Dragonfly issue 03 Feb 2008 - South East Wales Hang Gliding and

February 2008
Dragonfly
Page 1
February 2008
4
CONTENTS
Safety
4
9
Parachute Repack - Steve Millson invites club members to check their reserves
Safety Advisory - A reminder of the committee's official stance on speedflying at
SEWHGPGC sites
22 Collision avoidance - A reminder of ridge rules by Jason Andrews
Expanding Knowledge
13 Wendy Windlows - Rod Buck, Wendy's Dad explains just how to get the best out of her!
22 Polar Curves - Mark Andrews concludes his 2-part article exploring how to get the best
performance out of your glider
4
Letters
10 Speedflying on club sites - Dr Tony Aldhous airs his views on the committee's stance on
speedflying
28 Nick Kerner - Remembering the the 80's
Competitions
5 XC League - 2007 Results
6 Trophey list - PG & HG
6 British Paraglising Cup 2008 - Gareth Aston invites PG members to have some XC fun
and mingle with the big boys
6 Drama comp - Sheryl Cameron invites PG members to head to Greece for a friendly comp
scene
Flying tales
9
16
23
30
29
35
29
Speedriding - Speedflyer, Dan Sidoli reports from Laplagne, France and swaps his boots
for some skiis to see what all the fuss is about
Ager, Spain - Jim Hay's place is perfect for HGs and PGs
Bir, India - Maurice Mcbride reports on his trip to Bir hosted by John Silvester, Eddie
Colfox and Jim Mallinson
Flying in St. Gervais, France - Jason Andrews reports on a scenic site with views of
Mont Blanc
Flying in Cornwall - Andy Brazier meets up with The Kernow Club for some Cornish air
Coming up next month - Mark Cousins shows us a preview from his Nepal trip, more to
follow in the May issue
Social/Events
10 Club drinks anyone? - Mark Pearson updates us on pub meetings
21 Black Mountains Gliding Club - SEWHGPGC member's can get a discount
28 Festivals - Details of Mark Leavesley's Triple X event in June
Club News
4
5
7
10
19
New Club Coaches - Steve Millson congratulates some new club coaches
Site news - Merthyr & Fochriw at risk
Accommodation in Wales - Sheryl Cameron offers a room and local guiding to club PGs
SEWHGPGC Forum - After months of inactivity the forum's starting to get used
PayPal subscriptions - You can now renew your club subs online via PayPal
UK News
11 Club Coach re-validations – The BHPA’s scheme to ensure Club Coaches and Senior
Coaches are current and active.
11 Transponders - Phase 2 consultation documents published
22 Milk Hill Closure - News from Thames Valley on a couple of temporary site closures
World News
31 World Record! - Slovenian paragliding pilot, Tomaž Eržen, reports on the highs and lows
of setting a new world record for an out-and-return tandem flight
In every Issue
3 Editorial
36 Committee Contacts
Dragonfly
Page 2
31
1
February 2008
Dragonfly evolves
The November issue of Dragonfly was the first time
that it was available online and I got a few emails
from members saying that the column format I’d
used in the paper version was awkward to read on a
PC as it required a lot of scrolling up and down.
As we start a new year, I’ve been lucky enough
to get a few hours airtime at a number of sites
across South Wales. I have to confess that I
did get a little carried away at Rhossili though.
Having not flown for a few months, I was a
little over-eager in the first week of January
and although the wind was howling at the top
it was possible to launch from the sandy beach
and soar the low ridge. After about half an
hour I got cocky and made a break for the
main hill only to get immediately vacuumed
over the top and forced to land facing forwards
but flying backwards! Oops. Fortunately I had
the C-risers in hand and was able to land
without incident by collapsing the wing as I
touched down. The moral of the story (which I
really should have learned by now!)? Listen to
your better judgement, especially when you’re
keen to fly and not very current.
Rather than re-formatting the
whole of Dragonfly to produce
two versions I’ve created a
virtual magazine which can be
read online with pages that
you turn and zoom in and out
of and I hope this goes some
way to improving the online
reading experience.
Please
note that the virtual version
cannot be downloaded onto
your computer but there is a
link at the bottom of it so you can keep a PDF copy.
Paul Dancey (club chairman) has incorporated a link
to this virtual version of November’s Dragonfly on the
main page of the club website so that non-members
and members alike can browse it and we intend to do
the same for future issues of Dragonfly and build up a
PDF archive of back-issues. We’re going to make
Dragonfly available to non-members a month after
each issue is available to members.
I’ve scattered a few adverts into this issue which I
hope readers won’t mind as these have gone some
way towards paying for the cost of the fancy software
for the new online mag.
I welcome feedback (good or bad) so if there are
things that you would like to see in the next issue,
please let me know and I will try to accommodate
you. If you want to send stuff in, then don’t worry
about the format, I’ll deal with it, paper, email
whatever just send it in. I need your contributions by
mid April for the May 2008 issue please!
Letters and articles to the editor:
Jason Andrews
1 Oxhey Avenue
Watford
WD19 4HF
Or email: Jason-andrews@sewhgpgc.co.uk
Or text/call: 07725 058100/01923 233675
Jason Andrews, Editor
(Please try to include a picture of yourself)
Dragonfly
Page 3
February 2008
Reserve parachute repack
New Coaches Appointed
Date:
Thursday, 20th March at 6pm
Venue:
Our Ladye & St. Michael’s
10, Pen-y-pound,
Abergavenny,
Monmouthshire
NP7 5UD
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP (only works in the online
version of the mag!)
The event will be overseen by BHPA re-packers Steve
Millson and Chris White. Normally, professional repacks are around £25+ but Steve and Chris are
providing their services for free and charging just £10
per member with all proceeds donated to Flyability
and Air Ambulance.
Steve notes; "This year is a
slightly different venue with a
bigger room, so please don't
show up in Baker Street
wondering where we are! If
you would like to attend and
have not done so before,
please bring your harness and
reserve so the whole system
can be checked and if you
have
the
manufacturer’s
manual, please bring that with you too."
If any other instructors or experienced packers would
like
to
come
and
help
please
contact
steve@paraglide.co.uk.
Dragonfly
Page 4
Congratulations to: Steve Anderson, Steve Bacchioni,
and Margaret Davis, who have all been appointed as
SEWHG&PGC Club Coaches. Our Course was held on
the 17th and 18th Of November at JSHPC in
Crickhowell.
A big thank you to Matt Cooper and all the staff at
the centre for donating their services, and helping the
club run a successful course. In all 26 people
attended the course from all over the UK. At least 10
of these were from our club so I am hoping for a few
more application forms to hit my doormat shortly!
Coaching is an integral part of our sport, and as an
Instructor, and School proprietor it is really important
to me to have some reliable, sound people out on the
hill to pass my students on to - a friendly face to ask
when not sure. Coaches don't have to be hot shot
pilots or instructors to be able to do the important job
of keeping an eye on the new faces. They are vital to
make sure newbies don't make those silly mistakes
that are so easy to do at the outset (I am sure we
can all remember our own ones, especially if they
hurt a bit!). Coaches are often the only official
contact new and visiting pilots will have with the club,
so they are very important to us all!
It is my task this year to get the coaching list up to
date, and to see if the coaches we have already are
still; flying, available for coaching, and still interested,
so if you have been on a previous course or have the
Club Coach endorsement and would like to be on the
list of current coaches, will you please contact me,
either by e mail or phone. Details at the back of the
mag - Steve Millson, Safety & Coaching Officer
February 2008
Fochriw and Merthyr sites at risk
2007 SEWHGPGC XC league results
All pilots are asked to remind themselves of the access
and parking rules to these sites and abide by them. A
number of complaints have been reported and failure
to adhere to the rules will put these sites at risk.
Number plates of any cars breaking the rules will be
logged and offenders will be named and shamed.
For the league, pilots were asked to submit their best
6 flights and the winners were the HG and PG pilots
with the most Kms. Last season we had a shocking
Summer with weeks and weeks of rain so many pilots
submitted far fewer than 6 flights. Full details are
available on the club website. If you want to have a
go at the 2008 league, make sure your membership is
up to date and you’ve got a GPS to record your flights
then visit http://www.sewhgpgc.co.uk/xc/xc.php.
FOCHRIW (Members only site)
Road access: From the A465 (Heads of the Valleys
Road) or the A4060 via minor roads.
Parking: Park sensibly alongside the road. Make sure
that your car is locked, and anything of value is out of
sight as there have been break-ins and thefts in the
area. WE CAN now drive past the mine gate and
park on the side of the track 100 yards or so past the
gate, but please don’t drive up the hill and onto
the common even if you see others doing so.
Take-off: Carry up the face of the hill to take-off. A
short but sharp carry up. Beware of the many deep
fissures close to the edge of the hill. There is less
compression than at Merthyr. so strong winds at
take-off are likely to be close to the real wind speed.
Do not underestimate actual wind speed and risk
getting blown back into the lee rotor and the power
lines.
MERTHYR (Open site)
Road access: The track from the north is closed.
Use the track from the south at Mount Pleasant. The
entrance to the track is approximately 200m south of
the 30 mph speed limit sign.
Parking:
West & North Take-off. Park well back (behind the
wooden post on the right hand side of the track).
Don’t drive up to take-off to unload.
Southwest Take-off. Park by the side of the track and
carry up.
Take-off:
West. A minimal carry. When rigging or inflating
paraglider canopies please watch out for possible
hang
glider
overshoot
on
top
landing.
Southwest. A very short carry up. A shallow take-off
for hang gliders from the top of the ridge. Watch out
for
paragliders
launching
lower
down.
North. Carry across to the trig point. This take-off is
mainly used for training.
