Mistress Palindrome blog 2008

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66 flights this year. 22 hrs 35 min airtime this year. Just got the 2nd edition Pilot Handbook last month, and find that the 3rd edition has just come out! Last years 2007: 23 flights post CP. 5 hrs 35min airtime. Total to date: 89 flights, 28 hrs 10 min airtime. Paul Williams at Paraventure says I am still not experienced enough to go to Laragne with them, so I look forward to a week in Ager with Brett and the crew at xTc. There are still places available, the log cabins near takeoff seem ideally placed for more flying, less driving on this trip. This semi-retirement lark allows me to pop off for frequent flying, home or away, pilot task book will soon be all ticked off at this rate!

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26th July Rhosili. Arrived midafternoon, 10mph wind. Adjusted XC harness in garage, it's the same weight as the Evo. By the time I've done checks, had a chat, got dressed, it's still light with little gusty cycles, so I patiently await a nice window, reverse launch from pimple, and have a nice ttb with perfect beach landing...  I may have launched in the wrong part of the cycle, and didn't stay near to the hill as it was so light. The walk up the hill is rewarded by the view, so I do it all over again, just 'cos I can. Another nice reverse launch, another ttb and beach landing. I never thought I would wish for a stronger wind, you have to be careful what you wish for as you may get it!

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23rd July Bryncaws. 10-15mph, gusty thermals. Arrived lunchtime, Paraventure and Joint Services already working it. Too strong to groundhandle my Firebird, though the training wings were being used by the school. Waited a few hours for a window, and still had to reverse launch from below the top, glide along ridge, climb above t/o, glide back and forth, trying to feel the width of the lift band, aiming for the front edge, this needs more active flying than in smooth air.  My wing is bobbling about and I'm not sure if it's the thermals or my own input, after 30 mins I go for a successful top landing. Stevie G lets me have a go on his Sup'air XC cocoon harness, small. Feels comfy, nice padding, although not as thick back protection as my Evolution. Straps adjusted, reverse launch on 2nd try, feels like I'm sitting in a bucket! Feels unstable, can't turn as efficiently as usual, so top land after 15 mins to ask PW's advice. He points out that the lapstrap is far too loose for me, and the hangpoints are lower. Tweaked nicely, reverse launch from below the top. Feels more secure, I enjoy a good 30 mins but keep getting the speedbar when I want the stirrup. One reason I may be sliding about in the seat is that I'm wearing thinner trousers than usual. Cheststrap keeps flapping against my chinbar, must make sure they are all tucked away next time. I like to sit more upright than this, but for XC they lay back more. Can't seem to gain as much height as earlier, the seabreeze is coming up the valley by now, schools are landing and packing up, NR a distant speck, think he's going XC.  I top land using only brakes to flare, and get dragged back by about 15 ft, my new trousers christened nicely in a cowpat!  Must remeber to use C lines when it's as windy as this. A good day. After CW 'helped' me detangle the lines, I noticed there was a piece of grass wrapped tightly around them, holding them together.  Is it any wonder that I dislike people touching my stuff?  Later in the pub, PW says he saw my wing fold in half, the wingtips both forwards of the centre! Nothing I'd done, just conditions on the day.  I love my DHV 1, it's so stable and forgiving.

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22nd July Rhosili. 10-15mph westerly. Reverse launch, climb above t/o, 30 mins gliding back and forth along the ridge, some closer to the surface, some at different heights, keeping well away from anyone, shame I mislaid my radio antenna, thanks Gareth for a lend of yours, unfortunately the volume was so low that I thought I'd gone deaf.  Nice beach landing, by the steps.
Reverse launch, climb above t/o, the mist/cloud was very low and fast moving by now, one minute I'm in lift, then suck! Bit disorientating not being able to see. Club coach Nick advises push out to sea, so I obediently follow instructions, then when I get level with the tide I realise I'm not gonna make it back up.  Nice beach landing, although not as graceful as I have been doing recently, got a round of applause from the bathers! Nice to see a few from the club, and meet a few more. 15 mins.

