F1rst timers

The Slug takes to the skies

A slot in the weather appeared and fortunately we were ready to take it and make the most of it so it was off to the tow field to play.

Peter F (Wadebridge) was along for a Tatser day with a view to taking up paragliding and was joined in the filed by Paul H who was out for his maiden flight on "the Slug" a sit under the bar version of a powered HG but by Paul himself and Treeve T who was keen to get a bit of ground handling in on his "new" Firebird F1rst Pg before taking it to the hills.

In very light winds Peter got his day underway and did a good job with the basics before getting in the hand tows ready for the winch.  Meanwhile Paul had set up and was ready to go, lest try a Bunny hop soon turned into a perfect take off, flight and landing with the smile on Pauls face saying it all.  So good to see his work and planning come together to realise another dream.  Whats more it looked right, pretty impressive for it's first time out.

Treeve gets his first flight on his F1rst

With the basics done for Peter and Treeve having  got his first taste of ground handling his new wing it was time to tow.  Kaz took the sticks and after a demo' flight by myself we got going.  Treeve popped in a couple of nice flights before heading off to pick up the kids with a big grin on his face.

Peter got his first towed flights underway and did a fine job improving with each one and finishing off the day with a nice release flight and silly look!  Shame not a few more out as you have to take it when it's here at this time of year.

How good was that Peter returns after his first flight

Quote of the day " that was so much better than I could ever have thought it would be"  guess he will be back then ;)

Sunny Monday

Keith gets set fro his first tow flight ......

What a gorgeous day and what's more we were out in the field in it having fun and enjoying the sun.

It was a quiet day indeed with only one student out but at this time of year and with the weather we have been having not to surprising.  Keith W (Barnstaple) was down for a day Paragliding with a view to tidying up his Paramotoring as well.  Keith had a full but relaxed day going through the basics before being introduced to the winch.

 

...... and returns in one piece

 With no rush he got things nicely sussed by the time Kaz arrived to drive the winch.  By the end of the day Keith had popped in four nice flights and got his first release under his belt looking very pleased with himself.

A good end to a good day

So with Keith set up nicely for his next visit all we need is some more of this kind of weather and the sky is the limit.

Looking very chuffed with himself

Quote of the day "is that Santa?"

Oh what fun we had

Classic St Agnes from Kaz's glider

Another cracking day at St Agnes where there was something for everyone throughout the day.  To start with it was ideal for the hangs with Kaz and myself making the most of it and being joined by Nigel W a bit later.  Paul also had some fun on his ASKA getting some airtime in before the "standard" Paragliders began to launch.

With a bit of everything in the air we had a fine time playing with the sea thermals topping out at a grand on the hangy.  As forecast the wind began to drop seeing more Paragliders launch and the hangies pop back in on top.  Kaz transferred to her Paraglider whilst I stayed on the hangy in lighter but still very nice conditions.

The Paragliders get going

The wind dropped further and even the Paragliders began to think twice but a demo on the hangy encouraged them back into the air which was ideal as the wind filled again nicely.  Rounding off the day with a nice flight on the Paraglider made it just about perfect ;)

Flying alongside Kaz on the Para's

Congratulations to Fiona A for her first flight at St Agnes (and her second) on her Paraglider and to Nigel W for his first flight on his hangy there.  Again good to hear that pilots were having good times at Perranporth and the Towans, anyone at Sennen ???

Quote of the day " A la Carte"  something to do with a HIV course ..........

Looks like Chapel tomorrow ..........

Afternoon Delight

For once the forecast was pretty much spot on,  in fact the wind was a bit lighter than forecast well at least for a short while.  With the wind dropping back as forecast early afternoon and smelling of smoke from a bonfire a trip to St Agnes was on the cards.

Arriving at 14.30 the wind had dropped more than expected so the ASKA stayed in the van and the Hangy got rigged in double quick time.  Paul H arrived with perfect timing to give me a hand launch and hoping to fly his ASKA but with the wind lighter he decided to give it a miss.