Dragonfly
Page 5
Place
1st
Place
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
2007 XC League Table - Hang gliding
Best
flight
Total
Pilot*
Glider
(Km)
Km
Dave
Tregaskis
Litespeed
59.61 175.66
2007 XC League Table - Paragliding
Best
flight
Pilot*
Glider
(Km)
Steve Lowe
Gin Zoom
67.17
Skywalk
Mark Pearson Cayenne 2
30.57
Chris White
Mantra 2
35.05
Mark Harris
Aspen 2
35.31
Gin Zoom
Race
Dean Naylor
37.36
Richard
Aerodyne
Howell
Shaolin
14.37
Glyn Storey
Ozone Geo
16.04
Paratech
Brian Jones
P43
19.76
Total
Km
201.01
99.4
68.37
51.74
37.36
35.89
33.76
19.76
*For those reading this online, you should (hopefully) be able to
click on the pilot’s names above to open a new page with further
details of their flights.
The best 3 flights registered for the 2007 club XC
league were:
1. Steve Lowe (PG)
67.17 Km – From Hundred House
2. Dave Tregaskis (HG)
59.61 Km – From Merthyr
3. Dave Tregaskis (HG)
43.22 Km – from The Blorenge
February 2008
2007 Club trophies
The following trophies will be presented at the
Club‘s 2008 AGM (date tbc):
HG XC League Trophy - Dave Tregaskis
(175.66 Km)
PG XC League Trophy
Steve Lowe (201.01 Km)
a winner of the BP Cup in the last 5 years or in the
top 10 of the Nationals in the same time period then
you can only enter the Cup as individual rounds, not
to win it. However the presence of experienced pilots
at these events cannot be underestimated, they are
fonts of knowledge and will selflessly give advice and
help to any one who needs it and I think that is part
of what makes the Cup such a unique event.
So if you fancy some trips out this year, flying XC,
learning something new, having some food and
entertainment thrown in which you can enjoy with
friends with the possibility of winning some cash for
your troubles, why not take me up on my offer? It
sounds pretty tempting to me.”
Alan James Trophy for the longest HG
flight from a Club site
Dave Tregaskis (59.61 Km from Merthyr)
The PG Cup for the longest PG flight from
a Club Site
Chris White (35.05 Km from Blorenge)
Most Improved Pilot Award
Stuart Osmundsen
3rd to 5th May - Snowdonia Round
23rd to 26th May - SE Wales Round
21st to 24th June - Long Mynd Round
12th and 13th July - Borders Round
1st to 3rd August - Yorkshire Dales Round
To register, visit www.bpcup.co.uk
British Paragliding Cup 2008 (BPC)
Gareth Aston is organising the BCP this year and
writes:
Sheryl Cameron reminds us about one
of her favourite comps..
DRAMA, Greece
“Do you want to go flying, push yourself and your
abilities a little, fly in different areas, learn something
new about paragliding and then have the opportunity
to sit and talk about it with your friends and peers? If
the answer to these is yes, then here's an invitation
for you: Come and fly the BP Cup this year.
Over the years the cup has gone from strength to
strength and as the new organiser for 2008 I am
particularly keen to encourage new pilots. For this
reason I have introduced a cash prize for the best
newcomer along with a discount for all new pilots
who enter the Cup this year. The BP Cup is an ideal
event if you're new to competition flying. There is a
relaxed atmosphere with some experienced pilots on
hand to give advice and help. Whether it is entering
a task on your GPS or just general information, you
don't have to feel overwhelmed. Most of the pilots
who now fly the nationals cut their teeth in the Cup
and if you were to ask any of them I am confident
that they would tell you they learnt a lot from it, not
just about competitions but about flying as well.
To help me encourage new pilots I have instigated a
couple of rule changes, these being: if you have been
Dragonfly
Page 6
HEAR YE, HEAR YE, come all to the Drama
competition in June 25-28, 2008. The competition
has consistently run with 3 taskable days in the last
few years.
I am sure the Aiolos Club have a Greek weather God
looking down on them, and this year will also be a
great competition. It finishes two days before the
European championship and is only 450 kms or 6
February 2008
hours drive from where that is being held, in Nis,
Serbia. So, for those of you interested in a couple of
competitions in less traditional areas over a two week
period then this is for you.
Easyjet now flies into Thessaloniki, with buses to the
central bus station from the airport and there are
hourly buses to Drama from the central bus station,
transfers only 1 ½ hours, that’s the best option. You
can rent a car from the airport to have more access
to the beaches after flying, or exploring the
archaeological sites and it is only 1 ½ hours from
Thessaloniki to Drama with the new bypass.
You could fly into Athens, and travel 7 hours by train
to Drama cost approx 20 euros, with 2 euros per
large bag. Transfer to the central station, Larisis
station, by metro, catch 2 trains a day from the
central train station, leaving at 9am or 9pm, a 7 hour
transfer with stunning scenery, past the Parnassos
mountains in the centre of Greece and Mt Olympus,
just below Thessaloniki.
Room for rent
Sheryl Cameron (Kiwi) has a fully furnished double
room, for rent for as short or as long as required –
even for weekends. There is storage space for
paragliders but not hang gliders - £50 a week
negotiable depending on length of stay. She’s based
in Hirwaun, within 30 minutes of many flying sites in
South East and South West Wales and she’s more
than happy to give free guiding to the sites.
There are good hotels in the centre of Drama or free
camping at Petroussa, with the other competitors in
the school grounds or sports ground and WC and hot
water/shower facilities.
There are local buses hourly from Drama to Petroussa
or the organisers can sort out group transport for
individuals staying in hotels in town.
For registration details please visit the website
(http://www.aiolosdrama.gr/eng_links.html) and look
out for when it becomes active. The cost is likely to
be less than 100 euros and will include tee-shirt,
sandwich, drink and transport to takeoff with very
effective retrieves and good radio contact when you
have landed.
For more details:
Contact Sheryl Cameron at sherylcam@yahoo.com.
She will be heading there herself.
Links:
The write up from the last year’s comp:
http://aiolosdrama.gr/aioleia_2007_results.html
Take-off maps:
http://aiolosdrama.gr/eng_para_ptiseis.html
Further information about drama:
http://1lyk-dramas.dra.sch.gr/drama/indexen.htm
Dragonfly
Page 7
Any members living outside the area should definitely
consider this!!! Sheryl’s one of the club’s keenest
paragliders with expert local knowledge and she
makes a lovely coffee too! She’s also taking over
from Mark Pearson to organise the club’s BCC team
this year…
If any other club members have rooms for rent or
want to offer B&B or similar to fellow paragliders or
hang gliders then please write to the editor with
details so they can be included in the May issue of
Dragonfly. Many of the club’s members live several
hours drive away and it would be great to encourage
people to come for a few days at a time so that the
long drive isn’t such a disincentive!
NB: Details will be published in print AND
online so only send information that you are
happy to be in the public domain.
February 2008
Dragonfly
Page 8
February 2008
SAFETY ADVISORY
Issued by the South East Wales Hang gliding &
Paragliding Club Ltd – 26 October 2007
Sub 20m2 Paragliders and SE Wales Flying Sites
None of the flying sites registered by the South East
Wales Hang gliding & Paragliding Club Ltd
(SEWHGPGC), and none of the flying sites listed in
the Club’s online and printed Sites Guides have been
risk assessed for the use of sub 20m2 paragliders.
out your wing as best you can and forward launch
gaining speed until your air speed is enough to kite
the wing and launch. Once I figured this out LaPlagne
was my playground!
Launching and landing off-piste and not over-flying
any marked runs are the basic rules I figured out
after talking to a couple ski-patrol guys and
paragliders. Obey these and you will be left to your
own devices.
The Board of the South East Wales Hang
gliding & Paragliding Club Ltd consequently
advises that, currently, no SEWHGPGC flying
site is considered suitable for the use of pilots
flying or attempting to fly sub 20m2
paragliders.
Editor’s note: This magazine is intended to act as a
voice for the club members so I am strongly against
censoring any member’s views. Speedflying has
provoked some serious safety concerns within the
committee membership, hence I have re-printed
October’s safety advisory above to remind member’s
of the club’s stance on this issue relating to
SEWHGPGC sites. Any articles relating to speedflying
or speedriding express the opinions of the
contributing member not the club.
Dan Sidoli spends a weekend
speedriding in LaPlagne
OK I love speedflying here in the
UK but what’s the European scene
all about? Why complicate a
simple thing by adding skis and
crowded hillsides? I was sceptical
about speeriding but wanted to
give it a go and see how good it
could be. Well a revelation
wouldn’t be too far from the truth
having just come home from a week in LaPlagne.
The first and biggest difference was launching. All my
flights, about 30 of them, were done on the lee side
of the mountain with a tail wind. What was going on,
I can’t kite then launch in a tail wind? A steep
learning curve was needed but that’s what I’m used
to. I struggled a little but then figured it out - you lay
Dragonfly
Page 9
Once flying, the feeling of touching down and kicking
up a rooster tail of powder was great. The additional
weight of skis and boots (about 6kg) made the
Skim12’s handling feel sharper and the wing really
came alive when you could afford to chuck it into
turns to kill height and gain speed. The additional
speed would normally increase my anxiety but flying
over the snow off-piste was like flying a hillside
covered in a 1.5m thick airbag. I tested this all-over
safety blanket when I lost a ski in deep powder on
one of my runs. Rather than a long, long walk back
up to recover the ski I decided to hook the wing into
the powder as best I could. Knowing how deep the
powder was I knew there would be no problems and
there weren’t - ski recovered, result!
Landing off-piste and packing the wing into the stuff
sack you then ski leisurely down to the chair lift all
the time getting funny looks from skiers and
boarders. Up the lift in no time at all and the fun
begins again. The number of flights that you can get
in on a single day depends what runs you take but 10
flights a day is more than do-able if you’re that way
inclined.
LaPlagne was a great resort with a lot of potential for
speedriding. There is a designated area for beginners
but for the more adventurous there are some big
February 2008
flights to be had and some insane adrenaline-fuelled
runs. If you want to speedfly here or abroad I would
recommend one of the many speedriding schools
springing up all over the French resorts. Learning
over snow is a good way forward for budding
speeders. For me the trip has opened my eyes to
speedriding and added something to the speedflying I
love so much. I’m already planning my next trip.
