Monday magic

It looked like another good day for hangies at Chapel so that is where we went and indeed it was.  Paul H, Gay J and Nigel W were already on site and rigging when we arrived and although the wind was a little on the light side it was forecast to increase and all the signs were there.

The Tandem takes off

Mandy b and her daughter Ellie were along for a tandem flights on the hangy and a soon as Paul had tested the air on his hangy we wasted no time in getting going.  Ellie was first up to show mum how to do it and we had a great flight playing in the lift, chasing the seagulls and discussing life in general before coming in for a tippy toe landing. Mandy was suitably impressed so was up for it and it was not long before we were up and away again, conditions were still as good and we had a fun time joined by Nigel W on his hangy who just seemed to go up for ever.  Another nice top landing saw two very happy girls having shared the experience, nice.

 Up and away and having fun

 Mandy and ellie after some cracking flying

Michel had now arrived on site with his "new" hangy and after a 16 month lay off due to a "minor" op he was ready to get back into the air solo on it.  A quick test fly of the Wills Wing Sport 2 135 confirmed all was well so after a briefing on its characteristics he was clipped in and ready to go.

In breezy enough conditions he made a good launch and was soon settled in and climbing away in the increasing lift.  he looked like he had not forgotten a lot and whilst he had the sky to himself he even looked like his head was moving!  With some dubious looking cloud moving in from St Ives and Michel at around 600 feet we thought it best to get him down.  A bit of speed flying and burning off height finally saw him set up a good approach and make a very acceptable landing.  What came next was an unstoppable torrent of words extolling the virtues of hang gliding and how much Michel is looking forward to mastering the sport:).

Michel and his amazing machine (s)

Phil L also turned up but with the weather on the change and the tide coming in decided to give it a miss but no worries his new wing will be here soon......

Quote of the day "that was amazing etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc"

Changeable at Chapel

With good low tides and the wind to the west we opted for Chapelporth to make the most of the beach.  Turning up just as the beach opened up and the wind came on Kaz tested the air on her paraglider before we got John S (Speaky(Helston)) up and away on his second soaring flight on a paraglider.  Speaky did well and as conditions continued to improve he quickly gained plenty of height. Keeping a weather eye out we could see an increase on the horizon so he popped back in on top with time to spare making a fine job of it.

Sure enough the wind began to pick up and by the time he was ready to go again it was more than top end so he held back.  good choice and even the other paragliders who had now arrived decided to give it a miss.

Out came the ASKA and I had a fun time playing while we waited to see what conditions would do.  The sight of Kaz and Phil heading off to get hangies confirmed it so I nipped back in to get the tandem hangy out.

Mandy B and Nigel p were both along for tandem paragliding flights but decided to give hang gliding a go and both were really pleased they did having stunning flights in classic conditions. Visibility was super and the sea was really clear giving good views of the seals swimming by.  Thanks to both of them for being such easy passengers and maybe come back and try the Paraglider on another day.

Wyn D took the opportunity of trying the ASKA out and after some ground handling to get the measure of it he was quickly up and away settling in easily and looking like he had done it all before.  despite being quite a bit heavier than me he had no trouble soaring and rounded off with a nice top landing all be it a foot too high!  Interesting to see a low airtime pilot on the ASKA and it just confirmed that it is not the reserve of highly experienced pilots only and can give airtime to all when conditions dictate, come and try it.

Kaz tried out the air for  the hangies and had a super flight on her Eagle and should have taken a quick flight on the ASKA to make it a full house for her.

Phill L was up and ready for it and was soon away on the hangy to keep his hand in as the arrival of his new Wils Wing Sport 2  is now imminent. Phil did a great job looking smooth and co ordinated and performing a superb top landing to a round of applause.

So another good day all round with pretty much something for everyone , nice..............

Quote of the day "it's small isn't it"

Working for a living

Don't ask

It was all go out in the tow field where with 4 hangies on and 3 Parag;liders all at different stages it kept us on our toes.

Whilst Tim and myself sorted the hangies Kaz took the paras  with the aim of getting towing going by mid day and as it turned out we managed it ahead of schedule.

Tom G gets set to go

James C and Tom G were back after their taster day a couple of weeks ago and were joined by John b also on his second day.  Henery G was along for Day one having been reccomended it by James and Tom so you can imagine there was a bit of banter and competition going on.................

Henrey gets his taster day flights underway

The hangies all worked hard and kept me running around until one by one they came off the tethers and I could "relax" a little.  Some did a little better than others but i reckon one more day should see them all click the secret of airspeed and roll control and then they will be up and away in no time,


Jackie D (N.Devon) was along for a Taster day on the paraglider and put in the ground work in the morning before joining in the towing and it all coming together in the afternoon. Jackie put in trhee nice fligts across the field and ended the day tired but happy.

