Sociable day in the field

It was a very nice day indeed
Somebody looks pleased with life

What a lovely day it was with a good "crowd" in the field , some learning some just flying and some just there for the crack all very nice. On the training front Mike D came along for a Taster Day on a Paraglider and worked hard through the day ending up with 4 flights across the field getting better with each one, he must have been impressed as he's coming back tomorrow for more. Sam A ploughed on through his EPC completing his flying tasks and his exam to get his qualification. Dave L was back and had a great day moving to within a couple of flights of his EPC and also passing his exam, nice one guys. Pete L put in some interesting flights on his Paramotor whilst Bill N, Gunny, Kaz P, Dave B and Steve D all got some tow flights in. Martin J put in another couple of flights on his way to his tow endorsement making it a busy day. What's more it was SUNNY AGAIN.

We don't get fooled again

Despite turning up early to find the wind breezier than forecast we decided it was only an April Fool trick. After taking the Paramotor up it was apparent that not only was it breezy but it was very lifty up top. Still after a couple of hours doing some ground work the wind backed to the NE and dropped nicely. It was all go through the afternoon and into the early evening during which Mick D putting in 7 flights got to the within spitting distance of his EPC tasks with some excellent flying. Sam A back after his Taster Day had a stunner with 11 flights taking him from his first goes on the winch well into his EPC ending with 100' plus flights, releases and turns, good one. Steve M put in another 10 experience tows in preparation for his hill conversion and continues to neaten up his flying with each one and also got some experience of what thermals are. I managed to pop in 4 flights on the Paramotor possibly convincing Gunny that it is the way to go??? Bill N and Gunny dropped by on their way back from Carbis Bay where it was not flyable in the morning helped out, thanks guys. Sorry no piccies

A day of two halfs

Sam A starts to get the hanf of canopy control

Mick D ready for a forward launch

Mark F flies by on his Paramotor under a cracking (bouncy) sky

The morning was light and variable in the Tow field making it hard work for sam A (Tavistock) who was along for a Taster Day on a Paraglider. Still he did well and by lunchtime had cracked the forward launch nicely. Mick D also did well in the fickle conditions with some first class forward launches making it look easy. Mark F and Pete L went off on their Paramotors for a fly towards St Ives but returned early after Pete suffered a "snag" and to add more gloves, it was cold up there. They both flew again but commented on how bouncy conditions were becoming as the cumulus increased. Lorreta and Jim dropped by after lunch for some Tandems flights and we had a good time with spectacular views and big smiles, we may see the m again if they survive the Zip line they were off to try out on Monday. Sam also took the opportunity for a Tandem and we had a super fly around the field in broken thermal giving us plenty of airtime.

With the wind freshening I kept testing the air on the Paraglider but it was always more than challenging for Pete the winch man to keep me at a set height so we knocked towing on the winch on the head. So it was plenty of ground handling followed by some excellent hand towing for Sam who ended up with plenty of airtime at the end of his day. Must have done something right as he will be back to start a course later in the week .

Nearly but not Quite

The wind socks tell a story

With a nice NW breeze forecast we headed to Perranporth for some hill work and hopefully to get some of lads soaring. on arrival it was well off to the north and whilst it backed it quickly picked up. experienced pilots were OK and enjoyed plenty of soaring but it was challenging enough for those new to the hill so Ray D and Steve M got to grips with some ground work in bouncy conditions and picked up a huge amount of experience by watching the others. The pink Mars got another outing and was fun to fly in the sea thermals. A nice day out although we did hope for more from it.

Where was everybody??

Phil S first flight at Carbis Bay
Phil relaxed and flying high

Kaz flies while Chris M ground handles

With a fresh NNE breeze forecast due to drop off and back through the day we headed to Carbis Bay with Phil S who had got up early to hopefully finish his hill conversion on his Hang Glider. On site direction was good and a 22-24 breeze was providing plenty of lift. A quick demo flight and Phil was up and away for a cracking soaring flight of 20 minutes plus followed by a first class top landing. A second flight followed in quick succession and Phil put in a solid 40 minutes playing with the sea thermals which were now giving increased lift before top landing again in fine style.. Tim J arrived to keep him company on his hanger so Phil thought it rude not to fly again which he did adding another 30 minutes to his airtime and as a fully qualified hill pilot, nice one.

