Mistress Palindrome blog 2008

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30th Dec. Bryncaws. Light and variable, sock kept changing direction. Groundhandling, 3 reverse launches, 1 alpine launch, 3 shelf landings and 1 t.t.b. 10 mins airtime today, which takes me into 50 hrs total since CP. Rob and Gerry, thanks for the lifts. Nice to see my old schoolmaster Paul Williams, and Stevie G and Scotty too.

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23rd Dec. Marros. Very light 0-5mph wind, my first time here. Nice smooth grassy t/o, after a couple of inflations, reverse launch and turn left into wind, keeping close into the hill I head for where the boys are playing, turn out from the hill and find I'm sinking over fences and gorse, so picking a path that avoids all of this I head for the beach, tide turning, better be quick. I land perfectly, like a butterfly, on the stony uneven surface, by leaning right out of my harness, almost like taking off. Can't take many more bum landings. Cloudbase is higher than yesterday. From here you can see the Worm's Head. The walk up is restricted to the path between the pines, as the current occupiers of the house below t/o are not fond of passers thru. The landowner, Nic Turner, not of Hawkwind fame, is friendly and even went to retrieve Scotty from the beach. I was only slightly less lucky, as Gerry was waiting by the gate for me after I had climbed 2/3rds of the way up. The views were worth the climb. 5 mins

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17th Dec. Rhosili. 19-23mph at pimple. Arrived lunchtime to find the boys had gone to the beach for some dune soaring. Took the kite down to test the wind at sealevel, smooth enough to fly and not too strong, so was last to launch at 3.30. Checking with the others that this is indeed the place to launch from, they all say "not sposed to really, but that's what we're doing". Then they start packing up! Reverse launch 3rd go from the shelf by the stairs, wind a bit off to north, bimble along for perhaps half a mile towards the campsite, decide to turn back as its a long walk and I've done enough of that today. Head for the driest sand, a shelf landing would be nice but cows have moved in. Feel I have not made the best use of my time today, only 5 mins airtime.

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15th Dec. Rhiw Wen. 0-5mph. Alpine launch, 5 mins t.t.b. taking a different glide from that of Jared and Gerry, I went right and headed for the carpark LZ, but had such lovely height it was a shame to come down, so drifted down to join the boys on the lower shelf. By the time I packed up Jared had been and got the car, and no time was lost in going from the quarry t/o, which is higher than the usual place. By the time I got my lines sorted there was a tiny breeze. Alpine launch, a grand view of the quarry, its like sliding through silk, tiny lift as a car passes below, the most spectacular sunset, arrive over LZ with enough height to do a smooth 360, final approach a bit fast, feet out in good time, scrape heels and bumland, only my pride dented this time. Felt like a team today, everyone doing something. 10 mins of sheer magic.

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14th Dec Fan G. 15-17mph. Wind off a little Northerly, so lower t/o today. The plan was to inflate and walk to the edge of the slope, as demonstrated by Nick, but in fact I was so far back that I skipped off the side instead, keeping close in I made my way round to the front, got a tiny bit of lift and was about to turn left in it when Nick says turn right, but stay away from the back of the bowl. I steer out into the valley, plop out the lift band and head for the layby. It's very light down here, assessing landing options I go for the green flat bit rather than rocks, kneedeep tussocks or bog. Nice slope landing, thanks Rob for the lift back up, get to t/o, find its gone too strong for me, Tina's already laid out and it's twitching, windspeed increased to 19mph, so deciding than caution is the better part of valour, enjoy the crisp frosty landscape as we walk down. 10 mins airtime.

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12th Nov. Seven Sisters too windy at lunchtime, so off to Fochriw. Can't drive up to t/o any more, so park round back and only a short walk up. 200 ft AGL. Windy enough to launch from halfway up, nice reverse launch 1st go, beat along gaining height with every pass, it's active flying today all right, up to 10 others in the air, 40 minsof fun, I go for a controlled landing near the sock for one of my final tasks, as club coach Nick is also there, then find it's gone off a bit and I'm too low to launch so trudge back up, where it's picked up and far too twitchy for me, even with the calming influence of Nick who kindly landed to see if he could help. The sun is setting so I can it and walk down, Nick has a last t.t.b. and pack up by moonlight, nice to see Norris, Pete and others from SEW club. 133 flights, 49 hrs 20 min airtime.

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29th Oct. TEBA. 600m. NW. 12-15mph, building as we arrive. Reverse launch 3rd go, gusty and variable direction on t/o. 5 mins t.t.b. This site has been developed by the ayuntiamento as they see the potential for the sport, nice track up and surfaced t.o with picnic tables.  Off to EL BOSQUE (760m) for 1pm. Find wind 12-15mph and off the hill by over 30%. o dear. 15,000 ft above LZ. Nice reverse launch in window, glide out to sunwarmed rockface to left, then sink below ridge, see large birds circling out from face below me, they show me the way, as it's sink there 'cos its a bit in lee, head for LZ over power lines and road, trees too. I know I will make it when I put my feet out and make a "V", peep thru the gap to see where it will be. Nil wind as I approach my LZ, glide into adjoining field on nice spot. I am the closest landing to where the van will pick us up. 10 mins. John Munro has a nice one.