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13th July W/SW 10-15mph Rhosili. Nice smooth laminar breeze with bumpy pockets from thermals in places. Arrived early enough to see Paul Williams and Rob Mansley with their students working hard, never seen it so crowded at the pimple! A few from the club were present. Gareth's missis decided to lay out her picnic blanket and read her book right there, much to the annoyance of a tandem pilot who was trying to top land! After doing checks I managed to find a slot and reverse launch after a couple of inflations, glide along the ridge, not really gaining or losing height except in the bumpy pockets, getting closer to the surface than before. They said it was the same wind direction and conditions when Paul Hyde went down just before the ides of March. So I decided to give the far end of the ridge a wide berth, so wide that I flew into the lee of the hill, below the top, and with the wind slightly off to the south, realised with some dismay that I would have to start assessing landing options. This was my first visit to LLangenith caravan park. Thought of putting down on the road, seeing as my landings have improved so much, but TV antennae stretching out to rip my wing says not. The vans are parked closer together than you think, so best avoid them. Fences, knee deep foliage and steep dunes, too low now to get over them onto the beach, so picked a nice patch next to an empty caravan and neatly placed us in it. A nice enough ttb or is it a XC? Couldn't get down to the beach without climbing over the dunes, so walked back along the track above it, listening to the guys setting up their wingovers and other cunning stunts on the radio. After a very welcome icecream I was ready for another reverse launch from the pimple and a good 1 hour boating around. Climbed above takeoff quite high, but could not seem to make any headway into wind. Just got the speedbar out when Nick radios to ask if I had it in place, he must be a mindreader.  I've never used it yet, except on the CP tasks for the exam. Seems a shame to get on it and lose my lovely height, but there is a definite drift backwards, and I let it off as soon as we get in front again. I practice my 'flying with others' by keeping away from them in fact! Still not sure about top landing here, like the tandem pilot said earlier, too many people, so opt for the beach for another perfect landing and deflation. Club coach Nick commented on my improved technique,  but with 3 weeks between my last flight and this, I fear that I am already losing it! 

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23rd June Rhosili. Light westerly. Arrived 5pm to see 6 up already. Gareth as wind dummy at pimple. Reverse launch, had to get off promptly as there was a queue forming. A nice ttb and spot landing right by the steps. This treasure of a beach is hardly ever crowded. Walked up the short way for another reverse launch, this time keeping nearer the ridge, 45 mins soaring the liftband, circling here and there, quite high at times. Still cautious about getting too near the surface, and so decide against a top landing this time. A nice beach landing, feels like coming home. Nice that all three of the club members gave the same advice today. Perhaps it's time to ditch the red ribbon. Although this is one of my nearest sites, I haven't flown here much.

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20th June Fontanile. 1,140ft. Very light easterly. Alpine launch above the early morning mist, probably the last time I will see my soul on the surface, pick a hole to drop through, lucky to stay up for 10 mins in this lack of wind.
Reverse launch once the ground warmed up, 1 hr 10 mins soaring the ridge, 360-ing whenever I felt a bit of thermal lift, both directions.  Climbed above takeoff by a long way, but no idea how to judge the height. This has got to be my longest highest flight to date!  At the landing field there were a flock of sheep being taken across by shepherd and his 3 dogs. I sat tight.
Later still, the thermals were switching off, so a perfect alpine launch, 10 mins smooth glide and a nice landing, not on the spot as I felt I should give Michelle a chance!
At dinner that night I was voted the most improved pilot of the week. I could burst for joy. With 2 Joint Services instructors the quality and attention to detail was second to none, and they didn't miss a trick! This has been the best ever flying trip, so far!
The icing on the cake was the church was open, and there on the keystone of the entrance arch was a smiley face with wings! The village is said to be hundreds of years older than Rome.

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19th June Fontanile. 1,140ft. Easterly. After thinking things could not be better, we were up early to observe the mist on the valley floor rise with the warmth of the early sun, forming an eerie lake which crept bubbling higher, then a few holes appeared, we could see the ground, landing field about a kilometer away. Alpine launch, a 10 minute glide above the mist, the most stunning sight I am ever likely to see was my shadow on the vapour below, with a halo of refracted light around me. Was told later it was called "seeing your soul". There's a pic of this phenomenon in Thermal Flying, but mine was a clearer image.
Later the wind changed, the windsocks at takeoff were pointing in different directions! A good example of convergence.
So off to Ripetitore, 2,500ft, for a perfect reverse launch, off in only 2 steps! and a most pleasant 15 mins trying to catch any lift before a standing landing, albeit on the wrong side of the road.
Wild boar were to be seen running around the woods across the valley.

