Unlike Mark Piggott’s XCs where he can usually share some of the experience with an interestingly composed video on our club’s WhatsApp linked to You Tube, Donal and I cannot do that for our most scenic excursion yesterday heading SW & WSW across five counties (Tyrone, Monaghan, Cavan, Fermanagh, Cavan and Leitrim). In fact we have NO photographs WHATSOEVER! However the interactive track logs are available superimposed on one another on XContest and can be viewed using this this link

If you hit the red magnifying glass icon in the Air Buddies bar at the bottom of the screen you can see our track logs separately.

Yesterday’s flights were a team effort. Not only in attempting to stay together in the air (which we rarely achieve), but also with the careful choreography of cars, leaving only one on the hill and having another pre-placed in Cookstown to aid retrieve. (The aim being the first person back to Cookstown can then pick-up others wherever they’ve managed to get lifts back to; as getting back to take-off at Slieve Gallion is usually not easy or quick).

We took off at 12 and basically went with what appeared the first half decent thermal. All three of us were in it and that enabled us to stick with some weak lift until even that dissipated as we got over the back of the mountain and the ground starts to fall away. We all then explored zeros’s, sink and further weak lift as we gradually sank very low over Churchtown (Lissan Coal Company). Two of us were lucky enough to connect with a good climb and get back up but this time Maurice was the unfortunate one standing on the ground watching us climb out!! We’ve all been there. He then dutifully packed up, walked and hitched a lift to Cookstown – if you look at the map that’s not a direct or easy journey either. He drove as far as Fivemiletown without knowing where we were and then remembered that Donal uses XCtrac. A quick phone call to Erdi and he received a link to the ‘XContest Live’ platform that showed the location of all pilots using XCTrack in Northern Ireland in real time – Donal’s position was then displayed and so unbeknown to both Donal and myself, Maurice was able to follow Donal on the ground and be confident he wasn’t on a wild goose chase and quickly be on hand to retrieve us.

“XCTrack and XC Contest Live are two systems that work together, and both are part of the same XContest ecosystem: XCTrack is the Android app the pilot uses in the air, and XC Contest Live is the web page that shows the flight on a map. XCTrack is developed by the XContest team, and its livetracking runs on the XContest Live platform. 

The setup is very simple: install XCTrack, log in with an XContest account, and switch on livetracking in the app. Once that is done, the flight can be followed on the live page in a normal web browser, so retrieve drivers, friends and family can watch too and do not need to be logged in themselves.” 

Donal and I stayed together until Carrickroe south of Aughnacloy where I was getting low and lost sight of him. We only re-joined as I climbed out from very low save on a peninsula into Upper Lough Erne near Belturbet. Reaching cloudbase again over the Slieve Russel Hotel we then discussed where and which direction to go next. I initially headed towards Ballyconnell and the prominent cement works, but Donal said he wanted another 6km for the 100, so we then headed WSW on different tracks stitching together sunny spots towards what emerged as Ballinamore, though we didn’t know that until after we’d both landed in different places virtually with the same distance covered. Maurice was able to appear alongside Donal within minutes of his landing and was waiting for me as I walked out of my field onto the main road. A long journey back and Maurice patiently listened to what he’d missed!

A cracking day, super sky , always sun on the ground somewhere and plenty of dark clouds!

If you’ve never flown XC, the first time that you land away from the recognized bottom landing is it. The adventure is both the flight and the retrieve. You’ll always get back, you just don’t know how! Ask any of us who follow this pastime, we’ll gladly offer our advice and encouragement.

My personal memories of the day can be summarised:

The retrieve was fantastic, a very welcome surprise as I’d only remembered in the air that I’d forgotten to turn on my phone App tracker. Thank you very much Maurice, the debt WILL be repaid in kind I am sure.

Three low saves, the lowest only 110m above the ground. Never give up, whilst still retaining a safe landing area!

The forecast was both accurate and excellent for XC, i.e. A Yellow RASP day with cloudbase around 4000′

After Aughnacloy I was over new ground – not until I recognised Clones by its old railway roundhouse – the only one remaining in Ireland did I regain my ‘mental map’ of the scenery unfolding around me.

102 km straight line distance achieved, 110km on XContest (5 turn points), after many fantastic XC flights, this is my first 100km flight in NI.

Over 5 hours in the air. Heated gloves are brilliant. Glad I managed my fluid intake well before take-off.

Upper Lough Erne from the air in patchwork sunshine is stunningly beautiful. Everywhere else is just a privilege to see from the air.

Teamwork – XC flights are very rewarding, but rely on generous likeminded friends.

I hope someone else is inspired to take that brave step away from the hill.

Ian Cross