Power Play

It was a lovely afternoon in the field with the Power boys. Pete l had fun flying around on his new Dudek Synthesis wing whilst i put in the effort with Rod G as he approaches the time to fly.

Rod worked hard and is now much more in tune with his new wing (another Synthesis) and was all hyped up to go for it. Unfortunately when i got into his unit to test fly his combination guess what, no battery! We managed a jump start so i took to the air to check out his kit and the conditions but it did mean no fly for Rod. Still he put in a bit more useful groundwork and lost about half a stone whilst doing it!

With bit of time to spare I popped the school unit onto a Rush 2 and went for a fly and what a nice combination it was. The views were superb with the tide well out and the sea crystal clear.

lets hope rod gets up there next time out to enjoy!

Qualification

It was a long day in the field but patience paid of and we had a cracking time by the end of it.

Stuart A ( ), Ben (Plymouth) and Duncan (Truro) were all along for Paragliding taster days with the added bonus of checking out the Paramotor thrown in making them effectively Paramotor taster days.

They all did very well in the morning session showing above average skills and by lunch time were not only pretty good at forward launches but also at revers ground handling, can't be bad.

Early afternoon saw the arrival of the rest of the students along with an unforecast increase in wind making it on the top end for paragliders. So whilst the hangies got rigged we spent an hour showing the guys the Paramotor , popping it on their backs and then letting them feel the power of it as it got fired up.

By the time England had "qualified" things were a little better and the Hangies were making good use of the tow lines with Tom A (Truro) moving into release flights and on to the Mars. In fact it got that good for them that by the end of the day Tom had completed his EPC tasks and finished off with a super high flight to give him a taste of whats to come.

Dan L (Truro) also did very well on the Hanger completing his CPC tasks with some nice stalls and some cracking spot landings as conditions got lighter.

Whilst Stuart and Ben had to leave early Duncan hung on and was rewarded with it becoming nicely Paraglideable resulting in him putting in 3 lovely flight across the field at up to 60' all with good take offs and landings. He had a great day just a shame his companions weren't able to stay on for a couple of hours.

Bob H (Tavistock) who had waited on then took to the air and did a fine job polishing of his CPC flying tasks as he completed Big Ears, Asymmetrics and Speed bar in succession all rounded off with some excellent spot landings, oh and also some lovely floaty bits in between (Sorry Mike, but at least we have worked out who the weather Johna is).

Helen K (Penzance) joined the fun, having arrived for the evening on a Paraglider and did a super job putting away the remaining release flights before going higher and building up the turns to 90 and well beyond. Having completed her EPC tasks she is now ready to move onto CPC and higher flights.

Shame Mike C and Ashlet R both missed out on a Paraglidier and Powered HG respectively but better luck next time. A late one with us leaving the field at 21.45 but well worth it.

Hot Rod

After a few days of hard work chasing hangers across the field we had a more relaxed day traducing Rod g (Falmouth) to his new Paramotor wing. Rod on the verge of his Powered flight career opted for a Dudek Synthesis 34.

We had a fun time setting up the wing then getting to grips with the ground handling which Rod clicked into pretty quickly it being much lighter than the basic training wings. Next it was ground work with a power unit on his back and again he did well so next time out its up and away with a bit of luck!

i sneaked in several flights on the Paramotor and even got to fly Rods new wing which being a little on the large size for me gave me a super take off and actually flew really nicely despite the low wing loading make it very floaty in the thermals.

Barry H (Falmouth) dropped by and played ground handling on one of the School wings before trying his older Firebird Matrix and the difference was enough to convince him to upgrade so wait to see him out on a shiny new Ozone Buzz Z3 soon. Any one up for a Matrix XL ??

Hangy Heaven

What a day in the tow field with lots on and plenty of exercise to be had! We had a total of 7 hangies out and they were joined by a couple of para's to give us a full house.

With a mixture of day oners, day twoers and day threeers on the hangies it was always going to mean lots of running for me but with yesterdays "warm up" things were easier than expected!

