Acting CFI Arnaud and workshop engineer Michel greeted the audience with disturbingly stern looks during briefing. Michel's missive was aimed mainly at the French: apparently there had been a lack of cooperation between pilots wanting to launch yesterday, and Michel was kindly requesting that anyone loitering close to the runway should do something useful, such as help to retrieve aerotow ropes, push gliders, hold wingtips, etc. When Steve translated from the French, "Please don't shout at each other", I couldn't help grinning widely (as, indeed, neither could Michel).

Right - down to business. In hindsight, it would have been better had I flown yesterday, because today was hard work for little reward (as far as I was concerned anyway). A light northerly and dry, stable air offered testing thermals and little in the way of wave. The Gache quickly filled with gliders, being the haven of choice for those unable to get away by other means and dodging traffic became the number one priority.

It was only after three hours or so that I managed to break away from the local area, but even then I didn't go far, finding instead lumps of wave in unusual places (between Authon and the Jouere-Monges ridge, for example). My explorations continued to Chabre, the Jabron valley and a ridge run along the Lure to the summit station, but nothing spectacular ensued.