Mistress Palindrome blog 2008

[Viv]

3rd Oct. Nigel's Nest. More humid, fresher wind, 10-15mph. Reverse launch, turn right this time and beat along the ridge, gaining height in hotspots and ends of ridge, it's about 2 kms, plenty of room for everyone. 50 mins later land in the field beside LZ as I don't want to go in the gully, wing in but me out. Reverse launch, 15-17mph, cloudbase lower now, turbulent at height, speedbar to push out over valley and play for 40 mins, then land in the proper place at last. Reverse launch on 3rd go, sock can switch around by 30 degrees at times, a nice flight with plenty of altitude to cross the gap at the end to the next ridge, and get back most importantly. Top of the stack at one stage, the views go on forever. Had to land after a good hour as the sun had set and everyone else was down. A great spot landing, the guys in the van looked only slightly worried as it seemed I might land nearer to them than I actually did. Was asked how I managed to stay up, and repeated what I'd been told at the XC clinic at Nick's that time. It's working for me.

[Viv]

2nd Oct.Groundhandling at Aglou beach in Parc National De Souss Massa, Maroc. 5-10mph. After lunch we proceed to Nigel's Nest, near Mirleft. 750ft. 10-12mph, smooth  reverse launch 1st go, turn along ridge to the Eagles Nest where there is a house thermal cooking off, beat back and forth going further each time, nice height at the southwest end, the sun goes behind cloud and a cool breeze prompts me to turn back to the landing field. My turn is so wide that I drop out of the front edge of the liftband, and glide like a crab across the fields, not quite making goal, only 2 fields away, but a perfect touchdown. 20 mins.

[Viv]

28th Sept. Rhosili. 0-5mph at midday, cloudbase at temperature - dewpoint x 400, so we waited patiently, Gerry and Kim both gazing wistfully out into the mist, while behind us the lanscape was illuminated in bright sunlight. Eventually Gerry used me as a wind dummy, when the beach was visible at last, and birds were showing us the way, just enough wind to make a double line of horses, alpine launch off the top, immediate left turn towards the heated face, passing the pimple far too low to possibly climb, abandon the idea of top landing and turn for the beach, but as it's so light I can cheekily land in the field in front of the gate. It's not advised to land here, in higher winds it whips up the stairs and can rotor over the field. Nice touchdown. Radio out of charge, Kim waving valiantly from the top, so back I go and it's picked up to a more respectable 10-15mph, Stevie and Scotty turn up and lob off, Gerry and I perform nice reverse launches from the right face, and spend a good 1 hr 30 mins exploring the ridge, climbing to a decent height and seeing the seamist obscuring the sun, thought that it was sunset!  The others had landed, I didn't want to be left up there alone so spent ages lining up for the pimple, long enough for them to pack their wings up, thanks for advice Stevie, a slightly inelegant top landing, nice recovery and collapse, and another pilot task ticked off! Seamist rolling in cold and chilly made it game  over by teatime. Thanks for flask retrieve Kim. My round when we meet again, but I will be in foreign parts again next week, so won't be at the club meeting this month.

[Viv]

26th Sept. Bryncaws. 10-15mph. Reverse launch, 45 mins, climbing higher than ever before at this site, moved out into valley as far as the farm, also explored the area to the left of t/o. A busy day. Optimistically left the glider bag in the boot of my car, planning on a top landing, also to see if she handled any differently with less weight. Loss of lift on the long glide over the valley, too low for top, a few beats over the track, nice approach to join Gerry in LZ, perfect touchdown within 5 metres of him, not that he was a target of course. Big thanks to Jared for bag retrieve, lucky we had our radios!

[Viv]

21st Sept Bryncaws 0-5mph. Tried groundhandling, much better with trousers off! After several hours parawaiting and 2 cups of tea, a nice reverse launch, turn right immediately, just enough time for a short rendition of "Someday I'll fly away..." before a perfect slope landing by the car. Nice to see Jared keeping current, and Nasher and Nick out for a social.

[Viv]

20th Sept Bryncaws. 10-15mph, very smooth. Reverse launch, beat along the ridge climbing where possible, move out over the trees and lose it, a nice 20 min t.t.b. Nice landing in field, and a lift up from the chap with the scottish accent. Reverse launch, NR on radio to advise, fly closer to the hillside and enjoy greater lift, as high as the mast this time, and after 30 mins top land away from all the cars. Reverse launch, gain height and boat about for 30 mins, top land practically on top of the windsock this time. Reverse launch, touch and go off lip, 20 mins and a perfect bottom landing, pity nobody saw it. My most frequent flyer day this month!