Nigel G (Exmoor) and Jason M (Exmoor) were along for a Taster day on hangies and had a cracking time both doing really well and after the normal ground work ended up with some lovely flights across the field by the end of the day. Nigel had the added bonus of a Tandem flight on the Paraglider to see the spectacular views around the cliffs. They had a top time being very complementary about the day and vowing to return!

Roy L and Elouise L (Exeter) were back for their second days and both worked hard to achieve untethered flights by the end of the day with Elouise taking the best landing title whilst Roy got the weight shift sorted between them we have a good pilot! They left the field very enthusiastic and will hopefully return to continue.

Carolyn B (Linconshire) and Tom B (Truro) both on day 3 cracked on with Carolyn getting to untethered flights by the end of play and Tom completing the low flights so now ready for his first release ones and both looking pretty good to boot.

On the Paragliding Side Sam K (Newquay) had a fun day completing his CPC flying tasks then having fun playing with the evening lift as it floated in, well done Sam. Helen K (Hayle) was back after a Taster Day a year ago and did well getting back into the ground handling before getting back into the air and putting in some excellent tows including her first couple of release flights so getting nicely started on her EPC.

Mike P (Bath) popped in for some experience flights on his Hang Glider and did well in some bouncy conditions around the middle of the day but looking on top of the game the whole while.

Nice to see ex student Glyn P (Woolacombe) drop in to say hello and good to hear that he is enjoying his flying and getting out and about and abroad!

Day off tomorrow!!!!!!

Tall ships and short grass

It was a full on day out in the field with 4 Hang Gliding Day ones and two Paragliding Day Ones so we had plenty to do. Conditions started off pretty much perfect and the Hangers made up of Roy L (Exeter), Elouise L (Exeter (daughter of Roy)), Amanda P (Exmouth) and Caro W-E (Peranarworthal) had a fun morning working through glider rigging and the ground runs whilst the Paragliders Paul S (Helston) and Chris B (Plymouth) cracked on with the Paragliders.

By early afternoon the hard work was done (for the students) and we were ready to tow. The hangers got going first as the wind had filled in to a fresh breeze making it to windy for the Paragliders. Despite the challenging conditions everyone had a good time putting in some cracking flights and ending up with big smiles.

Despite hanging on till 19.00 the wind stayed on the strong side for the paragliders so we gave them a miss but will hopefully see Paul and Chris again soon to "finish off".

Co incidence of the day was Roy and Caro who it turned out had both worked on Tall ships and both had several common acquittance's, whats the chance of them both turning up on the same day to do Hang Gliding ??

Apologies

Sorry got a bit behind with the blog but will catch up soon with whats been on and there has been plenty!

Good to be back

It was nice to be back in the tow filed after a bit of a break and several days on the hill. Tom A(Truro) and Carolyn B (Linconshire) were along for their first taste of Hang Gliding on the line after a good day on the hill last Sunday.

They both had a top time putting their previous experience to good use as they flew across the filed with me in hot pursuit. By the end of the day Tom was off tethers and Carolyn down to only one. A tiring day but plenty achieved and both students in a good position for their next day out.

Thanks to Mike C (Perranwell) for his help on the tethers and it was good to see him up in the air as the wind eased back test flying the Gin Bolero which impressed him enough to go for it.

Quote of the day "that was so good"

Back in the air !

It was looking good for hill work at Carbis so off we went where we were greeted to find it on the light side even for the Paragliders but forecast to fill in.

Kepler W (Honiton) was down to get back in the air after an 18 year lay off on the Hang Glider so got rigged and ready. As the wind filled in the Paragliders got soaring and by the time Mike R (London) arrived it was perfect for a Tandem on the Paraglider. He had a super flight soaking in the views and enjoying the whole experience as well as having a go at flying the wing.

By the time we landed it was looking good for the Hangers so after a couple of demo's and a bit of practice Kepler was off. He did a great job and soon smoothed out and settled in. by the end of the day he had put in nearly two hours airtime over four flights each one ending in good top landings, nice to be back!