Chris M (Tavistock) came along to check us out, and us him, as he needs to finish off his CPC that he started in Spain. As the wind dropped back Chris got a go in the Paraglider showing off his ground handling skills which were pretty good, next stop soaring and top landing. Kaz sneaked in a flight on her paraglider as things got mellower and even I manged 4 flights on Phils Hanger and 2 on the Mojo all good fun.


Oh nearly forgot Chairman Mark and Jason B put in a showing with the MK1 Hang Glider but it was to light for it!!

"take my breath away"

It was a hard work day in the field where we kicked off at 10.00 with the wind already on the increase earlier than expected. Whilst Richard R (Newquay) got introduced to the Hang Glider at the start of his Taster Day Mick D (Falmouth) and Dave L (Camelford), who had returned following his Taster day to do a full course, played ground handling on the Paragliders. Mark F got his Paramotor out and set off an a stunning flight along the North Coast cruising at 4000' in what he reported to be silky smooth conditions. Pretty soon the winch was running and the paragliders got on early to beat the increasing wind. Both Mick and Dave did well putting in a couple of flights each moving them further into their EPC tasks. Anna C and Paul C (daughter and father) dropped by and had a Tandem tow flight each in conditions which saw us towing to the 600' mark, both landed with big smiles.
With it now a little breezy for the Paragliders Richard got going on the Hang Glider and wore me 9and others) out as I chased him across the field on the tethers. He did well and the more he relaxed the better he did ending up with a cracking flight and perfect landing. A busy day with plenty of fun and loads of sun who could ask for more.

High Flyers at Vault

The Tandem glider awaits....
Nicky was far less nervous than she looks

Flying high

Tristan after his flight looking happy

It was perfect conditions for tandem Hang Gliding at Vault Bay so that's what we did. Nicky and Tristan came down from Torquay and were rewarded with some super flying in celebration of Tristans 19th Birthday. Both did well not only putting up with my incessant chatter but also in taking control and flying the glider along the stunning cliffs. With no other gliders there we had the sky to ourselves, well apart from the seagulls and the falcons and the sea king helicopter. It was a cracking afternoon enjoyed by all, so good to be out.

Dual success's

Phil S takes off for his first soaring flight

Phil climbs out to enjoy a 30 minute flight

Happy pilot on landing

Rob ready to head back to Cheltenham after a job well done

With a bit more breeze forecast we headed to Vault Bay for some hill work with the Hang Gliders. Nick G was already there and had flown his Paraglider but things were now on the top end and picking up. Rob was down from Cheltenham for a tandem rating and it wasn't long before he was in the air as my passenger experiencing the delights of Vault Bay, having a close look at a peraguin falcon in the air and a not so close look at a seal in the sea. A couple of these flights and it was Robs turn at the controls with me as passenger trying not to interfere! He did a fine job and dealt with the wind shear on landing well putting the glider down right by the windsock target. By the end of the day he was sorted and even I began to feel relaxed as we took off on subsequent flights, would i fly with him, well i did.

Phil S dropped by and helped Rob and myself before coming up as passenger himself to get the feel of the site before having a go himself at his first ever hill flight. Conditions were breezy enough but he did a great job at take off and quickly climbed out to enjoy a 30 minute flight on his Rio during which his flying got smoother by the minute. Phil then put in a very acceptable landing on target to get his first soaring flight under his belt. Big smiles all round and nice cakes as well... Nice to see Ray D drop by to say hello with Nessie, he knows how to treat a lady.

More Sun more Fun

Phil S heads upwards as pete L gets his Paramotor ready to go

Steve M gets to fly his new kit and settles in quickly (nice colours)

