I contacted Grigoris Thomakakis whom I met in 1996 when I went to Crete on a trip organised by Butterfly. Grigoris had started to advertise in Skywings magazine and I contacted him via his e-mail address. He replied back and also gave the address of his web site, ICNA, International Centre for Natural Activities. This site detailed other activities that were on offer as well as detailed information on the flying sites.
I began the task of phoning all my flying buddies to find out which of them wish to join me in a flying holiday. Whilst doing this I was also talking to the travel agents to book the flights and Grigoris because he had different pricing structures depending on how many pilots were going and how many non pilots were going to be present. It was a sort of "CATCH 22" affair as I didn't know how many people were coming with me so I couldn't reserve places on a plane, nor did I really know when we were going to go. Some people could make it on certain dates and others couldn't and vice versa. Eventually, after about 2 weeks of e-mails, phone calls and trips to the travel agent, I went ahead and booked flights for 9 people for the 3 June and returning on 10 June. This was a load off my mind as we now had a fixed date and if anyone pulled out they were financially committed to the holiday. I arranged flying medical insurance for us all, whilst Brian volunteered to sort out the foreign currency for anyone who wanted it. In the final analysis it is better to get your Drachmas when you get there.
3 weeks to go and we had a non-pilot pull out. The race was on to find a replacement so I could return some money to the cancelling person, I'm a nice guy like that. Eventually a last minute replacement was found, via Butterfly, and so it cost £40 to change the name on the plane ticket.
Brian came down from Birmingham and stayed the night then the three of us (Caroline, my wife went too) went to Gatwick together the next morning. We were the first to check in and so we waited around for the other to arrive. Steve and Ros showed up next with the replacement Chris. The six of us then went through to the departure lounge, as my wife was desperate to get to the bookshop in the duty free area. Brian and I then started the holiday as we meant to continue, and promptly stuffed two Macdonald's Big Breakfasts each. Steve had to wait for his as we grabbed the last four. The two Richard's then showed and eventually it was time to head for the plane. We met up with Ken on the tarmac as we walked! to the plane. He then proceeded to tell us about the 5-hour flight he had on Pandy on the previous Bank Holiday Monday. Steve and I were pissed off as we went towing but it was blown out. I still think Ken was pulling our unmentionables.
It suddenly dawned on us that we were about to board an A320. This was not good for those of us who knew about fly by wire aeroplanes and the fact that several of these aircraft have hit the dirt after the computer decided that it was the best thing to do at that particular moment. We got to Crete OK though, Brian was eager to point out that when the millennium rolls make sure you're not on an A320 just in case the computer falls over.
Out of the plane and onto the tarmac it was hot. A few tense moments at the baggage reclaim and we were all off to find Grigoris. I had an idea in my mind as to what he looked like as I had met him the year before. Just as well I didn't have to pick him out of an identity parade because he was nothing like I remember. Maybe I had got confused and I was last talking to someone I thought was Grigoris. Anyway he recognised me as Gary so maybe I did get the right guy last year. The huge paraglider rucksack on my back and the herd behind me may have given the game away but I give him credit for having a good memory.
Outside we signed for the roller-skates loosely disguised
as Fiat Pandas, (those of us that remembered our driving licenses anyway). We
drove for about 25 minutes and got to the hotel. Strangely enough it looked
just like the photos that were sent to me. A quick check-in and then time for
a swift drinkie before going out to get some grub. Back to the bar for desert
and then in bed by 2am.
Flying day 1
We went off to Avdou which is the main flying site (lat/long.N35.21901, E25.43190). They have a new take off there now. A much bigger one than the one we were using last year. They also have a nice landing field with a wind sock in it. Last years landing field was a crop field surrounded by Olive trees. Grigoris took off first to check the air out and radioed back that the thermals were nice and big. We could see that by the way he specked out pronto. I launched next. Last year at this site we spent most of the time several hundred feet about takeoff with the occasional 1000 footer. This year I launched straight into a thermal, which took me to 1500 feet ATO. This thermal was huge. There was no need to turn tight, as the whole sky seemed to be going up. I eventually lost that one because I wasn't drifting enough with it but soon picked up another which took me to 2500 feet ATO. By this time everyone was in the air and we were all going up each in our own thermal, or so it seemed.
We all meandered around the sky with no real purpose
to the flight. We seemed to take it in turns to be at the top of the stack.