Jackie D up and away on her first day whilst bill counts his fingers

......and looks pretty happy with herself

Simon C (Helston) was along to do a tow conversion and to get some instruction having been out of flying for a couple of years and had a good day seeing his ground handling improve under Kaz's watchful eye and getting his towing underway under mine.  By the end of the day he had completed half his tow conversion and was looking pretty relaxed, well at least compared to the start of the day.

Tim surveys his victims

Last but not least Treeve T (Hayle) made a welcome return to the field to carry on with his training on the Paraglider having completed his EPC last year.  treeve was sson back in the groove and popping in the high flights and moving well into his EPC tasks. great to have you back T.

Treeve gets back in the air as he starts his CPC

A full on day with plenty of running around but well worth it especially to see so many hangies getting on with it.

Quote of the day "show us your bits"

Fine Flying Friday

It was back to Perranporth for the afternoon where it started off a bit on the breezy side and a bit northy but it quickly moderated and came more on making it good for hangies and ASKA's.  Hangy Dave (Newquay) keen to build on his recent airtime was first off and had a super flight on the calypso before top landing very nicely and having to head off to work.

Alison gets set to go on her tandem flight

Kaz made the most of conditions on her hangy and popped in a couple of tidy landings before helping me with the tandem hangy.  Alison M was along for a flight on her second attempt and timed it nicely with super conditions making for a cracking flight.  She had a fun time enjoying the whole experience and having a good go at flying the glider as well.  Fun to fly with Michel on his ASKA which still looks amazingly small as it flies by even with Michel on it.

To round the evening off Michel came up on the Hanger to get his hand back in after a long lay off and did an excellent job flying me around the sky for 15 minutes showing he had not lost all he had learnt and instilling confidence to both of us for his return to hanging!

Quote of the day "look left, turn left"

Very Pleasant

 Just the two of us

After a hard day in the office the weather looked like it was on the clear late afternoon so we decided to pop out to Chapel for a look.  On arrival it was low cloud and rain so we cooked up a coffee ate munchies and chilled.  30 minutes later brightness began to appear and e made our way to the front to find super sunshine and light winds.

Lovely

With the wind a little way off to the right Perran was an option but we decided to stay put and have the site to ourselves.  What a lovely evening it turned out to be with gentle lift and gentle cloud suck passing through as some low stuff formed and dissipated..  After an hour or so the wind began to fill in and we had had our fill so called it a day. very nice :) Hope the guys at Perran had a good time too.

end of a perfect evening flight

Plenty at Perran

Well plenty of lift that is and not many pilots so making our life easy and that of the students :)

With an update from Bill mid morning that it was 26 -28 on launch we waited until mid day before heading out arriving just as it mellowed a little allowing Bill and Michel to get some fun time in on the ASKA's whilst i got the Tandem ready.

Richard G (Oakhampton) was first up on the tandem and despite being a little nervous of heights had no problem once we were up and away.  In super soaring conditions we cruised the cliffs and had a good chat about flying and life in general. Richard was amazed at how easy the glider is to control and how much smoother it was once in the air, I think "fascinated" sums it up.  Back on top after a nice landing we had a good debrief chat before getting set for my next challenge.

Sam J gets set to take me up

Sam J (N. Devon) was next to carry on with his tandem rating and after a couple of flights on his own wing to get used to the site we were clipped in and ready to go with Sam as pilot.  We put in a couple of nice flights with the take offs nice and tidy, the flying smooth and the landings .......

Taking a break i popped in some ASKAing in what were now breezy conditions again and made an unceremonious arrival back on top right in front of Sam and Simon who had just turned up for a Tandem flight, not the best impression!

 Sam looked relieved when I explained it was  the hang glider we were to go Tandem up on and not the ASKA. She had been given the flight as a birthday gift from her partner Simon who has a habit of getting her unusual gifts (Trapeze lessons !). Sam had a great time and like Richard was amazed at the whole experience just soaking up the views and the feeling of flying like a bird.  I think Simon enjoyed it nearly as much seeing Sams face when we landed back on top. An ideal start to a weeks holiday in Cornwall.

Hangy Dave does a super take off

 

Of and away and into prone

Conditions having moderated nicely gave hangy Dave (Newquay) the chance to pop in a couple of flights on the Calypso to keep his hand in for when his new Wills Wing Sport 2 arrives and he did a good job on both flights with his first top landing at Perran going remarkably well.

Max Wall impression as dave comes into land

Kaz also nipped up on her hangy and showed us how much lift there was around as she floated about up top.

By the time Sam J and myself clipped in again for a bit more tandem flying the wind picked up quickly and Sam made the wise decision to hold back showing the right attitude for tandeming and wait for a better day to complete his rating, maybe Friday.