It was another cracker in the tow field, the warmest this year by far. Conditions to start with were breezy enough and with the added "bonus" of thermals popping out the valley the Paragliders hung back whilst I flew the "Pink Mars". It was only took a couple of tows before I joined a flock of seagulls and couple of Buzzards heading skywards pretty much smack over the winch. 10 minutes latter the view from 1200'+ was stunning pulling back upwind there was plenty of lifty bis to play with before landing back in the field to asses conditions for the paragliders. Next it was up on Bill N's wing to check it out and things were fine so Steve M asked me to test out his new Mojo 2 / Vevet 2 combination which resulted in another nice thermalling flight around the field. Just as things were set to get going the sea breeze arrived forcing a change of ends. Still it gave excellent towing conditions for both Hangers and danglers. Steve M made the most of them getting to grips with his new wing being impressed by its nimble handling and glide which resulted in a few longer walks back than usual! Ray D popped in a couple of super tows to keep his hand in along with Bill and Kaz. Martin J added to his tally for his tow conversion and did a fine demonstration of a Barnes Wallace invention on one of his "landings". Phil S represented the hangers on his Rio doing well especially as conditions got lighter towards the end of the day. Pete L buzzed off on his Paramotor to find out just how bumpy it was inland and came back with stories of rustling canopies.... Another fine day long may they continue..

Spring is in the air

What a gorgeous day in the tow field even the baby sheep were bouncing around as Dave L (Launceston) and Mark W (Camborne) got to grips with Parachute landing falls on the crash mats at the start of their taster days on the Paragliders. Sam T (Liskeard) on a Hang Gliding Taster Days had near perfect conditions and made the most of them working steadily through the day finishing up with some of the best day one flights we have seen on the Condor training glider, nice one. Dave and Mark also worked hard and by late afternoon were flying nicely across the field up to 60' in the air before carrying out super landings with big smiles. Dave C (Newquay) came along for a Tandem flight on the Paraglider and enjoyed the stunning views. Mick D (Falmouth) continued into his EPC (Pg) and moved onto releasing the line and starting gentle turns. Luke H (Torquay) ) got on well putting in higher flights and steeper turns in readiness for his Paramotoring, another day should see him on high flights then it's time to get the power unit on his back. Emily from the Western Morning news spent the day with us taking photos for an article and also took a ride on the Tandem so watch out for her piccies in that paper.

Amongst all of this I didn't manage to get any photo's , sorry....

Brass Monkeys

Good selection of gliders made up the 16 competitors

Launch que at Perranporth

Wills Wing T2 racing past launch (such a clean sail)

Air ambulance watches over Tim J (can't think why)

The South Devon clubs annual Brass monkeys comp' was held at Perranporth and was almost a dead ringer for the Frostbite comp' a couple of weeks earlier, well at least for the Hang Gliders. It was a cracking day with plenty of ridge racing and fun to be had on the spot landings. Whilst the top of the range gliders took the honours on the ridge race the intermediates showed them how to do it on the spot landings. Overall result, who knows? Phil Sambles took some stunning photos some of which are above and more can be seen here http://picasaweb.google.com/psambles/BCC_14_03_09?authkey=Gv1sRgCIiduJe874yuNQ&feat=email# worth a look. There were a couple of interesting "landings" involving three pilots.......................

Off to Chapel

kaz carries to launch at Perranporth
Nick G gets set up to go at Chapel Porth

Paul tries out the "Pink" Mars at Chapel

Gay J straight and level on finals

Arriving at Perranporth it looked flyable so whilst Kaz got her paraglider out to join those already there i rigged up the Pink Mars (Hang Glider) to give it an airing ready for the training season. The wind filled and went off to the south a bit so after a brief flight Kaz slope landed I de rigged and we headed to Chapel Porth with several others where we found a visitor from the southern club already flying. the wind was still a little off but the lift was steady so the Paragliders got going whilst i re rigged the Mars and quickly joined them. It was a super day with several ex students (Bill N, Gay J, Kaz P and Steve D) flying the site for the first time along with some of the more experienced pilots and having some cracking flying. I thoroughly enjoyed the Hang Glider which to be honest is pretty much the easiest thing to fly as long as you let it do the flying! Look out for it more on the hills mixing it with the danglers, you really can't miss this one.

Hi Cliff

Well Cliff wasn't actually there but we took a day off and went to High Cliff which is a 750' cliff site in north Cornwall. Pete C Al J and Ady G made up the numbers and we had a super time cruising the coast at a grand above take off which was cloud base. Unfortunately the clouds were on the low side for an XC inland but Coady did make a valiant attempt up the coast towards Hartland point before decking it on the beach at Widmouth Bay. We were joined briefly by an Atos rigid wing which appeared from the North before disappearing to the south then reappearing and heading north again from whence it came, wonder who it was????? A super day for all, we really must do it more often.

