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Eye in the Sky - Nov 2010

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Thu 25 Nov 2010

Report by Alastair Florence

I was passing not a million miles from Marleycombe today so took a lunch break there as its currently open.

It felt ok on t/o just maybe a bit gusty.

I am used to the vario giving little chirps as a thermal approaches whilst sat on the hill, today the vario was singing some quite prolonged ups and downs whilst I was on the ground still, it seemed unusal and I wasn't sure if the vario was wrong or the wind.

Nigel R turned up and we both got ready. As soon as I pulled the wing up it began sort of lurching a bit and I was wondering whether to launch or not when a gust made my mind up for me and I was airborne.

The air was very strange, a stronger wind than anticipated which pinned me a couple of times and like a cross between quite heavy turbulence and something else unpleasant that I can't quite put my finger on.

We both 20 mins or so but that really was enough. Another great active flying practice day.

I didn't have the camera or peachometer on me and probably would not have ventured to take pictures anyway, but I did have a new Terrormeter that I have on demo, that was reading 8 on landing.

Sun 21 Nov 2010

Report by Alastair Florence

 

 
Got bored after lunch and helping with the washing up, decided to go for a walk, next thing I new the car had taken me to Maiden Castle and strangely enough it looked flyable albeit a bit light.

At that moment Dr Charles arrived presumably led there by the same strange force.

We both had about 1/2 an hour swooping around the ramparts which was fun, Blackthorn bushes can be a real pain and it took me about 10 mins to untangle myself from a midget one.

The breeze got lighter and it became dusky so we went home. Peachometer 5.8 (got a new digital one for my birthday a few weeks back)

Sun 21 Nov 2010

Report by Steve Whitfield

You needed to be quite desperate to venture into the bleak looking skies over Monks Down today. Having not flown for almost a month I was definitely in need of a fix. The wind was slightly off to the east and variable ranging from 10-17mph. Nobody else was there when I arrived and started rigging the Sting. A couple of PG pilots turned up for a look but were not tempted to unpack their gear. I had a bumpy half hour soaring up and down giving my atrophying flight muscles a good work out. I managed 350ft ATO at one point but when I was ready to land I could not get enough height to get in on the top. However, I did manage a perfect no step landing which kept me smiling as I slogged back up the hill,just a shame nobody was there to witness it!

Sat 13 Nov 2010

Report by Alastair Florence

 

   
I had things to do today so was not bothered when Nigel R called and said it seemed strong at Chapmans Pool, seemed odd as everywhere except on the coast looked dead light. I managed to find a bit of time to visit St.Aldhelms and by then it felt pretty light but on the cliff.

The wing was staying up over my head on t/o so I thought I may as well see what happened if I launched.

The air was suprisingly lifty and I spent 1/2 hr between 200-300 ft odd. Generally fairly un-exciting though as pretty much all you could do was soar the cliff, I gained another 70ft so used it to fly back to the car park and then off to do something else. Nige said the surfing was good. Peachometer 4 !

Wed 10 Nov 2010

Report by Alastair Florence

 

   
I felt like a part days leave today following recent turmoil on the work scene. Being on Salisbury Plain and near Westbury I decided I would head there for a change of scene.

A lovely bright day with a strongish NNW wind on arrival around midday.

Very smooth air and plenty of useable thermals, if only the danger area was not there.

After climbing to 1500ft ato I used the height to glide into and across wind to get to the outskirts of Westbury, bimbled about on the town edge for a bit in scrappy bits of lift then scurried back to the ridge.

By about 1400hrs the wind was lighter and off to the West a bit still lifty and very pleasant. Peachometer 8.5

Sat 06 Nov 2010

Report by Alastair Florence

Nice day on Bell, generally a bit light but everyone managed some decent airtime in cycles that passed through. Very soft bouyant smooth air when it did come on with enough lift to get up to 300 ft odd on occasions.

15 or more pilots on the hill with Dave W making an appearance in a 'special' helmet, Nice to meet new member Debbie F, I gave her a site brief ready for her next visit with more breeze hopefully whilst RW briefed her on alternate pilot activities (what are you like R)

Report by Shamus Pitts

 

   
I had a very pleasant hour in the air at Telegraph Hill today. The wind was blowing between 10 and 14mph and slightly off to the west most of the time but it was buoyant with weak thermals coming through fairly frequently. There were also quite regular dead patches where the lift disappeared but luckily I was only caught out once and had to bottom land! There were some big clouds about and a couple of times it looked like it might rain, but apart from a couple of minutes of drizzle it stayed dry.

The highlight of the day was playing in the thermals with a family of buzzards, I tried to get a photo but it didn't come out unfortunately.

Mon 01 Nov 2010

Report by William Webster

 

 
After my holiday last week in Sturminster Newton with my Human friend Derek Sadler, and acting as his carer while Maggie was away in Cyprus, I have developed a new fixation, it involves Plastic bottles! I got a chance to introduce Gary `P`, Chris `S` and Eric `P` to this exciting new sport on a sunny but windless Bell Hill; before everyone drifted away late morning.

My Human owner was being his usual indecisive self and set off for home, but as we passed Badbury Rings he seemed to have a change of heart and turned the car around and made for Ringstead (I had heard him on the phone talking to someone called Russell moments earlier) Ringstead looked like a great bottle chasing venue but the Humans had other ideas.

Harry `D`, Russell `W` went off to the cliffs, followed by my owner and Derek `S` and I spent the next 50mins in the car wishing I had remembered to bring my Harness.

SAUSAGES


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