I got back from Portland and Brussels on Saturday evening to find "le village en fête". There are all sorts of things going on, including the circus, a kiddies fair, a pétanque competition, music and fireworks.
The music went on until 2 am but no-one told the church bells - they started as usual at 7 am. I managed to get back to sleep but couldn't ignore the the 9 am bells. Over a bleary eyed breakfast I saw that the forecast was good for flying but very hot (34C or 93F). Late start, really hot - obviously a day to ride the shuttle to launch. I also took the opportunity to borrow a small Mentor 2 wing from the local school, Aerogliss.Up on launch, another surprise - loads of hang-gliders taking part in a comp. HGs and PGs use different launches at St Andre, so this wasn't a problem but it was nice to see so many darts in one place.
I tried to fly the Montagne de Coupe (a classic, though seldom flown, triangle) but didn't follow all of the route. The wind was from an unusual direction (SSE) and got stronger and stronger, making the return to St Andre problematic. In the end, I bailed and landed N of Digne. A lift back to Digne from a local, rehydration via a couple of beers and then back to St Andre by the tourist train. A very satisfying day…
The Mentor 2 was as well behaved as expected. Apart from launch (trickier - for me, anyway - because it's a 3 liner) and brake pressure (much harder than my wing), it seemed at least as good as my Factor (an older, higher rated, bigger wing). At the train station I found some scales and confirmed I'm inside the weight range of the small wing. But I didn't like the color…The fireworks are just starting - I wonder when I'll get to sleep tonight...
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