I know there was a serious accident involving a
speedwing on a SEWHGPGC site, and appreciate that
some people may have concerns about the safety of
these wings. If this is the case, then those concerns
should be raised in public, so there can be a sensible
debate, and perhaps the issues resolved and the
concerns laid to rest.
If speedflying is to be banned on SEWHGPGC sites,
please can we have concrete reasons, not lame
excuses.
To see Dan in action, follow the link..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM1eCTNCpfY
Dan Sidoli has been invited to participate in the
Cumbria Soaring Clubs Lakes Charity Classic event
and annual party at Buttermere on June 7th to
demonstrate speedflying. Participants in the LLC
display will be helicoptered to a take off 2,500 ft
above the lake before putting on a show. This year
the event includes displays of skydiving, d-bagging,
acro and speedflying.
Dr Tony Aldhous responds to the safety
advisory on Sub 20m2 paragliders
I was disappointed with the response of the
committee to the issue of speed flying. Before I
continue, I must say that I have my own speedwing
(a Ski'M 15) although I have never flown it on an
SEWHGPGC site.
I will, of course, comply with the ban.
Club Website – Forum use
The club’s forum (www.sewhgpgc.co.uk/forum) is
now beginning to become quite active. Any pilots
wishing to find out about the conditions locally can
use the forum to ask members living near flying sites
for a report on the weather… indeed on Saturday
16th Feb, Pandy was packed, in part due to the forum
postings advising pilots that many members viewed it
as a good bet over the weekend. Several pilots had
driven 2-3 hours to get there and there must have
been 50+ pilots there at least.
Mark Pearson’s
pub get-togethers – cancelled, sort of...
Banning the use of such wings because of the lack of
a health and safety risk assessment is, frankly, feeble,
and possibly unwise in our risk-averse society. (I can
hear the cry now: "I'm sorry but you can't fly that
DHV-1 certified glider here. There hasn't been a full
risk assessment!")
Have there been risk assessments for other flying
activities involving uncertified wings, such as
competition flying and acrobatics? I suspect not, as a
search on the web site for "risk assessment" finds no
matches, but then these activities are generally
accepted as part of the sport, even though they can
be quite risky.
Speedflying is new and unknown; I can understand
the instinctive response is to ban it. But imagine if
this had happened to hang gliding or paragliding
when it first began. The sport would not exist in the
form it does today.
Dragonfly
Page 10
Mark started a club get together on the first Saturday
of each month at The Station Hotel in Abergavenny
but unfortunately it wasn’t very well received so he’s
cancelled it.
Any members that would like to organise to meet for
a drink/chat on the first Saturday of the month can
contact Mark by email mark@xln.co.uk or use the
Club’s website to view the forum where Mark will be
posting details of the time/venue of any social events.
February 2008
Coach Revalidation
Advertisement
The BHPA has announced that it is introducing a
coach revalidation scheme. This is being introduced
to help ensure that all BHPA Club Coaches and Senior
Coaches are current and active. This should minimise
the chance of an accident occurring during a coaching
session, and also minimise the legal exposure of any
coach if the worst did come to the worst.
Chris, Gabrielle and baby Frankie are running a Bed
and Breakfast close to the mountain. We hope pilots
will give this place a try because it definitely deserves
it. Enter Mount Jabalcon on YouTube and enjoy the
sight of Spanish pilots flying above the lake.
In future, all SE Wales Club Coaches and Senior
Coaches will need to obtain a declaration of support
signed by the Club‘s Safety and Coaching Officer
when
renewing
their
BHPA
membership.
The BHPA are also recommending that coaches
should re-attend a BHPA Coach Course at least once
every five years to ensure that they are fully up-todate with current thinking. In view of these changes,
the BHPA membership form for coaches will in future
include a box that can be ticked if a coach no longer
wishes to hold a BHPA Coach Licence.
We offer airport pickup and x country retrieval at a
negotiated rate. Bed and breakfast is from 20 euros
per person per night. Canadian canoe hire and
mountain bike hire also available.
CAA Mode S Transponder
Phase 2 Consultation - January 2008
On 31st January 2008 the CAA published the phase 2
consultation documents for their latest proposals on
the compulsory carriage of transponders. This is
available at www.caa.co.uk - click on the "Mode S"
menu item, and follow the links.
It should be noted that the proposals are less
draconian than last year‘s proposal of all aircraft in all
airspace. However the BHPA believes that they still
represent a significant risk to both our activities and
General Aviation as a whole. Pending a full review of
the CAA‘s documents the current BHPA position is
that they do not believe that the transponder carriage
proposed provides the CAA‘s stated safety
improvements on a reasonable cost v benefit basis.
The BHPA team of Mark Turner, Phil Jones and Tom
Hardie will carry out an assessment of the CAA‘s
documentation and provide BHPA members with their
thoughts in sufficient time for them to respond by the
consultation close of 17:00 on 31st May 2008.
Further updates will be posted to the BHPA web site
as and when they become available.
Dragonfly
Page 11
Mount Jabalcon’s east face from our house
Mount Jabalcon is one of the top paragliding / hang
gliding venues in Spain. Just a shade under 1500
metres, this extinct volcano is approximately 2,000
feet above the surrounding plateaux. As an ex flyer
from the UK I find it amazing how few Spanish pilots
seem to fly the site. The National Championships
have been held here.
If this site was anywhere in the UK it would be
rammed every weekend with pilots travelling long
distances in order to enjoy it. But this is Spain.
Manana, Manana!
For more info and bookings:
Email: chrismwhitehead@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 0034958063060 (Spain)
Tel: 07512558655 (UK)
February 2008
Red Dragon Paragliding.
“suppliers of quality paragliding equipment.
Everything from the ground to cloud base”
Red Dragon Paragliding is based in Ogmore Vale South Wales and we aim to offer the
best deals on all Independence, Gradient, Digifly, Skywalk & Apco paragliders
and paragliding accessories, we can supply other makes and models, so drop us an
email with you Enquiry.
Red Dragon is operated by experienced paragliding enthusiasts with nearly 10 years
flying experience, so you can be sure that we know what we are selling you!
The main aim of Red Dragon Paragliding is to help get enthusiastic people like
ourselves flying on the best performing and best quality kit around.
Supplying the best kit isn't always the cheapest option but we aim to offer you the
best deals possible.
Digifly have reduced their prices on their entire range of varios
Check out www.reddragonparagliding.co.uk for further details.
Coming Soon Apco Chairbag With Integrated Under-Seat
Reserve Compartment.
Our online shop is now open for business
Check it out at www.reddragonparagliding.co.uk
Or simply drop us an Email to:
sales@reddragonparagliding.co.uk
Or call Mark on
Mobile: 07795148844
Dragonfly
Page 12
February 2008
Rod Buck asks: Wendy Windblows - Is
She a Lying Cow?
As Wendy's Dad, I get a lot of enquiries about what
the readings mean, and how they are to be
interpreted.
In particular, the Blorenge Wendy is the butt of a lot
of suspicious enquiries - the Bitch is Lying! - is a
common complaint. This is because of the peculiar
topography in SE Wales, but as the Blorenge is one of
the heaviest-used Wendys, I'll take it as an example.
Well, she isn't lying, but let's look at the situation,
and try and explain more about what goes on, and
how to use her to the best advantage.
First of all, the machine is pretty accurate - I keep a
close eye on it, and the Blorenge unit is monitored for
accuracy VERY closely by a few local experienced
pilots, Paul Williams, at Paraventure, is one who
depends on her for his living a LOT, and uses her
daily. He lives only a short distance away, and checks
the accuracy constantly, and lets me know if there is
a problem. There usually isn't. Although the local
idiots did pepper the wind cups with an airgun more
than once, which didn't help.
The wind comes up the East face
strongly, increased by both Venturi effect
(compression) AND the thermal flow up
the face when the sun is on it in the
mornings.
However, the thermal flow carries
straight on up, only the residual wind
flows across to Wendy, and registers on
the wind cups.
Therefore, Wendy will not tell you what it's doing
at takeoff. The wind at takeoff will be anything up
to 50% or more higher at takeoff on the East face
than Wendy says it will be.
So, some basic facts. Wendy is on a pole on the brick
buildings in the radio compound at the Twin Towers,
near the car park. I would add this is the nearly the
most expensive location by far for any Wendy station
- I pay Gwent police over £500 a year for site rental!
Now, the thing you have to bear in mind is this:
Wendy can tell you very accurately what it's
blowing in the car park!
She can't tell you what it's doing at takeoff but you can work it out.
She can't tell you what it's doing anywhere
else - but you may be able to guess.
Remember back in the days before Wendy existed?
Everyone would first of all drive to the car park on
top of the Blorenge, stand on the car roof, hold up
the anemometer, and take a wind reading before
guessing which site to go to…..
Well, Wendy saves you the trouble of doing
that. No more, no less.
Dragonfly
Page 13
Try it yourself. Next time you're out, go to
the car park, stand on the car, and take a
wind reading with your anemometer. Check
Wendy by phone. It'll be the same, give or
take.
Now walk to launch, and check the wind
again - I'll bet you anything you like it'll be
50% or more stronger - maybe even
double! (Especially when the sun is out)
Now, Easterlies are the easiest to predict - why?
Because there's NOTHING upwind of the Blorenge for
a loooong way, to cause wave, or valley flows, or
anything to upset things. Therefore, in Easterlies, it's
merely usually a case of allowing for "compression"
February 2008
or "venturi" effects increasing the wind on the edge
itself, compared to the carpark where Wendy lives.
However, there is one situation, common in
Easterlies, where Wendy may give unexpected
results. She isn't lying, but you may not expect what
she tells you.
