Put your fingers to your keyboards and get typing! Hang glider pilots
too!
August 2003 - Part III
Sunday 31st August 2003
Report from Gary Puhl
The forecast and weatherjack convinced me Bell should be brilliant. Setting
off early to get a parking space was worthwhile. (We will have to buy more of
the hill to build a car park next)
There was no wind and no sign of the 'bubbling clouds' as
promised. On the horizon cumulus abounded. It gradually approached. A few
launched in the hope of connecting with lift in front of the hill. We had to
walk back up each time we tried. Suddenly a strong thermal slipped up the bowl
right of take off and those that were ready got in.
It was rough but big and soon only 3 of us - Sean Lovatt,
the lovely Nicole and myself (not so lovely) - were committed to a trip over
the back. To my surprise there was lift everywhere and I watched Sean and
Nicole spec out east of my climb. I must have been 1000ft below them so pushed
on to find something better.
Each successive climb on the way to Wareham became stronger
and cloud base went higher. By the time I reached Wareham, Sean and Nicole had
merged under the same cloud and we climbed ever higher to a base of 6500ft -
the highest I have ever known in the UK.
It was cold (freezing) and popping out of the side of the
cloud into the sunshine was a relief. The view was spectacular. This needed to
be photographed. Portland to the Isle of Wight was clearly visible. The aim
now was to reach Durlston Head at Swanage. There it was, tempting me to glide
in.
Resisting my usual urge to go for it and bomb out, the
thermal over Corfe took me back to 5000ft before I jumped out. Pushing on to
The point, all 3 of us merged to arrive together. Selecting our landing site
we circled around Swanage back to Durlston hitting more lift than we wanted.
We could have flown for hours but Nicole forced her way down as she was
suffering with the cold. You had to find sinking air and core it to get down.
After 12 years of flying I had finally made it to the
coast. Nicole, (now warming up in the sunshine) announces this is her second
XC. The first was 5km. This one was 39km. Sean and I discussed how rough some
of the air was and how impressed we were with Nicole's flying. There's no way
we could have given in. Nicole then declares the only thing that stopped her
going down was following us around the sky. Gaggle flying is definitely better
than doing it alone.
Must do it again.
(Click on photo for larger version. Click on title for full-size 2048x1536 versions for your desktop!)
Report from Nicole "Cloud-Base" Barnard
Bell Hill and nil wind was becoming synonymous when Sunday, just after noon,
the experienced pilots all started to kit up when we saw and felt the first
thermal of the day blowing through, ready for the next. I already foresaw
another day of standing there, fully kitted up and nowhere to go, much like
Saturday (for me anyway).
The thermal started to blow through underneath this one
really nice looking cloud. Then Gary Puhl, then Sean L took off. I decided to
follow, but having just turned right into the bowl, I saw Sean getting g a 50%
deflation, with Gary also being kicked around. "Do I really want to go
there???" crossed my mind only for a fraction of a second when I saw Sean
push out in front and going up like crazy. By now the air was full of gliders,
but Gary cored something really nice and I decided to follow. Next thing I
know we are behind bell and still climbing in a steady 4-up.
When I looked back I couldn't understand why I was so
insecure about leaving the hill before. The valley behind is one big farm
(with Wareham forest in the middle) - with nice-looking landing fields all
over the place! I kept working my thermal, still keeping an eye out for Sean
who had hung back at the hill for a bit longer. But that wasn't for long. Next
thing I know I'm calling to Sean at about 3 grand that my hands were freezing
and I wanted to put my gloves on but didn't know how to without falling out of
the thermal! That'll teach me to take off without wearing them!
It was a slow climb to cloud-base which was at about 6
grand. Sean took over from being on top of the stack soon after we left the
first cloud on the glide to the next, with his Brontes being that little bit
better performing on the bar than mine. I never managed to catch up with him
again. At Bere Regis we came across this huge working cloud that was sucking
like crazy.
Sean went up into it and I followed Gary through a wispy
bit out into the brilliant sunshine on a glide to another cloud. He had
finally decided to join us, having spent most of his flight on a slightly
different strategy ;-) Sean had left us by that stage and glided out over the
forest to Wareham. We all hit quite a lot of sink there, but the brown gorse
on the other side made up for it! I was actually looking for a landing field,
when I saw Gary find something really strong and I headed over. Sean, Gary and
I were literally yanked out of our seats back up to cloud-base. Later, when we
compared notes, we were both amazed by the strong, punchy thermals. By that
time I was very cold and very tired, and seeing Swanage so close and yet so
far was was getting tedious. But we still had two thermals and two clouds to
go!
