Put your fingers to your keyboards and get typing! Hang glider pilots
too!
December 2003
New Year's Eve 2003
Report by Dave Moores (who else!)
Rule one: Watch the forecast. Rule two: ignore the
forecast. (Yup - I do
those! But you forgot "Rule three: Live close to all the sites" and
"Rule four: Have a life style that seems to tie you to absolutely nothing
other than the whim to go flying"!)
Even allowing for the fact that I haven't been out a lot
this year, today was special. A nasty forecast and thick fog made it all look
unlikely but an early decision to try Portland E paid off and we flew
near-perfect conditions from 11am to 4pm. It was bang-on, 12mph but a tad
chilly, there were even some nice sea-thermals to be climbed (and those out
there that doubt they exist need to fly more coastal sites in winter to find
them... First frosty day of the year is usually the best, when the sea is at
it's warmest).
With only myself and "the pilot-with-no-name"
there it was hardly crowded and with a new dhv1 glider to play on we had a fun
day in the air. Even the police, prison guards and angry birders stayed away
to give us a fun and hassle free day in the sky.
Roll on next year....! (What?
Not going to squeeze another flight into 2003? You just managed to demote
yourself a couple of rungs down my "Most Determined Pilots League"!)
(Oh - I just thought of a better rule one : Make sure your name and mobile number are on Dave Moores' mobile so that you stand a chance of being let in on these little secrets BEFORE it's way past dusk!)
Report by Alastair Florence
Dave W called at approx 0830hrs to ask if I was
already on Ballard. Not quite. I had a job to see the bottom of my garden let
alone Ballard through the fog. (But
Ballards could have been the OTHER side of the fog?)
Still we convinced each other it was going to turn good later before blowing
out in the afternoon.
0930hrs still fog.
1030hrs still fog.
I walked up at about 1200hrs (still fog) after meeting
"ever-hopeful" Dave W. We arrived at the top and Martin H, who had
also been fooled by the forecast, was on his way. The fog began to clear
momentarily to give glimpses of the sea, however the wind was still wafting up
the back. Eventually Martins fag smoke began to drift slightly in the correct
direction (especially when he blew it that way) but it just didn't happen. The
direction was OK but just no wind to back it up.
Reports from further down the coast telling us how good it
was convinced us we should stay put and wait but by 1530hrs it was obvious we
were on a hiding to nothing. The decision was made to Alpine launch in the
zero miles per hour head wind and fly down. We were all rusty on the Alpines
but Martin managed a smooth inflation then ran like a POW who just got over
the wire until airborne. I followed suit after a false inflation following a
twisted line. Dave W maybe didn't run quite fast enough (One
MUST commit to the front launch!) and ended
up with the canopy in the gorse but eventually ended up on the beach with us.
Not the best fly to wait ratio 3 mins flying / 4 hrs
waiting (but better than
3hrs for an average ride time of 50secs at Alton Towers!)
but that's paragliding and we were amongst the last to fly in 2003 - even if
only briefly.
Bring on 2004!!
Christmas Day 2003
Report by Dave Moores
Despite overeating there was enough wind to lift my bloated Xmas self off the ground for an hour on Xmas day, flying "Site Z". Just Richard K and I, but I guess it was flyable at Hive Beach and Brians' secret site too... Here's hoping for the traditional New Year's day flights!
Wednesday 24th December 2003
Report by Dave Winn
Contrary to the popular belief that I only fly
when I'm asleep, I pinched myself just to make sure and headed off to
Ringstead where Russell W had set himself up with a cup of tea awaiting my
& Ali F's arrival.
Russell started ground handling with the wind slightly off
to the West at about 14mph and managed a few hops into the air before
launching and soaring for a few minutes.
Spurred on by this Ali launched and found the wind too far
off to the West to give much ridge lift and more or less echoed Russell's
attempts. I decided to have a go myself and managed to get airborne just
managing to sit back in the harness before realising that I had to land almost
immediately.
We all decided to pack up and just as we were about to
leave a hangie by the name of Richard arrived and we handed over the hill to
him.
So to summarise we did have a go but the flying was not up
to much. Well at least we all got our feet off the ground but without reaching
the altitude some white bearded people achieve on Christmas Eve.
Monday 22nd December 2003
Report by Dave Winn
Everything went to plan! Setting out my
glider, reverse launch, take off and the perfect gentle lift taking me up
above the hill until all the cars that were parked there became little dots.
Thermalling was so easy and the vario was starting to bleep
at an increasingly rapid rate.
I headed back over the hill, across the first road and was
on my way to my first XC.
It was starting to get cold & my shoulders were feeling
the worst of it but I pressed on and was soon at Bere Regis and could just see
Corfe castle in the distance.
Then I woke up with the covers off the bed freezing cold!
Report by Mike Adkins
If Dave Winn had got out of bed a bit sharpish, he
could have joined us on Our Hill and had a real flight - not just a
dream!
This time I was the first PG pilot on the hill although Rod
Smith (HG) had arrived at the gate before me and waved me through - what a
gentleman!