Mixed up day

With an interesting day forecast starting off light and picking up we headed to the hill with a plan for Paragliders in the morning and Hang Gliders in the afternoon, but even the best made plans need to be adaptable!

Arriving at Perranporth the wind was light and well off so we spent an hour doing the hill briefs with Ian and Ed B who were hoping to complete their Hill conversions. By mid morning there was no change so we opted to head over to Chapel to catch the tide and where we hoped the wind would be more on. The hangers waited at Perranporth as the forecast was to fill in and veer to the NW.

After a brief wait at Chapel things got good and Ian and Ed had a cracking time putting in 3 super flights each up amongst the qualified pilots. Nice landings and big smiles saw us pack up and head back to Perran as the tide closed in.

Things now looked good for the Hangies with a nice breeze for tethering with Tom A and Carolyn B both starting their EPC courses. No sooner had we got going than a super sunny day turned into thick drizzle! An update on the forecast suggested that it would clear in an hour or so and we waited patiently. Sure enough we were rewarded with a cracking late afternoon/ evening which gave the guys some super tethering and a great introduction to hang Gliding so more big smiles. The Paraglider boys also took the opportunity to increase their hill flying making it a first class day for them. The wind continued to fill in as forecast but by the time it was good for Hang hill soaring the beach had disappeared so unfortunately Terry P missed out.

Strange day but we got there in the end.

Hard going

The day looked promising with a nice westerly and sunshine forecast. Mark T (Exeter) and Peter B (Wales) were along to get going on the Hang Gliders and Mike C to finish off his CPC Paragliding tasks. However despite our best efforts the weather would not play ball and although the guys did well working through the ground based activities we were unable to tow them as the wind was constantly on the move and heavy rain showers did not help!

However we did mange a few tows on Luke C who dropped by with his Hanger and took advantage of the "long" field to keep his hand in and get his first tows on his Wills Wing Sport 2 looking very competent with it.

Lets hope the weather settles down soon.

A Game of Patience

Bob E coming back to earth after a super Tandem flight

Kaz P pleased to get back on a Paraglider after her skiing injury

Super backdrop as Kaz flies by

Cpt Kev being Cpt Kev and enjoying life

It was a great forecast for Perranporth with a moderate to fresh NW forecast so of we headed loaded with Hang Gliders. On arrival it was a lot lighter and off to the south and despite reasonable conditions Paragliders were going down. That was pretty much the story of the day although to be fair it did improve late afternoon before disappearing again.

Fortunately there was a brief spell where it got pretty good and having waited on launch for about an hour we got off on the Tandem Paraglider with Bob E (Grampound) for a super flight in the best of the conditions. We had a lovely flight enjoying the view and chatting about my "old job" before trying out the quick outs on landing as the breeze picked up.

The hangies then got a nice spell of flying before it dropped off again seeing them all on the beach, but the bit in the middle was good!

A pleasant day all be it a strange one with a general lack of lift, nice to See lots out. Thanks to Richard R for the piccies of Kaz

Back in the air

Karen M cracks on with her CPC as she moves into high flights

Karen (a different one) looking pleased after her Tandem flight on the Paraglider

The Mars floating back down after a busy day of high flights

Kaz P rounds off the day with a cracking landing by the windsock

It was another interesting day in the tow field with once again the wind playing tricks although not as many as the previous 2 days thankfully.

Shad C (Surrey) was joined by Dave K (Bristol) and Mike P (Bath) on the Hangers as they all worked towards the end of their CPC's. They all had a good day despite some early challenges and by the end of play Shad was sorted, Dave was well on his way as he settled into prone flying and Mike was one flight closer but still needs another good spot landing to complete. Still they all put in plenty of flying which is the main thing.

Karen M (Bristol) represented the Paragliders and had a super day completing her EPC before moving into her CPC with some cracking high flights in overcast but nice flying conditions. Karen showed the guys how to land by the spot looking as calm as ever.