Three floppys and a stiffy

That's what we had in the field although it's fair to say the stiffy turned up later. With the breeze a little fresher than forecast the morning and early afternoon were taken up with ground handling. Luke H (Torquay) and Mick D (Falmouth) followed up their taster day by putting the skills learnt to good use and despite the challenging conditions were soon doing well keeping the canopies up and under control. Wesley S (Portreath) was along for a Taster day and after the initial rolling around (plf practice) glider introduction etc joined the other two and got to grips with the ground work. After lunch Mick F (Hampshire) joined us and rigged a Hang Glider as the wind began to ease. Pretty soon Mick was getting his first taste of a 4th generation wing before rattling of some high flights and circuits giving him seven flights for the afternoon. Luke led the way on the Paragliders and put in five flights with the last two being release flights to end the day with a big smile. Mick having worked hard on the ground handling called it a day after three flights and looked pretty pleased with himself. Wesley had a cracking end to his Taster Day with three flights each one better than the one before to give him the feel of the spot. All in all a hard work day for everyone but well worth it.

Bit of each

We had a nice and relaxed day in the tow field where Mick F (Hampshire) was back after a couple of months break to continue his Hang Gliding training and had a cracking day with 12 flights ending in high flights and circuits to not only finish his EPC but getting started on his CPC, a 100% pass mark in his exam rounded off the day. Martin Johns (South Devon) came along to start his Tow conversion on the Paraglider and had a good day not only learning how to tow but also picking up some useful tips along the way. After a couple of low tows he was ready for a ride to the top and did really well coming back with a huge smile on his face before repeating the exercise. Steve Dredge put in a showing and kept his hand in on the line with several nice flights.

Dangling day

It was a fun day on the hill at Perranporth where Paul K (Plymouth) was undertaking his Tandem flying tasks. This mainly involved taking me up as passenger to practice take offs. landings and the bit in the middle. during the day we experienced light moderate and fresh enough breezes so giving a good range of experience. Several others were out and about making it nice and social, I even managed to squeeze in a bit of time with my Zaggy (yes it's back) so keep your helmets on even when not flying would be my recommendation! Looks like towing tomorrow

The need for Speed (and a bit of precision)

day two of the Frostbite comp' was very different from day one (yesterday) with a fresh WNW seeing the hangers take over. The damp start quickly cleared and with 15 gliders on site it wasn't long before pilots made the most of the "free flying" before the comp began. we managed to get up on the Tandem (Hang Glider) several times in near perfect conditions. Ridge racing was the name of the game and the sight of gliders racing along the dunes and cliffs at low level and high speed was one to see. The spot landing proved fun but the standard was remarkably high with Ady G (Kernow) being the top man scoring maximum points on his first attempt. Winchman Tim had a cracking day testing gliders until he found one he liked and putting in a good score for the team. Needless to say Kernow won because Coady was scoring which is always a good thing. Wills Wing gliders took all the top flex wing honours including Karl S on his U2 which put several topless's to shame. We rounded off with a beer in the pub where tales of daring do were told. Nice to see our friends from South Devon shame several others couldn't make it. Looking forward to the next time

All manner of things

When we arrived at Perran there was already plenty of Paragliders in the air. Whilst the Kernow HPA carried out there task brief we took the opportunity to get in the air with the Tandem Paraglider giving Simon S (Mount Hawke) a fun flight up and down the cliffs before slipping it back in. The day was then filled with bits of Paragliding as the wind went up and down as did some of the Paragliders and Hang Gliders. It was great fun to take the Wills Wing skyfloater (Hang Glider) up for a test flight after its winter service which proved to be more than a match for the Paragliders in every respect, it even managed a dead centre spot landing, more Hangy pilots should fly these things rather than defecting . Everyone had a great day with loads of flying going on, lets hope for more of the same tomorrow.

Getting a Buzz

Pete L comes in for a nice landing after a flight on his Paramotor

Adam walks to launch whilst Kaz heads off up the line

Kaz approaches between the flags on her way to the spot

It was a beautiful afternoon in the tow field where I managed to sneak in a super flight on the Paramotor along the cliffs up to and over Portreath then cut inland before heading back to the field where Pete L was ready to fly his unit. Adam W and Kaz P made use of the winch to enjoy the views and practice their spot landings in readiness for the Frostbite comp'. Even Tony P turned up late in the day but by then the temperature was dropping and things got chilly so we knocked it on the head.

