My first experience of the Juniors was in 1997 when Simon Adlard offered to take Ian Mac and me flying in the Juniors at Bidford in his huge Janus. What a top week! Martin Wells, directing, managed to get seven days out of nine in some fairly indifferent weather. My memories are that several of the days involved a rainy morning, setting off on a 100 to 150km task after four in the afternoon and landing before six. Nice one! Flying in a big competition like this was something new to me and I was wrapped up in start lines, tactics, turning points, final gliding, beat-ups. I recognised the Juniors as a “cool” part of gliding that I wanted to be part of, especially with the infectious enthusiasm and social scene. I decided straight away that I needed to be there in 1998 with my own glider and a willingness to learn. Thanks Simon.

Another year passed and I had just completed my Silver in time to fly the 1998 Juniors at Lasham, in the Imperial College owned Club Astir. I’d flown 296 all summer and loved it to bits. With few solo members at IC it was virtually “my” glider. Ian Mac crewed for me (thanks mate) with Nicola Claiden. I learned a great deal and felt special to be a part in something that only the previous year seemed like the equivalent of watching Formula One on TV. Now I was actually taking part. Briefly put, day one was my first ever field landing. Day two was my first blue cross-country, resulting in a field landing with three other gliders near Parham which was very sociable. The third day was a 300km. Despite my best efforts to press on, and being the last glider to land, I completed 260km and landed tired and chuffed. That was a significant milestone - increasing my longest solo cross-country in the UK by over 200km. As a contrast to this long flight, day four was a faff. The fifth and last day though, was a completed 240km. What an amazing feeling - a great way to end the week.

For 1999 and 2000 I was busy with British Airways training which I was very lucky to be selected for. I was able to continue gliding, helped by access to Richard Hinley and syndicate’s ASW-19 (thanks guys!) but unfortunately not as much as normal. Cross-country flying was parked for a while and the Juniors became a social event for the odd evening. This was helped by having the 2000 Juniors at Oxford GC with my BA training at the time at Oxford airport!

After settling into my job in 2001, I definitely wanted to fly the Juniors last year at Aston Down. I entered and booked the holiday then sat back and watched as foot and mouth spread, stopping cross-country flying and closing the Mynd. Some local Discus flights from Shobdon kept me sane but it was flying several days of the Lasham Regionals as P2 to Paul Stanley that got me moving in more ways than one. A week later I flew 320km to Leicester and back from Lasham in Imperial College’s Discus - my first 300km.

Soon after I was at the Mynd to collect our Discus 493 for the Juniors. I decided to fly it first, and as Neal Clements had set Tim’s I could be heard muttering “I’ll only try Tim’s if there’s no chance of landing out”. My parents were on their way to the Mynd so we could convoy to Aston Down with trailer and caravan that afternoon. Of course, with the cross-country ban finally lifted and an incurable case of enthusiasm, we all cruised off towards Shrewsbury and turned Shelton tower. Unfortunately we also landed out on the way back south, but in sociable groups - my field already containing Mike Whitton with Dominic arriving shortly after. This was very good value to practise a field landing just before the comp, and good practice for my crew too (thanks guys!). After another night in the Mynd bar, we convoyed to Aston Down...

Aston Down 2001

Now it is Monday. The first two days have been scrubbed. We’ve fettled the glider, found the best place for GPS and loggers and I’ve flown. A circuit and two local soaring flights have allowed me to have a look around, practise climbing with other gliders and fly two finishes. Down the airfield, past the caravan, climbing turn curving left, 180° right then curve on to finals, land by the caravan, have a cold drink. Nice one!

Monday is a task day and I’ve got butterflies. This is where I find out if we are going to embarrass ourselves or not (we being me). 328km and likely to be blue. Aston Down - Chipping Campden - Lyveden (near Corby) - Chieveley - Cirencester - Aston Down. Waiting to start it becomes apparent that I’m not going to get to max start height. I think about a comedy radio call “Yep... If I was in a K-8 right now I’d be just itching to set off on a 300” I keep quiet.

After this climb I have a really favourable run home with the last ten miles flown very fast. Beat-up, pull-up, land. I’m met by a mad man in a beeping white Volvo who’s kidnapped my Mum - must be Dad. You’d think they were pleased or something. Apparently I’m one of the first back but I keep mentioning that I was also one of the first to start. Inside I’m as pleased as a pleased bloke on a particularly pleasing day. I’ve never flown a comp myself where I am one of the first home and I get to watch the others finish. Two thirds of the field of 47 got round too. 17th for the day at 71km/h, the fastest Discus achieving 76km/h. An LS-8 did 78km/h. I’ve just flown a 300 in the blue. It seems I’m not going to embarrass myself this week. Not in a flying way anyway, not yet. All these positive thoughts are just pushed away though. I know I’ve had a fairly lucky day but the goalposts have just been shifted. Top half overall, ideally top 20 is my aim. Roll on day two.

Here we go again - Tuesday looks similar. Cumulus to start then becoming blue. 258km. Aston Down - Bath - Devizes - Chieveley - Calvert - Stow - Aston Down. This is basically an anticlockwise lap of Lyneham and Brize airspace. Waiting for the start line to open there are some good, strong climbs and nice cumulus streets towards Bath. I know that I would benefit from starting later and trying to use the other gliders more, but being in a good position at cloudbase with streets on track and the thought it will turn blue soon, I am one of the first to start.

The run to Bath is great - I don’t see much of anyone. There are good energy lines to weave along and occasional good climbs to top up in. I’m the first to turn Bath but it’s going blue. Aaaah! Still, most of yesterday was blue and I just flew exactly on track or made small detours to circling gliders or the downwind side of good thermal sources and it seemed to work fine. I slow down slightly until I’m confident it is working well in the blue, but some of the later starters are catching up - I’m marking their next climb each time. We turn Chieveley in a large group and head north towards Calvert rail junction near Bicester. It becomes evident that everyone is detouring west of track slightly to take a climb from Didcot. A Duo and I fly straight on track towards Calvert. The logic is that if I can climb well on track and Didcot isn’t producing anything special, this may pull back the time I have lost. If not, then at least I tried something different.

In the future I am always going to Didcot. A low session into Calvert with a couple of other gliders set the tone for the next half an hour, until improving conditions towards the last TP allow me to climb on to final glide. At 66km/h I’m 29th for the day. A quarter of the field land out, but the fastest Discus did over 80km/h. This is the day where I could have improved the most. A speed in the low 70s and a placing in the low 20s would have resulted from sticking with the other gliders towards Didcot. I’ve learned a lot though. I need to start later, change gears more readily and stick with the other gliders more, although not to the detriment of my own decision making (Didcot decision notwithstanding). I’ve never flown with water before but the time has come. This solution is partly psychological, partly technical - I’ll fly the next task with a barrel per side and see how we go.