Karen W (Falmouth) dropped in for a Tandem flight which was a Birthday present and had a fine time enjoying the views and the whole experience whilst egged on by her family. Once again so nice to meet people who are so enthusiastic and appreciate the freedom of the sky.

Kaz took the opportunity at the end of the day to get a couple of flights on the Hangy, the first time since her knee op and did a super job on both flights and just like Karen M showed the boys how to spot land making it a top day for the girls!

Quote of the day "it gets stiffer and much better" hmmmmmm

Will catch up with the missing blogs soon along with some piccies and they are woth seeing so keep an eye on it.

Thema and Louise

Lucy gets going on her first tow flight of her Taster Day

A great birthday surprise for Simon as it all came together for a Tandem flight

Dan pretty chuffed with himself as he progresses into his CPC

Thorn between two roses, Lindsay and Naomi both had a cracking time

Brian H not only enjoyed some flying but got his Tow endorsement as well.

Well not quite but certainly Naomi and Lindsay (and families).

With the wind playing ticks again we were kept busy moving the winch and slipping in the odd flight in between. Shad C (Surrey) and Dan L (Truro) were on the Hangies and kept me on my toes for the first part of the day before settling down although Shad threw one in towards the end. Still they both made progress with Dan getting settled onto the Mars and Shad onto the Calypso so setting them up nicely for their next days out.

Brian H (Majorca) had a good day on the Paraglider as he completed his Tow Endorsement putting away 10 flights and looking very solid by the end of it. Mike C (Peranwell) put in some nice flights as well as doing a great job on his ground handling, not long and he will be sorted. Bob H also got some flights in the morning but had to leave early unfortunately missing the best part of the day.

Then there was the Tandems! Simon (Liverpool) was the first to go. He had been given it a s surprise Birthday present and had no idea what was on until after seeing us from the road and saying " that looks great I'd love a go" he was suddenly taken to the field and was given a go, perfect. Simon had a great time and it would not surprise me to see him learning in the not to distant future.

Naomi and Lindsay are tricky to describe but the title kind of gives a picture. They are up for anything and having tried variety of adrenaline experiences were along for some Paragliding. They both had a super time and with their children there to share it with them it was a both a pleasure and a privilege to have them on the filed. Again we may well see more of them and the guys in the future.

So good to have tandem passengers who really appreciate it and to be fair it was a lovely day to be in the air.

Quote of the day " I don't want it to finish" if only it was that easy

Relaxation therapy

Good to be back in the field after a few day "off", Saturday and Sunday due to unexpected wind (actual wind not mine) and Monday because we needed a day out! The weather was much brighter than forecast and although cooler than the last few days was ideal for running around in.

Anna D and John M were along for a Taster day on the hanger having travelled down for a week in Cornwall from the Wirral. They had a full on day of it working through the ground based activities in the morning then moving onto the tow line after lunch. Slowly they began to relax and as they did the flying became easier and by the end of the day they were both putting in some good flights across the field and landing on their feet. Think they will sleep well!

Paul C (Plymouth) also took his time to relax but when he did his progress on the Hang Glider leapt ahead and by the end of the day he was high flighting and moving onto the base bar, lets hope he stay relaxed for the next time out.

Keiron C and Sam K were out with the Paragliders and worked hard in the morning practicing ground handling whilst the breeze was still a little fresh for them to fly. By mid afternoon it eased back and they both put in some nice flights with Sam moving within spitting distance of his CPC tasks and Keiron having completed his rounding off the day by passing his exam so become CPC qualified on the tow, well done.

Jonathon P (Bristol) dropped by and put in a few more tows on his Hang Glider looking very competent with it and also helped out with the tethers alongside Sam and Paul, thanks guys.

Nice day, nice people even I nearly relaxed!

From the ground up

Hangers rigged and ready to go

Alan s ground handles whilst Jonathon P comes in to land

Bob H gets in tune with the wing

Paul C heading up

Jonathon P floats arounsd whilst we shelter from the sun!