This is the situation where high pressure results in an
Inversion. For those of you who don't know, an
Inversion is where the normal state of atmospheric
affairs is reversed. Normally, as you go higher, the air
gets colder.
In an Inversion, cold air flows down into the valleys
at night, like water filling a receptacle. Warmer air lies
over the top.
Therefore, Wendy will be in the fast airstream
ABOVE the inversion, and will read a strong,
consistent wind.
Only a short distance lower, there will be little, or no
wind - so on lower sites, though Wendy says it's
blown out, it may be paraglidable, (although it
probably won't be good flying, with an inversion
above you!)
What about Westerlies, or South-Westerlies?
This means that the "real" winds skate over the top
of the inversion, and are strong, as the cold air "fills
in" all the valleys, etc, and smooths out the
roughness of the earth's surface, which slows winds
down.
Well, here, we're into guessing territory. The system
of hills, valleys, etc upwind of the Blorenge can cause
so many intermingling effects that it's impossible to
tell.
Wave is the biggest influence - it can be 30mph+ on
Merthyr, yet only 10-12 on Blorenge! (and Merthyr is
lower!).
So,
Above the inversion, there are strong winds,
from a uniform direction.
Below the inversion, there are light and
variable winds, any direction.
Now at the Blorenge, which is 1700 feet AMSL, the
top of the hill may be ABOVE the inversion, (and so is
Wendy!)
Dragonfly
Page 14
Valley winds at either end of the day can cause local
effects, which make other sites vary considerably
from the Blorenge.
Therefore, as I said, Wendy can tell you what it's
doing at Blorenge car park. From there, you have to
use your own experience and site knowledge to apply
it to other places.
Why don't I put more of them up at more takeoffs?
Two reasons, really:
February 2008
1) At many places, (like Merthyr!) it would last 30
minutes before the locals had it away for scrap.
So, it might look like this:
2) There aren't enough of us to pay the cost of
doing it. Each station needs to attract 100 new
users to be economic. Putting another one at,
say, Hay Bluff, won't attract near enough to make
it pay.
3) Locals might think it was a spy station for a new
wind farm, and destroy it in principle to prevent
another wind farm being erected. (Don't laugh it's
happened elsewhere!)
So, like I say, Wendy can tell you accurately what it's
doing at the Blorenge car park. Nowhere else.
One thing it WILL help you with. It prevents you
going out when it's too strong. If Blorenge Wendy
tells you it's above 15-18mph or so, then all you
Paragliders can stay at home, 'cos (inversions
excepted) it'll be too damn strong everywhere.
By the way, a brief note of how Wendy works things
out may help you to interpret the readings better.
Wendy takes a 30-second-long sample of the wind,
counting the anemometer pulses. This is to filter out
any short-term gusts, and only be influenced by wind
changes that last at least that long (ie thermal
changes). So, every 30 seconds, it logs new readings
of wind speed & direction, daylight, temperature,
rainfall, everything.
You will see that, as the direction vane oscillates in
the wind, the main direction is SSE, with a few "hits"
on ESE, SE, S, and SSW.
This would read the average wind out as SSE, of
course, but you can see from the data, that there is
actually a slight bias towards S, rather than SE.
Again, the "average" direction is taken over a halfhour's worth of readings.
The difference between Max and Min wind
speeds gives you the thermal strength.
That is, take Min speed away from Max speed, and
divide by 2. For example if the wind speed varies
from 15 to 25 mph the difference is 10mph. Divide
by 2 = 5mph thermals.
Why? Because the thermal suck when the cloud is
upwind of the hill is subtracted from the basic wind
- when the cloud passes behind the hill, it's added to
the wind.
It keeps half-an-hour's worth of readings in memory
(60 readings). Each time it takes a new reading, it
throws away the 61st reading, (that is, the one from
30 minutes + 30 seconds ago), adds the new reading
on to the front of the table, and re-calculates max,
min, and average winds.
This is why Wendy takes a 30 minute sample - to
allow for clouds to form, pass over, and disappear
downwind. In this way, she captures the cloud cycle.
It looks through all 60 readings to check the highest
& lowest windspeed, then it adds all 60 speed
readings together, and divides by 60 to get the
average wind.
"Hello, is that Wendy? I've just rung your
Bradwell and Shining Tor stations. Which one
do I believe?
Thus, it doesn't just add max & min together, and
divide by 2, it averages the whole of the last 30
minutes.
Directions are given as a median. That is, every time
it takes a direction, it adds it onto one of 16 "heaps"
of readings - one for each direction.
Dragonfly
Page 15
I've had some hilarious phone calls from people. My
all time favourite is:
"Well, you believe the Bradwell one if you're going to
Bradwell, and Shining if you're going to Shining!"
" But - but - but they're saying different things!
Surely they should say the same?"
"Oh, you think the winds should be the same
everywhere? That'd good. Could have saved myself
the trouble of putting 30 of them up all over the
February 2008
country - I could just have one central one, which
would read the wind out for everywhere!"
AGER UPDATE –FEB 2008
Jim Hay
Long silence while this was digested….."Oh, OK,
then."
Daph and I moved permanently to Ager about two
years ago. We had spent a very stressed previous
two years looking for a house to buy somewhere in
northern Spain. Thanks to Declan Doyle – a local
Irish estate agent and hang glider pilot – we finished
up with a lovely house in Ager. The house sits on the
mediaeval wall on the south side of town and has an
uninterrupted view down the Val d’Ager.
Bradwell is a typical situation - I once arrived at
launch to find NO WIND. Wendy, ½ mile south on
the same ridge, at the Gliding Club, was giving 16
West. "The bitch is lying!" said several guys on the
hill.
I turned and pointed to the windsock, which is 20
yards from the Wendy station - it was nicely
horizontal! Obviously 16-18-ish!
So, even ½ mile away, on the same damn ridge
the wind can be totally different.
Therefore, you can only assume that Wendy will tell
you what it's doing WHERE SHE ACTUALLY LIVES.
Assuming the reading should be the same on another
hill 2, 3, or more miles away is not realistic. However,
with experience of the local sites, you can get a good
idea, and reduce your chances of a wasted trip by 8090% or so.
For more details of the Wendy Windblows weather
service visit www.wendywindblows.com or call 0800
3580405.
Ager is a small town sat on top of a pimple in the
middle of the valley. It is at an altitude of about
2000 feet but the attraction is the nearby flying ridge
which is 15 kms long with take-off at 5000 feet. The
permanent population is around 350 but this doubles
at weekends as holiday visitors and flyers come to
town. At last years FESTA (street fair and market) an
estimated 8000 crowded in!
The facilities in such a small town are incredible.
They are:- Library with web access – Hairdresser –
Town Hall with free tourist information booklets in
English – Doctors surgery where appointments are
not required – Old Folks Home! – Chemist – Bakery
and coffee shop – Post Office – Petrol station Swimming pool (with a bar) – Two general stores
with good food – Seven Bars with four having
restaurants – Two of the Bars have WIFI for free web
connection – Large camping site with a swimming
pool – various flats and houses for rent – Tourist
office with FESTA tee-shirts.
Up near take-off there is a new observatory which is
linked to an Earth Sciences Study Centre lower down.
This has just had a large new budget approved to get
it completed.
During the summer months, there are organised
activities/attractions every two or three weeks.
Examples from last year – Catalan Caving Conference
– Vintage Car Rally – The FESTA. For non flyers,
there is Quad biking – mountain walking – bird
spotting with Golden Oriols, Bee-eaters, Hoopoes,
Griffon Vultures – swimming in the lakes or the pool –
caving – white water rafting etc.
Most of the local villages have a declining population
as the youngsters move to more exciting towns or for
a job. Ager has a growing population and activities to
keep the youngsters happy.
When there is an
organised event in the town, the youngsters are
Dragonfly
Page 16
February 2008
Ager flying ridge
employed by the Council to keep control and they
have the authority to do it – with a smile always!
pay! Within Ager, two of the main (!) roads have had
the old and broken concrete replaced with coloured
block paviours (flat top cobbles)
So how do you get here? If you are a paraglider
pilot, you can fly (or possibly not depending on who
taught you). Easyjet fly from Bristol to Barcelona but
we always found the flights cheaper from Luton.
Because Ager is growing and attracts tourists, the
Catalan Government is spending serious money on
road improvements. Two years ago, they widened
and straightened the road south out of the valley to
Balaguer and they are still putting in small
improvements.
The big two year project is to
improve the road going east towards Tremp. They
are having to build many bridges across ravines and
there is a major problem where the road is squeezed
between the railway and the lake. It will be finished
this year but they always try hard to keep it open to
traffic.
Ryanair fly to Reus, Girona or Zaragosa and all are
about two hours drive away so car hire is normally
required. Thompson fly from Cardiff to Barcelona at
very unsocial hours and seem to have keen prices.
There is a new airport being built at Lleida and that is
only 45 mins from Ager. Who will fly in and out of it,
I do not know but fingers crossed.
Of more interest to fliers is the fact that the road up
to take-off has been widened and tarmaced all the
way. With proper drainage gulleys, the road no
longer washes away each winter and any vehicle can
use it. For retrieve drivers, there is now a tarmac
road over the back to Tremp and that saves about a
20km drive. It means that they arrive first now and
will have to set up the drinks but the pilot still has to
Hang glider pilots will normally drive to get here and
there is a choice of routes. We have driven here
about ten times over the years and have normally
used the route:- Calais – Rouen – Le Mans – Tours –
Brive – Toulouse – St Gaudens – Vielha –
Montanyana – Tremp – Ager. Be very careful in
Rouen as the town council cannot afford signposts.
Driving down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans is fun.
Dragonfly
Page 17
February 2008
A young Griffon Vulture waits for take off
We have normally taken two days driving each way
with a stop in the Limoges/Brive area as every village
has the hotels listed on the main road – very useful
and cheap
Last year we tried the route:Limoges –
Chateauroux – Orleans – Chartres – Rouen – Calais
on a visit to Britain and found it very pleasant. Just
once we tried going via Paris and that was almost the
end of our marriage! It is one of the largest cities and
does not have a ring road. Avoid it!