Busy few hours and a mixture of conditions keeping us on our toes.

Quote of the day "just brilliant"

3 2 2

That was the ratio of female students to male in the field today making a " pleasant" change to the norm, not that we mind have guys around!!

Jo and Sarah (Exeter) were back after a long lay off to move on with their EPC Paragliding whilst Sam T (Falmouth) came along for a Taster day on the Hanger, her boyfriend martin had tried a taster day Pg a couple of years ago so she thought she would try something different.

Along side them John S (Helston) was out to finish off his CPC tasks and Doug R (Bristol) was down to do a Tow conversion on his Paraglider so we had enough to keep us occupied.

Whilst Kaz and myself got the paragliders sorted and Jo and Sarah back into the swing of it Tim J put Sam  through the ground work on the Hanger.  Mid day saw everyone pretty much ready and in nice if slightly thermic conditions we got the winch up and running.

Doug got things moving with his first towed flight and was soon into it popping in the circuits whilst having some fun thermalling on about a third of them showing what can be done with a bit of experience, i got quite jealous......

Speaky (John) had a good time completing his CPC with Speed bar, Assymmetrics and Big ears to gain his qualification, well done.  The Paraglider girls excelled themselves by getting into the groove and put in some super tow flights building up the height and turns before finishing the day on a flight to the top each so completing their EPC task, again well done.  Hopefully they can find a way to carry on to CPC as we will miss them in the field especially their singing along with kaz to the Eagles, very apt.

Sam on the Hangy made it all look far to easy as she floated across the field with her first four flights being as good as they get.  Her last two saw her having to put a few more corrections in but she did a great job and you could see she had grasped the basics of flying a hanger pretty good for day one.  Hopefully she will be back as well and maybe her partner martin will join in having now been tempted to the stiffy from the floppy.

Nice to see guys out having fun at Godrevy and good to hear that some of the ex students were having a great time at Vault, make the most of it looks like a hangy week ahead......

Quote of the day " I don't want the day to end"

Soory no piccies but if anyone has some please email a few ;)

4 by 4 at Carbis

With a moderate to fresh NE on the cards we headed to Carbis at lunch time to be greeted by the sight of 3 ASKA's in the air having fun.  Paul H, Bill N and Michel K were having a ball whilst James W zoomed around on his hangy having a ball.  to complete the pack i was soon up there on our demo' ASKA whilst the "normal" Paragliders were grounded.  Conditions were ideal whilst take off needed some care one up and away you could get around at will and it was smooth as silk allowing me to play with the wing more than normal!!!!

Having landed Kaz gave it a shot and had a good one whilst i rigged the tandem hanger in preparation for some flights later on.  Gerry showed interest in the ASKA and after a little introduction under Kaz's eye he was soon up and away with the 17m2 lifting his 16 stone easily giving him some super soaring when otherwise he would have been firmly on the ground.  Judging by his reaction after landing he may well be the next one with one?????

With the tandems arriving we got the ball rolling by taking Caroline T (St Erth) up for a flight which had been given to her as a birthday present.  Caroline just loved it and whilst used to flying with her husband in their own plane found the whole experience amazing and as near to flying like a bird as you can get.

Blue and Kate two young ladies down on holiday had spotted us from St Ives and were soon hot footing it to take off to take advantage of the classic conditions.  They both had super flights soaking up the whole atmosphere and having a go at flying the glider.  So nice to see youngsters getting involved and making the most of their holidays, enjoy the rest of your week guys.

Last but not least was Carol H (Truro) who was also on a birthday flight supported by her family.  A little nervous at first carol did a great job at launch and once away settled down quickly to have a great time and before she knew it she was flying the wing!  With everyone else having left we had the place to ourselves and made the most of it before popping back in on top to round off a cracking day.

By the time we left the wind had just about eased enough for Paragliders but alas there were none.

Quote of the day " how much ?"  Suggestion,  if cant fly a hangy get an ASKA ..............

New Toys and a Lucky boy

Despite a forecast for mist all day Richard M (Exmoor) headed on down to pick up his new toys.

On arrival it was damp and low cloud so after a nice cup of tea we headed out into the "shed" to introduce him to his Paramotor.  All new and shiny the Fly Products Race C Deluxe  never fails to impress and you could see Richards eye light up as soon as he saw it.

 

Richard M and his new Race C

It was nice to have plenty of time to show him the in's and out's of the unit before we hung it up to get the adjustments made to the harness and angle of thrust.  Next it was out into the garden and with a touch of a button we were blowing the leaves off the trees and the mist around, but not away!

Another cuppa and we went through the basics of his new Dudek Synthesis 31 Wing before settling down to do a bit of theory.  A glance out of the window showed a little brightness so it was off the field in hope of a flight. Amazingly about the only place along the north coast that was clear was the tow field so we wasted no time in setting up. A couple of trial inflation's with the new kit then Richard was off and away for his first flights on it.