[Viv]

19th Sept. Rhosili, 10-15mph, slightly off southerly, arrived mid afternoon and after negotiating the lower gate was greeted by two fit young guys from Khazakstan, one took my wing up while I carried the rest, I was looking for Borat, couldn't believe my luck! Ivor and Stevie having fun above ridge already, nice smooth breeze, if a little light, fluff out, dress up and off into the gorse at the pimple. Glad nobody saw me, I hoped, but no, D.T. was there in his shorts to see me off properly and a nice smooth glide for me, below t/o, for several beats and and perfect beach landing. 20 mins. As I walked back up, a hod-carrier, retired, offered to carry my whole pack up! His wife went to the pub and he valiantly went to the pimple, after I showed him the shortcut from the first gate up from the beach. Lucky day or wot! It's so nice to walk along carrying nothing, I'd almost fogotten what it was like.  Another perfefect forward launch, sharp right turn this time, and a nice climb and scratch along the top, didn't go to the end but played about in the southwest faces, seen the club lot has landed on pimple, so go for a top landing, spend ages getting down, and making the last turn into hill gets me told off no end by everyone, but no spiral dive or wingovers, and a nice acro approach, take a wrap, let it off, miss everybody's kit still laid out, and elegantly TOP LAND! my very first at this, local to me, site. About time too, I say.20 mins Welome home, I missed you. Nice to see Paul Hyde there.

[Viv]

14th Sept Bryncaws, very light wind at t/o, ideal for groundhandling. After posing for photos during groundhandling, I grew tired of all the chat and no action so took a running jump off the top at 5.40pm,touch and go off the lip, 2 beats along the face, aiming for the cars parked at the last bend, alas only get as far as the last gate, where there is a bubbling cesspool of runoff from the hill above. I accurately land on the ground by the gate, my wing just misses the steaming puddle and settles on the far side. I make a mushroom with exaggerated care, and as my retrieve driver is busy talking, walk to the car and pack to go. Nice to see Andy H there. T.t.b.

[Viv]

9th Sept Coll D'Ares, reverse launch, 360 over lower ridge, glide to pigfarm LZ. 15 mins. The others have gone XC.
10th Sept Coll D'Ares, very light wind. Reverse launch, push out into valley for magic lift. Nice boat about for 30 mins, campsite LZ.
Back up for alpine launch, 20 mins and pigfarm LZ, near the sock this time.
And finally, alpine launch, 30 min, this time flying over Ager, trying to get lift from the town and join Kev over Tremp, not getting anywhere, so a nice approach and accurate landing near the spot at campsite.
A great week. Glad I went.101 flights, 33 hrs 40 min airtime.

[Viv]

8th Sept. Coll D'Ares. Thermic. Nice reverse launch, glide out and climb in broken thermals.  Feel confident and put in a tighter turn, thinking that this will put me in the core, but if fact have fallen out of the bubble and find that I am doing a spiral dive. Straighten up and point into valley, land in pigfarm, wrong end of runway, the earth is so rich here. 15 mins Raudoral t/o, 1210m. Light wind, reverse launch, a nice t.t.b. over fields, land near sock at pigfarm. 10 mins.

[Viv]

7th Sept. Ager, Coll D'Ares t/o. 1560m. Fresh wind. Reverse launch. Head out over lower ridge, nice lift just there, check space is clear and 360, vario squawking all the way to cloudbase, which is quite low to t/o.  Just before I disappear into a puff of water vapour I turn out over the huge valley and cruise across to the campsite LZ, windsock gone limp I see, and touchdown in the adjacent carpark, which is empty. 30 mins After lunch we go up again, reverse launch, this time turn earlier to glide the ridge at height. I can see the turnpoints the XC guys will be using later, the solar panel, and the lovely church at Gabrielo, which is perched on the edge of a sheer drop. The perspective from here is like no other to be seen.  I 360 in lift, and glide out over the lower ridge, then cruise the fields between pigfarm and campsite, decide there is enough height to go all the way home, and land in the intended field, nowhere near the windsock. Brett is Accuracy Champion. 30 mins.

