Park and Ride

It was back to the hill with a fresh NE forecast to ease as the day went on.  Nice to to see Tim J out bright and early joining myself and Phil L at a blustery Carbis bay.

Whilst the guys rigged their hangs i popped the Tandem together in readiness for Dave W who was on his way from Dartmouth for a Tandem flight bought as gift by his family, no pressure ……

With everything sorted I took the opportunity to have a flight (or two) on the Aska in cracking conditions, plenty of lift but not to rough making it playtime :)  Down on the dunes I could see Dredgie playing with his Little Cloud and having fun.

the moment of truth as we take off

Phil goons around low as we fly by

Happy Dave :)

Tim tested the air for the hangies soon followed by Phil and they both had a cracking time scooting off towards St Ives.  With the arrival of Big G and Mike B (S. Devon) also came Dave so it was time to get going. Dave was suitably nervous but a good briefing convinced him and we were soon off and away into a super sky.  Whilst the Paragliders played down on the dunes we had a a ball up top enjoying the view and Phil honing around us on his Sport 2.

THANKS :))

As the wind slowly eased a few para's ventured up to join us to add to the fun.  Slipping back in to land we arrived back in one piece to Daves relief to round off a lovely flight and one well worth the drive for.

Michel joins in with the Phil and Andy on the hangs

Phil kindly let me have a spin on his hangy, never turn down a flight on a Sport 2,  and before I knew it the day was passing by.  Andy R joined in on his hangy and as the wind eased further a few more Paragliders joined in.  Whilst derigging Phil spotted something unusual which saw me speeding off in the truck but all's well that ends well.

Spot the paraglider

found him :)

A nice day to be out making the most of life.

Quote of the day "well that was interesting"

Life goes on …...

PC

It was a tough one going to the field today after losing  superb friend yesterday, someone who was not only a legend locally in the flying community but also nationally and indeed internationally and not because of his flying skills but as a person, what more can you ask. Pete Coad (PC), whom many of you will have met and even been towed by in the field, he was the man that came up with One in Three jump and how correct he was will be hugely missed and not just by those close to him.

As the man would have said "collective negativity never gets you anywhere " so in respect both for Pete and to keep ourselves from sinking into self pity we decided to carry on and head to the field.

With a little more breeze than our last visit things were set good for Nigel A (Townsend not Germoe) to get his first flights in on the hangy and also for Dave B (praze) to move ahead on the Paraglider.

Nigel keen to get going

Nigel did a great job and was soon getting his first hops in with me in hot pursuit hanging onto the king post tether.  Fortunately he learnt quickly and I was able to remove it after a few tows making life easier.  By the end of the day he had popped in twelve flights and was releasing nicely along with good take offs, flights and landings. to say he was happy would be a massive understatement.

Nigel has a ball on his first day in the air

Dave on return from his first high flight

and a nice landing 

Not to be out done Dave B on his third day out put in some excellent flights building turns before heading to the top of the line to put in a total of nine flights including three to the top and a very big smile.

Happy Chappy

Duncan B was along to do a bit of a refresh and to pick up his new Ozone Buzz Power and after kindly letting me test fly it got to grips with it on the tow in readiness for both hill soaring and Paramotoring, what a great crossover wing.

Duncan plays with his new toy

A remarkably good day all things considered and thank you guys for behaving just when we needed you to.

PC on top of his game

Quote of the day "I've come to see the poor people work" well it was a few months ago :)

Well it got Windy on Wednesday

It was off to Carbis Bay where we hoped to get some hill conversions underway if the forecast was to be believed.  However it was not long after arriving and in fact just as Kaz inflated her wing that the wind picked up to be very top end of Paragliders.

Breaking out the ASKA I had a bit of fun before letting Kaz have a go but as the wind picked up alittle more the dampness arrived curtailing Kaz's fun.