Strange day in the tow field as the easterly wind played tricks. On arrival it was already breezy enough for the Paragliders so they set off across the field for some ground handling. They being Mike C (Perranwell), Bob H (Tavistock) and Alan S (Falmouth).

Meanwhile the Hangers got cracking with a real mixture of things going on. Jonathon P (Bristol) was along for some refresher work and to get back into towing and had a great day settling in and enjoying some good flights the last of which saw him floating around the field having climbed out from almost setting up to land.

Paul C (Plymouth) continued into his EPC and despite a "slow" start finally got more relaxed and sorted out his airspeed to get his turns going. Hopefully he will now be set up to move into his CPC next time out.

Simon C (Honiton) on his second day moved nicely off the tethers and put in some super flights across the field as he prepared for his first release flights. He took an early bath after tweaking his shoulders but is looking good for his next day out to move on to higher flights and turns.

Gary M (Bath) came down to have another days practice on his landings and had a fine time starting off on the Mars then moving onto the Calypso. His confidence steadily built and hopefully he will soon be happy to get back into the air (and down again) on his rigid.

Shame we could not get the Para's into the air but a couple of test flights quickly made it plain that it was not good up the boys however did well and the ground work they did will pay dividends in the future.

Cool hand Luke

Having written off the day for flying it was a surprise when the misty/fog suddenly lifted and Luke C (Bath) was on the phone wanting to get going on his Powered Hang Gliding conversion. So it was a late start made a bit later by some sheep retrieving and fuel sorting but we did get going.

After the basics i did a quick demo flight ob his Wills Wing Sport 2 / Mosquito NRG combination which reminded me what cracking pieces of kit they both are and make a superb match when together. Conditions were near ideal, nice and smooth although light enough for the take offs.

Luke got on with it and did two super flights both with excellent take offs and landings although he needs to work on "the spot" to save some walking. In the air he looked relaxed almost from the word go taking to it in fine style. We finished early so I could go to the doc's with Kaz for an update on her knee (skiing injury) which was pretty positive so fingers crossed she will be back in the air soon. Busy day tomorrow so early night!

Finishing school

Always good to find a four leafer at the start of the day

Luke acts as "nose man" whilst Hywell gets set to go

Nice and level with undercarriage down Hywel sets up to land

Four Fours are whats needed if you are going to find a lost radio!

With the weather forecast to go damp tomorrow we decided to head to the field to "finish off" Hywel's CPC Hang Gliding on the tow line.

Whilst Hywel rigged his glider Kev T got in some ground work on the Condor to start off his Hang Gliding training in earnest so watch this space.

In classic conditions Hywell put away 8 tows polishing off his slow flight appreciation and adding to his overall experience and landings. By lunchtime all that was left to do was to find the radio that I had lost in the field.

An organised search pattern amazingly found it much to everyones surprise, thank you Luke. may be it was something to do with the 4 four leaf clovers i found as we rigged the Condor.

Will pop some piccies on later.

"That was lovely"

Keiron looking like an old hand as he completes his CPC tasks

Jackie W starts to get higher on her way to her EPC

The skies got bluer and the start gate busier

Pete L returns on his new Dudek Synthesis wing with a big smile

What a cracking day in the tow field with a whole lot going on. First to get going were the hangers with Hywel (Pembrokshire) and Shad (Surrey) putting in the high flights and moving through their CPC tasks. By the end of the day Hywel had converted from the Mars to the Calypso and Shad was getting to grips with the chest release. The title quote came from Hywel after landing the Calypso for the first time.

Kieron C (Boscastle) was out on the Paraglider and had a fab' day finishing off his CPC flying tasks by performing Big Ears (and they were very Big) and some very nice Asymmetric collapses. He then spent the rest of the day having fun and building experience, nice one.

Jackie W came along after a bit of a break and had a stunning day (afternoon) racking up a Dozen tows to complete her EPC flying tasks and rounded off with a lovely high flight which really put the icing on the cake.