So, what about the flying in Ager? There are two
Paragliding flying schools in Ager that teach all year
round and offer dual flights. A third paragliding
school seems to have disappeared. Recently, an
English couple from southern Spain have rented a
house nearby and are said to be starting a PA
paragliding school but we have not met them yet.
Fredo, a nice German, offers dual hang gliding flights
Dragonfly
Page 18
and does a lot of them. The Barcelona Club with
hang gliders and paragliders fly here often. There is
a light aircraft strip nearby and they have weekend
fly-ins with around a dozen aircraft visiting. The
same field is used by the paragliding schools and it is
very entertaining to watch the light aircraft landing
through around 15 paragliding students on their first
top-to-bottoms.
Take-off is large and smooth and rounded, a bit like
Merthyr but without the grass or the magic
mushrooms. Below you is the intermediate plateau
which is large and flat enough to land on if you lose
the first 1000 feet. Otherwise, you go slightly left
towards the gully above the chapel.
The gully
funnels up rough thermals that give you 20 up
(10m/s) lift and will take you up to 8500 feet very
quickly and surprisingly smoothly. Just hang on and
smile.
At 8500 feet you can see a long way. The Pyrenees
are to the north and peaks 100km away are in view.
February 2008
Swimming - the lake
Decision time. A nice XC and a beer at the end would
be good. Call the retrieve driver and order the beers
in Tremp. A drift over the back and you have 7000
feet in hand and the bar is only 20km away. The
Castell de Mur is a nice route marker and the river
and lakes to the right have big flat fields around
them. Land at Tremp, have a beer and then drive
back to Ager for more beer and food.
Alternatively, drift around the Val d’Ager and explore
and take photos. A 50km flight inside the valley is
quite common and you are always within easy reach
of a landing field. Be aware that evening ‘valley lift’
may make it difficult to get down. Land in the big
landing field by the camp site and make the difficult
decision – 100 metres to the camp site bar or 200
metres to Bar Torres. And try to take the silly grin off
your face
If you think this article is a blatant ad for Ager. Of
course it is.
Jim Hay - (0034) 973455034
jimhay@bluebottle.com
Dragonfly
Page 19
Please use PayPal for
SEWHGPGC subs if you can
Just a reminder… Direct debits are a too costly and a
bit of a pain to administer but we do offer something
similar, PayPal Subscriptions.
Members using this service are still in the minority but
growing. PayPal’s system interacts directly with our
database ensuring we always have up to date
payment information - much less work for Paul
Dancey the club’s chairman and good for the club’s
finances.
For those who don’t know what it is, Paypal is the
system used by millions of people that buy/sell on
www.ebay.com and other online retailers. To set up
a PayPal account you just need an email address and
a bank account. To set up an account just visit
www.paypal.co.uk.
February 2008
Dragonfly
Page 20
February 2008
membership; allowing people to re-visit and fly at
club rates over that period.
Mark Pearson has negotiated
a 10% discount with
Black Mountain Gliding Club
Mark writes: Would anyone be interested in a day
out at the Black Mountains Gliding Club in
Talgarth this year?
They are willing to take group of 5 - 12 people for
the day. Below are the details they sent me so if
anyone’s interested please contact mark@xln.co.uk.
Basically you only pay for the launch and club glider
hire - Instruction is free; since our instructors are all
volunteers.
We could accommodate up to 12 people in one day.
We operate at weekends only between the end of
October and March; and 7 days a week throughout
the remainder of the year.
Obviously the day will require booking in advance.
The best strategy is to agree a weekend date and
keep our fingers crossed for the weather. We can
always scrub the night before if the weather doesn't
play ball. Don't worry about flying in the winter - We
can get some fantastic flying this time of the year
(Wave to 31,000 feet anybody?)
Please note that our trial lesson prices are due to go
up on 1st March 2008; from £63 to £69.
The club is also able to offer advanced courses in
wave and ridge soaring, as well as cross country
techniques. With a best glide approaching 65:1,
modern sailplanes can fly big distances cross-country
– 500 Km is not uncommon in good conditions.
The club is nationally renowned for wave and ridge
lift, triggered by the Brecon Beacons and Black
Mountains. The Club’s location is truly unique, and
provides the longest average flight time of any gliding
club in the UK. Privately-owned gliders typically fly for
2 or 3 hours at a time, accessing over 100 Km of local
ridges, which provide good soaring in virtually every
wind direction.
Black Mountains Gliding Club
The day would include:
An introduction to the Black Mountains Gliding Club
●
●
●
A brief overview of gliding including sailplane design
and flight theory
●
●
●
The best ridge and wave gliding site in the UK
Average flight times over one hour
Fly over the stunning scenery of the Black
Mountains and Brecon Beacons National Park
Professional full-time instructor
Club fleet includes K13 and K21 two-seat gliders
Friendly and active club
One-week conversion courses available in Summer
Trial lessons by aerotow launch in our club's dual seat
gliders; flown by our BGA qualified instructors.
●
Price for the trial lesson is £63 per flight less 10%
discount = £56.70 and typical flight time is 20 or 30
minutes. The trial lesson includes one month's club
Contact details:
www.blackmountainsgliding.co.uk
enquiries@blackmountainsgliding.co.uk
Call Liz at the office weekday mornings (Mon to
Thurs) on 01874 711 463.
Dragonfly
Page 21
●
February 2008
Polar curves part II - by Mark Andrews
(ex-member and Canadian instructor)
News from the Thames Valley Club
Milk Hill and Milk Hill White Horse are closed as
flying sites.
BHPA insurance cover is £2 million but Natural
England now require pilots to have £5 million Public
Liability insurance cover for these sites.
TVHGC and the BHPA have set up a mechanism for
pilots to obtain the extra cover if they wish. Its likely
to cost £30 and enrolled pilots will be issued with a
card. If you want to fly these sites, please complete
visit the TVHGC website:
Additional insurance form (link)
The details on this form will be collated and sent as a
list to the BHPA. Once the insurance top up has been
implemented by the BHPA and issued to the members
that have applied for it - the site will reopen.
ERROR: Equation (b) in the last issue should have
read Sink Time x Speed = Distance
The polar curve gives us a useful profile of a wing’s
performance at different speeds. As discussed in the
last issue it can provide us with the best speed to fly
if we want to fly the furthest distance (Max Glide). In
still air, max glide occurs at the tangent between the
curve and a line drawn from the origin.
Fig 1 (Still air)
Ground Speed
Sink
Reminder of ridge rules
– Jason Andrews
Min Sink
Max Glide
Min Speed
Max Speed
In this issue we will consider the effects of a
headwind and a tailwind.
If the ridge is on your left and you meet other gliders
head-on at the same level, the convention is that you
give way to the pilot with the ridge on his/her right as
they are unable to follow the turn right collisionavoidance rule. I highly recommend the PowerPoint
presentation by Airworks for a revision of collision
avoidance rules and everything else covered in the
Club Pilot exam.
CP presentation (link)
Dragonfly
Page 22
In a headwind groundspeed is reduced. This
effectively shifts the sink axis to the right and reduces
the groundspeed values for Min Sink, Min Speed and
Max Speed. In this diagram flying at the minimum
speed (just above stall) would have you drifting
backwards. Max Glide remains at the intersection
between the curve and the new origin and shifts
relative to the other speeds. The new Max Glide shifts
to the right.
February 2008
Bir by Maurice Mcbride
Fig 2 (Headwind)
Ground Speed
Sink
Max Glide
Max Glide
In a tailwind groundspeed is increased. This has the
effect of shifting the sink axis to the left, increasing
the groundspeed values for Min Sink, Min Speed and
Max Speed. In this case the new Max Glide is shifted
to the right.
Fig 3 (Tailwind)
Sink
Max Glide
Max Glide
Ground Speed
Summary
In a tailwind Max Glide is nearer the Min Sink, in a
headwind Max Glide is nearer Max Speed. If we are
aiming to achieve our best glide ratio we should
always speed up (airspeed) into wind and slow down
(airspeed) downwind. In a tailwind there is never an
advantage flying slower than Min Sink.
•
•
•
Speed up in a headwind
Slow down in a tail wind
Never fly slower than Min Sink
Well that’s the theory, but what about REAL flying? It
is possible to use a GPS and fly in still morning air to
get a plot of the polar curve for your wing, but it’s
really not worth the effort. The best way to regularly
achieve more efficient glides is to fly with a GPS
displaying your Glide Ratio. Adjusting your brake
input will quickly give you the most efficient glide.
Dragonfly
Page 23
Photo Credit: Jim Mallinson
Two November fly-guides to Bir in northern India
were organised at the 11th hour by John Silvester,
Eddie Colfox, and Jim Mallinson. From the cold,
damp climes of Belfast, myself and Dave Tweedie,
elder statesman of the Ulster PG scene, decided to
take a peek.
India is currently mooted as a mushrooming
economic powerhouse so we were surprised at the
rough and ready state of both Dehli airport (ok,
mainly the toilets) and its surrounds. Our taxi driver
was a local from Bir, dispatched by our guides to
spare us from Dehli rip-offs.
The interminable
journey jangled the senses as we played chicken with
families of four crammed onto a single motorbike
without a helmet between them. Carts, bicycles,
goods tricycles, and the occasional cow – all without
lights – emerged from the growing darkness. Twelve
hours later we staggered, starry eyed, into our
Tibetan run lodgings cursing ourselves for not taking
the internal flight to nearby Kangra airport.
February 2008
At the short take-off (known as Billing) we squinted
through the milky haze at Bir. The easily reachable
bottom landing field helped dispel new-site nerves.
Pull up, run like hell, yeehah!