Ups and Downs

We headed to the hill at Perranporth to get Paul K (Plymouth) going on his Tandem rating (paragliding) the wind proved fickle with flyable slots followed by less flyable ones resulting in one beach landing and one top landing separated by some soaring. Still we got through the basics and are now ready for Paul to take control.......wish me well.

Parachutes and secret Paraglider "Pilot"

Great minds at work
??????????????

It was a fun and informative day at Carnmmoggas (Nick's caravan site) where the KHPA repack was held. Bill Morris was down and did an excellent job on not only guiding pilots through repacking procedures but also making them much more informed about their systems, their capabilities and their pitfalls. About 15 pilots were there all of whom learned something I am sure. Thanks again to Nick and Paula for their hospitality, Bill Morris for doing a superb job and Mark W for organising, I believe next years event is already pencilled in.

On our way home we dropped by Perranporth to see what was on and found Chris H their getting plenty of exercise by putting in 7 flights non of which ended up on top but all of which gained him more experience whilst losing him a few pounds. A few others were there but the wind never quite filled in enough. Never wanting to waste time we took the opportunity to pop a passer by into a paraglider to show them what it was like, we are not allowed to name them as they are afraid of the abuse they may receive but then a pictures worth a thousand words......

Saturday came good

Graham A works the light lift
Gunny and Graham start to scratch

Bill N floats on by

Back on top graham looks happy at a job well done

With the winds forecast to be very light SE we acted on our instinct and headed to Vault Bay where Gunny and myself arrived just after midday soon joined by Bill n we had a super couple of hour's flying in perfect conditions. Graham A joined to hopefully complete his hill endorsement and ex student Lawrence O also arrived. With the breeze dropping Graham did an excellent job with a couple of technical soaring flights and landings to "pass out" with flying colours. The rest of us were kept entertained jumping of and scratching around but everyone managed to find somewhere to land so avoiding a long walk. A nice day and as always good to get out.

The evening saw the KHPA social at Nick and Paula's place which whilst numbers were low the company was good, the social was fun, the food superb and most importantly the A team won the skittles challenge. Big thanks to Nick and Paula and congratulations to Mark W for winning the Gurning competition whilst flying his indoor plane.

Hooray out for the day

Mick D looking happy at launch
Mick gets away

Luke H flying high

Luke waiting to get up there again

Finally the weather has improved so it was back out to the field where Mick D (Mabe) and Luke H (Torquay) were along for taster days with a view to taking up Paragliding and Paramotoring respectively. They both got along fine and by early afternoon were ready for their first flights on the winch. Luke went first and did a fine job and Mick folloewd suit. They both managed to get in some nice flights ending with stand up landings and large smiles. Whilst Mick played with some more ground handling Luke was introduced to the Paramotor unit and got first hand experience of it on his back, the power it can deliver and the effects of torque. By the end of the day they were both tired but happy and hoping to get back for more.

Nick F and Pete L both came along and flew their paramotors having fun and looking smooth. Thanks to Bill on the Bike always with a smiling face. Nice to be out again and long may it continue.

A day at the Bay

A slot in the weather saw us at Carbis Bay where it was light but flyable up till around midday after which it dropped off. Still we had some fun with Paul H, Gay J, Bill N, Kaz and myself all getting plenty of take offs, flying and landings in along with practising ground handling. Pete and Roo dropped by to take a look with a view to having a go, watch this space. Mike A and Michel K just missed the flyable bit but enjoyed a sunny afternoon chatting and playing with the wings. Roll on summer

Lots of fun, plenty of sun and even some flying.....

Rays shows them how to do it at Mirador

Lunch break at Mirador except for Gunny

So it wasn't all flying, fun in the pool

Busy day, a good time to catch up with some ground handling

From the 8th through to the 22nd of January we escaped the winter weather in Britain and headed to Lanzarote with a group of pilots for some warmth. It was a good trip with a super group and the laughs went on and on. The first week saw the best of the flying with plenty going on including a couple of days at the stunning Mirador cliffs where Graham A got his first top landings in and by the end of theweek had racked up several hours. Everyone got in the air including "old" Ray (83) who put several other pilots to shame (not in our group) with his take offs and landings. Bill N and Gunny kept us amused, Mark W kept warm, Kieth W kept fit, Michel kept smiling, Graham A kept at it, Ray kept dancing, Barry kept going, Kaz kept shopping and I kept driving. Heres a few piccies until the full report gets published.

