Chuffed at Chapel

Kev S launches for his first soaring flight

Kec flies high above Wheal Coates

Mavy starts her tandem flight

Tim J comes into land

After a rough night due to tooth ache due to ignoring fillings that fell out a long time ago it was nice to be greeted by a day that showed a lot of promise for flying.

Chapel Porth was the selected site and we made a quick start to catch both the wind and the tide. On arrival things were looking good with the wind ok for both hangers and Paragliders so Whilst Kev S (Yeovil) rigged the Hanger Adi c Illogan) got the Paraglider out. After a hill brief and site brief the tide was suitably far out to give a good beach and the eind had freshened a little making it more of a Hangy day than Para.

A demo' flight showed Kev the ropes then it was his turn to have a go at his first soaring flight. A little nervously he stood at the front then made a perfect take off into super lift and was smoothly up and away in a few paces. With a little encouragement he was soon a couple of hundred feet up and looking very smooth and relaxed. After settling in he explored the speed range of the glider and popped in a few 360's before coming in and putting in a super top landing to look very pleased with himself.

A short break and debrief and Kev was off again for his second flight making just as good a job and having a ball as his confidence grew. Again a good top landing saw him back on Terra firma after a good 30 minutes and convincing him it was not just luck!

Next off was Kieth S as we converted him onto a new glider which was quite a big step up from his old one. Kieth did a fine job and actually made it look pretty smooth although he found the much lighter and less stable glider more taxing than his old one but i am sure he will settle into it quickly. His top landing was acceptable and after his second flight it was better as he got used to the extra glide.

Then it was onto the Tandem for a flight up with Mavy (Exeter) who had a fine time doing something she had long wanted to experience. Conditions were near perfect and we cruised the cliffs alongside other gliders and Mavy spotted what was more than likely a basking Shark cruising the surf line down below. A BIG breakfast began to get the better of her after a while so we dropped in for a nice top landing to let it settle!

Kaz fancied a jolly too so up we went again and had a great time playing with the low cloud that started to form and flying with Tim and Michel (on his Paraglider just) in what must be one of the best playgrounds on the planet.

Great to see a good crowd of hangies out having fun and lots of happy pilots. Well done to Kev on his first soaring flights and just 4 weeks from starting with us (total of seven days so far), lets hope its good next weekend so we can get him Hill qualified as well.

Tasting session

Paul T gets set to go for is taster day flights

paul gets the hang of it nice and straight and even got his legs crossed!

Kev S gets ready under a good sky and nice Calypso

The point of aviation as Kev sets off

Michel works the lift as the guys watch

With an interesting forecast we decided on heading to the tow field with hangers and putting the Paragliders on hold as the wind was forecast on the breezy side for them.

On arrival I thought we had made a big mistake leaving the Paragliders out as conditions were perfect for both. Still decision made so we cracked on with Paul T (Torquay) who was along for a Taster day on the Hang Glider. Paul did well with the ground work picking up the glider like he had done it before and soon getting to grips with basic ground runs and harness work.

Whilst Kev S (Yeovil) rigged the Calypso Paul finished off his hand tows before lunch and got the toe brief out of the way. By lunchtime the decision not have the Paragliders was vindicated as the breeze filled in and the thermic activity picked up :).

Paul set off on his first flights on the tethers and despite a shaky start soon began to relax and work with the glider looking smoother with each flight. Kev and Michel K (Falmouth) both now qualified on the tow to CPC then got on the line to out in some experience tows and had a great time as we towed through the gate up under some lovely looking clouds. Whilst Kev took the honours for glider control and smooth flying despite the thermals Michel took it for working the lift with his previous paragliding experience showing through.

Paul hoped back on the line for a final couple of tows to round off his Taster day in fine style with some very nice flying making it a good day all round.

Perfect practice for Kev and Michel for the hill which may well be tomorrow......

Jim's Day Out

Happy Jim at the end of his Taster day

It was an "easy" day in the field with only one taster day on and that was Jim S (Newquay) who was keen to try out Hang Glidng for his 53rd Birthday having already gone sky diving and power flying for his previous ones.

We took the day easy working through the ground based tasks in a relaxed pace and having a good laugh along the way. Conditions were super wind wise although there was always the threat of some dampness. Early afternoon saw gray M turn up to drive the winch and set out the tram lines. By the time we were ready to go the dampness arrived but only a little and pretty soon Jim was on his first flight on the hangy.