Getting set to go with his new kit

Up and away

The extra speed over the school wings was immediately  apparent and Richard settled in to the lighter handling easily.  with cloudbase at only a few hundred feet he had plenty of time to experiment with the various throttle settings before landing his second flight just as the mist returned, good timing.

So it was a very happy chappy that headed home with new toys and also his CPC Paramotor exam sorted.  a good day and just ideal as it turned out making the whole thing very relaxed.  watch out for him in the skies over North Devon.

Quote of the day " I just love this button"

Minimum and Maximum on Monday

The day started early at 06.00 with a fishing trip to Hayle pool to catch tea and what a cracking morning it turned out to be with no wind and the morning mist lifting as the sun came up, oh and a few fish as well!

 

What a cracking start to the day

With only one student booked in it was always going to be a relaxing day in the field or so we thought.  Graham A (Plympton) alias Billy Whizz was along to start paragliding training having decided to switch from hang gliding due to the need for portability, shame though as he was a well above average hangy student on the few days he did.

Conditions were ideal and we had the field to ourselves, well other than a few sheep as we worked through the ground based activities.  Graham was as attentive as ever and soon picked up the basics, by lunch time he was ready to tow so after a refresh tow brief Kaz arrived and hopped onto the winch and we got going.

 Graham A on his first high flight at the end of his first day!

What a cracking afternoon we had with Graham improving with each and every tow in what can only be described as ideal conditions.  By the end of play he had put away 15 tows and manged 3 flights to the top of the line (and back) all with stand up landings looking as pretty as you please taking through all of his EPC flying tasks and even a few CPC ones.

Coming into land with the low cloud in the back ground

as the day drew on some super low cloud moved in over St Ives giving  spectacular views and gray even had enogh time to take them in putting the icing on the cake.

By 17.00 we had all had enough so wound the day up but Grays smile said it all.  next time out he will need to catch up on the ground handling and theory but all looks well for later in the week so watch this space.  well done to both Graham and Kaz  for making my life easy :)

 Well that just about says it all

The evening saw us in the pub at a meeting with the KHPA coaches which proved very positive and hopefully will ease the transfer of students as they leave the school and join the local fliers on the hill any suggestions or feed back on this from all levels of pilots are welcome.

Mist it at Chapel and Perran

The forecast was for a brisk breeze to ease and the drizzle to stop and it should be a nicely soarable afternoon at Chapel followed by Perran as the wind veered.

Alan H who had stayed down especially to join Kaz , myself and Phil L in the woods last night was looking forward to some dark chocolate and some flying, don't ask................

News from the hill was that it was clearing and dropping and Phil had been flying so we made our move. To cut a long story short we spent quite a long time at Chapel in misty / breezy conditions which whilst kaz and myself had fun on the ASKA did not allow the students to get in the air.

 Kaz gets some airtime in on the ASKA

John S joins in the fun and learns something too

The tide cam in and the wind veered a little so we upped sticks and went to Perran, guess what more of the same!  Still not wanting to totally waste the day Phil L hopped onto the ASKA after Kaz showed him how to do it and played on the SW slope getting grips with the basics and was followed by Simon L who had a great time before things began to get even damper so stopping play.  a good bit of fun but not quite what we hoped for still there is always the next time.

 Finally drizzle stops play

Chatting at Chapel

Well after yesterdays exploits hopes were high and the forecast good so we headed to Chapel to catch the low tide.  Kaz had been there since 07.30 with Phil L and reported good conditions first thing but the wind dropping off bit by bit against the forecast................

By the time we were rigged and ready and Paragliders out it was scratchy with some pilots slope landing and some ending up on the beach so the students made use of the time by doing their Hill conversion exams which all passed, well done. i kept testing the air and whilst not good for students took a slot to get Richard D (Falmouth) up on the Paraglider for a tandem flight.  we had a great launch with Richard staying nicely on his feet so making things easy. Despite the light conditions we worked the lift well and had some super flying checking out the views and playing around before slipping in for a very smooth top landing by the windsock.  Richard looked pretty happy as did his family, presumably to see him back!

 

Richard enjoys his tandem flight as we fly under the Cirrus "ly" high cloud

Conditions improved a little and Wyn D was first of the students off under Kaz's eye and did a fine job working the still light lift to get his fifth soaring flight in. Whilst height was not easy to get he did well and scratched up enough to slip in on the front performing a very tidy landing indeed in typical Wyn style so completing his hill conversion, well done and watch out for him on the hills.