Conditions were strongly thermic without being
unpleasant. Hopping from spur to spur we soon
found ourselves 13km from take-off under a low
cloud base that obscured nearby peaks. Mistakes
were made (write down 100 times: I will not cloud fly
in the Himalayas), but we thermalled well in the easy
conditions and managed the tricky top landing when
arriving back at take-off. We relaxed outside the
cosy stone shop and sipped a glass or three of chai
(sweet, milky tea). By 3.30pm the power of the low
autumn sun was depleted and for 15 minutes we
boated down to the terraced Sunset landing field on
the edge of town. A great first day.
Day two brought us all together for the first time.
Late arrival Mike, a hardy Scot, was already exhibiting
signs of travel malaise. German client Phillipp worked
in Mumbai. His skimpy 50hrs airtime was quickly
explained by extensive parawaiting experience gained
during a previous company posting to the Isle Of
Man. He flew as well as any of us over the following
10 days.
Photo Credit: Jim Mallinson
Bir is a scrappy little one-street town. It is a Tibetan
dominated ‘colony’ - an offshoot of Bir-proper a mile
or so away. India has embraced the Tibetans with a
generosity of spirit matched only by the cold Chinese
authoritarianism which has created these new Indian
citizens.
A mess of white taxis waits to ferry
paraglider pilots to take-off.
The butcher’s flyscreened hovel lurks roadside like a Quentin
Tarantino nightmare. Sleepy dogs litter the garbagestrewn street and occasionally, after 9.00pm when
the town goes to sleep, your feet get soaked by
diverted irrigation streams crossing the road. There
are no McDonalds: Bir is good.
Next morning we wolfed down an impressive
breakfast of porridge, honey, fruit, omelette (hold the
chillies), toast, and tea at The Colonel’s Resort, a
sprawling guesthouse beyond the tended tea
plantations on the edge of town. John and Eddie
introduced us to Naresh, the knowledgeable local
guide and driver. Flying permits, bottom landing
options, maps, and Indian sim were quickly sorted
and we began the 30-minute drive to take-off 1000m
above.
Dragonfly
Page 24
Dharamsala town, home to the Dalai Lama (the pg
permit specified his residence must not be over
flown), was the 45km goal. The map suggests the
flight is an easy ridge run WNW, but the day was
weak and an inversion ensured our early 400m height
gain was our last. Take-off height (2400m amsl)
quickly became our ceiling while the spurs towering
above made us hungry for height. The guys implored
us to push on, ignoring all but the strongest lift, but
progress was still painfully slow. After 3 hours a final,
eagle-filled climb provided enough height for the glide
towards multi-tiered Dharamsala town. A beat-up
cricket
ground
made
a
perfect
landing
zone where
we fended
off
the
excitable,
but always
polite,
Indian
Photo Credit:
children.
Jim Mallinson
February 2008
Our unbelievably high ratio of 3 guides to 4 clients
was already proving useful. Mike, having succumbed
to Dehli Belly in the air, had flown with dedication
above and beyond the call of duty (nuff said) but was
forced down short of goal. With a diligence typical of
all three guides throughout the trip, Eddie Colfox
picked and landed an appropriate area for the pair
and effected a prompt retrieve.
No pilot was
abandoned at any stage, no matter what situation
arose. This was no ‘transport to take-off and you’re
on your own’ job, this was the real deal.
Successful flying days, like the enormous spurs, just
kept coming.
We averaged 3hrs airtime daily.
Sunny, windless conditions prevailed, with the group
only being downed once due to cloud cover.
Inversions varied both in altitude and in their affects
upon the flying, but pilots penetrating them early in
the day had greatest success.
Behind launch the south-looking take-off spine rises a
further 550m to its summit, which forms part of the
front ridge. This front ridge forms one southern edge
of the Himalayas, running WNW past Dharamshala
and SSE where it tapers out 40km away near Mandi
town. At the latter we landed on a dried riverbed to
keen interest from the press and local school children
who forced us to sign autographs (I say forced, but
Dave and Eddie seemed to warm to the task far too
easily if you ask me). Behind (north of) the front
ridge, nearby peaks of 5000m+ are commonplace.
It is time for our first foray over the back. Four of us
clear the front ridge and go on a glide. It is new
territory for us and we arrive across the valley low.
We handle the punchy lift bubbles there clumsily, and
for a while we test John’s shepherding skills. Once
higher, the bubbles form a solid climb and our
confidence returns. Vultures and eagles join us
briefly in the strong lift, then simply melt away. We
lose the lift a few times before picking our way to
4000m. Visibility is markedly better and fingers
markedly colder despite twin gloves and heat pads.
The balaclava is still pocketed due to the distracting
warmth at T.O. The tree line falls away and we spiral
up above brown, rocky peaks into a few high wisps of
cloud. We glimpse the monster peaks that lie north.
It is big territory and easy to forget the time of day if
your urge to explore takes over, but we need the sun
for the journey home and soon begin the long glide
towards a magical, cloud-wisped col in the front
ridge. The sun’s rays penetrate the cloud’s thinnest
layers and paint its edges golden. Shadowed slopes
take an age to near, gradually filling our vision and
Dragonfly
Page 25
getting higher and higher as we approach. Will we
make it? No way. But the scale is deceptive and
eventually our wings curl around the side of the weak
cloud into the welcome sunlight on the southern face
of the front ridge. Huge, forested spurs jut towards
us, providing enough lift to overfly a minor col and
from this unfamiliar approach a few of us are
temporarily lost until a familiar red temple comes into
view. We follow John’s lead, top landing the ‘Golf
Course’, so named because of its smooth contours
and closely grazed grass. Everyone is elated; our first
venture over the back. Mental notes are taken –
more trousers required next time, perhaps a string
vest? What are those heat pad thingees? Let me try
your heated gloves Jim.
A camp is arranged for the next night at ‘360’, a
location on top of the front ridge about 15km SE of
T.O. The guides all say 360 is a great spot. They’re
right! We can see for miles in every direction. A
slate ringed circle (the ‘Helipad’) forms the perfect
landing spot. Jim Mallinson and myself arrive from
over the back where we have flown to 4660m
(15300ft). At that height the hazy air of the inversion
is history. A crystal clear view of dozens of snow
capped Himalayan peaks etches itself into my mind.
At 360 a strong thermal breeze blows up the slope to
remind us of home. With a few open terraces in
front, the elevated dirt circle also forms a perfect
take-off. A few practice landings, watch the sun go
down beside thick slate huts and we’re ready for chai,
a hot meal, a campfire and a nip of whisky. Bruce,
the local flying guru points out possible routes to
Manali, a challenge we have yet to attempt. We see
the Milky Way, Mars, some shooting stars and argue
over whether that’s The Plough at a weird angle or
not. Ghost stories are old hat so Eddie tries a few
bear stories as a porter lobs flash-bangs in every
direction.
Vegetable curry for breakfast is not The Colonel’s
porters’ finest hour; nevertheless camping will seldom
feel so decadent again. Hot ginger chai wards off the
morning chill and by take-off time the spacious tents,
cotton filled blankets, sleeping bags, and all the rest
of the paraphernalia of our luxury camp, are being
pack-horsed down a trail. A hundred curious villagers
gather to see us off, silently lining the Helipad’s
circumference (no I’m not making these names up,
Eddie assures me they are authentic – he has them
on the back of his fag packet). Colourfully dressed
children hear varios beep and cameras click, then
we’re off, waving down from the air.
February 2008
Photo Credit:
Jim Mallinson
With the group gaining in experience and flying well,
there was enthusiasm for an attempt on Manali,
50km over the back.
On the penultimate day
conditions allowed us to try. An initial 22km dogleg
brought the frontrunners to a pivotal 3800m col. A
lowering cloudbase began to limit height gains, but
with most of the hard work behind us and a
successful climb to 4000m in the bag it seemed an
easy task to overfly this last significant barrier in our
way. Twice we attempted to pass low over the wide,
smooth col; twice our glide was trashed by a stiff
valley breeze funnelling up the adjacent Kullu valley
and, incredibly, we missed the col by a mere 50100ft. Weakening sunlight prevented a successful
return to Bir. The group was split but safely down
beside two villages. My group landed in the front
ridge’s cold shadow beside a village located a mere
4km from Billing (as the crow flies). Despite the
language barrier a cheery bus driver explained he
wasn’t putting his foot on the pedal until the next
morning. He happily manoeuvred my mobile phone
into the only square centimetre of coverage in the
village, recognising our driver’s name in the process.
Naresh drove the 5 hour retrieve, meanwhile the
others really lucked out. They hailed the only vehicle
Dragonfly
Page 26
in the next valley at Polang village and using Jim’s
fluent Hindi easily beat us to the supper table.
Another surreal day to bank in the memory.
I may return to distant Bir, but while we experienced
quality flying every day, whispers suggested the last
few years were not so consistent. ‘No one got over
the back last year’, was a comment that might give
one pause for thought. The short autumn days of
November allowed flying between 11.30am to
4.00pm but group flying rarely began before noon
and only weak lift is available after 3.00pm, so
unsurprisingly 45km was the furthest distance flown.
Mind you, as an ardent XC hound I can honestly say
that distance is irrelevant there due to the terrain, the
remoteness, the scale – it’s the Himalayas for God’s
sake! Spring days are longer, so March/April sounded
popular among the regulars; though flying conditions
may be less predictable.
Our three guides proved themselves to be offering
the highest quality of guidance. I cannot imagine a
more diligent trio or a more complete service. Clients
were given enough freedom to learn from their own
mistakes, yet John, Eddie and Jim remained attentive
February 2008
throughout and left nothing to chance. We flew to
many locations we were unlikely to have seen without
their excellent guidance. The high guide/client ratio
enabled two or three groups to progress
independently, rather than becoming bogged down
by the slowest flyer or route on any particular day.
Although sold as a guided vol-biv trip, few of the
clients (all new to the area) really expected or had
much enthusiasm for it.