We were all there at sometime or other, even Chris who had 17 hours air time
and had never actually turned in a thermal until that day. Every now and then
the thermals would switch off and down we would go. I dropped to within 200
feet of take off with Grigoris even lower. I was getting desperate. Last year
I scratched around for hours that low and was not bothered. It's amazing how
your sense of security changes one you have been very high and then having to
come down so low. Another thermal did co
me through and we were all back at 2000 feet ATO. It was in this
thermal that I had my first experience of a spiral climb. The canopy seemed
to be accelerated in a turning fashion and I was thrown out by the centrifugal
force of this. 180 degrees later I was in normal lift again only to re-enter
the spiral when I got round to the other side again.
We should all have buggered off cross-country at the first opportunity, but we didn't. There must be a reason for this but I haven't worked it out yet. Grigoris had briefed us on where to go should we get 2000 feet ATO but still we waited until he took the lead and showed us the way over the back. He radioed to us all to get a little close to him and he will lead the way. Five minutes later we were all crowding him out the sky. "I said get close but not to surround me" was the message over the radio. He is obviously spoilt with "big air" and doesn't have to mix it with the multitudes like we do in Southern England on the busy hills. None of us were worried about the proximity of the other gliders. The idea was for every one to get high and then all go off as a gaggle. It wasn't to happen though. We couldn't get every one at the same altitude together and it was looking like we would have to go XC in small groups. Then the mother all thermals came by to see what was happening. I have never been so close to such an active cloud. The majority of us were right underneath it, about 500 feet above the top of the mountain. The cloud was pulling air in from all directions, the edges of it were a swirling mass of black and grey. We were all still going up and I can remember thinking that I was not looking forward to my canopy getting tangled up with that turbulence. The down drafts were clearly visible and threatening We could clearly see the Lesthiki Plateau behind us and the mountains all around it, it looked very tranquil in the sunshine below us.
Then Grigoris made a break for it. He went straight for the mountain behind us closely followed by Richard on his XMX. I went next just as Richard was turning round to see if anyone else was committing themselves. He saw me and that inspired him to stay in front of a lowly XM, two in fact as Ken was following me on his XM. It was all sink to the big mountain and I wondered what the hell we doing when there was still lift under the cloud we had just left. I don't think that the cloud was going to drift downwind and carry us with it, as there were no clouds downwind of us. We all tucked in closely to the mountainside facing the plateau, hoping for some lift. There was bugger all lift but there was heap loads of turbulence. I was getting thrown around in my harness, as it is a large and there not much meat on me to fill it up. I followed Grigoris all the way round the rim of the plateau slowly loosing height. The occasional lifty bit happened by but nothing usable. We skimmed in over the slopes and landed in the field used by the local fling school at Agios Haralambos. Richard landed next and then Ken landed a minute or two later giving us all a fright as he made his downwind turn, base leg and finals all in one movement above a tree. It was a fast landing but he stayed on his feet. Jammy Git.
We radioed to the others to say we had landed ok and we will hitch hike back. We then spotted the other Richard (The Amazing Gonzales as he liked to be known) coming over the back of the mountain we had just flown over but with a minor flight plan change of minus 500 feet. This wasn't really enough. He landed ok on the valley between the mountain we left and the mountain we headed for. For some reason best known only to himself, he decided to land in a tree again, yes, he did it last year too. Those of us who did make it had packed up and got a message from him saying that he is having to remove the lines from his risers to get the canopy out of the tree. He would catch up with us later back at Avdou. We then saw that another huge cloud had formed over the departure mountain and that Steve was underneath it on his Xyon. We radioed him to say "come on down" and he did. He crossed the plateau right through the middle until his cloud dissipated. After a bit of a problem spotting where we were on the ground we eventually talked him down to the landing field. Why he then chose to land cross wind is anyone's guess. He fell over, so we laughed. We waited patiently while he packed his kit and then we set about getting a lift out of the plateau and back to Avdou.
The plan was to all get a lift. The chance's of us all getting a lift at the same time was remote considering the kit we were carrying. So, we decided it was best if Grigoris took the first ride and get back to civilisation to arrange transport for the rest of us. Grigoris stopped a car with a good-looking woman at the steering wheel and her Daughter in the back. He managed to convince her that he was worth giving a lift to, as far as she was going. The remaining four of us started to walk. But then a pick up truck came by and we commandeered it. We got a lift half way round the plateau where our driver was going no further. We started to walk. About 3 miles later and uphill, we got to a cafe type establishment by the old windmills. They were situated at the junction of a huge bowl in the mountainside and the gap in the valley which the road was on. It was blowing an absolute hooley at this point. We radioed to the others who hadn't left the takeoff area that we were going to have some refreshments and then walk up the mountain we were already on, take off and fly back to the cars at the original takeoff. A very grand scheme that didn't quite work out as planed.
