This is where you're going to have the Venturi effect at the top of the ridge, and I would
say it would start about at the fence line, and you'll have accelerated wind all the way
over the top here, I would expect to have 10km/h extra on the wind, through to about
those bushes at the back there, it's as the wind comes over the crest of the hill, it's
like an aerofoil, it accelerates through this gap, and it starts expanding again at the
back (where the cars are) the wind has got a bit more space because the ridge drops down,
so the air is slowed down, but through this section here it is going to come whipping
through.
So you really don't want to have a glider up, standing, being here, just on the crest
on the top.
Looking at hazards, the road at the back is a big one, if I start getting dragged by the
glider, I know I've got to kill it just here at the bushes, before I've got any risk of
getting into the road.
What this means is I've got to avoid being lifted up and finding the wind is too strong,
because there is really not a lot of room there.
[Toplanding approach #1] The wind is quite strong, I'm going to come
in for a toplanding there, I don't want to go too far back because I'll be caught in
the Venturi, there's lots of lift in the front here which is going to make it difficult to
come in high, because the wind is strong, so my best approach is to come in low from
the other side, like really low, I've got to get down on those bushes.
So I'm going to come in from this side, I'm slightly below takeoff, I'm going across the
slope, allow the wind to push me back, get my legs down early, stay pointing slightly
into wind, keep my hands level, little bit of a touch, and keep the wing across on the
side like that so it doesn't pull me.
[toplanding approach #2] Let's put myself in a bit deeper this time,
on top of the ridge line, don't want to go too far back, just somewhere over here, I'm
staying out of the lift, going across, strong landing, brakes in.
Now that was hard because I'm just behind the crest and I'm in the sink there, so just
bear that in mind, if it was rocky that wouldn't have been a nice landing at all.
[toplanding approach #3] I'm going to do a toplanding over here, it's
a much easier area to land in, I've got a lot more space, it's obviously a better choice
(if I had the choice) to topland here, but again you don't want to go too far to the
back, you're going to get a Venturi there, the wind is going to accelerate just at the
point where the wind is about to fall down the back slope.
And I'm going to get turbulence from this front ridge, there's a front line here with
a little step.
So to topland here I just want to find a place where I am out of the lift, but not too far
back.
When I find that spot I come down onto quarter brakes and just park and let myself slowly
descend.
That's where I'm parking now, kind of hovering in this dead spot, let it drift me slightly
back, I've checked the wind speed, it's not too bad, so I can go a little bit deeper now,
there's a nice sink rate, so I'm just keeping my brakes on like 1/4 to 1/3, keep myself
pointing into wind, and now I'm shifting myself back just drifting myself back to the back
of the field, I going to shift across to the right but I'm keeping my glider pointed mainly
into wind, get my legs down nice and early, I'm pointing into wind and I'm coming across
the slope, and now I can pretty much choose my spot, I don't need lots of brakes, I can
just keep it nice and steady, avoid the temptation to put your hand in on the slope-side, it
often results in you getting an extra little turn at the end, just keep your hands level
and steady and wait for the slope to intersect your glide path.
[toplanding #4] So this is downwind, you really don't want
to approach your toplanding downwind, you want to come out to the side, like that, and
rather come in like a ridge soaring pass, I'm going around to the back of the launch,
unfortunately I'm getting lift now, I'm swinging around from the side, round to the back of
the landing area.
OK I've had to bring myself quite far back to avoid the lift, I've got about the same
1/3 brakes on again to just position myself and hold myself in the sink, there I'm starting
to get out of the lift, so I must be careful that I don't end up in the fence, I'll stop
well before it if there's a chance of that, about now you want to get your legs down just
in case of ... that, OK over the fence, slowing it down so I don't fly into the lift again.
Alright, touch-down!
[toplanding #5] It's all about setup, I'm making sure I'm
losing my altitude before I'm right in the launch zone, coming across, I'm on a nice
line now, my legs are down fairly early just in case I hit turbulence, and I'm on quite
a bit of brake, and just getting a nice steady angle across, you can just refine that, coming
closer to the front, get your touchdown point, and keep your wing upslope, then you can drop
it down and it won't pull you so much.
toplanding #6 right so setting up for toplanding again right
at the top, there's quite a lot of lift so I'm coming in fairly low, coming over the
crest, letting myself drift back while I'm still reasonably high then I can turn myself
into wind somewhere over here, still got an option to bail out over here, it's a bit lumpy,
I don't really like how lumpy it is, letting myself drift across
too low now so I'm going to fly forward now and get some lift
that's better I can come in with that drifting back
my legs are down already I'm waiting to land
I've actually got the back risers down now no need to force it
as I touch down, back risers pulled, run around the wing
to stop the wind grabbing it, and now I can run to that corner, run, run run, press down
on it.
disabled.
job done!