Pulling back to the front from the Beacon

The sun sets in the west

Plenty of lift around though and with regular sea thermals it was a fun flight going up and down and thermalling back to the Beacon before pulling forward for more.  An hour and a half saw nice climbs in 2 to 3 ups  and up to 1500'ATO lets hope its like that for the Frostbite  Comp'

....end of a lovely flight

 As the sun set it was time to land packing away just as it got dark, nice surprise flight, and the sea thermals should only get better ;)

Playing at Perran

Dave L gets a go (well a couple actually) on the ASKA One Seven

Well it was depending on what you were flying!  Despite the forecast for the wind to increase from a light breeze to a moderate one of the morning it did in fact go from practically zero to windy in a matter of minutes.  So whilst it meant that Treeve who was along hoping to do continue his hill conversion on the Paraglider did not get the wing out he did finish off his theory side passing both his CPC tow and hill exams in fine style, congratulations.

Back in the air, test flying a Sport 2 155 

With a fresh NW breeze I took the chance to test fly a Wills Wing Sport 2  which we had just repaired and had a ball mixing it with the ASKA's and other speed wings and mini wings that were out, conditions were just about as good as they get for them.

The wind then veered again slightly against the forecast and went up and down a little all day giving varying conditions but staying well flyable for all.  Nice to see a mixture of wings out and get to try the Ozone Firefly 16  alongside the ASKA. Two similar but different wings which will suit different pilots and abilities I feel so if you are in the market come and talk and try to see which one is for you. Also interesting to see the Mini Paraglider performing alongside the speed wings and again it provides another aspect depending on your requirements :)

the que for the ASKA

A small que formed for ASKA demo'ing with Dean f leading the way with some ground handling before Terry jumped on it and was soon up and away having a ball and dialling into it nearly as soon as his feet left the ground.  Dave L was next and after some tentative ground work he was up and away with his confidence building in every beat.  Dean got back in the harness having decided if they can he can and followed suit adding to the fun by seeing just how low he could get it before soaring back up again!  Finally Gary F popped into the harness and joined the fun making easy work of it as i flew around on the hangy with him.

with some good lift coming through there was plenty of height to be had at times

Everyone who flew it landed with a big grin and that's what it is all about, good to see it does just what we hoped it would which is to give confidence to less experienced pilots on it with it's ease of launching,flying and stability whilst being lively enough for the more experienced to have a ball and capable of staying up in the "lighter" conditions but having the speed to deal with the breezier ones, nice.

Guess who ..........

Gather a good time was had down on the Dunes at Hayle where there were a mixture of small wings and standard para's flying and at Sennen where the hangies were hanging out, good day all round ;))

Quote of the day "do you wanna see my helmet"  and at your age Bill .........

It's not all about the flying

A well used Pilot handbook got used a bit more!

The forecast was promising and after a spell of not so nice weather we decided to go for it in the tow field which after one day of dry windy weather had dried out nicely.

Just before we left for the field guess what, it began to rain! Change of plan and we did a couple of hours of theory in the office giving Graham A (Plymouth) a chance to catch his paperwork up with his flying.  Midday and the rain stopped so off we went joined by Angie I who after a 32 month layoff was back to continue her Paragliding dream.

Angie gets back in the harness after a long lay off

We wasted no time in the field and the guys got the wings out for some much needed ground handling. Whilst I helped Graham sweeten up his techniques in readiness for the hill Kaz got Angie back into the swing of things.  With a bit of sunshine we all soon warmed up whilst the wind flicked from here to there.

getting back into it Angie warms up

Just as we set the winch the rain returned so it was back to the van for a spot more theory which saw Angela pass her EPC exam with a clean sheet:)

Ok so no flying but still a useful day and good to see Angie and graham move ahead with their ground handling in just a few hours which will stand them in good stead for the future.

Quote of the day "How long?"

Hangie Heaven at Sennen

 Peachy comes up for a tandem fly

Well yet another cracking day at Sennen with the sea thermals once again doing their thing and everyone having a good time.

Arriving at 10.30 it was good to see 3 hangies already up including "little Al" who has been out of the loop for a while.  Whilst not overly breezy it was enough to soar comfortably whilst waiting for the thermals to hover us up.