He did a fine job and by his third flight was looking good which was just as well as one of his boys, Rob, and his better half had turned up to watch. Rain stopped play for half an hour then with the skies clearing we gave him another couple of tows just to make sure the good one had not just been luck!

In fairness it wasn't and by the end of his day Jim had grasped the basics. Will he be back ? I suspect so.

Smooth Bob and Cool Shad

Smoth Bob finished off his hill conversion

Babes on the hill

Newly qualified Bob packs away watched by nearly as newly qualified Shaun and Paul

Michel tries out the Delta backwards

Decision decisions, that was the first problem but in the end we decided to head to the hill at Vault and as it turned out it was the right thing to do as the wind in west Cornwall got pretty breezy. At Vault however things were different with just a moderate breeze ideal for the Paragliders who were already flying on our arrival.

Bob H (Oakhampton) was already rigged and ready to hopefully complete his hill conversion and he did it in fine style with a couple of super flights looking like a relaxed pilot and nice and smooth, gone are those sudden brake inputs and rushed inflation's, nice. With two good flights and top landings and another hours airtime he was a happy bunny so please keep an eye out for him and help him through his next few hours.

Whilst the Paragliders floated up and down Shad C (London) and Trev H (Paignton) rigged the hangies and waited for things to improve a little. By mid afternoon the skies cleared a bit as some of the Paras headed home and the lift increased and the tide went out. So after a quick demo flight Shad gave it a go on the Calypso and had a nice soaring flight settling into it well before popping the glider back on top on good style.

Trev was next but a little overenthusiastic take off technique saw him back on the ground sooner than he wished, upright 1 airtime 0. Still only not that bad and more experience under his belt. Shad went up again to test the air for Trev who was up for another go but conditions proved less lifty and Shad did a cool job bringing the calypso back in on top much to his credit.

A nice day during which i managed to get some more flying in on the Delta and even Michel gave it a go, ask him what he thinks :) Super to fly with lots of ex students some more newly ex than others and nice to see Dave L with family out.

At Cloudbase

Grant launches at the start of his taster day flights

At cloudbase on his first day, can't be bad!

grant showing how to keep it square to the tow line, nice

Gorillas in the mist

The day looked good and with yesterdays "progressers" ready to roll we made an early start even allowing for the "hour". On arrival the wind was light and variable so whilst Grant M (Plymouth) started his Taster day on the Paraglider the rest rigged and chatted. By the time they were ready it was still not settled so we took the opportunity for some CPC theory and grant made the most of what little breeze there was.

By mid morning things were looking better with a light NNE breeze and sunshine and a bit of low cloud. However a quick study of the cloud showed it heading 180 degrees to the surface wind and as it was only 5-800 feet up the likelihood of an interesting wind shear kept us on the ground for a bit more theory and ground work.

Lunchtime saw it all sort out and we got set to tow. Heading up the line on the Paraglider for a test flight saw me quickly disappear into the rapidly forming even lower cloud for an early release. By the time I was back at launch we were all at cloudbase and the winch had disappeared from view. Flying was on hold but ground handling kept us busy with Adi, James and Grant making the most of it whilst the hangies talked hangy stuff and even Tot stayed awake, mainly due to Red Bull I suspect.

However, patience is a virtue and by late afternoon the clag lifted just enough for us to get Grant going on his taster day flights and what a fine job he did showing his natural ability for the sport.

A frustrating day in many ways but with 3 CPC exams passed (James, Kev and Tom) and a very happy Grant on his Taster Day all was not lost :)

Progressors

Kev watches as Tom does a recap flight

James W gets going on his first tow

Tom d looks pretty happy after his first high flights

Another good day in the field saw lots of progress by all who were there along with lots of fun and good humour.

Although very light winds were forecast we did actually have a fairly steady breeze although it did move about a bit giving a couple of winch relocation's. Kev S (Yeovil) got the ball rolling on the Hang Glider as he played catch up with Michel to complete his CPC flying tasks. He had a great day and by the end had completed all his tasks and finished off by just having fun flights around the field whilst avoiding cloudbase.

Tom D (Stratford on Avon) was back also on a hanger to start his CPC having completed his EPC last year (6 months ago) and quickly got back into it after a few tows before heading to the top of the line for high flights and finishing off with basebar conversions and big smiles. Tom's dad Tot (long time hangy pilot) was also along to keep an eye on us but fell asleep!

