Monday 22 October 2012

Thunder and lightning, very very frightening...


Apart from the torrential rain, which can fill up a glider and render it flightless. Apart from the lightning that could strike you down as you cower under a tree on the top of a mountain. Apart from getting soaking wet and suffering hypothermia, there's a very good reason not to fly in the vicinity of thunderstorms. It sucks.

Ask Ewa Wisnierska. In Manilla in 2007 Ewa survived an extreme occurrence of what all paraglider pilots know as 'cloud suck'. It's what we search for, it's what keeps us aloft, but too much of a good thing... a fellow competitor wasn't so lucky and ended up spat out of the same cloud complex stone dead.  I urge you to click on the link above and read the whole story, as exciting a tale of pluck and survival as you'll read anywhere.

Clouds are our friends. They show us what the air is doing, they guide us to thermals and they are fun to fly up to and around. But you'll excuse me if I politely decline a lift up the mountain this morning, as there's a ma-hoosive, , hyoo-mungous big bastard cumulonimbus, spitting sparks and death at me.

What's the story?

 Not all big, spectacular clouds are bad though and they don’t come much bigger or more spectacular than Australia’s Morning Glory. One day, folks. One day...

Meanwhile, back in the UK the battle for political, economic credibility and survival goes on... and on... and on. Nothing really changes, but don't worry; I'll be back in a few days to put my own malicious spin on any story that takes my fancy and you will once again be able to bask in the morning glory that it is the world according to Batsby.

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