Flight 34, Sept 21 2024, Falcon 2 195, 1st ridge soar, LMFP

WOO! It was only for under a minute, but WOO!
WOO! :)
I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this video a year or so later and laughing/wincing at my interpretation of events, so I'm going to be verbose below.
I left in everything from standing up after the hang check so I could review on-ramp activities, as this was only my second time launching with a wire crew--and the first time was an instructor demonstrating how it's done in a light crosswind (so it didn't get under a wing and unbalance me while on the ramp).
Launch looked solid, but it was mostly straight in, so nothing particularly tricky. I might want to keep the nose down a little bit more in the future in those winds--and especially in even stronger winds.
After getting clear of the mountain, I turned left, but I did that because that's what the other pilots had been doing. I need to inquire as to what determines turning left or right into lift. (I suspect with straight-in wind it's mostly preference and/or established pattern, but if the wind is at a different angle, one direction likely generates more lift than the other.)
Probably stayed a little too far from the ridge on the first pass down the ridge to the SW, but I was right at ridge height, it was my first time, and I'd heard stories about the wind shoving craft into turns towards the ridge that needed to be countered with maximum-input turns. A little margin of error felt called for.
When a clump of trees looked like they might prove to be a hazard, I turning back on ridge to go NE and did the important thing: Never turn towards the ridge; always turn away from the ridge.
My turn wasn't as aggressive as it could have been and I rolled out of it early, but--again--I've heard stories about getting into a turn and the wind pushing the turn further than intended (and pointing people at the ridge). I didn't sense that with these marginal ridge conditions, but I imagine stronger winds and especially strong gust fronts hitting at the wrong moment could put ice water in the veins.
When I passed by the ramp I was below ridge, so I turned out of the ridge lift and headed to the LZ to get more distance between me and the ground. A lot of more experienced pilots and pilots with more efficient gliders had similar luck, though a half dozen managed to get well above the ridge. I'm happy with having gotten any in such marginal conditions and with my inexperience.
The ride back was bumpy and buoyant from thermal activity. (This would have freaked me out earlier, but now I'm just going "this is the most active air I've been in but nothing I can't fly safely in and with good control.") I tried a couple times to turn into what might have been a thermal, hoping to circle on up, but that's still a skill beyond my abilities.
The air above the LZ was also quite active. I hit some sink as I turned on my base leg to final approach. Then a patch of lift. Then some strong sink that sent me at the ground fast. I tried a couple times to transition from control bar to downtubes for a foot landing, but then decided "the hell with that" and opted to roll it in on wheels. I didn't feel like I had enough control and experience to reliably pull off a foot landing without hurting myself, the glider, or both. I do regret that when I committed to landing on the wheels, I had switched from flying with my hands resting on the control bar to having my thumbs beneath it in a grip. On a rougher field, that's a good way to break a thumb. Thankfully, LMFP's field is really well-maintained and noob-friendly.
There's a TON of room for improvement, but overall I think I did ok for this being my first time--and I was able to pack up and go take another run off the ridge that same evening.
Also?
WOO! :)

[@NihadFly]

Great job Mike….Game is on!!!