On the Paragliders Adi C (Illogan) had a top day moving through speedbar and into instability tasks commenting " cant see the sense in making a perfectly good wing collapse on purpose", he does have a point! Still he did well both in his tasks and in his towing which came together nicely through the day.

James W (Wadebridge) joined us for an assessment day having learnt abroad and had a great day learning to tow and showing us what he could do. he did really well cracking towing and moving into high flights by mid afternoon then carrying on to get half way through his tow endorsement by the end of play.

The team of Bill Kaz and Cpt Kev did a fine job keeping things moving making sure we made the best of the day and everyone is nicely set up for tomorrow fingers crossed.

Quote of the day How shall we find out if the cloud is too low? " send a Paraglider up" from young hang glider pilot.......

Fabulous Friday

Chris B gets set to go

The hangy boys checking hanies

Chris gets going

Steve D appears from the sun

Michel looking ploeased (again) after his first flight on the Calypso

What a super day. we did not "hit" the field until midday as we waited for the wind to ease back but when we did our timing was spot on and things went like clockwork.

Whilst the guys rigged Coady set the winch and we were up and running before 13.00 with Michel K (Falmouth) leading the way. In classic conditions the tows were smooth yet the air lifty making for some super training. Adrain A (Gloucester) joined in alongside Michel on another hanger and Shad C (Surrey) was down having qualified with us last year for some experience flying on another hanger.

On the paragliding front Chris B (Plymouth) came along after a long break and quickly got back into the swing rattling off his EPC tasks and finishing the day with 2 super high flights to give him a huge smile and a very worthwhile day.

Steve Dredge also took the opportunity to get a few tows in after not towing since he qualified a couple of years ago and soon found his feet getting set for thoswe thermic days!

Michel also did well finishing off his CPC tasks including slow flight appreciation and stalls before converting onto the calypso so becoming Tow qualified in 6 days training and over just 3 weeks. Another few days of experience tows and he will off to the hills so watch out!

Adrian found the going a little harder after another longish break in his training but despite some interesting flight paths proved he can turn a hang Glider when he needs to!

Shad showed a little rustiness but soon settled in popping in the high flights and looking good by the end of play.

Nice to see Adi C drop by on his way home from work to check out what was going on, sorry you missed it Adi but hopefully the weekend will make up for it...

Trying Tuesday

With a good forecast we headed to the field in high spirits and on arrival things were good. Setting up in the "bird seed " field we got going pretty quick with Michel K (Falmouth) and Adi C (Illogan) getting onto the line early. They both put in the tows in what became fairly bouncy conditions as the thermals kicked in and the wind picked up.

Michel did well sorting out his basebar conversions and prone flying whilst Adi concentrated on his nodding dog and made his first attempts at speed bar proving just how flexible he really is!

Meanwhile Graham L (Reading) who was along for a Taster day on the Paraglider put in the ground work with Kaz and Bill and discovered the "power" of the Paraglider.

Just after lunch the low cloud rolled in and the wind picked up putting a hold on flying and giving Michel and Adi the chance to do their theory CPC with Kaz before sitting their exams. They both passed and as conditions remained the same we had plenty of time for a good debrief session to boot.

With it still damp and breezy we knocked it on the head early. Malin L who had also come down with his Paramotor came by to check out and pick up some kit making it a useful trip. Lets hope the sunshine returns soon.

Hangers on in the field

Michel takes off for his first high flight

and comes back down again in a pefect set up for landing

Rob and Steve rig up the good old Condor

Kev gets set on the "new" Calypso complete with chest release

It was a perfect training breeze in the field for the hangers and with 3 on the go we made the best of it.

With a consistent light to moderate SW breeze things were easy and no moving around the field was necessary, lovely.

Michel K (Falmouth) got the ball rolling as he finished off his EPC flying tasks having cracked the "secret" of the right airspeed and body movement making his turns co ordinated and efficient. By just after lunch he was off to the top of the line as he started on his CPC tasks and by the end of the day with more flights under his belt was looking good and even landing by the sock on his feet, nice one.

Rob S (Truro) returned after a bit of a break and spent the day getting back into it. he worked hard over his 12 tows but still a little more work is needed to get those turns sweet so hopefully next time out he will crack it and be off to the top.