We walked downhill for about 2 miles to a track at the side of the road on a hairpin bend. Followed that along for a while and then saw what we thought would be a good take off spot. Ken and Steve were fed up walking and so they went back to the road and radioed for a car to come and fetch them. Richard and I went on up the hill and found a spot to launch from. It was going to have to be a alpine job as it was late in the day and most of the activity was over. Richard launched and got stuck straight into a weak thermal but was at least maintaining height as he tracked around the mountain. He then committed himself to going for the gap between this mountain and the one that had the cars on it. I launched and cocked it up. I snagged a plant of some description and had to set up again. I rushed this and failed my second attempt. I got out my harness and did a proper job this time and launched successfully third time round. By this time all activity had ceased and it was 3 down all the way. I managed to just get into the old landing field 2 miles from where I launched. Meanwhile, Richard had managed to work his way back up the original mountain and got above the main take off. A combination of launching 15 minutes before me, having a superb canopy and being a very experienced pilot, or maybe he's just a Jammy Git. too.
I told Brian I was going to land in the old landing field
and he volunteered to come and fetch me. I had no idea where he was as I last
saw him flying with the rest of us shortly before the 5 of us went over the
back. I got all my kit packed up and started to walk along the track in the
direction of the main road. I managed to get him on the radio again and told
him I was now down by the big white church in Avdou itself. He said that there
was a tavern next to the church where there are 4 gliders. I went in and started
on the
beer.
A while later the church right next to me started to have it's bells rung, what a racket it obviously wasn't the Germans invading again so it must be a call to prayer or something. Well I wasn't going to be deafened whilst everyone else got away Scot-free, so I keyed my radio and transmitted it out for all the others benefit. The noise then stopped and I let go of the PTT button. Brian then immediately radioed back "I'll name that tune in six".
The others arrived in dribs and drabs and lots of beer was drunk. Grigoris treated us all to something called Pikilia or something like that. Basically its lots of small plates of various types of local food stuffs. We could have stayed there all evening but we felt obliged well I did anyway, to go back and collect the women folk. Whilst finishing off just one more beer Brian was telling us what a rotten end to his flight he had. Obviously something had disagreed with him, or at least his stomach, and he spent five minutes decorating the inside of his full face crash hat, as well as the Olive trees below, with the residues of his breakfast. He abstained from the fizzy beverage and Pikilia session and spent a quite night in whilst the rest of us went out for yet another nose bag. End of flying day 1.
Day 2
This was looking dodgy for flying at Avdou due to the wind and so we drove out to Agios Nikolaos (shortened to knickerlastic as the day went on) to find out if one of Grigoris's friends was going to come out to play. He didn't but we all had a free coffee or lemonade in the bar he was running, typical hospitality. We then headed round the coast road and then south to Lerapetra and then along the most southerly of all the roads to a place called Faflangos. We had some lunch here and then drove up a mountain road to Psari Forada (N35.01524, E025.51031). The take off was either next to a church on a hill or slightly higher up the hill away from the steep drop. The thermals were slight and there was no prevailing wind here at all. There was some concern that some canopies would not make the distance to the beach without any height gain along the way. We stopped on the road on the way up to check out landing options should we hit sink. Not everyone was happy about the landing sites that were pointed out. There were lots of power lines and small Olive trees.
Grigoris took off first and made some height gain in front of the church whilst I set up for launch. Eventually he moved off in the direction of the beach were we left the support crew working on their tans. The distance was 2.2 miles as the crow flies. I launched and moved over to the church. There was not much room for many gliders the circle there and so as soon as I lost the thermal I had I made a bee line for the beach. I only made about 150 feet anyway and so it was going to be a good test of the Alto's glide.
The trip to the beach was the smoothest flight I have ever had. I had a pretty much constant 2-3 down with the trimmers on fast. The GPS said I was tracking over the ground at 20 mph and the ASI said 25 mph. I radioed back to the others to tell them of the conditions and to let them know that I had only lost 1200 feet up to the point were there was a hill just in front of the beach. I passed over that at 1000 feet amsl. I didn't think that anyone would have any problems in making the distance. I radioed to Caroline to get the video out as I was going to try some wingovers out over the sea. I hadn't tried this yet with this wing so it was a good opportunity. The manoeuvrability of the Alto over the Samba was incredible. Whereas with the Samba I was weight shifting lots with deep control handle, with the Alto I was only using control handle to make the turns. The wing is so fast that it prefers to turn rather than just roll like the Samba did. I pushed my luck just far enough to get my body level with the wing tip and left it at that. I didn't want to spin it. I'll get some more time on it first.
