We arrived at Khao Sadao after 10 AM on Saturday, and the wind was already picking up. Hurry, hurry, hurry! Quite strong wind when I launched around 11. Easy to get up. For more than two hours I was cruising around. My guess about the conditions was this: Increasing wind and stronger thermals growing choppy because of the wind. Maybe some wide and large thermals out on the flatlands. My guess was very close to the truth.
Most of the paraglider pilots were waiting. Don’t know for what, because there was more and more wind, probably about ten meters a second in the wind compression in front of the launch. By and by I got hungry. Tried to topland consecutive times, but had to pull too much brakes to come down the last meters. As the wind was variable and strong I did not want to risk stalling. I had to use the main landing.
After eating there was the usual thing – parawaiting! In the evening the wind slowed down. Still it was quite strong, but more smooth. I had an easy launch, straight up very fast, even moving backwards till I stepped on the speed bar. Small thermals and very smooth. At what I thought was secure altitude I followed a hangglider pilot on a lazy, wide turn. Too wide for me… At about 150 meters above the tree tops I was caught in the downdraught of the rotor and had to look for an emergency landing. I chose a small field right behind Wat Khao Sadao and landed safely.
On Sunday too much wind and we drove home early. One hangglider pilot started and it was very turbulent close to the ridge. He went for the landing very fast probably because he had an uncomfortable training harness. I really wished I had a hangglider ready for launching. The Wills Wing dealer arrived in the morning, and I ordered a brand new Wills Wing Falcon 3. Sometimes hanggliding is better than paragliding. This was the day for hanggliding.
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