You can never be certain about how good a flying day it is, especially in advance. On the day, the clues are in the sky.

In summer, this sort of sky is very promising indeed. The cumulus clouds mark the tops of thermals, and the flat bottoms indicate strong lift.

In winter, there is still sometimes lift about, although it is less reliable and much weaker. We keep flying all through the winter, despite the cold and damp, to keep current and to keep in touch with the Club and our friends.

We don't fly

• in rain, although we're happy to fly in between showers
• if the cloudbase is very low
• in strong winds or very gusty weather
• if there is thunder nearby