The Knob at Saijya

Yuri came down to Saijya for the first time in years. Doris, he and I (Malcolm ) were driving up for a day of thermals. I pointed out a spot about halfway up the drive," I have wanted to try to take off from here. No point in driving up when you can fly up."

" Well, pull over. Let's have a look. "

It was just a little knob, about 140 meters above ground level just beside the road. It was so small that you had to stop traffic to lay out your wing. And, if that isn't enough, trees on the left and right and front make a zig zag take off pattern necessary unless we want to start trimming trees.

"Who's first?" he asked.

"Rock paper scissor, " I chanted and won.

" So, who's first? winner or loser?" he snickered.

" Either way you win,... and you lose," as I turned to the van to unpack my wing. Doris snatched up a camera for posterity. I layed out, pulled up and

found both wing tips nudging tree branches. " This wing is brand new and not entirely mine yet. " I backed out.

Also, I was not familiar enough with the Aeros Style to pull out of something as 'sticky' as this.

Yuri untangled his lines, pulled up with one try and was dancing on the small deck like a mongoose between the obstacles that this site presented.

Doris was so impressed she forgot to trigger the camera until it was too late.

Yuri was off the hill and up...

and down. All we saw was the red of his Apco Allegra wobbling. All we heard was his shirtless body thrashing about in the jungle below.

Then the mass of gelatinous red stabilized and ascended. Doris grabbed this shot of Yuri draped in jungle vines as he snatched enough lift to glide out from the gorge.

He worked the bursting thermals for several minutes before heading out landing on the top of the 15 meter training hill. That's where we found him kiting his glider when we arrived.

I drove the van directly towards the hill as he took off and flew directly at us. He took the opportunity to do a running landing on my roof as I crept under him at a modest 15 kph. CRUNCH, SCRUNCH as the roof buckled under the weight of his feet. He glided off and landed behind us.

" Paybacks are a bitch, eh?"

" Well, at least I didn't DANCE on YOUR roof."

" Don't worry. There's always next time." I reassured him.

We kicked out the kinks and drove up so Doris could practice her rapid descent techniques.