Over Corfe Castle we found another working cloud, but by
now it was easy one and two-ups and Swanage was coming conveniently closer.
Only one more thermal, and we were soaring above Durlston head, looking down
on the lighthouse. We were finally there! Sean and Gary flew around for a
little while longer, but I couldn't wait any longer to get my shaking legs and
cold body on the ground. I guess for any novice XC pilot, the first one is
always the most memorable, but what an amazing XC to start me off in the UK!
Much thanks to Gary Mullins who actually followed us in the car all the way
and were there to pick us up when we landed, and thanks too to Gary Puhl and
Sean L who stuck it out with the slower, and much more inexperienced pilot on
the flight!.
Report from Mike Bretherton
Epic conditions at Combe Gibbet had loads of people away, climbed out in a
gaggle, resisted the temptation to go on a glide with the rest and stayed with
the lift till it decayed over Hastbourne. Glided to Andover where a low save
got me back to base again. Then took a decision to go west and followed a
street cloud but ended up flying very much into wind to get round the
airspace. Zig zaged around near Romsey, in and out of the very large cumulus
up to 5,600ft (very cold) and landed near Whiteparish with Adrian Leppard who
flew alongside me all the way.
 |
 |
 |
| Adrian Leppard @ Cloud-base | Newbury | The road to Romsey |
Report from Craig Byrne
Having taken the long route to Bell to avoid the steam fare, as I approached
the hill it looked busy with cars and gliders but not much flying, the sky was
looking good so I got suited and booted ready for the 13:00 thermal that I had
booked.
The 13:00 thermal arrived on time and very busy sky's, only
Gary, Nicole & Sean managed to get away as we watched enviously from the
hill, they all made the coast.... 'BIG RESPECT' :o)
I now hatched a cunning plan; just go with the next thermal
how ever low! Lots of small hops later a good thermal came and sticking to
this one like glue I worked it for every scrap of lift, before heading off on
a buoyant glide working the odd zeros on route before finally being decked at
Charlton on the Hill 10.6k. ZZ, Luigi, Jim all made 9.5k.
On the hill late afternoon lots had some good flights
including new red ribbon pilots who flew very well in the on & off
conditions.
The day was finished in the time honoured way at the pub.
Lets hope we get more of these conditions in the coming month!. (You
mean pub conditions? No probs! DD)
Report from Alastair Florence
I don't know what's worse, a day when you cant bunk off work but the Devils
Dyke web cam is showing a sky full of gliders or promising to spend (most) of
the day with your wife, going for a walk along the ridge from Swanage - Corfe
- Swanage and having to suffer the pain of watching Sean L, Nicole B and Gary
P ( It looked like them anyway) (it
was! DD) passing over your head at
cloud-base on their way to Swanage. It looked like they had a few K's to spare
over Swanage, shame the land runs out there though.
On the walk back from Corfe there was virtually Zero wind
and what there was seemed NW.
Later I couldn't resist a quick run up to Kimmeridge and
was surprised to find 11-15mph WSW. I had the hill to myself apart from the
odd buzzard and crow. Some typically punchy thermals making for an exiting
hour. Eventually some big dark clouds began to roll southward as the wind
became due West. The air was getting wickedly rough signalling the end of the
sea breeze and my flight.
Report from Dave Daniels
Chances are there will be other reports submitted over the next couple of days
- so, briefly ...
Bell Hill - loads of people - Nicole B showed Sean L and
Gary P how to ride cloud-base, and some more on the convergence reaching
6,400ft asl, all landing together at Swanage for 39km. Craig B managed 12km
landing just before Spetisbury. Martin H went XC, cannot remember to where.
And Luigi, Dave F and ZZ managed a gaggle flight to Winterborne
Kingston.
 |
 |
 |
|
Gary D came 4th at the Bognor Birdman with 29m as opposed to the winner with 81m.
Eye in the Sky - August 2003 - Part II
Eye in the Sky - August 2003 - Part I
Eye in the Sky - July 2003
Eye in the Sky - June 2003 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - June 2003 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - May 2003 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - May 2003 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - April 2003
Eye in the Sky - March 2003 - II
Eye in the Sky - March 2003 - I
Eye in the Sky - February 2003
Eye in the Sky - January 2003
Eye in the Sky - November/December 2002
Eye in the Sky - October 2002
Eye in the Sky - September 2002
Eye in the Sky - August 2002 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - August 2002 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - July 2002 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - July 2002 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - June 2002 - Part 3
Eye in the Sky - June 2002 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - June 2002 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - May 2002
Eye in the Sky - April 2002 - Part 2
Eye in the Sky - April 2002 - Part 1
Eye in the Sky - March 2002
Eye in the Sky - 2001 and before