Indeed a true vol-biv
adventure (rather than an arranged night out in safe
territory) is perhaps mutually exclusive to a fly-guide
unless every client has mountain experience and
proper kit. Customers – even those with the requisite
flying skills – cannot realistically expect to be mollycoddled over the Himalayas…but this came darned
close! Some organisational fine tuning is necessary
following this first attempt by the trio, collectively
named Himalayan Free Flight, but anyone booking for
next year can be assured of John, Eddie and Jim’s
utmost attention both in the air and on terra firma.
The spectacular Himalayan foothills will kick your
senses into overdrive.
Finally, a word to the wise: John Sylvester flew a
DHV1-2 Nova Mamboo. He hopped about on it like it
was a comp wing. If it’s good enough for John it’s
good enough for most.
Eddi Colfox (trip organiser) comments:
“It is great to hear all Maurice’s positive comments.
Bir and its environs are great for flying and
experiencing some of the “best of India”. It’s true
that 2006 was poor weather-wise (it was a la Nina
year) and as for people going over the back – up to
this year that has been rare, It is the Himalayas after
all, it is big there and can be scary!
Weather-wise, the norm is that September is less
reliably flyable but there are great days between the
Dragonfly
Page 27
storms which can dramatically cut short the day or
more. October and November are flyable with it
becoming increasingly stable and the days becoming
shorter. However great days, with 100kms +
available to pilots with 60ish hrs experience, can still
be had with great reliability. After all, flying for more
than 3 hrs a day, day by day is exhausting and you
wouldn’t want to miss out on the other attractions of
India.”
John, Jim and Eddie will be running trips in Bir from
early October until late November 2008.
For more information:
eddiecolfox@hotmail.co.uk
07768 646434
View last trip’s blog at www.skysafari.blogspot.com.
Editor’s note: I thought club members would be
keen to read about the above trip regardless of the
fact the author isn’t a SEWHGPGC club member (The
next issue’s articles will include an account of flying in
Nepal by SEWHGPGC member Mark Cousins and
there are some great pictures to look forward to!).
Club members’ articles do get priority but my main
aim is to provide a cracking read and promote our
club by widening the circulation of the mag. Don’t be
shy – send in your news!
If you’re reading this and you aren’t a member, why
not JOIN RIGHT NOW?
Its only £22 a year for access to truly great sites and
you’ll get a detailed site-guide in the post.
https://www.cymnet.co.uk/~sewhgpgc/mem
bers/form2.php?Membership_status=New
February 2008
Nick Kerner remembers the 80’s
Nick writes, “Great to see the effort you've put into
Dragonfly, I am one of those who'd still like to receive
it by post.
The photo (behind text) is of my friend's efforts to
get airborne in the mid 1980's, & of course selflearning.
The hills in Sussex weren't as big either [as SE Wales]
so the efforts were mostly futile. One of the
spectators was the landowner, the father of a friend
who was a commercial pilot & after half an hour of
poo-poo-ing our attempts, declaring the craft
dangerous, relented & had an attempt himself – alas
to no avail.
Nick Kerner
Heol Senni
2005
Hope to meet you on the hill”
Website: www.leavesleyaviation.com
Info on the venue: www.walcothall.com
Where: Walcott Hall, Lydbury North, close to the
Long Mynd flying site!
Cost: Tickets for pilots are £40 in advance.
There will be plenty of opportunity for flying,
whatever level of experience pilots have and lots to
do.
● Free-flying trade fair
● Aviation car boot sale
● Acro display from Raul Rodriguez
● Model aircraft displays
● Ground handling seminars
● Free-flying films
● Beer tent sponsored by Three Tuns Brewery
● DJs, bands and lots more.
All profits are going to the local
children’s hospice
Dragonfly
Page 28
Contact Details: Mark Leavesley, 01588 630253 or
info@leavesleyaviation.com
February 2008
beach and access to take off is through a holiday
camp.
Flying in Cornwall – Andy Brazier
If this Summer, like many others, you find yourself
off to Cornwall on a
family holiday see if
you can sneak your
wing into the boot as
there
are
ample
opportunities for some
interesting flying to be
had.
The Kernow club have always been very supportive of
the Britich Club Challenge, travelling long distances to
attend fixtures at our sites and have done well
despite their lack of regular opportunities of mountain
XC flying at home. They have an excellent site-guide
online and are more than willing to provide support
and help for visitors. Those I met were very
welcoming and seemed genuinely pleased to have
visitors to their sites and I received offers of
accommodation next time I’m down – a bit of a
difference from the attitude in some parts of the
country.
My daughter is presently at college in Falmouth and
there are several sites within easy driving distance.
Almost all are coastal and some according to the
guide require 110% conviction that it is soarable as
there is no bottom landing option unless you want to
take your chances with the sea. Personally, I wouldn’t
try any of these without the guidance of a local but
there are others that are quite benign and there’s
some great scenery to be enjoyed.
Perran Sands
The Perran Sands site is on the north coast, just to
the east of Perranporth, itself overlooking a lengthy
Dragonfly
Page 29
looking west towards Perranporth
Launch is easy off a rounded cliff top and there is
plenty of room for top landing. I was down in
Cornwall for a long weekend at the end of the
Summer this year having taken my daughter down
for the new academic year. We flew the tandem and
the lack of turbulence was evident by the way we
were able to ground handle the wing walking
between wings laid out 'til we got to the edge. The
beach is huge and if you bottom land there is a café
at the base of the cliff and launch is easily reached
via steps that lead up the face.
At half term I was down again and managed to fly at
Serren, which is only a mile from Land’s End. The
weather was glorious considering it was all but the
beginning of November but it was windy so I did the
Land’s End Tourist bit, hoping that it would die down
later in the day. As I drove down the narrow road
into Serren, trying to find the launch site, I looked
back up the cliffs to see a local pilot take off. A quick
turn around, back up to the main road and parking in
a lay-by I slung my bag on my back and was off
across the field guided to launch by a couple of wings
being ground handled. The site is spectacular.
To the left the cliffs have houses
sprinkled over its slopes and when the lift
died later on it was fun flying at window level
with those on the cliff top.
February 2008
To the right you can try to cross the gully over some
ridiculously picturesque cottages to reach some
spectacular rocky cliffs over looking a stunning
deserted beach.
Serren looking east along the beach
Flying new sites is always exciting and they do not
have to be high in the mountains or offer XC potential
to get the pulse racing so next time you are down in
Cornwall try to take advantage of what the area has
to offer. I know it has meant carrying out my fatherly
duties has not seemed so onerous.
village. Other nearby flying sites include Chamonix,
Passy and Megeve.
After a great lunch in the picturesque village we
headed to the landing field and followed a school
mini-bus to the launch. It was a huge gravel area
surrounded by restaurants with stunning views of
Mount Blanc!
Flying at St Gervais - By Jason Andrews
This Summer, friends of mine, Nicky and Graeme,
invited me and my brother to spend a day with them
at their apartment in St Gervais. We were staying in
Annecy but took a day out to meet up for lunch and
maybe just maybe explore a new flying site.
We got an hour’s flying in with spectacular views of
Mont Blanc and the best thing was that Annecy was
blown out – result! If you’re interested in some
cheap alpine flying then its worth considering St.
Gervais as the drive from Geneva is only an hour and
the options for many nearby sites are great and selfcatering accommodation is very reasonable… Nicky
and Graeme’s apartment sleeps 5-8 and costs from
just £350 (about €480) per week.
Saint Gervais is a small Savoyard market town in the
French Alps, a few kilometres west of Chamonix and
its an ideal base for paragliders with three launch
sites in the area, the closest just 2 km from the
Dragonfly
Page 30
Further details and booking info:
Website:
www.holidaystgervais.com
Phone:
020 88636675 (+442088636675)
Email:
admin@holidaystgervais.com
February 2008
Editor’s note: Amazingly this last article was turned
down by XC Mag!
The article is not by an
SEWHGPGC member nor even a BHPA member but
I’ve included it because I thought an account of such
an epic flight would be of interest to all our budding
PGXC hounds and serve as inspiration!
NEW PARAGLIDING WORLD RECORD
158.97Km Tandem out-and-return
by Tomaž Eržen (Slovenia)
Record breakers Tomaž Eržen & Tanja Kompan
Distance:
Time spent:
Pilot:
Passenger:
Glider:
Ratified by FAI:
158.97 km
8h and 3 min
Tomaž Eržen
Tanja Kompan
MacPara PASHA III
05/10/2007
The out-and-return flights from Soriska Planina (1)
have always been a challenge for me. Every year, we
pushed the limits further and further.
I still
remember when I first flew from Soriska (1) in 1994.
It was only to Bohinj (2), but at the time I thought it
was really crazy and unimaginable. The following
year we flew to Bogatin (3) and back, and others flew
to Krn (4). At the time, we thought that it would be
difficult to fly further, but newer gliders, better
understanding of the weather conditions, and
experience made it possible.
First we flew to
Kobariski stol (5), Montemaggiore (6), Mali vrh (7),
Campon (8), and then further along the valley. To
break the current solo out and return record requires
professional flying, great weather, familiarity with the
terrain, motivation, and very fast flying.
Dragonfly
Page 31
This spring and the beginning of the summer weren't
very good for long distances. Lack of time and
motivation were the main reasons why I didn't make
any flights from Soriska (1). At the beginning of July,
Tanja gave me the idea of trying to beat the world
record in tandem that she and Klemen flew two years
ago. I had thought about this idea, but never had
the motivation, time, courage,... only excuses. After
the Slovenian nationals we decided to give it a try
when suitable weather appeared. We didn't have
much time because the days were getting shorter,
and we also need a proper glider. With my old
bomber, such flights are impossible. Luckily Valter
had a new Pasha 3, and agreed to lend it to me. We
were now just waiting for a good weather forecast.
