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...

Sunshine !

It was almost like being abroad again, with a sunny day and light winds. There was a lot of rain around but it seemed to avoid us so we didn't complain. Graham A (Torrington) and Steve M (Tresillian) both got their first taste of the winch in very light conditions. By the end of the day they were releasing the line and doing gentle turns down to land getting them well into their EPC's. Justin M dropped by for a few tows to keep his hand in as did Wanda S who put a few Demons to rest. Mark F got up and away on his Paramotor for a couple of super flights and was joined by Paul H on his Doodle Bug so making for a fun and varied day, not bad for late November. Sorry forgot the camera

Back to reality

Ok it wasn't bright and sunny but at least it was flyable at Perranporth. With the wind coming and going throughout the day along with the misty stuff you had to pick your moment. Still plenty of pilots got plenty of soaring in. Justin M down from Nottingham got his first taste of hill soaring as he began a hill conversion with us having learned on the tow line "up north". He did a first class job cruising the ridge before coming in for a good top landing before the cloud lowered itself onto the hill. Kat' D had a fun Tandem flight as we flew up and down the ridge at cloudbase, well trying to stay out of it actually, maybe she will return on a sunnier day. Steve D turned up just too late hoping to build on his "Spanish" experiences as the wind dropped off and the damp came in.
A useful day...

All good things come to an end

Desrted beach Boys soak up the sun before heading back to the UK

Thorny tree, by far the best thing on the beach

It was up and away early to get Peachy to the airport on time. As the sun rose (again) we all began to think the same thing...... Still having dropped Tony off we headed to the beach where we had a pleasant few hours and yet a few more laughs. The sea was clear as was the beach but as the morning wore on the greater bloated Brit began to appear with its offspring in its England kit. What it must be like in the summer I hate to think. The flight back was uneventful except for Steve having his fossils confiscated and as we got off the plane I was nearly blown off the stair way, yep it definitely was the UK. At passport control we spotted a couple of dubious looking characters who looked like they were on the lookout for someone and turned out to be "special squad". Yep you guessed it I was invited into a small room along with Kaz where we underwent a thorough interrogation before being released back into the community.

The end of a great trip thanks to the weather the location and mainly to the guys and gals that came along .. here's to the next one.

Chocolate, Fossils & exploding bottoms (in the Sun)

Sightseeing , no exploding ones in this piccy
coming down from the evening lift Kaz approaches the field

another super meal out, almost as good as the ones we had in

Peachy "promoting" the wine, nearly as good as my spelling

Firstly apologieses for the smelling mistkes last nite but we had a bite to drunk. Needless to say it was SUNMNY again all day. We headed off to Montellano where whilst we waited for the wind to come on the face Michel learnt the finer points of ground handling and forward launching. Peachy got away first but was a little early and did an "out landing", Michel gave it his best shot which wasn´t very good. Ray was ready for it but no sooner did he "get it up " than the wind increased to what we considered a breezy state. This was confirmed by one of the locals getting it wrong so we resulted to Fossil hunting which provided some good results for Mark and Steve. Leaving Mark and Michel to sunbathe the rest of us headed off for coffee and sight seeing. The sight seeing largely consited of spotting churches and bottoms which were on the verge of going balistic, a trend that seems common in this part of Spain with the women........ An hour or so later we were back on the slope the wind eased. Pretty soon the guys and gals were up and away for yet another cracking evening flight with more hot chocolate conditions but not before Mark had a german girl come on top of him..... As the sun set the pilots began to land and the sun had truly set by the time the last of the group were down. A super evening meal in the local restaurant with plenty of laughs followed by a night cap in JJ´s rounded off another super day and the end of a cracking trip with 7 days flying out of 6 for some!! Tomorrow it,s back to the UK, what´s the weather like????????

Where´s Wanda and Hot Chocolate

Steve gets some soaring in company off the lower launch
Al climbs out in the evening lift

Ok there were a few there by the end of the day, but there was loads of lift

Michel flew far to long so got far to cold and needed to check nothing had dropped off (Tony checks)

Amore elaxed sart still saw us on site before the Germans, and by the time they arrived our boys and gals had nearly an hours airtime uinder their belts. Syeve put in another great soaring flight joining the more experienced guys already up their. Ray was ready to go when news came through that Wanda had landed on top somwhere hving got high into the stronger winds (we were using the lower launch). Ray and myselh high tailed it up the hill wher Ray picked up Wanda who had and exciting experience but made a good job of it by picking out a good landing spot and sorting it all out, Her first XC completed it was back down to the lower launch.
The day was filled by pilots flying when they choose with conditions varying from bouncy to silky depending on the time of day. Al and Michel mastered the art of top landing the lower take off to join the ranks of the sky Gods.
It was rounded off with a classic evening flight especially for Mark and Michel who are still raving on about just how much lift there was and just how smoothe it was, like flying through hot chocalate Mark reckoned. Quote of the day " is Ray coming off" (Kaz) .... Oh, forgot to mention it was bright and sunny, and guess what it´s forecast to be again tomorrow....

