Eye in the Sky

Your Flying News Notice Board
Send me your news .... and photos.

PS. This page DOES accept contributions from other members!
Put your fingers to your keyboards and get typing!  Hang glider pilots too!
April 2002 - Part I


Monday 15th April 2002

Report from Craig Byrne

    BIG Monday :o)  What a day! 
   
Started at Monks flying in broken wave and thermals then hooked a boomer but bombed out after 6k and the wind had now gone more North West.
    Hitch a lift almost straight away, pick up the car then off to Bell. Most of the usual suspects already in air or far downwind.
    After a few sweaty bomb outs I finally catch a good one; its off to base :-) Had a brilliant flight flying most of the way with David Franklin, finally landing at Bloxworth.
    Lots of other good flights; Dave M - Weymouth, Peter R - Nr Corfe, Peter S - Nr Corfe, Martin F and David F - Wareham Forest and Neil Hutch - Swanage.
    Can you stay there another week so the brilliant XC conditions remain here in UK please ;-)  (
Pah! DD)


Sunday 14th April 2002

Report from Craig Byrne

    Bell was very busy with Airwave challenge round and lots of other pilots eager to get back into air again.
    There were thermals early on in day with Peter R, Mike B, John P and Peter S all getting away. Peter R managed 30k an amazing flight considering the conditions.
    Quite a few new and red ribbon pilots also had some good soaring flights.


Saturday 13th April 2002

Report from Craig Byrne

    Had a very good day at Monks lots of others out enjoying the conditions which lasted well into the evening.
    The HG pilots were top of the stack most of the day as it was a tad windy!.


Friday 12th April 2002

Report from John Jones

    Turned up at Monk's Down around lunchtime after a call from Rod Smith saying it was on. Got away after about 30 mins rather unpleasant thrashing around.
    Two climbs took me over Blandford at 5100 ATO. From there I glided along A354 to Winterbourne Whitchurch. Another climb took me over Tolpuddle to Crossways. Glided from there to Poxwell, where I got another climb back to over 3000', but concerned about the strongish offshore breeze, soon left it, turned crosswind, and headed towards Weymouth, finally landing at Weymouth Rugby Club, who kindly stored my glider safely for me. 47k.
(Good one John!! DD)


Tuesday 9th April 2002

Report from Mike Adkins

    Okeford Hill - Martin Hayward and I met at 10:00 to find what seemed the promise of a good day.
    Martin had spoken with the farmer's wife and the sheep were gone from the t.o. field and the electric fence turned off. By then so had the wind - too easterly - so down to the spur we went, where we both launched and flew.
    Conditions were very light and no thermals came through: Martin sensibly top-landed, but I had kissed the tree tops and left it too late! So an 8 minute flight cost me a sweaty 40 minute walk up.
    By the time I got back Adrian Coombes had arrived and he launched from the t.o. field. After a short flight he re-launched (from the spur) and this time gained real height and set off.
    Martin and I rushed to follow suit but very suddenly the wind freshened - I got a sizeable tuck at 80ft ato - and we both landed, Martin vertically and me going backwards! (I almost landed on the backs of a crescent of horses who were watching Martin land and were oblivious to me!) Adrian had by now returned, Sean Lovatt had arrived and so had Peter (Skygod) Robinson. But it was too blowy.
    I decided I'd had my fix for the day - after all, it was my first flight this year - and set off home.


Saturday 6th April 2002

Report from Everard Cunion

    Here's a photo of our newest Hang Glider member, Lucy Goodrich, about to attempt her first hill launch in Britain.
    It is at Mere, Wiltshire, on 6 April.
    The glider is a small Airwave Pulse. (Known in its homeland, the USA, as a PacAir Vision Pulse.)
    The launch, flight (into lift), and landing, were all successful.


Monday 1st April 2002

Report from Dave Daniels

    The hangies were out on Ringstead - Chris Hares and Tony Chalmers were two of the three that were flying above the orographic mist when I called by around 3pm.

    Later - the wind was southerly and decreasing to paragliding levels. I called Martin Hayward to see if he was heading out somewhere only to discover that he was in Weymouth for the afternoon.
    On hearing that Durdle Door could be about to work - he came over and we had an hour of brilliant flying, even if 2mph less wind would have made life a little easier. The wind at 300ft-ato was exactly equal to the trim speed of the Electron on full speed-bar!
    By keeping a little lower both Martin and I managed to cruise between Lulworth Cove and Bat's Head - and had the wind been that little more friendly we'd have gone up to White Nothe. Another day, perhaps.

Martin Hayward over Oswald's bay
 to the East of Durdle Door

Martin over Durdle Door


Eye in the Sky - March 2002
Eye in the Sky - 2001 roundup
Eye in the Sky - September/November 2001
Eye in the Sky - July/Augsust 2001
Eye in the Sky - June 2001
Eye in the Sky - March to May 2001
Eye in the Sky - Feb 2001
Eye in the Sky - September and October 2000
Eye in the Sky - August 2000
Eye in the Sky - July 2000
Eye in the Sky - June 2000
Eye in the Sky - May 2000