Mistress Palindrome blog 2008

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7th Jan 08 Ifonche, Tenerife. 2,500 ft amsl. Moderately gusty. Assisted Alpine launch. First flight to cloudbase!  Cloud suck is extraordinary. Speedbar not effective for rapid descent, still going up on the vario! Visibility nil by now...no compass either, dunno which way is up! Bigears to descend out of cloud, then ridgesoar and 360 to successfully land in designated area! 35 mins airtime, a huge top to bottom and a good day.

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8th Jan 08 Ifonche, Tenerife. Alpine launch light wind. Ridge soar and climb. Not as lifty as yesterday. Sunk out in lee of ridge. Nice landing at terraces behind Hiperdino. Missed power lines, got a little euphobia bush.  Hope me lines don't get glued together!. 30 mins airtime.Taucho, Tenerife.  Air ambulance at T/O. German female hit top of ridge at 40mph. Alpine launch, nice glide to Tropicana, close call with cactus here. 20 mins airtime.

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9th January 08Taucho, Tenerife. 2,200ft asl. Alpine launch, ttb, 15 mins airtime, land off target in euphobia bush at Tropicana due to grabbing right brake too hard. Alpine launch, ttb, 20 mins airtime landing at camelfield in soft dunes. Near enough.
Ifonche, Tenerife. Alpine launch on short takeoff site, slight hesitation at takeoff and the wing overshot, 2nd time lucky, commitment guaranteed. 25 mins in air, ttb with ridgelift, landing in terraces as planned! Had to lose height first by s-turning over banana plantation.  A good day.

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10th January 08. Taucho, Tenerife. New pay as you fly system in operation. Currently 7 ? per dia! 2 Alpine launches, nice and smooth, very light thermals, 1st landing in camelfield but lost lift on approach so landed short on track. 2nd landing had camels with passengers on approach path so altered course and landed behind them in a nice clear space, standing up as well!  A good day. 45 mins total airtime.

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17th Jan 08 Ifonche, Tenerife. 2,500ft asl. After 3 failed launches, including clifftop abort, thank goodness for a full face helmet! - assisted Alpine launch and nice venturi up the face, over the teeth then 45 mins soaring using thermals and ridgelift. Turbulent or wot! Wingtip tucked at height, just a little rustle like a bag of crisps.  Weight shift to opposite side and it's ok.  Those Jocky Sanderson acro videos have a lot to answer for! Nice touchdown in designated area, terraces behind Fanabe.

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Monday 28th January Fasnia, Tenerife. 1200ft asl at takeoff. 750ft top to bottom. Alpine launch in light wind, ttb, wind switched round at landing zone, crosswind landing on track, well short of target. Wing sucked sideways and scraped me into the euphobia bushes, minor abrasions to right forearm. Again.. Alpine launch in lighter wind, overshot landing area slightly, no worries. Standup landing! 15-20 mins airtime in total.

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31st January 2008 Taucho, Tenerife. Alpine launch in light wind. Top to bottom with tiny thermals, nice glide in over Tropicana, bit bubbly in lee of wall, SPOT LANDING CHAMPION! 15 mins airtime. Alpine launch, wind bang on the hill, more thermals than earlier, land on track by Tropicana, wing draped over a pile of rubble....25 mins airtime. Alpine launch, wind dropping, just scraped into the air that time, top to bottom straight glide, land on path by Tropicana, missing the 3 pilots strolling down the middle of the lane! 20 mins airtime. Alpine launch, last flight of the day, thermals switching off. Nice lift over ridge, nice glide into landing zone. 25 mins airtime. All standing landings! Nice little lightweight harness.