Megaday MegaSun MegaFun

Michel enjoys clear air (exceptfor the vultures) as we beat the crowds
Steve looks forward to joining Kaz up in the blue yonder

Most of the gang at the lower launch waiting for the wind to ease

the lights came back on but then the beer had kicked in

Another early start saw us first on the hill at Montellano where yes it was blue sky and sunshine again. As the wind came on Mark was first off for an extended top to bottom. Stve followed and did a good job of the flight but kinda got the landing bit less than perfect resulting in an interesting landing option, don´t take afence Steve. Ray got away next and semi soared before heading out and having learnt from Steves flight did a cracking spot landing all be it without the aid of an undercarriage. Allen got off just before it became soarable and joined them whilst Kaz drove down to get then back up. Wanda took off and began to soar pretty much straight away along with Michel whilst the others drove back up, they enjoyed a super 30 minutes just the two of them and the Vultures before the masses began to arrive. Soon the air was alive with gliders and our early pilots joined them. Steve had a cracker ridge soaring up and having a good 30 minutes pretty much as high as he wanted before deciding to go down and sort out his landing approach, job done , it was perfect. Kaz even got a chance to fly and had fun thermalling up with the rest of them.
Finally one by one they decided to land for lunch and with everyone back at launch I managed to sneak in a flight in what were by now fairly bouncy conditions with some cumulus forming overhead. Michel joined me just before I decided to head down.
With the wind on the increase we met up on the low launch where Mark jumped off to prove it soarable for Steve who put in his third flight of the day- The lift kicked in and gliders were all over the sky, again the guys slowly landed one by one with Michel being one of the last down declaring it as his "best flight ever", what more can you ask. It was a quiet and tired crew that arrived back in Algo´ to find it in darkness with a power cut, still a few beers by candle light in JJ´s sorted it out and the lights came on so that is where we stayed. Quote of the day "Ok Phippsy, you got me up here , now get me down "..... tomorrow more of the same I hope..

Tossers on the hill (in the Sun)

So this is the launch at Montellano, Tony pops a cork in

Target practice in preparation for the Hun in the Sun

Al gets ready to sneak in an evening flight

Early start to beat the Germans saw us at Montellano by 10.00 where it was light and guess what´SUNNY: Steve was first off with a cracking forward launch much to Michels amazement. Ray gave it his best shot but decided to give it a miss after his first attempt. Tony joined the fray and got away clean having a nice buoyant flight down to join Kaz and Steve in the landing field. With no one else prepared to go for a forward launch I sneaked a flight in before the forecast wind increased to such an extent it was to strong in a matter of minutes. With the wind strong we practiced our juggling skills and catapult target practice (much to the disgust of some) before heading off for coffee before returning for an evening flight which Allen and Michel sneaked in but fair to say we missed the best of it. Still a fun day with some very funny conversations going on ranging from Sperm Wales to Two women one cup. Cracking meal out followed by number 43´s in JJ´s. Quote of the day " I´ve never seen such a big one" (Kaz)... forecast for tomorrow.... more Sun.... more Fun....

Lost Souls in the Sun

The start of another "hard" day the boys contemplate life

Some old relics on the hill and a statue

Kaz gets things moving on the west launch

Downloading Marks inflight video, nothing is secret

The guys were up and ready for the 10.00 o´clock start and off up the hill we went. The forecast was for a light NW but we were hoping that the sun (yes it was sunny again) would pull the wind up the SE face. We sat there all alone but sure enough it did come up the face but no one was quite convinced enough to go for it as the Vultures were only climbing slowly. At 13.00 the first dusties arrived and having watched the guys at Ronda struggle we opted to head over to the west launch. Timing was perfect and within 30 minutes Kaz was off to spot the landing field. Catching a nice thermal over it she climbed back up to launch height proving it was working. The guys quickly got going with Michel and Allen leading the way both on identical Ruish 2´s looking like the terrible twins. Mark was next then Steve, Tony and Wanda all off whom thermalled up and away from launch. Ray brought up the rear and had a fantastic flight climbing out in thermals over the landing field to get his first serious height gains. Slowly the guys began to descend with Ray opting for an alternative landing field (the official one) where he performed an excuse for a landing on the road, lucky no cars were coming! Steve did his first XC getting totally lost and landing several K away to be found by myself as I drove along to get the others. The rest landed with Kaz with huge smiles after some cracking flying with the Vultures . Quote of the day "nice ass" and I wasn´t looking at the ears..... don´t ask. You will have to wait to see the flychaps "studs" photo ....... guess what we are in the bar

Sun & Fun on day one

Ray D gets away nicely for his first hill flight followed by a cracking landing on the spot
Steve D does a committed launch whilst the German looks on and awaits assistance for his

Peachy goes for it, butterflies and all

Mark F follows Peachy off at the start of a super thermal flight

After a Big shop for stores in the morning it was off up Lejar where the wind was a little off and a bit strong, but patience was a virtue and as the thermals kicked in things got better and better. Under a totally blue sky gliders began launching and climbed out with the circling Vultures. Michel was first of the group off followed by Allen, Steve,Tony and Mark in quick succession. Whilst the others thermalled up Steve settled down with a super flight down playing with lift on the way for his first hill flight since getting his CPC on the tow. Next it was Rays turn for his first ever hill flight and the nerves were showing. He should not have worried he did a cracking launch putting many others to shame and followed it up with an amazing flight through numerous thermals before performing a first class landing right on the spot. Wanda completed the group with a good launch and a super flight circling up before heading out to the field where she also put in a cracking landing.
Everyone safe and sound with big smiles and guess what we are in the bar!!! photos will follow when we get back.....