Yearly cleanup at the CHOTO.

Every year, shortly after the beginning of the flying season, we go and cleanup the take off spots. Our club is fairly unique, in that it actually owns the main take-off spots we use, and we rent the landing field, thereby ensuring a safe, controlled environment we can suit to our needs. With ownership comes the duty of care, and every year we meet to cut the bush that inevitably tries to grow in the steep slopes of our playgound. So it is that on this Sunday morning, three dozen men and women meet to drive to the take off spots. This is the only time in the year where we use 4x4s to drive all the way to the end points of the paths, having the excuse of the tools and other accessories to cart there. We thus spend the morning clearing tall grass, raspberry and blackberry bushes, ferns and other mountain plants.
As lunchtime approaches, the job is finished, and we are all keen to go back to the cars to fetch our wings and try the newly cleaned take-off strips. We don't expect much in terms of flying performance, it's too early in the day for thermals to have built up steady streams on the slopes and the flight will be a short one. Nevertheless, it's more fun to arrive at the party table flying than in a car, ands our cooks have done well, as usual, to satisfy the workers.

Technical data: Flight duration 0:13, Take-off altitude: 1350m, Maximum altitude reached: 1350m, Total climb during flight: 118m, Max rate of climb: +1.6m/s, Max descent rate: -4m/s, Landing altitude: 640m.