 

Wyn cratches along as he waits for conditions to improve

Simon L (Plymouth) was up for it and was soon away on his second soaring flight after a nice take off and worked up in the gentle but increasing lift.  as he made height he could move off to the left onto the steeper ridge and was soon looking comfortable.  a nice approach saw him back on top after 10 minutes looking pretty pleased with himself.

No sooner was he down than  Alan H (Bideford) was off and  up amongst it in the now busy sky  but with increasing lift so making things easier. Alan floated up and down  dodging this way and that before coming in for a nice top landing to complete his second soaring flight on a Paraglider.

It gets busy as Anna calls it  "the Cornish M25"

In an effort to try and get Simon and Alan completed they made their way back to the front in increasingly breezy conditions.  a couple of failed launches proved the point that it was getting towards top end and by the time they had carried back to the rigging area the hangies were taking off and the paragliders left in the air not going forwards.

So we made the most of the brief slot and had lots of sociable chatting and the hangies got the best of it at the end of the day.  for those that did not fly there was plenty to see and plenty to learn from.  maybe we can "finish them off" tomorrow

Right time Right place Right on !

It was a tricky one with the forecast split between the filed and the hill and plenty of students for both.  based on conditions at the time we opted for the field and loaded the van and hooked up the winch.  Whilst fuelling up message from "uncle" Bill that it was on at Perran and filling.  Plan change, un hook winch redirect students and it was off to the hill.

On arrival whilst flyable it was still on the light side but by the timewe had hill briefed, ground handled and got the guys (and gal) sorted things were filling in nicely.

With plenty of other pilots already there and in the air Wyn D (Penryn) was first of the students off and put his skills learnt in the field to good use to make it all look very easy as he climbed nicely into the lift and settled into ridge soaring.  15 minutes later he cam in performed a lovely top landing and celebrated his flight with a stream of welshness...... not bad as going from zero to hero in just 3 weeks ;)

Whilst kaz worked with the less experienced students on their ground handling I took them one by one for their first soaring flights. next up was Jack E (Polzeath) who was champing at the bit having seen Wyn do the business.  jack followed suit and made it look even easier as he quickly climbed to the top of the stack cruising up and down and showing just what good sink rates Elements have!  Another 15 minutes and another lovely top landing, he made it look that easy that even Jack's dad is tempted to have a go.

Mike S (Plymouth) who learnt four years ago with us on the tow and had a refresh a few months ago was suitably nervous but having put in the ground handling with Kaz looked up to it was next.  He need not have worried and got cleanly away on his first attempt to join several others in the air.  With red ribbon flying he mixed in well before popping back in on top as pretty as you please and looking very chuffed with himself.

Kaz now off ground handling duties took over the guys who had already flown and got them back in the air one by one whilst I kept going with the "first soarers"

It was the two John S's (Helston and Stithians) next (not together) and they both did great jobs settling in nicely and just loving the whole experience whilst taking the micky out of each other at every opportunity as normal.  They both did super flights and and landings giving each other plenty of encouragement.

Last but not least Anna P (Gwithian) found herself at launch. Anna did a great job in what were by now slightly breezier conditions and was off up and away in no time. She cruised the ridge looking every bit that she had done it before and looking very relaxed in her flying.  15 minutes later and with a few white horses flicking up she came in and landed tippy toed as pretty as you please.  fantastic she was so delighted you had to be there to see it.

Happy bunnies from right to left -- Mike S, Anna P, Wyn D John S and John S  ... Jack e had already gone but there is a cracking picture of him on a blog a couple back.  Nice one guys and gal

So by the end of play and with the wind filling there was lots of happy faces with Wyn and jack putting in 4 flights each, Mike 3 and the rest getting their first ones in the bag.  Not bad for a group some of whom started 4 years ago and others just 3 weeks. Could well be more of the same tomorrow ????????

Slotting them in on Sunday

Best laid plans rarely come together but sometimes they just do and today was one of those days.

With a soarable breeze forecast for early in the morning before backing then dropping then picking up again we planned a full day.

Simon gets set to go as the sun comes up

Starting at 0.630 we met up with Alan H (Bideford) and Simon L (Plymouth) at Perranporth to get some hill conversion work done.  They both were on time despite a couple of hour drives each and by 06.45 Simon was up and away into the air for his first full soaring flighting super conditions. Si did a great flight being steadily joined by other pilots as they began to arrive. A great top landing and big smile rounded off his first flight and with Alan now back in the groove with hill ground handling he was next away.  Alan's hang Gliding experience helped him out nicely and he made a fine job of his first soaring flight on a paraglder before also popping back in on top.

Al gets some good lift on his first soaring flight on a Paraglider

Wasting no time Simon was off again into a now busier sky and with the lift a little less abundant. Still he did a fine job dodging and weaving before slipping back in on top just as the lift dropped seeing the others heading to the beach soon after, good timing or what.