With 3 tandems arriving we cracked on and after a short debate whether to Paraglide or Hang Glide we opted for the hangy as that is what they preferred.

Steve gets to soar over Sennen

Freya just loving it

James S (Falmouth) was first up and after a few unrepeatable expletives on launch he just loved it extolling the virtues of flying the whole flight. We had a fun time cruising the cliffs and playing in the lift before slipping it back in on top for a change of passenger.  Next up was Steve (London) who was down on holiday and timed it just right. A few stone less made all the difference and we had a ball in the lifty conditions.  The air was so clear that the Isles of Scilly looked like you could fly to them.  Another nice top landing and it was Freya's (Gorran) turn who despite a few nerves quickly settled in and enjoyed the whole experience even the more dynamic bits much to her surprise!  Once again such enthusiastic passengers and such a nice site.

Coming into land at the end of Freya's flight

James looking very happy after his flight

Even Patrick B turned up and popped in a nice flight on Al's wing so hopefully we shall see him back up there again soon.  Peachy played with the ASKA on the ground but there was not quite enough for him to be tempted for a first flight on it.

Whilst Kaz, Paul, Nigel, little Al, Tim and Michel all played on their hangies I broke out the Paraglider to see how it would fair. It did pretty good seeing me climb quickly to around 500' ago but in fairness it was more of a hangy day and I missed the ability to zip around so tried the ASKA next.  Yep enough wind but only just enough and whilst it was fun scratching around I now missed the lift!

So to round of the day Peachy joined me on the hangy for a fun flight in what were by now increasingly thermic conditions. We had a grand time and put the world to rights whilst we were up there.  So as the sun set Tim circled up under the cumulus making the most of what was another superb day.

Good to hear that the Paragliders had a good time on the Towans at Hayle with everyone having fun and helping each other out :}

Quote of the day "You can go first"  Freya is so polite ............

Whizzing along .........

The lines get back to launch

An easy day to get back into the field after a bit of a break and what a nice day it turned out to be.  Graham A alias Billy Whizz (Plymouth) was keen to get back into the air and whilst no one else was around to play we decided to give it a go.  With Kaz on the winch end, me at the start gate and Graham on the glider we had it covered.  In classic training conditions it was a relaxed day starting at 12.30 and working through to 16.30.

Nice inflation

Graham had a great time putting away a total of 16 tows to the top of the line and finishing off all of his CPC flying tasks including the "instability" ones.  The smile on his face grew with each flight and whats more his accuracy on the spot landing did too.

Ready for another one

A couple of very civilised tea breaks made it more like a picnic than work.  Nice day nice work and nice to see graham back in the air :) maybe more tomorrow.......

Quote of the day "I don't believe it Phippsy you said nothing!"  well it had to happen one day

Stunnig at Sennen

Kaz gets settled into her new Flex 2 harness

Whoever tells you that the UK is rubbish for flying is just so wrong!  What a super day it was and once again the forecasters hit it pretty much smack on the nail :)

Arriving around 10.30 it was good to see Nigel w and Paul h already up and playing in the Sea Thermals.  Whilst Kaz and Phil L rigged I popped together the Tandem and then my T2 C hoping to get some flying in before the tandem passengers arrived. Sorted I was up and away into a classic sky and soon 900 ATO and flying pretty much wherever I wanted, gorgeous.

With the passengers arriving it was time to land and get some work done.  Whilst Kaz and Phill got their first flights in their new Woody Valley Flex 2 harnesses (that's 3 this week) I got going on the Tandem.

Lawrence W (Penryn) was first up and having done a Taster Day with us back in the summer was keen to see where it could all lead to.  We had a super flight and Lawrence soaked it all up amazed at how much time we had and how slowly things seemed to happen once you have some height to play with.  He  had a go at flying the glider and did not do a bad job at all.  With the air filling with gliders (hangies) and our second customer arriving we slipped back in on top for a tip toe landing and big smiles.

