Eye in the Sky Nov 2006

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Mon 27 Nov 2006

Report by Sean Staines

 

  
I've just returned from a week in Tucson.

I didn't take my glider but my Zen levitiation is working quite well now.

I just need to learn to concentrate a little harder.


Sun 12 Nov 2006

Report by Kaye Escott

Paul and me decided to head to Butser mainly as we couldn't be bothered to drive to Bell. Good decision. Flyable for just about all day with a record number of pilots there (according to Shippo the most for years). Saying that everyone including several red ribbons had a go, with good humour all round in turn taking.

Report by Alastair Florence

 

   
I arrived at Bell to find a Neil performing some hops and Shamus and a John about to unpack. Neil had been there for a while and said it had only just picked up. WNW up to about 14 mph but clouds moving a bit suggesting a wind gradient.

Shamus was first up followed by the rest of us. After a short while Neil and I were sort of over the bowl when a gusty bit of lift patted us both up to 200ft odd, the wind picked up instantly and Neil was soon pinned and heading for the back field which he made ok. I was a little further out and with a good portion of speed bar kept out in front of the hill for a while longer. The flight had gone from fairly pleasant to not that pleasant really within moments. I soon got bored gale hanging and flicked back for a top land in the back field whilst I still could.

Even our fearless veteran of flight Derek S wasn't tempted into the air after this, and after his RC glider got blown back he decided to go mountain biking instead.

A wing was spotted airborne over Telegraph after we had given up but it soon disapeared (probably thought better of it or maybe just got blown back somewhere) Rating 3 (given consideration for the time of year).


9 Nov 2006

Report by Mike Adkins

Arrived 1300ish at Monksdown to find a solitary Colin D on the slope. He had apparently had some flying earlier, but by now the air was very light with weak thermic cycles. Nonetheless, we managed several more short but enjoyable flights in brilliant sunshine, until Brian M and Martin H turned up, whereupon the cycles seemed to become weaker and weaker until they petered out. We did better than the pilots on Bell, though, I learned, who got from precious little to nothing!


Tue 07 Nov 2006

Report by Luigi Degli Esposti

 

 

. . . So it goes. . .

Hey mister from abroad ! Me ? Si,Si ,have you gotta ippi on you ? Don't be so rude ,young man ! I mean ,the card. . .

. . And what would that be my friend ?;I am just a forein instructor with students who want to go XC on tandem flights and have never read Skywing.

Well ,buona giornata then.

Who cares,why don't You check them. . ,I am going flying. . what ar you talking about . . ,and. . who is going to do it and why? That's an idea of answers that I got when I asked around.

And by the way,this was Before this law ,made by overpaid incompetents ,was declared void because they made a mess of it.

Weather is sunny and mild.

I had to take a polish scool to Valdobbiadone for few days,(ask Martin Foley who just took off from the south take off and landed there),thirty km. east,to fly because the grappa was too busy with pilots from all over .

And by the way,Vadobbiadone is The place where Prosecco comes from.

So Wessex Posse,just prepare yourself for some serious prosecco drinking,after we fly there !

Luigi

Editor: For those of you who don't know Luigi, and haven't guessed it already, he is Italian. Luigi has fled sunny Dorset to his home near the flying site in Bassanno


Sun 05 Nov 2006

Report by Paul Escott

 

 
Not much in the way of wind so Kaye and I took the Doodlebugs up to Colmore (a farmstrip near Petersfield). The original plan was to take off together then tootle down to the coast and back. Unfortunately the starting rope on one bug decided to jump the mechanism and the other bug sheared a bolt on the reduction gear! After sorting one good bug (nicking a good bolt off the non-starter) we took turns and both got a nice half hour in the air before the changing wind direction and failing light stopped play.

Paul Escott


Sun 05 Nov 2006

Report by Gary Mullins

Arrived just before 11 to find the conditions similar to saturday but with the wind a little bit stronger, which we took to be a good sign. After a fair bit of testing the conditions by the "fit" few, (at about 12. 30), the wind picked up slightly and it became scratchily soarable. Improving all the time til at one point there were about 15 gliders in the air milling about in gentle thermals wafting up the ridge. Very pleasant. (Sorry no pics. No camera. But we all know what paragliders look like in the air. ) The fun lasted til after 3. 30 when conditions dropped off and the last glider landed back at take-off. Not surprising, the last one down was Senior Coach Sean Staines. Who, incidentally was the first one in the air! Big smiles on the faces of the lucky ones who chose Bell today.