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27th Oct. Lijar. N.W -10mph. 2,000 ft. Thermic today! Nice reverse launch (in cycle), climb and beat along, 40 mins fun and the sun goes behind cloud, thermals shut off so I go for a nice standing landing and vertical collapse in designated LZ, the only one in the party to do so.  On top again, wind increased to 10-15mph, nice reverse launch in front of a load of students, showing them an elegant liftoff and climb so fast so high my vario singing and soaring with griffin vultures to cloudbase I'm surely in heaven now for 55 mins and land in palm field spot on as usual. The afternoon brings a nice smooth 12mph restitution off the floor of the valley, just us 3 enjoying a good hour and only landing as dusk is starting to fall. I'm the last one down for a nice standing landing in the palm field LZ.

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26th Oct. Montellano, Spain. N.E -10mph. very light laminar breeze at lower pimple t/o. 100ft above LZ. Nice reverse launch and turn into wind to the right, climb above ridge amd move across to the bowl, scratch up 400 ft. It's very turbulent above the peak, so push out over valley and climb to great height, cruise around 50 mins, gliding along the whole ridge, using my controls more actively than before, and getting more out of my wing because of that.  Pinned at the end, speedbar to escape, and hit sink and nice landing in intended field conveniently next to the road.  Lift back to t/o from a hunky Spaniard! That was my first low-to-high scratch up from what I thought would be a certain bombout over the low meadow, to cloudbase. Then another nice launch from the top t/o, immediate lift and 40 mins airtime on a busy site. Close call with a pilot not looking where he was going or observing avoidance rules, good job I was! and a nice dusk landing in intended field, a little short as it was nil wind down there. Bienvenudos en Espana.

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12th Oct. Bryncaws. 5-10mph. Found a nice stone from Maroc in my butthole! After some groundhandling to shake the dust off, a tidy launch in nil wind, land on ledge, trudge back up and start again. Reverse launch, turn left for the magic bowl where there is usually lift, carry on to the trees in sink below ridge, turn out across the meadow, line up for landing in bottom field, clear trees and fence but end up landing short behind the gully that bisects the field, well deep with running water today, and no way across with my pack. 5 mins airtime, then spend the best part of an hour trying to find a way out of the corner, in slippery deep stuff at times, waist deep and barbed wire all around. Welcome home. Stevie G gallantly helps me over the last fence, Rob gets the bag and we repair to the Rock for a juice. On inspection the leg I got in Maroc last week has turned purple from calf to sole. "Might have been a lot worse". I ponder the state of my skill level at this stage, no wonder P.W. doesn't want me along in Laragne next week.

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8th Oct.Must have been 45 mins last night. Nigel's nest, groundhandling. Reverse launch, a few beats along the ridge, climb above t/o, graciously moving out of the way of another glider, fall out the liftband, have a go at scratching up, eventually land in lower field after 20 mins.

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7th Oct Nigel's Nest. 10-12mph. Reverse launch, t.t.b. 10 mins, only tiny lift at 11 a.m. land in field adjacent to sock. Reverse launch, t.t.b. 5 minsland by field. Reverse launch, t.t.b. 6 mins, lift legs clear of gully and bum land. Groundhandling. Reverse launch, clouds blown off, cruise the lftband going down and scratching up along the whole ridge, great height at times. With the sun going down I have enough height to continue to the end of the ridge, following the main road, then turn across the edge of the village, 500ft clearance from power lines and buildings, over the whole lot and as I line up for an empty field on the far side there is an eerie wailing, suddenly a bunch of children are escorting me to the nearest building, a nice roadside shop with marble frontage, perfect for folding wing on. They want stylo's and bonbons. Je n'avait rien. Only water and cigarrettes. They are fascinated by my torch/lighter. But not near the wing, eh? Shopkeeper chases them off and stonethrowing begins. Pack up with my sunglasses on in the pitch black of night.

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6th Oct Legzira. Reverse launch 3rd try, wind on north face today. 0-5mph, tiny thermals, 8 mins t.t.b. Bumpy on approach to a standing landing, then fell over. Must let the risers up to collapse wing.

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5th Oct. Our local site, Nigel's Nest. 5mph. Reverse launch, 5 mins ttb. Nil wind on approach to landing, legs out but had to lift them to clear a euphorbia bush so bum landed again. Too far from sock for accuracy landing, me in field, wing out this time. Reverse launch, 10mph, thermals starting to produce lift, a nice 20 mins exploring the liftband, drifted too far from LZ, so put down 3 fields away, told Edi I was aiming for the tree! Reverse launch, hottest part of the day, climb to great height, from below t/o, Edi's stern warning not to scratch near the cactus ringing in my ears, after an hour I try for a constant aspect approach to top land but unfortunately am too low to quite make it. Choice of possibly no probably hitting the drystone wall 10 ft away or dump in the cactus field? I landed crosswind and forgot to let the risers up to collapse the wing, so was pulled over, and wing settled in the prickly pears, not quite ripe yet. Small cut to leg, new trousers well and truly ripped, mutterings all round about it being a lucky escape. First blood. Nice first aid kit.

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4th Oct. Aglou Beach 23mph, groundhandling abandoned, Tiznit sightseeing instead. Hospital here if required. After what seemed like all day on the road we check out Legzira to the south, 1200ft amsl. LZ is 200 ft amsl. Or you can opt for a beach landing if the tide is out. Reverse launch 3rd attempt, sun behind clouds by 6pm, 10 mins ttb with a few turns, landing nearest the sock, then slipping on the gravel and bum landing, no damage.