Kev S (Yeovil) came down for the day and had another cracking time moving well into his CPC tasks completing prone conversion, 180's, spot landings as well as converting to the chest release and the Calypso over a total of 13 flights making the long drive well worth while.

Adi (C) popped out for the afternoon to practice his ground handling on the Parglider and worked hard losing a few pounds along the way i think.

Nice to see the Hangies making good progress and with a bit of luck and the right weather we should see them sorted in the next few weeks and ready for the summer fun.

8 up at Vault

Dredgy gets some ground handling in with the tandem in practice for his rating

Simon M starts the ball rolling on the first tandem flight

Joe ("group organiser") does a fly by

Sonda Goose steps us off the hill

Steve M sneaks into the group shot before disappearing!

Putting our faith in the forecast we headed to vault bay armed with the Tandem Hanger and Paraglider and a bust day scheduled. On arrival it was a super day but light, very light. Still with things forecast to pick up a little we waited and whilst it was a bit of a gamble by the time the tandem passengers started to arrive things were getting a little better. By 13.00 it became soarable on Paragliders and not long after that we were in the air on the Tandem.

First up was Simon M (St Ives) who having seen us regularly over Carbis Bay came along to try it out and had a super flight. Next were a group of friends from Falmouth who were celebrating some birthdays and life in general and despite suffering hang overs made the most of what was a gorgeous day. We started with Joe (based on her weight) followed by Emma, Sonda? (Dutch) , Will, Dougie an last but not least (especially a conditions got even better) Andy. They all had a top time and were a pleasure to take up making the whole experience fun all round, we even managed to get them sorted in time to watch the Rugby.........:(

To round the day off Kaz came up for a flight in what were by now lovely conditions with nice beach thermals giving us extra lift, very nice.

Plenty of pilots out playing and good to see Shaun and Paul putting in the airtime and learning along the way, there's always something to learn.

Tyre Pressures and Timing

Tom gets going on the hand tows

Michel works his way up the line

Trev does what Trev does

Tom looking good as he sets off on his Taster Day flights

Another sunny day in the tow field although a little hazy with a moderate NNE breeze.

Tom V (Bristol) was along for a Taster day on the Paraglider whilst Michel K (Falmouth) continued his EPC on the hanger and Trev H (Paignton) put in some experience flights on his hanger.

Tom worked well through the morning and even as the breeze filled a bit dealt with conditions getting to grips with basic canopy control in both reverse and forward. By early afternoon he was ready for the winch but with the wind on the top end we kept him on hold whilst the hangers played. Michel made good progress moving into release flights and gentle turns down to land but still needs to perfect his landing skills although his view is that one of the tyres is at a different pressure to the other one and that causes a turn!

Trev had a ball popping in the high flights and despite some turbulence up high looked on top of the game, lets hope it gets hill soarable for him soon.

With an easing in the breeze we took the opportunity to get Tom on the line and he put in three nice flights across the field getting up to 50' in the air and landing on his feet every time to round off his Taster day.

Nick F (Exeter) made a return trip with his Paramotor for a final check out to complete his Pilot rating and had some nice flying despite the poor visibility, well done Nick enjoy......

What a Perfect Day

Hanging out to dry as Kev rigs up

Adi a bit chuffed after his first high flight ( and yes he has had the baby)

Kev comes round

after his first flight to the top whilst Simon waits to launch

Happy Kev

nice

Well very nearly, although we could have done with one or two more to share it with. First thing the wind was still fresh enough but as it was forecast to drop we made best use of the time finishing off some theory before heading out at 11.00. It was bright and sunny in the field ideal for drying out the kit that had got a bit damp yesterday, so whilst Kev S (Yeovil) rigged the mars I hung things out to dry.

By midday things were perfect for towing so Kev cracked on with his Hang Gliding EPC starting with release flights and moving steadily through shallow turns into tighter ones. By early afternoon he had finished off his EPC tasks and completed his exam and we still had hours left to play with.

Meanwhile Adi C (Illogan) on the Paraglider joined in the fun and after a quick re cap flight was off to the top of the line for his first high flight and circuit which resulted in a loud yell of delight and even bigger smile than usual. Not to be out done Kev started his CPC tasks and followed suit on the hanger doing a fine job of it and looking just as pleased.

