

My wife Kathy and Chris Stothard did not take long to arrive but getting the car and trailer on to the airfield was another story. Security on to all airfields these days is very strict but when Kathy was asked to open the bonnet (she felt that saying things like “I don’t do bonnets” would not go down well) and asking for half the contents of her handbag to be put into plastic bags, we decided to leave her at the gate. Chris had a photo id card which got him the necessary pass and was allowed to enter. Me and the glider on the inside were quite free and no-one checked inside the glider, perhaps they were put off seeing me empty the pee-bag!

In summary 270k, not a mega distance several others did more and Justin an amazing 625k, but using all forms of lift (excluding wave) several very low points, getting away in differing ways but all text book. Fabulous views, beautiful light, lovely terrain, flying down the full length of the western edge of the Pennines, a long glide right across the Pennines, with just one short thermal, straight into an international airfield and all legit. That epitomises Enterprise for me.

1 - Carlisle Race Course

2 - Re-joining the convergence over Carlisle

3 – Over the western edge of the Pennines near Appleby