Wednesday, August 1st seemed like the day we had
been waiting for. In the evening I looked at the map;
selected the waypoints; read the rules for the record
on the FAI web site, and called my boss to tell him
that I wouldn't be coming to work tomorrow. On
Ratitovec [5km East from Soriska Planina (1)] and
Vogel (9) there was a north wind, but it was too late,
at 10 o'clock we were already on launch. The wind
was great, and the forming cumuli were going south.
The wind on Vogel (9) was, in my opinion, still too
strong from the northeast.
At 11 o'clock the
conditions were pretty much the same, and we
decided that we wouldn’t start and would try some
other time. During the next few days, we tested our
glider on Gozd [25 km North East from Soriska
Planina (1) on the Karavanke ridge] to avoid surprises
on Soriska (1). Although I was accustomed to my
own glider, I was pleasantly surprised by the new
tandem. The brakes were light, and felt much like a
solo glider. My spirits rose.
Monday, August 6th – the weather forecast was
good. We checked the wind forecast and Aladin –
and became nervous. This time there were no
dilemmas, we would fly for sure and see what
happened. I had been expecting more pilots on the
take off, but there was only Jure, who planned a 200
km flight. We started at 10:40 a.m. and found a
wind-blown thermal on the eastern side. We reached
the top of the hill, and from there headed towards
the start point that I had placed to the west of
Soriska (1) and a bit lower, because I didn't want our
final glide to be short of the finish. Only 80 km to the
turn point. On Kobla (10) we topped up our height,
and so we arrived almost at the top of Crna prst (11).
February 2008
The take off at Soriska Planina (1), below the village of Sorica
Key to map on page 33
1. Soriska Planina
2. Bohinj
3. Bogatin
4. Krn
5. Kobariski stol
6. Montemaggiore
7. Mali vrh
8. Campon
Ratitovec - is 5km east from Soriska Planina (1)
9. Vogel
Gozd - is 25 km north east from Soriska Planina (1)
(Gozd is on the Karavanke ridge)
10. Kobla
11. Crna prst
12. Zabiski Kuk
13. Tolminski Migavec
14. Tolminka river
Dragonfly
Page 32
15. Grusnica
16. Rdeci rob
17. Stol
18. M.Brancot
19. M.Simeone
20. Muzce
21. Boka
22. Polovnik
Drazgose - is 8km east from Soriska Planina (1)
23. Trnovo
24. Krasji vrh
13. Tolminski Migovec
12. Zabiski Kuk
25. Rodica
26. Sorica
27. Podbrdo
February 2008
The first cumulus began to form but, as is usual at
this early hour, they were not well
organized.
We flew relatively
slowly to Vogel (9), but without
complications. On the eastern
side of Zabiski Kuk (12) we didn't
find any thermals, so we crossed
to the west side and rushed
towards Tolminski
Migavec
(13). We didn’t find anything
useful on the way, and crossed
the valley containing the
Tolminka river (14) at 1400m.
This isn’t low, but is not very
safe in this area. We moved
slowly, making figure of
eights to the top of Grusnica
(15). Finally the thermal
strengthened,
and
we
reached 2000 m before we
soared on. We topped up
height on Rdeci rob (16),
and flew below the
mountain refuge on Krn
(4). I wanted to be as
high as possible for the
transition, because I
didn’t want to finish the
flight early at Stol (17),
as had happened to
me one day when I
was
flying
solo.
Although we didn't
have
a
much
altitude, we glided
to Stol (17), and
towards
the
antenna where a
beautiful cumulus
and
a
strong
thermal
didn’t
disappoint
me,
N
and
I
shot
straight
to
cloudbase.
As
we progressed
towards
Campon
(8),
everything
went
See page 32
smoothly, and
for map key
a cloudstreet
ensured
good height.
Dragonfly
Page 33
In Italy on the way back, flying eastwards –
the nearest hill ahead is M. Simeone (19), on
the left side is Muzce (20), on the right side
Campon (8)
We had to top up on height before attempting the
largest valley crossing. At Campon (8) we got to
base (somewhere near 2200 m). Before the lake,
between hills M.Brancot (18) and M.Simeone (19), we
caught a thermal that took us to 1500 m, and we
arrived at the far side almost at the top. We were 8
km away from the turn point, but had no problem
reaching it because the cloud base was 2400m. We
had flown for three and a half hours, and we were
half way. We still had enough time, and if everything
went smoothly we wouldn't be back too late. We lost
height until we reached M.Simeone (19). I had been
playing with the idea that we could get back to
Campon (8), but I didn’t dare take the risk. So, as
usual, we flew to Muzce (20) where we met Jure.
Before we reached Boka (21) we climbed to 2300 m,
and I had the feeling that there would be no problem
getting to Polovnik (22). Jure climbed a little higher
on Boka (21), but it seemed a waste of time for us.
Gasper joined us on the way to Polovnik (22). He had
flown from the north, and was returning to Drazgose
[8km East from Soriska Planina (1)]. We took photos
and chatted a little. We slowly lost height. Everybody
knows that you should fly towards Polovnik (22)
further out, and only before the end you should fly
closer to the ridge. Many flights end here because of
the usual eastern wind or not knowing this rule. I
thought we had done everything right, but towards
the end of the ridge the conditions were not that
good. Gasper had no problem with his competition
glider, and he flew to Polovnik (22) and was already
in a thermal. We, on the other hand, were going
down. We arrived at 750 m, and we were in trouble.
February 2008
We didn’t encounter any usable thermals, and by the
time we got to Trnovo (23), we had lost an additional
100
m.
but this soon proved to be impossible. We had to go
round, and encountered rotor and again lost more
altitude before reaching the east side. We followed
the ridge exactly, and tried to use every light termal,
because without those we wouldn’t reach our goal.
Before Rodica (25) we took the last lift.
Our
instrument showed that we would arrive 80 m above
the goal, but we knew we couldn’t fully rely on that.
We got low on Crna prst (11), under the Kobla ridge
(10). It was going to be a close call. Luckily it was
already so late that there was no wind that could
hinder our arrival.
Our instrument beeped: we had made it with 100 m
to spare! It was lucky that I had placed the point on
the west side, otherwise we wouldn't have reached it.
Just in case, we flew further into the sector. We
couldn't land in Sorica (26) anymore, so we headed
to Podbrdo (27). We searched for possible landings.
The pastures were too small. The train station would
be possible, but we were not too enthusiastic about
this idea. We decided on a steep pasture 100 m
above Podbrdo (27), and we landed after 8 hours and
20 minutes.
It is hard to express our first feelings. We were
exhausted. After 8 hours in flight we drank our first
liquid. We packed our glider and walked towards the
valley where Gasper picked us up and took us back to
Soriska (1) to get our car.
Gasper joins Tomaž and Tanja at Polovnik
Jure was above us, and we were practically on the
ground. ‘Is this the mistake of the day?’ I couldn't
get this thought out of my head. Doing figure of
eights, I tried to use any weak ascendance, but for 10
minutes didn’t get anywhere. We were quiet as mice,
hoping that we wouldn't land before time. We slowly
rose for about 100 m, and finally the thermal
consolidated, allowing us to soar to the top of
Polovnik (22). This was a great relief, but we didn’t
have time to ponder it: we had lost half an hour
already. The day was ending and we were still 30 km
from achieving our goal. We moved along the ridge,
circled above Krasji vrh (24), and then glided to the
westerly wall of Krn (4) that still had a cloud above it.
Slowly we located the thermal that shot up to the
highest altitude of the day – 2600 m.
When we reached Tolminski Migovec we didn’t
encounter any problems, and slowly climbed to 2300
m. It was 6 o'clock in the evening. Instead of
following the hills, we flew directly towards Zabiski
Kuk (12). At first it seemed we would pass over it,
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Although the last part was pretty technical, I thought
that it would be harder. The glider was excellent, the
weather was perfect, and we were also blessed with
a little luck. The key to a flight like this is, of course,
is having a passenger who doesn't change her mind
during the flight, cooperates with the pilot, and
knows what to do in diverse situations. That is why I
thank Tanja for her patience and persistence!!
Further details of this epic achievement:
Route:
http://www.bogvetra.com/?lang=en&oa=flightinfo&s
eason=7&fid=11274&p=olc
Photo gallery:
http://www.klubkrokar.si/galerija/thumbnails.php?album=44
Editor’s note: Many thanks to Tomaž for all his help
getting this article together! It sounds like a lot of
hard work but an amazing flight. I hope you can fly
our Welsh sites with us sometime!
February 2008
Coming up next issue… Mark Cousins reports on his trip to Nepal
Dragonfly
Page 35
February 2008
COMMITTEE CONTACTS
Chairman
and Membership
Paul Dancey
Home Tel: 029 20710616
Email: paul-dancey@sewhgpgc.co.uk
Secretary
Paul Wilkinson
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Email: paul-wilkinson@sewhgpgc.co.uk
Treasurer
Richard Sargeant
PARAGLIDING
Competitions
& Social
Mark Pearson
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Email: rich.sargeant@btopenworld.com
Home Tel: 01495 773141
Email: mark@xln.co.uk
PARAGLIDING
Competitions
& Social
Mark Cousins
Home Tel 01443 671316
Email: mark.cousins@dsl.pipex.com
HANG GLIDING
Competitions
Sites Officer
Dave Tregaskis
Safety &
Coaching
Steve Millson
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Email: dtregaskis@hotmail.com
Home Tel: 029 20617475
Email: keith.sloan@hotmail.co.uk
Home Tel: 01873 850111
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Dragonfly Editor
Jason Andrews
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Email: jason-andrews@sewhgpgc.co.uk
Dragonfly
Assistant Editor
Andrew Brazier
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Email: andrewjbrazier@tiscali.co.uk
FLPA
Edi Geczy
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Flyability Liason
Chris White
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Email: chrismeg.white@virgin.net
Dragonfly
Keith Sloan
Page 36
February 2008