Kaz pops up over carbis

then off to the dunes

We huddled for a while joined by Pete F, Colin N and Bev P all along for first hill flights along with Adie C, Bill N and Mike B in the hope that it may improve.  It did but only as far as it got less damp allowing Bill and myself a bit more Aska fun whilst the others watched in awe!

is that why it is called a split leg harness??

back together for a landing

Nice

An early day and home to do paperwork

 Quote of the day " ****************************" life can be so cruel sometimes.

Less on Tuesday

Well actually not less in numbers but certainly less in wind.  In fact pretty much from the start it was very light and just got lighter as the morning went on ending up as practically nil wind all afternoon.

Still undeterred we got Nigel A (Germoe) going on his day one Hang Gliding and despite the lack of wind he did a great job with the ground runs out pacing me by a long way and that's with the hangy as well!  meanwhile Joe M (Penzance) was on his taster day on a Paraglider and also worked hard with forward launches  to get the basics in.  Tom B (Padstow) back for his second day did well popping in some nice ground runs and declaring himself to be a Lindford Christy look alike, couldn't quite see it myself!

Waiting for the wind

Bev and Glyn also got set to go on paragliders, Mark on a hangy as did Keith W with his Paramotor.  An early lunch and it was change ends of the field to point inot what non existent wind there wasn't!

Still after a demo flight on the hangy we opted to send the Paragliders first in the hope that sme breeze wold fill in.  Tom had a fine time  and having decided to go all the way and learn made the most of his day two by cracking off release flights and got well into turns as well so making inroads into the EPC.

Tea's maid 

Joe on his taster day made it all look easy despite the zero wind  and was that impressive he rounded off with a nice release flight to complete a super day for him, another natural i think.

Glyn put in some more refresh flights and did really well as he got his landings well sorted despite some hot and fast approaches, excellent.  We decided to give the hangies a miss and to wait for better conditions as both Mark and Nigel can return on Thursday to play so why risk it.  Keith and Bev also gave it a miss in favour of waiting for a bit of breeze, again wise decision.

a very happy joe

So whilst not all we hoped for it was still a good one and a very good one for several add to that the laughs that were to be had and it was a fun day all round.  Off to the hill tomorrow with a bit of luck (and breeze).

Quote of the day "it's all that training for the Olympics"

More on Monday

Having planned to go to the field with only a couple things changed as the phone rang and suddenly we had a pleasantly "busy" day.

A 9.30 start saw everyone arrive (Bev with yet another man) and get  rigging in the bird seed field looking forward to the longer tows.  Mark L (Torquay/ Germany) was back on the hang Glider hoping to finish his EPC and start his CPC, Bev P (N.Devon) was on a Paraglider having finished her CPC tasks and building experience for the hill, Dave B came back  for more after last week for his second day on a Paraglider to move into more EPC tasks, Glyn P (N.Devon) who learnt with us back in 2007 was along for some refreshing on towing having only been hill flying since and Keith W (N.Devon) was along on his Paramotor for hopefully his final CPC flights.

Bev gets set as the lines return

Bev comes in as Dave and Glyn get sorted

The wind played ball nicely although instead of a NE we had a SE but there you go that's the advantage of towing:)  Bev got the ball rolling and was soon enjoying herself as she played with the wing, practised spot landings and generally kept us all amused.  Mark had a fine time on the hangy polishing off his EPC before moving into high flights and base bar conversions whilst putting in some super spot landings along with some not so super ones, it's all about airspeed.

Glyn gets some ground handling in

Mark on anice approach

and super finals

Proceedings were interrupted when Kaz caught a sheep whilst towing in the lines much to our amusement and her disgust, honestly it did look like that before she dragged it!

Every picture tells a story .......

...but possibly not the whole one !

Dave B did well and with his taster day experience settling in made good progress in to his EPC with release flights and gentle turns underway.  Glyn P did really well getting back to grips with the towing and was soon looking really sweet and even enjoying himself into the bargain.

Bev comes in after a nice one

Keith pops in the protein ready for his second flight

Keith W had a two super flights on his Paramotor in stunning conditions with his only complaint being how cold it was up top!  So completing his CPC and the end of a long journey to get there, well done Keith :)))

Tying on at the end of the day ...