Simon and Al share the air whilst the sun is still coming up

With the wind now dropping and backing we played ground handling and in particular Simon put in some good forward launching practise which will stand him in good stead for Algo.

9.00 saw us leave Perran and head back to the office to meet up with the days taster day pilots.  having cancelled off the Paraglider taster days due to the forecast for the wind to return we headed to the field with three hangy taster days and due to meet Wyn D and John S on site to hopefully take advantage of the lighter slot early.

Whilst Tim J got James C, Tom G and Jeff A going with the hangy Kaz hopped onto the winch and got Wyn D and John S up in to the air on the Paragliders.  Again they matched each other flight for flight finishing offBig Ears before doing Asymmetric's and Speedbar to complete their CPC flying tasks just by the time the wind started to fill again.

Time to get the hangies on line and to give Tim a "rest" as he took over the winch and to get me running on the king post tether.  The guys all did very well indeed and each one put in some super flights and even some super landings as they floated across the field.  each flight saw conditions get a little more challenging but each flight saw the guys reactions getting a little better, ideal.

Great to see Roger f (old time hangy pilot) drop in to see us and especially nice to see that glint in his eye as he watched the hangies get their first flights in, maybe a spark rekindled ........

So by the end of the day and with Mondays wet weather starting to roll in we ended a cracking day, well done to all nice to see so much keenness around  

Chaffing at the bit at Chapel

Scruff searches the sky for hangy Dave

What a cracking day it turned out to be despite me thinking we would only achieve a limited amount, how wrong you can be!

A quick visit to Perran where there was plenty of beach saw a few gliders scratching but the wind way off to the SW so after a "brief" (hill brief) stay we upped sticks and headed to Chapel Porth to hopefully get some tandem flying in but no guarantee for the students as the tide was an issue.

On arrival the wind was perfect for hangies and I rigged the tandem whilst assessing conditions.  with high pressure around the tide was actually lower than expected and still with an hour and a half to go the beach opened up nicely so Hangy Dave (Newquay) and Ian L (Bristol) hot footed back to the truck to get the training glider to hopefully get some hill soaring in.

Sam J (N.Devon) was along to start his tandem rating course and made the ideal passenger to demonstrate to James who was down on holiday and had a surprise flight booked for him.  Sam and I had a cracking flight introducing him to the basics of taking others up before popping back in on top to take James up.

The demo' flight worked and James and myself made a cracking launch and were soon up and away sharing the air with Paul H and Nigel W on their hangies.  we had a cracking flight with the sea so clear and the sun shining right along the coast. Not only did James get a chance to fly the glider he also got a free history lesson on the local mining! The landing was as good as the take off and it was a very smiley James reunited with his partner Kim to continue their holiday.

By now the beach had opened up nicely and it was time to get the students going. Ian l led the way for his first hill soaring flight on the hangy and he did a great job of it settling in nicely after a couple of tense beats.  Conditions slowly eased back seeing him getting lower but his nerve (and mine) held and slowly with a bit of encouragement he relaxed again and made enough height to come back in on top after a good 20 minutes.  It was a very happy Ian that unclipped after a first class landing, nice.

Hangy Dave wasted no time in getting off although a little nervous after a 10 week lay off he soon smoothed out and as the lift returned climbed out comfortably  to join the others up high. Dave had no problem with height in fact had to make a good effort to lose it before also performing a first class landing followed by a classic Dave quote as he extolled the virtues of flying but unfortunately it is unprintable!

Conditions remained good and with the beach still there both guys got another flight in adding 360's to their repertoire and having a ball. Their landings once again  were spot on and the looks on their faces said it all.

Next it was back into the Tandem to take Sam up again before letting him loose on me. We had a fun afternoon with Sam taking me up 3 times and only trying to wipe me out on one of them! No it was not that bad just that I make a very nervous passenger .......

By the time we landed after the final flight it was getting on, the wind was easing and the beach was gone so we called it a day but what a good day it was, if only we could have more like this.

good to see Steve M getting to grips with the ASKA and as ever really weird to see it up in the air with us on the hangies it just looks so strange.

Quote of the day " ******* awesome"

Manic Monday

It was always going to be a busy one with the weather having backed up students but the forecast looked good and hopes were high to get things moving.

However even the best laid plans get put aside and whilst we can control many things the weather is not one of them!  On arrival in the field it was breezier than forecast putting things on hold from a towing point of view. So whilst we waited for the wind to ease back as forecast the guys and gals played ground handling  and the taster days got going on the basics before joining them.

 

Happy jack, always full of life

Lunchtime came and went and still conditions were top end........ early afternoon saw Kaz doing theory and exams with a group whilst Tim and myself looked after the tatser days.  finally things eased back enough for Ian L to get going on the hangy and he put in 5 nice experience flights in readiness for going to the hill.