[Viv]

5th September Ager, Spain. Strong westerly winds all day. Site briefing at Coll D'Ares, 1560m. A huge 8km ridge. Sundogs in the cirrostratus. At 8.30pm we alpine launch from Raudoral, a lower t/o at 1210m. It's smaller, stonier and steeper, southwesterly facing. Good launch, a nice slow ttb, 20 mins, aiming for the pigfarm LZ but land in the next field. Pack up on track, glad I had the torch in my pocket!

[Viv]

August 23 Bryncaws. The XC briefing was interesting, the part about where to land along the Swansea valley if you do leave the hill. It was too windy by midday. Back at the hill by 6pm, I found my lines tangled and after painstakingly checking everything, clipped in to see everyone landing due to the wind dropping. Seems Ivor and me missed our window this time. I thought a bit of groundhandling wouldn't go amiss, but when I got her above me and turned around I was rather too near Nick's new wing which he was about to pack up, so skipped around it and launched into the last puff of wind that day. 7 pm. Nearly touched down on the lower lip, then got the tiniest lift and away! Much to my shame I let go the controls to shuffle into the seat, and as I didn't fancy the walk up from the landing field, headed for the car which was parked below the mast on that last bend of the track. Aiming for a spot landing on the track, there was a cow standing there munching on a bush, so I steered off into the field below, a nice slope landing, and only a few yards to the car! A nice day. A minutes flight is better than no flying at all!

[Viv]

23rd August Mynydd Meio. 1000ft amsl at t.o. SW dynamic 10-17. A new site to explore with the XC clinic. Site briefing at Nantymoel by Sheryl from SEW. The Hercules pilot on his day off got his wing thoroughly soaked but flew anyway. By the time we got to Mynydd  Meio the rain had cleared, another site briefing which was most helpful and accurate as it turned out. After setting up my wall and waiting for a less strong part of the cycle to inflate the wing, reverse launch was very prompt and I felt like a ballerina as I leaned back and pirouetted straight into lift, climbing swiftly above t.o and the others already airborne, luckily I'd got the speedbar out straight after launching so managed to stay in front of the ridge, but was still climbing. Off the speedbar and into a 360, the views are astounding from here, even with a low cloudbase, then figure of eights to attempt a top landing, but find myself still too high and decide to venture onward and upward as the wind had picked up, very bumpy air at height, I suspect that my lift has become suck, Nick playing with his new toy in the distance by now. I cross the parked cars and observe with interest the bank holiday activities of people in the lower fields, then hit the predicted patch of dead air behind the lower lip so turn towards the cars and head for the landing area by them, but the sight of the drystone wall topped with barbed wire and my lack of height makes me change my mind and touchdown just before I shoot into the undergrowth. Wing settles elegantly over a bush, the other new to this site pilot lands nearby for the same reason, and a shower pulls the others in for a top landing. 20 mins airtime. A sociable day with nice people, and Rob's barbie was a chance to catch up with other club members and their families. Didn't recognise 'em with their flying clothes off....!

[Viv]

21st July Rhosili. WSW/W, 10-15mph. Sweet reverse launch from pimple about 6pm, lots of others aloft in the generously wide liftband, climb above t.o, glide along the ridge, the medium harness I'm trying today is most comfy and responsive, so I cruise the band feeling for the front and back edges, wind freshening as the sun goes down, getting great height at times, had to use the speedbar to get down 3 times, and bigears twice, one 10 seconds and one 30 seconds. Once the schools packed up I fancied a top landing, after watching several others succeeding, but was finding it difficult to line up my approach, Nick's mate Steve even took off briefly to demonstate one good method, get above the middle of the pimple and do wingovers! Not sure when a decisive turn becomes a wingover, and my Firebird's user guide says it's not a good idea to try them on this DHV 1 wing as the stresses induced may stretch the lines? Well I'm shaking with cold now and make for the beach as the tide is coming in, wind so fresh now that a final turn into wind keeps me going along the beach away from my favourite landing spot by the steps. Mindful of being dragged in freshwind landings before, it's legs out and I reach for the C's  as the ground rushes me, slightly crosswind landing this time, but no worries as I'm ready for it, quick collapse and even had a nice gentleman carry my bag up the steps! A good 2 hours airtime today, my longest flight to date! Feeling confident in the Sup'air Evo in a size that fits me properly, must wear a jacket in these conditions and keep snug, cold can sap ones energy. Was told later by club coach Nick that I should touch down before I pull the C's in. Maybe I'll take a wrap instead next time. A perfect day for me. 90 flights, 30 hours airtime to date.