Pete L was along with his Paramotor ready to try out his new wing (Dudek Syntesis) which after a bit of ground handling he took to the air with. The reply to my question from 1000' was "absolutely fabulous" as he cruised around the sky learning more about his new toy. A bit quicker at launch and landing but a lot quicker in the air. Big smile and one happy customer, enjoy Pete.

Looks like light winds all week so we should be out for some more including some powered Hangies over the next few days. Will pop piccies on later.

Afternoon Delight

Derek J reaxes his fingers as he floats by

The whole ridge to himself, one of the benefits of Hang Gliding

Soaring the wind sock

Patience was the name of the game and with the cold front over us in the morning we had to wait for it to clear. a close eye on what what was happening saw us head out about 13.00 so we were nicely on site as the sky cleared on the wind veered.

Derek J was keen to get some hill soaring in before returning to Wales and with Perranporth to ourselves it was perfect. He had a lovely hours flying in super conditions practicing all sorts of things and looking very competent with it. Hywel and Shad came along for a look and picked up lots of tips and useful information along with getting to know the site where they may well do their first soaring flights.

Lovely....

Top of the line

Dave K launches on the Hangy

Karen M floats down on one of her higher flights

The Hangy Boys hang out together


Hywel comes in after his first high flight and circuit

Decisions Decisions, it was a tricky call whether to head to the hill or to the field but the field won in the end. It proved to be a good choice as the conditions on the coast were light and off and when it did become flyable it was Busy!

In the field we got moving pretty quick and with a string of hangers and an odd Paraglider we had plenty to do.

On the Hangers Dave K (Bristol) was back to continue into his EPC having given up with another school, Shad (London) was down for his first day with us having also given up with another school and Hywel (Pembrookshire) on his 4th day made up the novice class.

They were also joined by Terry P (Exeter) and Derek J (Caerphilly) who were out building experience tows.

On the Paragliders (which we thought would be blown out) was Karen M (Bristol) on her second day of her EPC.

Conditions settled down and we got underway with a good atmosphere and everyone mucking in. The Hangy students worked hard and despite a few techniques that needed sorting they all clicked with the gliders and made huge progress. Putting in 10 flights each they all managed to get to high flights by the end of the day and were all looking nice and relaxed, almost like Hang Glider Pilots! Congratulations to them all on getting sorted and through their EPC's.

Karen had a great time on the Paraglider and after practicing some ground handling managed to slip in 9 flights to take her through her EPC flights in fine style before the breeze became just a little too much for Paragliders.

Terry and Derek had a great time using the lines putting in 15 and 5 flights respectively, hopefully off to the hill with them tomorrow.

Great news from Wales where Pete C was away on one of his coaching trips and informed us that ex students Graham A (Hanger) and Davis L (Para) had gone XC completing 26K and 18 K respectively, well done guys and well done Coady!

A Bundle of Fun in the Sun

Lovely sky as the Tandem does its thing

Up in the great blue yonder

Its a Family affair, great bunch, great fun

Sam K does his impression of the Angel of the North

Easy Rider

What a wonderful day, almost like summer in the tow filed. We were blessed by a light sea breeze for most of the day and then the luxury of a little convergence near the end of the day giving excellent conditions.

Hywel PR (Pembrokshire) made good progress on the Hang Glider moving off the Condor and onto the Mars as he towed to higher altitude over his 10 flights giving time to build his turns and by the end of play they were nicely upto 90 so setting him up nicely for high flights after another couple.

Sam K was back on the Paraglider and had a fabulous dayas he moved well into his CPC rattling off Weight shift, speed bar, 180 turns over his 11 flights and having the added bonus of some super thermalling under the convergence to give him a couple of "long" flights.

Lunch time saw the arrival of a family group 5 of whom were up for Tandem flights and what a fun group they were. Having come all the way from India (well via London and StIves) they were making the most of Cornwall and what it has to offer. They all had great flights some more noisily than others and all appreciated the stunning views along the coast and across to Penzance. Great fun to have along and a pleasure to meet.