With the wind filling in at the end of the day we actually got packed up before dark and had a very pleasant evening out with the guys in St Agnes Hotel where the food is excellent, worth a visit.

Some nice flying was also had at Carbis in the afternoon / evening but you can't do both, mores the pity.

Quote of the day "I can't touch it"  and then she did

Blow Out

Guess that is what happened over night as we returned to Carbis Bay to find it light , in fact very light.  despite our best efforts to encourage the wind to come in it never quite made it which was a shame as the sea thermals were around judging by the sea gulls.

 However Colin N came along and completed his hill briefing and hill exam so thats both him and pete ready to go next time it's good.

As the day went on and people came and went  I finally cracked taking off to chase some gulls circling in the corner.  A combination of very gentle ridge lift and thermic lift saw me climb but with the wind off to the east as soon as you pushed back towards the field it was sink all the way resulting in a walk from the beach.

Fergie also gave it a go and did a fine job soaring the corner before also visiting the sands below as did Ollie.  Frustrating but sociable, looks like the field tomorrow ;)

Quote of the day "I need my a*rse" kicking"

Rich and Bill slip it in the front and Fi' takes one over the back …...

Well what a fun day at Carbis again, kind of like yesterday but with everything compressed into a much shorter time scale.  Despite the forecast the wind held off for longer in fact until around 13.30 when the assembled at Carbis who had spent the last 5 hours chatting actually began to take a little more interest in flying.

The waiting begins

Tempting

In very light conditions Rich K proved it possible with a brief flight scratching the front before slipping it back in on the front. Not to make us think it was lucky he did it again this time joined by Bill N. Rich came in again in the same fashion and Bill followed suit after bait of time scraping the footpath.  Still not quite good enough to tempt me off.

matching patience

5 minutes later and with some seagulls circling i was away into much better lift and the air began to fill with gliders.  Again it was good to see a lot of this years ex students (and previous years) out making the most of it and doing well in conditions that demanded a certain level of skill.

Finally it kicks in

Nipping back in on top to meet Jocylin S ( Mevagissey) who was along for a tandem it was clear that whilst sharable tandem flying would not be ideal so we briefed up and waited a while.

It was not long before the tell tale wind signs appeared on the water and we were soon off and away to enjoy a great flight in classic conditions similar to yesterday.  Jocylin had a lovely time enjoying every minute of it an having a good chat whilst she did as well as waving to the rest of the family who had come to watch.  Again the same as yesterday we could see the signs of increasing wind so popped back in on top before it arrived for a nice landing.

Bill plays with a minim wing ??

In fact that was the end of flying  normal wings for the day as the wind filled to a fresh breeze.  Good to have Peter F out on the hill for his first visit and whilst he did not get in the air he did some useful ground handling and hill briefing ready for the next time, maybe tomorrow??

??

A fine day with lots out and lots to talk about if a little chilly as I forgot the flying suits.

Quote of the day "you lead I'll follow"

Thermals on at Carbis

The wind flicked about first thing but it was always due to come on at Carbis and by mid morning it started to do just that. The early birds had to wait a while and by the time we arrived at midday there had been some flying but not a lot.

Arriving at launch the wind had dropped and things were scratchy but it was not long before it filled in just nicely.  With John P on his way down from Bristol for a Tandem flight we kept fingers crossed that it would fill in enough!

It was good to see Ollie C and Todd E both down and having fun and nice to also see how their flying skills have progressed since learning with us earlier in the year. A couple of fun flights to test the air and by the time John P and his daughter Amanda arrived it was looking good.

Wasting no time as conditions came good we briefed John and were soon in the air joining the others, it was almost busy!  The air was improving all the time and it was not long before we climbed above the ridge lift in sme nice thermic lift to have a cracking flight. The visibility was stunning, so clear that you could see every detail on the dunes over at Gwithian.

Keeping a close eye on the sea we spotted some heavier wind lines so after a goof flight we came back in on top, perfect.  Excellent timing by John who had made a long trip for the flight, well done.