I landed on the beach and got packed up and then, you guessed it, I had a beer. The others started to comedown one by one. Chris was next in the air and he got to the hill just behind the beach a little low but we thought he would make it. He then hit some sink and we told him he was not going to get here. He chose his landing point on a road and got down with no trouble at all. Richard and Steve came down next and it was obvious that the glide on these performance canopies is so much superior to the intermediate wings. Both gliders made the sea with 1000 foot to spare as well.
More beer all round while we waited for the cars to come down with those who didn't fly. We went back to the hotel the short route by heading north and skirting around the mountains of the Lasithi plateau. It's only 20 miles in a straight line but took and hour and a half to drive it.
Day 3
Hazy cloud was the order of the day but we went to Avdou for look see anyway. We got the takeoff and there was not a breath of air. The cloud was getting thicker and soon we could no longer see the sun. We decided to go to the mountains overlooking Agios "Knickerlastic". Since we were at the take off though four of us decided to top to bottom. This takeoff allows for an alpine launch much better than the other launch point that we used last year. It was a 2 down all the way, no lift, no sink. This time I got the new landing field. The others arrived and off we went to the other site.
The landing point was on the beach at Pahia Ammos (N35.10933, E25.81039). The take off was 2.5 miles away at 2800 feet amsl., but to get to it there was a long drive up winding mountain roads. We grounded our car quite a few times going up this track and for those who weren't driving, it was a frightening experience. We passed the village of Thripti and couldn't believe our eyes when we saw the size of the settlement up this mountain. They grow grapes up there as it is sheltered from the wind and the slopes face the south. The takeoff (N35.09598, E025.85267) was just to right of the peak Papoura at 1011m altitude. There were lots of plants and rocks around but this is a site that is still under development. Brian was the first launch alpine style just as small thermals pull the wind onto the hill. He got away at the third attempt, as there was a slight cross wind. He found no lift but made it to the beach with no problems. There were plenty of alternative landing points and so that was never an issue.
I set-up slightly higher up and so has a longer run at the launch.
I got away cleanly first go I'm pleased to say. It is very hot in a flying suit
in Crete in June and lots of poncing about setting up for takeoff is tiring.
This flight was also very smooth. I took a couple of pictures and got to the
sea, again with a 1000 feet to spare. More wingovers and then set up for a landing
right in front of a bunch of locals who were watching the show. I completely
sodded up my approach and landed next to Brian on the beach. I have still not
yet come to terms with the glide and speed of the Alto and find landing exactly
where I want to a challenge. There were also very high street lights around
the area I was hoping to land in, which put me off slightly.
Gonzales landed next about 300m away. Just as well, as he could see a bar from where he landed and so we walked up to it and sat and watched the others fly down whilst drinking, what else, beer. We all flew from the mountain except Grigoris. He volunteered to bring a car back down with the ladies driving the other two.
We got back to the hotel in the dark and walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
Day 4
This started with being awakened by what I thought was heavy rain at about 5 in the morning. I went back to sleep and was later awakened by what sounded like thunder. I got up and that's exactly what was happening. There then followed 8 hours of rain and thunderstorms. Whilst it was coming down in stair-rods we were being told that it doesn't rain in Crete in June. At about 10 am we had hail stones the size of marbles coming down. The swimming pool looked like it was boiling, as the splashes were so large. We resigned ourselves to not flying that day and so we went into Malia and had lunch at the place we went to last year. The resident waitress who last year had decided that I was "just a boy" had her hair black instead of blond and was taken aback when I pointed this out to her. Fortunately she didn't remember us for the rowdy bunch we were last year. The conversation took a turn for the worse whilst having lunch, with the two members of the medical profession in our party relating stories as to what they have seen stuck up various places in the patients they have attended to. I thought it was only canoeists that lowered the tone of conversation.
That night we went to Agios Knickerlastic again for food at a place Grigoris knows of. The food was fantastic. The location was off the tourist trail down a back street. More Pikilia for everyone. We were completely stuffed. We stopped off on the way home at Gigoris's friend's bar and got on the sauce again. We eventually got back to the hotel at about midnight. I went straight to bed.