It was bitterly cold and I measured the wind at nudging
14mph. Having put on so much clothing that I had to slacken my shoulder straps
to get into my harness, I finally launched and had the air to myself while Rod
rigged below me. My vario told me it was 1degC and after only 20 minutes I was
so cold I had to land for a hot drink. Others had begun to arrive and before
long there was a good crowd: I won't do the names bit - I'm bound to miss
someone out.
Once I was warm again I re-launched and this time had to
fly quite carefully as there were so many wings in the air.
At around about 13:15 God switched the wind off and we all
came down. Hopefuls were still arriving (did you get to fly, Brian?) but I'd
got another 3/4 of an hour in my logbook and decided to pack up and go home.!
Photo by RW
Thursday 18th December 2003
Report by Peter Chalmers
I have just flown for the third day running in the
UK!!! Met Russell W by the seat on the path up to Ballard, he was
contemplating launching from just below it on the low "cliff" but
decided against it. Was it my expression?
We made it to the top and found it bang on the hill but
surprisingly strong, top end for me. Russell launched and shot skywards in a
huge lift band, I decided to wait for a while with John H who had just joined
me.
After a little while we launched much lower down in a nice
grassy patch amongst the gorse having been joined by several others including
Martin H and Brian M apologies to the rest I am awful at names!
Lots of top landings including bum ones from me before it
slowly weakened and we made for the beach at about 3pm.
Spare a thought for Mike who works in Swanage and had
watched us flying for the last two days. He arrived at the top just as we
started to land on the beach. At least he got to fly his local site for the
first time even if it was a top to bottom!
WARNING : the area just below the flat grassy area at the
top has been mowed and contains lots of loose bits of gorse. Launching there
involves a lot of work removing it from lines!
Tuesday 16th December 2003
Report by Alastair Florence
Most of our workforce seemed to be off sick with broken limbs or flu or using
up holidays so it seemed a good day to finish early and sort a few things out
at home.
The weather didn't look to bad - and with a Southerly wind
developing with a hint of east - Ballard seemed the place to try. On take off
the wind was generally blowing at 14-16 mph, however regular blasts of 17-20
mph put me off launching. It looked like the sort of day with a wind gradient
as well as the clouds were moving a bit.
I figured that Knitson, at 200ft higher (you
learn something every day! DD), would
either be totally blown out or maybe not. It was strong but not quite as feisty
as Ballard and the sky looked brighter now. After packing 4 KG of weight into
the harness I launched and had 2 enjoyable flights totalling well over an
hour.
Knitson was typically rough - although the weights
certainly muffle the effects ( I think they probably prevented a few tucks ).
Mike D arrived as I was about to land after spotting a bank of dark looking
cloud heading my way. The wind had picked up by now and not wishing to be
blown over the back of the ridge I experimented with a special somersault drag
landing which worked fine. (cow **it really is a good pilot to ground
lubricant).
The gusts were now around 17-21mph so Mike never did get to
fly, there's always tomorrow.
Monday 15th December 2003
Report by Mike Adkins
When the breeze finally went NW, as I guessed from the lying forecast that it
would, I rushed off to Bell only to find Luigi and two others already in the
air! How is it that I, who live almost at the foot of Bell, find people have
come from miles away and are flying before I get there?! And how is it that as
soon as I arrive the wind drops and everyone comes down? (That
could be why they get there before you? DD)
This has happened to me more than once!
Anyway, there was a group of the regulars, Luigi, Martin H,
Robert - now almost entirely in red and inevitably dubbed The Red Baron - Sean
L, white van man (whose name I have forgotten) Russell W, Keith W, and others,
but no-one managed any sensible flying until there came a slight breeze at
14:35 which allowed a group of us 20 mins in the air: you could hardly call it
soaring - more like tree-top scratching: but it was fun and made the day
worthwhile.
Report by RW
A sunny day in high pressure with several forays over the magic tree at Bell. These were in thermic cycles of short duration, "Sky God" Sean L. achieving the best height gains due to his recent loss of weight. Other mid-winter flyers:- Luigi D, Dr C C-S, Derek S, Brian M, "The Red Baron", Keith W, Russell E, Martin H. et al. ('s funnny! Thought Al B was in Bahrain!? :) DD)
Tuesday 9th November 2003
Report by RW
A confirmation call to "Old Fartonian" Martin H, followed by a wake
up call to John B (already heading to Ballard) and a call from Sean L. to say
he was also "on his way" left me in no doubt that Ballard was the place
to be!
On arrival Mike ( Sky Surfer ) was soaring the cliff & Sean L. was
flying the lower cliffs above the bench. John B. & I struggled up the long
& winding path followed by Martin H. & Brian M.
A pleasant flying
session ensued with only one minor hiccup, I got dumped on the spur end on the
way to Old Harry when the wind "switched off", close save in the
grass at the edge. I clambered to the top and spied several flyers "beachcombing" so I thought it wise to follow suit.
All in all a good day.!