MEMBERS of the Petersfield-based Sky Surfing Club have taken advantage of the warm, dry and sunny conditions, despite the odd brief thundery interlude.

The north-easterly wind has been too strong locally to enable paraglider and hang glider pilots to fly from sites in the Petersfield area.

However, Sky Surfing Club members Neville Almond and Neil Atkinson were able to take advantage of lighter conditions to complete a remarkable flight from Harting Down to Brighton and back.

The journey to Brighton wasn’t all plain soaring.

Atkinson said: “For me, the low point was at Steyning, the final gap before the Devil’s Dyke beauty spot. I had flown upwind to a cloud but didn’t find any thermals, so headed back towards the hill and a newly-formed cloud. Fortunately, I found an area of rising air at the edge of the town, close to potential landing-out fields – if I needed them.”

Almond said: “As we got closer to Brighton, we started to see paragliders flying westwards towards us – they had launched from Devil’s Dyke.

“Gradually the cloud base rose to a more usable 4,500ft.

“The return journey was much easier, with stronger thermals now going higher and clouds forming closer together, making the hops between the areas of lifting air much easier.

“We landed back at Harting Down just after 3pm. It was a most enjoyable 100km flight, spending four hours above the stunning Sussex countryside.

“After flying hang gliders now for more than 40 years I am still in awe of what we can achieve – it’s quite a privilege and wouldn’t be possible without the support of local landowners and farmers.”

Brian Parkins