 

getting ready at launch

Bit by bit the wind continued to drop until finally we could get the paras on to the line although just to keep us on our toes it also decided to change direction seeing us chase it around the field (fields) several times just getting in the odd tow with each move .  At 18.00 it actually settled down to the direction and speed as forecast and things really got moving.  Steve and Phil on the Taster days joined in with John S (Stithians), John S (Helston), Wyn D (Penryn), Anna P (Gwithian) and Jack E (Polzeath) who were now all high flighting.  Steve made it look all far to easy as he put in three cracking flights across the field to end his day with a big grin. Phil found it a little more challenging after a long day but not enough to put him off coming back as he booked second day with us.

 

Double trouble in the two John's (Speaky and Snake)

The two johns and Wyn matched each other flight for flight and worked deep into their CPC tasks making the most of the conditions when they arrived.  Anna P had a cracking evening finishing off her CPC flying tasks and looking very very pleased with herself.  Jack popped in a couple of fun flights one of which resulted in a small XC into the field next door, guess it's all part of the learning curve.....

Anna P gives the thimbs up after her final CPC task flight

It was another late day seeing us leave the field at 21.00 but well done to all especially Tim j for his endless patience and swift relocation's of the winch through the day.  Lets hope the weather settles down a bit.

Quote of the day "I'm finished"

Hedge bangers and wire hoppers

Once again the forecast was such that we opted for a late start and once again it proved the right thing to do with the troops assmebling at 13.00 in the field.

Yesterdays participants were joined by Jack E (Polzeath), Colin B (Dartmouth) and Anne W (Dartmouth) all on paragliders so making it a little busier.

Whilst everyone put in some ground handling I set out the winch and by the time they were were sorted we were ready to tow.  With 4 tows out of the way the wind began to act strangely and it took a good 40 minutes before it finally did a 180 which saw us switch ends  and reset everything.  Just ready to go and the wind picked up seeing me testing the air and both Paul on the winch and myself deciding it was a bit top end.

Colin decided this would be a good time to get his wing out but unfortunately he was a little to close to the hedge resulting in his wing becoming part of the BT network and him part of the hedge.  Lesson learnt glider and pilot recovered and the rest of the guys went well up wind into the field ........ 

The wind eased back and late afternoon saw things moving once again with everyone forming and orderly que.  The Johns and Wyn made the most of it and worked right through until 20.15 puttting in the high flights racking up 5 flights each as they progressed into their CPC tasks.  Anna P finshed off hers and had a celebration smile on her face after doing a couple of super Asymmetrics.  Anne W popped in 3 tows which after a long time away helped to get her back in the swing.  Jack E now CPC'd had a couple of nice flights one resulting in him getting a little carried away over the wires and into the next field .............  Colin gave it a miss as he recovered from his experience earlier in the day but gave encouragement to Anne from the start gate which was appreciated.

Another late one and once again thanks to Paul H for helping out and passing on some of his skills to Kaz as she got to grips with towing students.

Getting Going and flares

Daisy was not there but it is such a nice picture!

The forecast was not good in the morning so we decided to wait until mid day before heading to the field which proved to be pretty much on the nail.

With the two Johns keen to crack on after their ground handling afternoon being joined by Wyn D who after his Taster day was also keen to get going we were always going to see plenty of towing!

Towing started as soon as the guys were ready and they all got into the groove quickly making my life easy. Kaz joined in the fun on her hangy to again sweeten up her light wind flat field landings  and Anna P joined in after getting some good ground work in on her new Ozone Mojo 3.

 

 Wyn D looks like he means it as he waits for the line to return

John Sp completes his S turns in readiness to head to the top

Everyone had a great time with the Johns and Wyn putting away 11 flights each seeing them all finish on a high flight at the end of the day having completed their EPC's !  Anna P got to grips with her new wing and moved into the final stages of her CPC tasks and with the end in sight got really enthusiastic.

Anna P pops her new wing above her head and sets off

Kaz had fun and kept the Johns amused as she put in the tows, by the end of play she put in a cracking full flare landing in nil wind conditions landing as tippy toed as you like, I think half of Camborne must have heard her reaction!

A fairly late day with us rapping at 20.00 hrs but well worth it and many thanks to Paul h on the winch for staying out.

Two is company

Forecast a bit breezy for towing but with two very keen guys on the phone we opted to head to the field where at least we could get some ground work done in preparation for a days towing when conditions permit.

John S (Stithians) and John S (Helston) had both completed EPC course on the hill but were up for completing on the tow before heading back to the hill for soaring to speed up the process.  We had a fun few hours checking out their basic knowledge of glider checks etc before getting some very useful ground handling underway in the fresh enough conditions.

with a few tips and pointers the guys were soon improving their techniques until by the end of play they looked pretty sweet.  A well worthwhile exercise and something students (and pilots) really need to keep practising if they want to make their lives easy.