Congratulations must go to Pete C (yes winch man Pete) who sneaked past the tow field at cloudbase under the convergence having taken off at Rosewall and landed at Redruth, nice one.

Leggy Blonde or Windsock?

The guys gat ready to fly, is that a leggy blonde in the background, oh no its Hywel

Mike C comes into land as Hywel gets ready with the Hang Glider

A fun day in the field saw plenty going on lots of progress made. The wind kept us on our toes as it moved around the field which gave us plenty of practice at moving locations.

On the Hang Glider Hywel PR (Pembrokshire) got his first taste of the winch and alongside Paul C (Plymouth) did a nice job of working well into their EPC's getting as far as release flights and gentle turns by the end of the day. With 14 flights each they certainly made the most of it.

Said Z (Bracknell) returned and had a busy day with 13 flights to finish off his CPC and gain his qualification but getting it right and landing near the windsock although in his head it was something else!!!!!

Sam A (Tavistock) turned up mid afternoon and had a good time on the Hang Glider sorting out base bar conversions and getting into prone flying over 5 flights as he approaches the end of his CPC course so will soon be able to add Hang Gliding alongside his Paragliding skills.

On the Paraglider Mike C (Peranwell) had a good one putting away 10 flights to take him well into his CPC tasks and looking more competent with each one.

Cool Hand Luke

After a brief visit to the tow field we headed to Carbis Bay as the wind was already on the breezy side. Arriving we found ex student Luke C rigged and ready along with very hopeful Steve M and Bill N with their Paragliders.

The sea looked pretty exiting so we held fire but not long after Steve and Bill departed things moderated and it was time to fly. Luke had a couple of cracking flights on his Wills Wing Sport 2 Hang Glider making two super take offs in the still challenging conditions and followed them up with two first class landings. Huge smile said it all and so good to see young enthusiastic Hang Glider pilots out there doing it.

I managed to sneak in a nice flight on the T2 C and had a fine time playing with the sea thermals as they drifted through.

Starter for one

With the forecast for the wind to pick up we made the best of the day by heading to the tow field with Hywell PR (Pembrokeshire) to get the basics out of the way in readiness for a full days towing next time out. Hywell had done an EPC back in 1995 so it was interesting to see how he got on. By just after lunch we had him pretty much sorted and his previous experience made life easier although as expected he was a little rusty.

With the hand tows out of the way he is looking forward to getting onto the winch and back into the air. He is down all week so lets see what he manages to achieve.

Racing and Pacing

The new T2 C 144 attracts attention as soon as it was out of the bag

Colourfull gliders on top of Merthyr

Studying the sky before setting off to Porthcawll

Stunning view of gliders and countryside on top of Forest farm

Check out http://homepage.mac.com/alanmoffat/British%20Open%20Series%202010/index.html for plenty of pics

We headed to wales to take part in the first round of the British Open Hang Gliding Series based at Crickhowell near to Abergavenny. The first three days saw not ideal weather although no tasks were set some did manage to get some flying in including our man Kev T on his Paraglider at Merthyr after everyone else had left!

However the Bank Holiday Monday saw good conditions as forecast and we found ourselves sat on top of Forest farm site with a 75 k race to goal on the coast. This was the first time I had got to fly the T2 C in thermic conditions and she was great, climbing well and very nicely behaved on fast glides even in the choppy air. It was a fun day and despite getting stuck for 10 minutes or so on a ridge I made it to goal in an hour and seventeen minutes good enough for 4th place. Wills Wing T2's made up 3 of the top four places a great result for the "team".

Sunday looked good but proved trickier with some getting away quickly and having an easy time of it as they headed to towards Usk 60k crosswind whilst others struggled to get away and struggled to get 20k under there wings before landing at the foot of the Hay Bluff ridge and others went down at launch. Still it was all flying and whilst I fell into the middle category it was great to see what some guys can do in the variable conditions.

