Eye in the Sky - October 2016

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Mon 31 Oct 2016

Report from Portland East

 

An unexpected end to October. Ben H & Seb L having their Maiden Flight at this technical Site.

Sat 29 Oct 2016

Pictures from Portland East

 
Fri 28 Oct 2016

Pictures from Portland West

 
Wed/Thu/Fri 26-28 Oct 2016

Report by Ben Holt

Wednesday was a Ringstead day, a bit off to the west but very flyable. Easy transit to and from the cliffs. Thursday was due west so four of us went to St Aldhelms for several hours before and after lunch. The morning was sunny and cold, Russell and Seb pushed over to houns Tout and arrived low finding it not working. After much scratching Russell just about made it back to St Aldhelms and Seb bombed out and walked back up. When we checked the Portland recorded data it had turned WNW at the time they were there.. no wonder it didn't work! The afternoon was more cloudy but a decent WSW. After St A's we headed to Ringstead for a change of scene. It felt a bit more windy and quite westerly at take off, feeling about 18mph. I took off first and headed to the gauze to the left of the ridge. Massive lift and some turbulence was found so I pushed forward to towards the cliffs. It was at this point I realised it was quite a bit stronger that it felt on take off and half bar was needed to progress forward. I decided at this point to continue pushing forward into the clean air and land on the beech if necessary. The cliffs were working better than I've ever known, very quickly taking me to about 800' at the first house. Full bar and ears were needed to stop going up so I pushed slowly out over the sea to get in on the beech. The low cliffs by the beech were also working too well so ended up getting safely down in the bottom field and promptly packed my wing! The Portland date had shown 24-27mph at the time I was up! Lesson learnt! Friday I finished early unexpectedly and joined the others at Portland west for an hour, they had been there all day. Good lift but cold and grey. A video of the antics, wingovers and spirals at St Aldhelms can be seen here https://youtu.be/NnkV8VPsFsY

Wed 26 Oct 2016

Report by Marc Taylor

   
Ringstead - A call from Russell had me finish work to enjoy some well deserved airtime, even the sun came out eventually.

7PGs and 1 HG sharing the skies. Some thermals on the cliffs allowing some good height gains, wind was WSW.

Photos by RW

Sat 22 Oct 2016

Report by David McKay

   
Maiden Castle - An awful start to the day with a strong forecast and fog in the morning. Ben was determined it would work at the Castle, joined by Russell, Ali, Barney & myself for some interesting aviation, off to the N.E. by E with some thermals that allowed some 360s but the downwind leg was interesting. Although Barney stayed on after we had landed and it seemed the direction had improved. Better than nothing after a break away involving lots of work.

Photos by Ben & Russell

Fri 21 Oct 2016

Report by Jason Hemmings

   
Monksdown - A day of 2 halves, grey and cyclic in the morning before I arrived and good thermals to work with in the afternoon sunshine. Surprised to see so many there on a Friday and getting good height for the conditions. The bonus was flying with Red Kites.
Photos courtesy of Russell

Thu 20 Oct 2016

Report by Jeff Davies

 

Monksdown - A grey and dreary start to the day with a cuppa in Russell's VW. It felt light and Seb was the "wind technician" proving it stay uppable. Then it was 4 in the air and then 8 and then 10. Flyable all day with small thermals and lifty conditions. Nice to get the opportunity for some airtime. Photos courtesy of Russell

Wed 19 Oct 2016

Report by Richard Walters

   
Bell Hill Well, I hummed and I haaahed and eventually after a little persuasion I took to the skies. I thought it a "tad " strong and it was but then it was thermic cycles as well.

Russell said fly with a little more brake and "close your legs" definetly improved my flying even managed to turn a few times.

It was definetly strong at times but others were getting quite high and cruising around the sky. Ben siad they had been flying since 1000hrs and some flew for more than 5 hours. Not bad for a day in October.

Photos courtesy of Russell

Sat 15 Oct 2016

Report by Grant Oseland

 
   
Jurassic coast tours.


Report from Ringstead

  

An unexpected surprise at Ringers with a poor forecast.

Coast Run was achieved with Grant getting to Swanage (again), Some getting to Lulworth for the first time.

Mon 10 Oct 2016

Report by Ben Holt

 

A cold and bright Monday morning at Monksdown started light at 10am. By 10:30 there were two of us and aviation commenced. Scratchy at first but the sun soon sorted that out giving us decent thermals and sufficient meteorological wind to continue soaring in between them. By early afternoon several others had joined us ending up with a decent turn out. Sean hooked up a decent thermal, closely followed by James and myself as we went to cloudbase. Sean went xc getting in Hambledon and landing at Oakford, three sites in one day!
Here's some video of the day: https://youtu.be/eGhYOPTJLQk


Photos from Monksdown

   

Sun 09 Oct 2016

Report by Everard Cunion

   
A cold north wind at Monk's Down brought out some paragliders. In addition, Steve W in his rigid hang glider dueled with two birds for space in a weak thermal.

Sat 08 / Sun 09 Oct 2016

Report by David Almond

  

Maiden Castle Strongish Northerlies OK Mystic maiden Castle, worked 2 days in a row.

Members sticking to the 4 in the air rule. Thermic and not too "lumpy bumpy"

Sun 02 Oct 2016

Report by Paul Maidment

 

Sunday there was a small chance of a fly so about 1 oclock I headed to Kimmeridge arriving at 1.45, ( bloody Sunday drivers do they not know Im in a hurry) stood on launch good wind but not a soul about so threw caution to the wind and launched into good lift, flew the ridge for about half an hour in good lift, then spotted a wing flying St Aldhems Head, thought it may have been Ali F but was not sure, I managed to build up enough height to push to the sea cliffs, my plan being to get to the cliffs then head east and try and join Ali at St A but the sea cliffs was a far as my bravery got, finding sink at the cliffs and not lift ( must have had a tad too much west in wind ) I ran back to Swyre head with my tail between my legs . A long time later I was joined by another paraglider pilot but it was getting a bit scratchy by then, I knew I had been in the air a long time but was surprised when I looked up to see all my lines covered in cobwebs, was a strange sight must have been blow up from the fields, it was then that I noticed Ali had driven up to join us but I needed a pee and it was time to call it a day, a very good day.

Report by Gary Pocock

 

A couple of pictures from Ringstead this afternoon. Managed to get about an hour after what seems like ages since my last fly. Wind seemed die quickly at about 4.30 forcing me to land at the bottom of T/O. About ten pilots were giving it a go all told with Sean gliding in on his paramotor from Bell via Telegraph and White Horse, then enjoying the cliffs with the rest of us.

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