Day 5
I was tired. The wind was blowing from the north west and Grigoris said that we should go to Hania right up the west end of the island. We couldn't face the car journey and so we talked him into going to Avdou. We set off and stopped at the top of the mountain pass where Richard flew last year on day 1. I wrote in last year's report that this site was not a very good one and that you had to be sure of your ability to get away with it. It's a pity I didn't read my own homepage before we went this year.
Some of us decided to fly from here and we got the kit out of
the cars. I was ready to fly first (something that Butterfly once said prompted
me to be quick) so I took up the take off area to launch first. There was a
good wind blowing when standing on the edge of the flat area. Further in towards
the road and the crash barrier there was no wind at all. I took a few steps
down the front of the hill and stood on a rocky outcrop so that my canopy could
be held near the edge to catch the wind. I reverse launched it and the canopy
came up quickly. What happened next is a bit of a blur. I remember; a) heading
for the ground, b) a large boulder rushing up to greet me and it was quite clear
that the canopy was not flying. I was gliding at an angle more akin to a free
fall canopy and so clearly the canopy was not flying. I landed with both feet
flat on the boulder and absorbed the impact with my legs. I remember thinking
PLF but there was nowhere to do such a landing, as the boulders were very large.
I then felt being pulled forwards and into another rock.
I came back to consciousness with my head in Grigoris's arms and with Brian doing the top to toe check as first aid dictates. I wanted to lift my head up, as the angle I was laying at was painful. Brian stopped me from sitting up as I was clearly still not with it and I needed blood flow to my brain to keep me conscious. I was asked if I knew who I was talking to and I said "yes" but I haven't a clue which country I'm in. Eventually my crash hat was taken off and I sat up right. I could hear Brian Muttering something like "How the F*** are we going to get him out of here, maybe he could walk" I said something along the lines of I'm not moving until I have checked all my legs are still in one piece. "I've done all that Brian said" "Oh, OK" I was sitting up and Brian was looking at my left knee having unzipped my flying suit. "This needs stitching" he said. He actually used the technical term for a stitch but I can't spell it. "Oh lets have a look" I said. I had a look and said, "you're right". Apparently my knee cap bone was on show to the world but the angle I was looking at I couldn't see it. I told Brian that he was to point out to the medical bods that my flying suit was completely unzipable and they were not to cut it off as they do in all the medical programs I have ever seen.
I had a bashed up face, which is what I used to try and break rocks with, and my eye was swelling up. I don't know how long it was but I eventually got up and walked back up to the cars with the assistance of two supporters. There was very little blood for such a rip in my knee, since that is what it was. My flying suit wasn't torn in the lining and so the impact split my skin apart.
Whilst walking back to cars I asked where the girls were as I couldn't remember if they were with us or not. Brian said that they were at the hotel and didn't come with us. I was concerned that if I was kept in hospital Caroline will freak out when the others go back to get her and tell her where I was. I got in the car and all the way down the mountain road I was gazing out the window trying to workout where the hell I was. I could see the sea, which was confusing me, as the site we were heading for is not by the sea. We soon got to the medical centre and I was put into a wheelchair and wheeled in to the reception.
Every now and then I'd ask Brian a question. "Where's
my glasses", "They've been found". "Who's packing my canopy",
"It's all been done." etc. etc. After what appeared to be 10 minutes
I was wheeled in to see the doctor. Good service this, shame it's not as quick
in England. Brian removed my flying suit and he took it away. My leg was then
stitched and bandaged and all cuts were dabbed with iodine. I looked worse when
I came out than when I went in. Whilst all this was happening I heard the doctor
say to the nurse something in Greek but with two words I understood, "parasomethingorother"
and "idiot", was he talking about me? There was some concern as to
whether my left thumb was broken. The doctor gave it a good squeezing and pulled
it about a bit. It was a tad painful. He wanted a second opinion and so I was
sent to see the orthopaedic doctor who also gave my swollen digit a good seeing
to. He announced it wasn't broken but the ligament holding it in place was weak.
I could have told him that as I have pulled it out its socket on several occasions
in the past. This is probably what happened this time too. In the end no X-rays
were taken. Not even of my head and chest 
I was all patched up and walked out of the building and found
the rest of the chaps waiting for me. Gonzales had been up to the shops and
bought me a bunch of grapes and bottle of Lucosade. I downed the drink pretty
quickly and within about 30 seconds my memory and overall general alertness
came rushing back. Wow what good stuff. I recommend it to anyone who has gone
and smashed themselves up.