A fun time away with plenty of interest in the new wing which I am sure will lead to some more converts, sorted out some Parachutes for some pilots who were replacing the tiny ones they had been flying on for the last 15 years and helped out the guys with their new instruments which they bought from us as they used in competition for the first time.

Wills Wing did well with second (Craig Dolwin T2) and 4th (PhippsyT2C) in the main class and Ist (Greg Emms Eagle) in the club class. In the ridigds Paul Harvey took the honors no doubt helped by his new Tenax 3 Harness which we supplied and adjusted for him at the comp'

Here's to the next one.

Windfinder

Bob H gets going with weight shift turns

Model student Karen M does a super tow and gets set to release

Said Z heads upwards on the Calypso

Martin S floats back down after a powered flight

A tricky day in the tow field and despite a solid forecast the wind was on the move all day. We must have moved a total of 6 times through the day which kept us fit although did take up a bit of time. Still things got done and progress was made.

Dave K (Bristol) got to serious grips with his tow training on the Hang Glider and was looking pretty good by the end of the day putting in release flights turns and even finding his legs!

Said Z was back after a long break and quickly got back into high flights and moved onto the Calypso whilst practising his spot landings.

Bob H moved deep into his CPC on the Paraglider with some super flights under the weak convergence that hung over the field giving some nice lifty bits whilst switching the wind direction around.

Karen M (Bristol) had her first taste of Paragliding and worked hard but was rewarded with 4 lovely flights the last of which was a release one, excellent take offs and landings to boot.

Martin S (Rosesudgeon) got back into the air with some warm up tows before having a couple of nice flights on his paramotor so building his confidence nicely.

Rodney G put in some ground work with a Paramotor on his back as he waits to move into powered flight and found the difference.

Pete L was also along for a bit of fun flying on his Paramotor and inadvertently visited the inside of the convergence cloud!

Play Mate(s)

Jill S at launch on the Tandem

Jill back on terra firma and looking pleased with herself

AJ comes into land on the tandem after a cracking flight

Two very stout fellows

Perfect conditions and nobody left to enjoy them!

What a super afternoon following a bit of a damp morning. We headed to Freathy (near Rame Head) to carry out some Tandem Hang Gliding and hopefully get to fly my new wing again. On arrival conditions were good so having rigged the Tandem I snuck in a flight on the T2C whilst we waited for the passengers to arrive. Flying up to Tregantle Fort i was joined by a large Crow who flew alongside and just above my wing tip only inches from the wing. Racing back to launch at 70kph it stayed with me "soaring" the leading edge, unreal. Even followed me round a 360 before heading back to from where it came, bizarre!

The air was buoyant and smooth great conditions for playing and for Tandems so as soon as Jill S (Helston) arrived with family I popped her down (the T2C) and we got ready to Tandem.

Jill had a lovely flight in super lift giving us plenty of time to play with the glider and even time to let go of a little ballast. Take of was a one stepper and landing tip toe, what more could you ask for. Super to meet a lady with the drive to get up in the air and thank you to her daughter for treating her to the experience.

Next up was AJ who had returned from Torquay (nearly via Santander) for a Tandem following his Taster day yesterday. He really wanted to find out what it would be like several hundred feet up and that's what he did. Despite his concerns he loved it and was soon as relaxed as myself thoroughly enjoying the flying and the views. Big grin on landing said it all and maybe even a go on a Paraglider next!

As everyone left the site the sun came out and conditions stayed really nice so i popped in another flight on the T2C having moved the Hang Point forward a little. Even better, even easier to fly and even faster, she is ready to go! As a matter of interest i went back to the Fort and sure enough up popped the Crow again. This time i flew much slower and we played follow my leader around the sky whilst being watched by a couple in a van from below. Finally the appearance of a bird of Prey took its attention and it zoomed off to mock that instead.

A cracking time had and so nice to fly Freathy again and find a new Play mate....