Looking forward to getting the guys onto the tow line soon.

Back to "normality"

Ian L comes into land after completing his CPC tasks

In contrast to yesterday things were a bit busier but in fairness not too busy, just the way we like it.

Ian L (Bristol) and Alan H (Bideford) were both back to carry on on the hangy and Para respectively and were joined by young Jack E now working well into his CPC on the Paraglider and Dan B, Darren N, Ian Kand Wyn D all on taster day Paragliding experiences.

Whilst Kaz worked with the taster days I got the others going on the winch and things swung into action.  Ian, Al and Jack all did well steadily moving through their flying tasks and ticking them off leaving Ian and Jack completed by the end of the day and Alan only a few flights away.

 Dan gets the ball rolling on the Taster days

 Ian demonstrates the open leg technique

Darren looks cool with a nice breeze up his shorts

Early afternoon saw me help out on the Taster days whilst Kaz took over the launch gate to keep the guys flying and it was not long before the guys were ready for their first tows.  The guys all did really well and whilst Ian specialised in demonstrating the full variety of techniques the rest picked out the best bits and made it look easy!  We had a really fun afternoon with plenty of ribbing going on but big smiles all round.

Alan H just looks cool

Well done to the guys on getting their CPC's a bit more experience in the field then off to the hills :)

Two lucky lads and one Lucky lady

It was good to get back out into the tow field and it was useful for it not to be too busy so allowing us to get back into the swing of it . 

Ian L (Bristol) was along on the Hangy and Alan H (Bideford) was on a Paraglider they were joined by Kaz who decided to take advantage of the quiet day to pop in some flights on her Hangy to sharpen up her light wind flat field landings.

Things got going early and in near perfect conditions the guys rattled off the tows putting away 33 tows between them whilst Kaz put in 5 of her own.  By the end of the day Ian had pretty much finished his CPC on the Hangy and Alan was into the final flying tasks on the Paraglider having started the day as just post EPC, so lots done.  Kaz had a great time and with a little encouragement got her landings better and better and nice to see her back on the tow again.

Lovely relaxed day with everyone behaving and looking forward to more of the same tomorrow

Chopping and Changing at Chapel

With a variable forecast we headed to Chapel armed with Hangies, Para's and ASKA's to make sure we had all bases covered!  On arrival we thought Hangies but a quick call to Paul H on the front changed our minds to Para's so to cover the options we took everything!

With three tandems due to arrive Kaz tested the air on her Paraglider and with the wind easing back that seemed to be the right machine.  By the time the first tandems were on site it was definitely a paraglider day so we wasted no time in getting into the air. Wayne H was first up and we had a cracking flight starting off in light conditions seeing us scratching around before the wind and the lift filled in giving us plenty of height to play before spiraling down to land with big grins.

With the wind having filled in darren H (Waynes brother) was next up and we opted for the hanger which proved a good choice giving the guys both a different experience whilst flying the same site.  Darren despite his nerves had a ball having plenty of "moments" and suprising himself at how much he enjoyed it.

Martin F had now arrived for his tandem and with the wind on the change again we gave the Paraglider another shot but by the time we were set to go the wind filled in again so it was all change.  we had acracking time on the hanger with Martin getting a good shot flying it and having done a day of hang Gliding some years ago his interest was rekindled, maybe we shall see him again if he can make the trip down from Cambridgeshire.  As the wind dropped again we sneaked back in on top just in time to round off a lovely day.

Good to be back in the air in the UK and lets hope the weather continues.........

Super Summer Soaring Sennen

Whats happening? it all to much like Summer  and whats more it's flyable at Sennen so that's where we headed.  Arriving to find it just becoming nicely soarable Kaz wasted no time in getting into the air on her Paraglider to check out conditions before i took the tandem up.  Although a little light to start with things quickly filled in and it was not long before Ollie G (St Ives) was clipped in and we were up and away in super conditions.

 We had a great time enjoying the view and checking out he sights and the sea was so clear you could almost see the fish. Ollie got plenty of time to have a go at flying the wing and did a very good job of it too. Its always good to take youngsters up as their level of enthusiasm is something else, be good to see you learn sometime Ollie......

Nick T was next up  and again we had a cracking time in varying conditions as the wind and the lift came and went mainly going towards the end of the flight which whilst giving us plenty of airtime as we scratched up and down did finally see us having to walk back up the dunes.........

We rounded off the end of the day with Kaz and myself going tandem in what once again were super conditions giving Kaz time to play with the wing and build up a few sharper turns and swingy things, all good fun.

great day and nice to fly with Paul H, Gay J, Nigel W and Andrew S (ex student down on holiday) in an uncrowded sky :)