We now had to go to the local pharmacy and get some antibiotics, painkillers and a tetanus jab which has to be taken back to the medical centre so that the doctor could inject me with it. I couldn't be bothered with returning to wait in the queue again so Brian got to use me as a pin cushion later in the afternoon.
We all trundled back to the hotel and every one was under orders not to show themselves until I had found Caroline to tell her myself what had happened. At least that way she was immediately assured that I still alive and just a walking casualty, albeit a limping one. I walked up the steps to the pool, which is where the girls were likely to be and Ros saw me first. Apparently the comment was "Oh my God what's happened to Gary." Caroline looked up and saw the bandage from just above my knee to half way down my shin. She thought I had a gash down the length if my leg. I told her what happened and then I was ordered to lie down on one of the pool side loungers in the shade of an umbrella. I told her that the service was pretty good and I got to see the doctor very quickly. Brian then informed me that the wait was nearer 2 hours. This came as a bit of a surprise and just went to prove that I was concussed for a number of hours after the incident.
I sat still for about 10 minutes and then I started to get bored. The others had gone up to the Lesthiki plateau to try and fly at Kaminaki, except Brian. I thought it would be a good idea to go and watch but permission was denied. The two nurses present were making sure that I was really OK before letting get jolted around in the cars on the lousy mountain roads. Later in the afternoon I went for a walk and once I got going my joints were fine. After stopping for any time though I stiffened up. The soles of my feet were hurting and I couldn't place my heel on the floor when walking. I had to put my toes down first. It looked strange the way I was walking but at least I was getting around.
That was effectively the end of my flying holiday although nobody flew much after that because of the lousy weather. All the others went down to the south coast to fly on the penultimate day except Brian, who joined me and the girls for a tour round so they too could have a look at the plateau. We stopped at the crash site and I had a good look. Brian walked down to where I eventually ended up. I could hardly believe how far I went. I was astonished how many potential obstacles there were just below the take off. Caroline was not impressed that I tried to fly here.
The flight home was brought forward 6 hours as well and so that
took care of the last day. We trundled off to the airport where Grigoris sorted
out where we check in as we were a bit early. He used to work at the airport
and knew lots of people there. We were first in line at the check in and he
had already arranged for a decent seat for me as I was having trouble with my
knee. Every one else was in adjoining seats. Grigoris seemed more upset than
we were due to the fact that we didn't quite have the holiday we were expecting.
We tried to explain that we can't control the weather and that it is part and
parcel of the sport. He felt guilty about my accident because we should have
gone to Hania. We persuaded him otherwise. I don't think he will be compromised
like that again. We did have a good time even so. The people were very welcoming,
the food was superb, and we had a genuinely honest, "pillar of the society"
type guide. I can't wait for the next trip. Crete has some excellent flying
sites and the potential for XC is fantastic, we were just damn unlucky with
the weather, as was most of the Mediterranean that week.
It is now 3 weeks since the accident. My stitches are out and I have a nice purple scar just below my knee. My thumb is sort of useable, I can feel lumps on the bone and it won't bend properly. I expect it will be several months before it is 100% again. My feet still hurt a bit when I walk after getting out of bed in the morning and all my bruises have disappeared. I have several scabby bit still here and there as the cuts were quite deep. I am now about 10 pounds overweight as I haven't done any exercising since. I normally play squash several time a week and do a lot of running. I have a long way to go to get back my former fitness. I am just thankful I didn't break any bones or permanently disable myself.
Lessons learnt as a result of this prang are numerous. 1. I am not indestructible and I do make mistakes. 2. The amount of alcohol consumed the night before will be limited with the 12 hour rule being very tightly adhered to. I wasn't far off the 12 hours but the extra hour may have made a difference. 3. I won't be the wind dummy anymore, at a site I haven't flown before. 4. I will think more about the "what ifs" before launching. 5. If the local pilot says that a 2 hour drive is in order for good flying, then go and drive.
Don't make the same mistakes I made. You may not be so lucky. You may just as easily get away with it and next time you may be more bold and the consequences may be considerable. This was my first accident in 3 years and 80 hours or so of flying in some very varied locations. It took this accident to tell me that I must treat every flight as having the same degree of danger irrespective of location and conditions. There is no room for complacency. I am confident that I will now be a better pilot.
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