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18th June Ripetitore, 2,500ft. SW 0-5mph. Alpine launch, 15 mins ttb, standing landing and spotlanding champ.
Forca de Presta, 1,100ft, WSW 12-15mph. Reverse launch, 30 mins glide along ridge, 360 and spotlanding champ! Had a go of a medium harness but seat too big, very comfy otherwise.
Another reverse launch on my small harness this time, 30 mins of soaring using 360's both ways, spotlanding champ again!
Picolo Ripetitore, 2,200ft, W 5-7mph. Alpine launch, nice smooth ttb 10 mins and spotlanding champ with edelweiss from Edi too. Things are definitely improving. 4 flights in one day has to be my personal most frequent flyer day.

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17th June La Rotunda. 250ft. 8mph unstable wind. Beautiful clouds, a true meterology lesson. After a session of extreme groundhandling on the side of the slope, a 5 min ttb for a standing landing as spotlanding champ, i.e. nearest the windsock.

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16th June Ripetitore. 2,500 ft. 8-10mph. Reverse launch, 10-15 mins smooth glide, s-turn behind landing field to lose height, kept popping into lift over the approach fields, plenty of time to line up for my first spot landing in the waist deep grass, still damp from the early mist. Had to restrain myself from rolling in the thick carpet of poppies in the adjoining field.
 Afternoon at La Rotunda for more groundhandling. Used the wing to pull me up the hill, saves carrying it, then a reverse launch in 8mph light wind, 2 turns but not near enough to the hill to stay up, and a standing landing. Am a bit timid about going near the hill to scratch. 250ft ttb.
 At night the bats come out to catch the insects flying around the streetlamp.

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15th June Forca de Presta, Castelluccio, Italy. WSW 5-8mph, 1100ft. Slightly thermic. Reverse launch, 30 mins soaring the liftband with a couple of nice climbs, was thinking of going XC but called back to landing zone by Edi, nice butterfly style landing, unfortunately furthest away from the windsock, earning me a scolding.  Must try to be more active, and sensitive to what the wing is telling me. The alpine flowers are just coming into bloom, we are in a totally unspoilt plateau in the mountains. Lentils and mushrooms abound. After lunch in the village, the afternoon was spent groundhandling at La Rotunda, a 250ft training hill in the middle of the plateau.

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8th June Fan G. Wind 11-23mph. Waited all day for conditions to smooth out for me, after watching the big boys playing.  Nice club turnout. Dumped horribly trying to groundhandle at the bowl at lunchtime, the most turbulent time of the day! Reverse launch at last, t.t.b with just a couple of beats, lost it in the 360, so glided nicely across the gully to land in field by layby.  Thanks Nasher for holding a streamer to indicate wind direction down there, most thoughtful. Sadly after a lovely approach, my last turn was towards the fence and gully, to low to do anything other than a downwind landing. Having ploughed my own furrow with bootheel, I chilled out with my ever-ready compression bandage. Todays lesson was about keeping legs together and ankles crossed. Can't believe we've had 3 days flying in a row! Back in my small harness now, and a nice snug fit it is too.

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7th June Rhiw Wen. wind 8-12mph and thermic. My first takeoff from this site. Watched Nick and P.C. top to bottom, then took off after 5 attempts! Was trying a medium harness and it felt huge. Reverse launch, slight climb above t/o, 3 turns using more positive input, a sweet little ttb, nice standing landing in designated LZ. Thanks Nick for retrieve and advice! After  a celebratory icecream in the carpark, watched Ivor working those thermals and went back up for a reverse launch, this time climbing to 500 ft! Had a lovely 30 mins soaring back and forth, fantastic views of the old limestone quarries. Nice touchdown. Todays lesson was about patience, waiting for and recognising the right moment for me. A perfect day.

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6th June Graig Fawr. 850ft asl at t.o.Wind 5-20mph, turbulent. My first time here, would never have found it alone. Just a short walk to t.o. Steve J lobbed off as wind dummy, followed closely by Nick. My wall was a bit jumpy so I decided to move lower down the front of the slope to groundhandle. After turning round the wrong way twice I got the canopy over my head and was picked up and taken backwards! I stayed facing into wind yawing about trying to find a way to go, and eventually got in front of the hill. Nick and Steve had landed as it was too windy up there. I spent a scary 15 mins trying to get down, thanks Nick for being on radio! Managed a standing landing not too far from the designated area, 600ft asl. The most challenging flight to date for me.