Lawrence gives his flight the thumbs up

Next up was Carl A (Braunton) who had made a two and a half hour drive showing how keen he was. Conditions were still classic and we had a ball mixing it with the Sea gulls and birds of prey whist flying over what must be one of the most scenic sites in the UK. Carl just loved it and to say he was grinning from ear to ear after landing would be an understatement.  "that's got to be on of the top 5 things I have done in my life so far" kind of says it all.

Check out the video on you tube on the KernowHPA channel :)

Two up over Sennen

The UK at it's best

Good to take up  such enthusiastic guys and along with Gerry from yesterday it is what tandeming is all about.

A five hour round trip and worth every minute of it

The rest of the day was taken up with fun flying by all and both Kaz and Phil giving their new harnesses the thumbs up and making their landings look easy despite their initial concerns over new kit.  

Hangy Dave turned up and joined in the fun looking very confident going up and down as the lift came and went with the thermals.

Hangy Dave gets a few words of advice from Chief Coach Paul H

Wyn D got to play on the ASKA before as the day drew on the wind finally eased enough to let the Paragliders off and it was good to see Speaky's patience rewarded.

Nice also to meet up with Jason and Lisa who were down on holiday and have a chat about getting Jason back into Hang Gliding having got so close a few years back, watch this space ..........

Quote of the day "why does my hoodie keep strangling me?" you really had to be there ........

Monsters

                                     

Is that a Monster ?

On a lively forecast we headed to Perranporth to get some Tandem flying in and also to keep hangy Dave's hand in until his new wing arrives in December.

On arrival it was breezy with big clouds passing by but the sky looked nice and lifty with sea thermals abounding.  A few Paragliders had made the most of the early morning by flying down low on the dunes before the wind picked up.

Gerry gets his feet off the ground on the Tandem hangy

cranking up the Tandem

Geery M was along for a tandem on the Hangy and it was not long before the showers cleared and we got set to go.  In fresh conditions we had a fun flight with Gerry really getting into it the more we flew and the more we threw the glider around :)  Turns out, for those of you who know Perranporth, that Gerry was the creature of the "Monster" or the large green man half way along the beach, so it was doubly fun to fly over the top of it.  What's more it also turns out that the Monsters predecessor was built by Hangy Dave and his  friend John who were also on site, how bizarre.......

Anyway back to the flying, after a cracking flight and superb top landing Gerry went away well pleased and who knows we may well see him again I feel.

Gerry the giant builder

 Hangy Dave gets to try out his Flex 2

A few more showers passed through and then it was Dave's turn to try out his new Woody Valley Flex 2 harness for the first time.  In bouncy enough conditions Dave had a cracking flight popping up and down as the thermals came through and having to keep the glider in hand as the rough stuff went through, he loved it.  A super top landing rounded off a nice day and the flex got the thumbs up.

Stunning sky and aves up there somewhere

Nice evening at home with the Algo' 2012 reunion, good to see those that came again to share some piccies some videos some food some drink and some stories, thanks guys and gals.

Quote of the day " is that a hob nob stuck in your throat "

New Toys

Kaz's new Woody Valley Flex 2 fits a treat and whats more it's got "lady's' padding

New high quality Alinco's with a choice of single or twin band 

also accessories available including dry cell battery pack 

and they are waterproof!

Ozone Heavy Hoodies variety of colours ideal for the winter

Icaro Fly helmets in some very bright colours

 Must remember to let her down .....................

Putting practice into play

Kaz looking pretty chuffed with her new toy

After yesterdays lesson it was handy that today allowed the opportunity to try it out.  The site was Chapel and whilst not overly breezy and pretty overcast the gulls could be seen playing when we arrived.

Sporting her new hangy transporter (courtesy of Michel) Kaz wheeled her hangy to the front whilst I had to carry mine all the way. It worked a treat and I can see Michel is in for some Bread and Butter Pudding soon.

ready to

We had a fun time with the whole site to ourselves and it was good to see Kaz's flying change from straight forward ridge soaring into thermal hunting and her reap the rewards with some good height gains taking her well out of the ridge lift and pushing me hard to stay on top!

I get to test fly kaz's wing

A couple of nice flights and it was time to go and do some work, still can't complain.

Nice to meet Benet A and thanks for his help in launching and supplying coffee much appreciated.