The guys worked hard through the rest of the afternoon putting in the flights working through various tasks and settling into circuits . Simon F (Camborne) also joined in on his Hanger to get him back into flying and had a fun time playing with some early thermals as a nice cloud street set up from the field. Adi rounded off his day with a super flight as we talked him into a thermal and circled him up and out of the filed before having to talk him out of it to fly back, yes even bigger smile again and even louder yell!

With everything nice and dry we wrapped a classic day which saw both Adi and Kev well into their CPC's putting in 10 and 15 flights respectively whilst Simon sneaked in 9.

Hanging around

It was a pleasantly busy day in the tow field with two taster day hangers and two day 3 hangers making use of the conditions.

Richard G (Launceston) and Pete D (Gwennap) worked hard through the morning getting their ground work out the way and by lunchtime were getting it sorted. With the tethers laid out it was not long before they got on the tow line and despite a few nervous first hops they both made good progress through the afternoon improving with each flight and even starting to relax!

In amongst their tows Kev S (Yeovil) and Michel K (Falmouth) cracked on with their EPC flights now on the Mars and both did really well putting in nice straight and level non release flights so setting them up for the release stage.

Rain stopped play early so they never got the releases in but next time they are ready to go. The taster boys did well and should be proud of themselves having gone from zero to flying in 7 hours. Thanks for helping to pack up guys and thanks to Cpt Kev on the winch.

We had a nice sociable evening with the guys on the coaching course down in the Portreath Arms all of whom seem to be enjoying the course.

Cracking day at Perran

Michel starts the day off a bit on the wobbly side

it doesn't take long for michel to get the "hang" of it and straighten up

Kev flying nicely with ropes slack, shame about the legs

Kaz comes in to top land

My kinder Egg suprise from the hatchlings, amazing it came out of the yellow container and it flies really well, thanks guys, how did you know it was in there???

With our hangy boys from yesterday up for more fun we headed to Perranporth for some "static" tethering. With the wind straight on and around mid twenties it was good conditions and soon enough Kaz was doing a demo on the Mars for Kev S (Yeovil) and Michel K (Falmouth).

Kev was first in and quickly got to grips with the basics as he flew slowly towards the front before being restrained by the tethers and landing. next in was Michel who found it a little more challenging but improved with each flight. By the end of the day they were both looking really good dealing with the turbulent bits and putting in "soaring" flights with the ropes slack.

Paul W (Truro) who had been kindly helping out with the tethers made use of the stronger breeze at the end of the day to have a go and showed that even after 27 years of not being in a hanger he could still remeber it, think he will be back soon.....

Carez and Kaz both took the opportunity to fly their hangies in a quieter slot although whilst they were up things got breezy again resulting in two "bouncy" landings and some time "off" for Kaz.

A useful day with plenty learnt and the guys keen for more.

Slalomn and straight liners

That's a sight I never thought I'd see !

Adi joins the "bun in the oven " club Adi gets going as he moves well into his EPC

Kev straight and level on the "running" tethers

You looking at me - Gray the winch making their lives easy

Amazingly the forecast was correct almost to the exact timing and it made for a lovely day in the tow field where we had a mixture of hangies and paras. The morning was taken up with Kev S (Yeovil) and Michel K (Falmouth), yes that Michel, being introduced to Hang Gliding. They both did really well and despite very light winds quickly got the hang of running with the wing and basic ground work.

Midday saw the arrival of Adi C (Illogan) who practiced his ground handling on the Paraglider whilst the "boys" finished of the basics of hanging. With conditions becoming near perfect we got the winch running and after a couple of demo flights we set the hangy off using the tram lines which made life a lot easier and proved a real success ( thanks to the devlopment team Paul H, Steve H and Graham M) .

After a few flights each both Kev and Michel were of the tethers and flying free, whilst Kev could keep a straight course Michel proved he could turn a hangy by doing a good impression of a Slalomn racer but in fairness never looked totally out of control, just a bit behind it!

Whilst the guys put in their flights Adi got going on the Paraglider and moved through his remaining EPC tasks in good style over 10 flights and ending up with good 180 degree turns so is pretty much ready to go to the top.

By the end of play the hangies were looking pretty sweet and pleased with their progress so big smiles all round.

Got some vdeo clips which will try and sort of the hangies including Michel on Slalomn!