You'd have to live in a very flat area to consider Enstone a
"hill top site": it's enormous and flat.

At 06:17 10 February 2018, wrote:
On Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 5:49:33 AM UTC, Mike
the Strike wrote:
On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 12:41:53 PM UTC-7,
Frank Whiteley wrote:
Hill top sites are not uncommon in the UK. Winds can
create what I
cal=
l 'curl' over such sites. My first glider was lost when a
partner got
caug=
ht in the downside of such curl on his downwind and
despite abbreviating
th=
e circuit failed to make the airfield and crashed in the
valley. This was
=
in East Anglia. I once took a winch launch and upon
turning final chased
t=
he ASI to the ground and a very abrupt stop 50 yards short
of the runway
in=
standing barley. This was at Enstone, another hill top site.
There is
ne=
arly a 400ft difference in elevation between the river
bottom west of
Exete=
r and the Dartmoor site, which would result in pretty
squirrelly
conditions=
.. Having learned soaring in the UK, I'm a bit surprised
about some
aspects=
of the event.
=20
Matt's videos are wonderful and I'd just watched
Chasing Diamonds a
few=
days prior to hearing of his accident. As I'd flown from
Lleweni Parc a
f=
ew times, including out over the Irish Sea, I really enjoyed
this video.
=20
Frank Whiteley
=20
"The Clutching Hand"!
=20
Mike


Read the account closely regarding airspeeds, attitudes and
known control
i=
nputs in the seconds after the cable break. I am surprised
about what is
no=
t included in this report.