Nice start to a New Year

Ok it wasn't brilliant sunshine but it was nice and pleasant out in the filed with a light northerly breeze which got a little fickle part way through the day but finished up an ideal one. Graham A was along putting in some Tows as a qualified CPC pilot alongside Steve D both of whom enjoyed the smooth air an practised their spot landings.
Paul H and Dave B cam along for Day one of their two day taster sessions and after a full morning of PLF's, canopy checks, ground handling and theory they were ready for some hand tows by just after lunch time. With a very light breeze it meant plenty of running but they soon got the hang of it and were ready for the winch. By then the family had turned up to watch which brought several wind changes none of which settled until finally we were pretty much back where we started! Still with a bit of breeze things got easier and they both put in some super flights across the field and even managed stand up landings looking like they almost knew what they were doing. Big smiles and we look forward to seeing them back soon.

Seasons Greetings and Apologies

Seasons Greetings to you all and apologies to Ray D who got totally missed of the Blog report for the 22nd. Ray had a good day not only sorting getting into his harness easily but also polishing off his Speed bar task so completing his CPC and qualifying, well done Ray, how could I have missed you...........

Relaxed day

It was a more relaxed day in the field with the winch back in full working order and both drums running. Despite the forecast sunshine not appearing it was pleasant enough in the field with similar conditions to yesterday. Jerry W plugged away at his Hang Gliding EPC and got within spitting distance of it but still found getting consistent results a challenge over his 12 flights. Steve M and Graham A both had a progressive day working their ways through the final stages of the CPC tasks before enjoying some "free" flying have completed them all in fine style. putting away 8 tows apiece before we opted for an early day so they could take their exams which they both passed so become qualified pilots on the tow, congratulations.

Hmmmmmmmm

It was a busy day on the tow field with all sorts going on. The day started with a winch problem resulting in only one line being available but due to Bills sterling service on the bike things still ran smoothly. Jeremy W was back on the line on the Hang Glider and was getting the hang of turns by the end of the day. Steve M and Graham A kept pace with each other as they progressed nicely into their CPC tasks ending up with the speed bar task so getting them nicely set up for the "instability" ones. Nick F finished off his paramotor restricted tasks with 3 great flights all ending in good stand up landings. Pete L joined him on his paramotor and had a good time. Kieth W was out for some towing for the first time after having his hip replaced and quickly got it sorted. Wanda S also dropped by but her first tow was not so good resulting in an early day.

End of my tether

Whilst most were complaining about the weather we had a good time out on the hill at Perranporth where we were tethering Hang Gliders. Jeremy W (Herofordshire) was back down and did a great job in the brisk conditions getting in loads of airtime giving him plenty of time to settle back in in readiness for towing tomorrow. Phil S came by to try out his new Woody Valley Flex harness for size and looked really cool as he "soared" as high as the ropes would let him whilst practising getting in and out of prone in readiness for his hill conversion when the wind is right. Kaz even gave it a go ad also looked nice and relaxed as she got the hang of it resulting in some super flights. Thanks to Al J for his work on the ropes giving a good day to all. Sorry no pictures but they would have been good!

The Hills are alive

It was good to see a "crowd" at Perranporth to enjoy what was a lovely couple of hours flying. By the time we arrived having done the morning chores ex students Bill n and Dean F had been up for over half an hour already. I quickly joined them along with four other ex students, Pete L, Wanda S Ray M (old Ray) Mark F to enjoy the lifty conditions. With a few other pilots around it was a very sociable morning. The wind filled in by lunchtime making it unflyable for most and seeing a couple of pilots land further away from the normal landing area than they wished! Still it was good to get out, enjoy the sunshine, socialise and make plans for our trip to lanzarote which still has a couple of places left if you want to come along.

Patience is a virtue

With reports from Carbis that it was still on the breezy for Paragliders we headed down after lunch hoping it would drop as forecast so Steve D could finish off his hill soaring tasks that he started on our trip to Spain. Sure enough it was breezy but after an hour or so it showed some signs of dropping so we got Steve to practice ground handling in conditions which he had not experienced before. He did well and after the initial excitement he was soon looking confident as he moved slowly but surely back across the field. Another hour and the sun started to get low in the sky, we set a 16.00hrs deadline which came and went and at 16.05 Steve went for it and was rewarded with a cracking flight under a brilliantly coloured sky. 15 minutes of soaring was followed by his first ever to landing before doing it all again and landing after the sun set.