Fergie and Treeve joined in the fun adding another of this years brood to the mix alongside the usuals or Michel, Mike A, Lee K, Jerry, Fiona A, Andy R, Kaz and those already mentioned, a fun crowd with plenty of laughs, does no one work??

Then it was back to playtime in the thermals, everyone had a ball and the Mojo boys were right up there with Adie and Todd proving its not all about performance wings.  With the breeze steadily filling although the climbs got better seeing gains up to 1000'  the drift was pretty quick. Still good fun and I think we shall seek a few gliders over the back in the next few days ;)

Oh and apologies to Paul H if I nearly gave him a heart attack!

Quote of the day " tidying up would be an effect"

High Flights and Bottom Landings

After yesterdays fun it was great to get straight back into the field for another day.  We opted to go in to the "bird seed" field as the wind was forecast ENE and hopefully we could tow through the gate.

Colin in a fine stance

nice launch

"oh that feels so good" not sure who said it!

Sods law it went ESE but still gave a good tow for the guys and gal.  Whilst Colin honed his skills ready for the hill along with practicing a few tasks again Bev carried on through her CPC tasks  and did a great job of it. Popping in Speed bar, Big Ears and some cracking assymmetrics along the way. well done on finishing off the tasks just a bit of work on landings and we should be there.

Loi off and away

and back again and again and again .........

 Loi had a ball on the hangy cracking prone flights before moving onto slow flight appreciation and stalls to complete his CPC tasks as well as some superb spot landings, nice.

Bev sets off to the top for .....

 ...a nice big asymmetric tuck task

Peachy helped out with the tow lines and did an impression of Steve Mc Queen before being talked into going flying by Phil l who was making mischief.  It was great to see him back on the tow line and fun to watch him struggle with the different handling of the Elements!  No PRD display though.

The great Escape

The look of fear

The last tows of the day came good as the wind did what it should have and we lined up through the gate giving everyone a cracking flight to round off with.

 Quote of the day  "I never thought I would be doing this"

Calming influence

Wow finally the wind eases back and a good forecast for the tow field.  Nice to get back there and nice to see the guys and gals again on their courses raring to go.

The day started with Three newbies arriving for the morning brief, Chloe F (Falmouth), Dave B (Praze) and Tom B ( N Cornwall) all on Paragliders for the day.  Arriving in the field a little earlier than normal to makee the most of the shorter days we met up with Keith W (Barnstable), Lois D (Bristol), Bev P (N Devon) and Colin N (Newlyn East) all out to play.

Loi back in the A frame

perfect launch as it all comes flooding back

With the wind even lighter than forecast to start with whilst the taster days got going the others did some exams before getting their kit ready as the windsocks began to flutter.   Things got going with Bev P leading the way on a  Paraglider closely followed by Lois on a hangy who after a long break made an easy return to it.  Colin N got his first flights in on his new Ozone Mojo 4 / Woody Valley Haska combination and just loved it tuning in straight away and having some super flights.

Colin N on his new toy and loving it

just after lunch the newbies  came over to the tow line and got going.  Tom was first away and set a good standard for the others to follow.  Dave put in a good first flight but did help Chloe out by being the one in three :)  Chloe them made it look all far to easy as she flew a near perfect flight, it's a girl thing.  They all improved with each flight and by the end of their tows were looking really good  and just loving it.

Tom Bset to go on his first tow

Dave B looking good as he gets his first flights in

In between tows Keith took advantage of the steady breeze to pop in a nice flight on his Paramotor doing a fine take off and fight and even the landing was good although not quite perfect, he will get there.

Keth W inflates for reverse launch take off

Chloe looking thoughtful

which resulted in a perfect flight

Whilst they went off to do a bit more ground work the others came back on line with Bev moving nicely into her CPC and starting Speed bars whilst Lois cracked high flights and base bar conversions looking very relaxed and on the case with it.

Finally with the wind filling in we called it a day and what a good one it was with great progress all round.  Bill N's laugh could be heard all round the field  and Phil L kept busy with the camera so you can blame him for any compromising shots!  Sorry Bev he seemed to have missed you ......

Quote of the day "I even amazed myself!"