Editor: Not one sitephone report for all of Sunday, come on guys, how difficult can it be?


Report by Dave Winn

Sun 5th Nov Report by Dave Winn As Russell Whyte's pictures show, we enjoyed a couple of hours flying at Portland West. A bit of a difficult take off ( a flat forward launch in nil wind ) for some but well worth the effort. Landing at the bottom is always convenient for a pint at the pub. Much better than the scratch yesterday at bell hill getting a couple of hundred feet above t/o.

Pictures by RW

 

     

 


Saturday 4th Nov 2006

Report by Sean Staines

 

 
Report by Sean Staines With the light wind forecast for Saturday It didn't look good for free flying so Nick Legras and I decided on a motoring flight from the home field at Basingstoke to Stoney Cross disused air field on the edge of the New Forest.

2Hrs later we arrived after seeing some spectacular scenery with views to Southamption water one way and Salisbury Catherdral spire the other. Flying along the Test Valley was a highlight.


Thu 02 Nov 2006

Report by Alastair Florence

 

   

I need to burn a few days leave before the year end so took a part day today, and used it productivly at Westbury Bratton Camp. No wind at all when I arrived but after bimbling around for an hour or so it picked up to give a rather peachy afternoon. Non stop flying, weak, smooth thermals, an hour or so at peak of 300 -500ft then just nice up to 200ft. Got busy at times but generally a great session ( did notice tho that one two people had a strange habit of turn toward you and seemingly flying at you, a bit un nerving at times !) Rating 7

Report by Jeremy Mortimer

 

     

Brian's site phone message tempted me to Monksdown. Monk's had been working from 10 and when I arrived at 13:00 there were several in the air. Conditions were smoothish with some thermals allowing height gains of 900' for an hour or so. The lift then dropped for a while before recovering to allow a further hour of flying at 200-300'. Good to get back in the air after eight weeks off. Very pleasant if a little cool. Those on the hill on the hill included Marcus W, Brian M, Martin H, Chairman Pete, NZ Dan and a couple of others whom I can't put a name to.

Report by RW

A crisp & cold day with plenty of sunshine at the mystic Maiden Castle. Thermals from the ploughed field in front and flying for most of the day. Occasional "scratchiness" according to Henry the "Buff". Henry dashing up & down the length of the ridge chased by Simba, Gary P & myself avoiding a rather noisy and too close for comfort, military chopper. Gaz M gaining some height over the field so we all followed to get some warmth. Feet off the ground and all that.

 


Wed 01 Nov 2006

Report by Neil Mccain

Thought I'd give Monksdown a try as Metcheck and xcweather looked reasonable. I arrived at 10. 20 to find it smack on, but strong. Eric arrived shortly after with an anenometer, and we persuaded ourselves that it was do-able. In the time it took us to sort our gear out, I felt it had eased slightly, and took off without complication. There was lots of lift, and I climbed up easily to 500ft ATO, but the wind made it difficult to push forwards. A couple of other pilots joined us, including Dan from New Zealand, who made a host of acro manoeuvres look disconcertingly simple. The crisp cold air meant visabiltiy was spectacularly good. In fields upwind of us, we could see and hear a shoot going on - beaters and dogs and so on, I'm sure I even saw a muzzle flash, and I for a moment my thoughts drifted to the likely effect of lead shot on me and my wing! After about 40 minutes, I landed on the spur to get a second pair of gloves - that north wind was bitingly cold. As my hands recovered, I watched as those in the air were obviously pinned, but the forecast was for conditions to ease as the day passed, so I thought I had time. . . But it wasn't to be - the guns below were making their way towards us. The land-owner, spotting a hang-glider making its way to take-off, was embarrassed to have to tell us that the hill was closed for the day because of a shoot. I understand this hasn't happened before, but he promised to notify the club of the other dates that willaffect the site. It was a shame - especially for the later arrivals who'd not had the chance to get airborne. But for me, first time at this site, and first flight for over a month, it didn't spoil the day.

 


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