It was a happy bunny that walked back to the car in the gloom. Watch out for him on the hill.....

Something to do before you are thirty

Sim gets a high above Perranporth beach

Roma comes down for a low pass over take off

Pleased to be down or what?

Twins Sim and Roma T had decided to try Tandem flights before they are thirty and today was the day leaving them a few to spare. Conditions at Perranporth were spot on with a fresh WNW breeze and plenty of sea thermals to play with. Sim was first up and we quickly climbed out in the strong lift to around the 500' mark. It was a cracking flight ending in a perfect landing and big smiles. Next was Roma who had to overcome her fear of heights as we walked towards the edge. A classic launch saw us climb nicely away and it wasn't long before Roma began to relax and grip my wrist less tightly! We had a super time putting in 360's, stalls and low level passes before again getting a tippy toe landing to round things off.
Both girls looked pleased with themselves and had a fun time and not only that we had a great time too.
Nice to meet Geoff (South Africa)on the hill flying a model who was very sociable so say hello if you meet him. Also good to see Ady turn up and waste no time in getting into the air which is where we left him as we headed home.

Time for Two

Mick looking relaxed at take off with hands open
Mick climbs away wings level and legs together

Steve gives a good inflation at the start of his first high flight

Steve on his way to the top

It was a damp day in the field despite a promising forecast. Still it did not dampen our spirits and by 11.00 we were hard at it. Mick F was back for his second day on the Hanger and had a cracking day moving onto release flights and gentle turns by the end of it with 16 tows to his credit. Guess what, he's going for the full course so watch his progress.
Steve m was back for more on the Paraglider having missed a day whilst away up country. he did really well working through the EPC flights before putting his first high flights and circuits giving him a total of 17 tows for the day. They both dropped by for a cuppa on the way home and Steve rounded off the day by taking and passing his EPC exam so becoming qualified and officially starting on his CPC. Gunny and Bill dropped by the field and helped out with the bike riding leaving Coady to socialize on the winch..quite a nice damp december day I guess.

Fun for One

With a forecast of rain moving in by evening we got off to an early start in the field where Mick F (Hampshire) was along for a go at Hang Gliding having checked us out yesterday. Mick did well with the ground work and was soon running across the field with the glider flying nicely above him. Next it was onto the winch following a short rain break and he took to it well. By early afternoon he was full, so giving us an early day, having put away 10 tows ending up with him flying smoothly at 40 ' and performing good landings. His appetite wetted he will be back for another day and then maybe a course, wait and see..

More Sun than you can shake a stick at..

It was a lovely day in the field where we arrived to find no wind at all so rather than get caught out we settled down to do a littl theory while we waited to see what it would do. By 11.00 it filled in from the South so we set up only to find it increased to top end very quickly. I gave it a go to test conditions and confirmed it was on the breezy side by performing the amazing tail gate shutting trick..... Another theory session took us to lunch time after which it began to drop again. A couple of test flights and we got going. Graham A (Torrington) built on his previous experience and was soon performing nice turns across the field followed by good into wind landings. By the end of the day he was putting in his first high flights and circuits and even landing near the spot to round of a cracking day for him with a total of thirteen tows, well not quite, he dropped by for a cuppa on his way home and polished of his EPC exam in fine style so qualifying and starting on his CPC, nice one.
Nick F got back on the Paramotor and did a first class take off, flight and landing and was ready for a second when the pull starter slipped its knot curtailing activities for the day.
Phil S was down for some flying on his Hang Glider and just got better and better with each Tow regaining his confidence after a bit of a break (not literally) in preparation for the hill.
Pete L buzzed around the field on his unit and proved it was still windy "up top". Adam W dropped by for a few tows and did a fine job in the buoyant evening air.
Mick F (Hampshire) came to see us and will hopefully start his Hang Gliding course whilst he is down here working to add to his Paragliding that he already does.

A bit of a stop start day again but even so a lot got done and learnt and most importantly we had FUN! Sorry no piccies forgot the camera again...