Nick Roberts' Flying Diary 2008

[Nick Roberts]

14/06 and 15/06

Went to Llanddewi Brefi for the weekend staying with Steve Parsons overnight in llanybydder.  Saturday's flying was enjoyed in a classic sky with good thermals.  A few went XC but struggled to get around the Sennybridge Danger Area and returned by taxi later in the afternoon. Then, we all flew in the best conditions of the day, wafting  around all over the place thousands of feet above takeoff enjoying stunning views sweeping from Pembrokeshire in the southwest all the way  through to Snowdonia and the Lleyn Peninsula in the north.  I'm very pleased with my new Advance Impress 2+ Harness and looking forward to a new Sigma 7 to go with it!

On Sunday,  the wind was a bit stronger and so were the thermals!  We flew for a while and a few of us reached cloudbase at around 4000' but only Dave Birch flew XC(to Llangadog) as the wind seemed just a tad too strong for most.  The visibility was even clearer than the previous day and Bardsey Island stood out especially clearly. 

[Nick Roberts]

08/06/08 Fan G  - Great to see a good turnout here yesterday.  Most got nice and high in the bowl for a while and then landed for a break as the wind became a bit strong.  Chris D cored a nice thermal from the northwest face and attempted an XC without much success.  In the early evening, we all moved around to fly on the northwest side and managed some good height gains for a while and those without cars at the top enjoyed the fly down to the carpark.   

[Nick Roberts]

After some discussion about the wind and cloud drift, plumped for Rhiw Wen.  Arrived early afternoon to find a nice breeze at the carpark and cloud drifting in the right direction so decided to give it a go.  Despite the considerable breeze there seemed to be no usable lift and after a couple of extended top to bottoms we adjourned to the carpark for an icecream and to ponder whether it was worth trucking off to try somewhere else.  Then, a few short sharp rain showers came through which was rather dispiriting but things soon brightened up and Ivor and Dave Cassidy decided to launch and they seemed to be having a nice time of it so Viv and myself followed suite a while later and enjoyed a glorious evening flight with stunning views in the clear visibility.   

[Nick Roberts]

Wind seemed ok on the way over to Graig Fawr and initially ok at takeoff but once in the air at 14:30, conditions were a little too far outside the comfort zone.  The wind was simply too strong and breaking up the thermals for an uncomfortable ride.  Steve  J, Viv and myself spent 15 minutes getting down to land and then waited  for a while but there was no easing of the wind so we went home.  Peachy sky though!     

[Nick Roberts]

Bryncaws  29/05/08  - Sky looked good in the morning and a few were seen climbing  above the ridgetop in the early thermals. I  thought we might escape the rain but the  sky went downhill in the afternoon allowing only poor soaring conditions and then.... a large area of light rain moved in from the southeast.
Good to see Chris D out on the hill again and old hand from across the bridge Geoff Moss.

Heol Senni 31/05/08 - Arrived early but not as early as Ivor who was flying around when we got there.  Conditions were light and thermic at first but the sky did look as if it could go either way. Around midday, the thermal cycles became consistent and lengthy enough to stay airborne and this enticed a few into the air. I launched at 12:30 and enjoyed a short spell of thermalling with climbs up to 1000' ato with Phil Cunningham on his Airwave Sport 3.  Thereafter, the thermals faded away and we were left chatting on the hillside as a large dark area of cloud moved in from the north and put us firmly in the shade.  "Oh well" I said to Ivor " It could be worse; at least it isn't raining"  and then......it rained! 

[Nick Roberts]

Bryncaws 20/05

Arrived in the layby mid afternoon with a good book just in case it was flyable but I was not too optimistic after a clearly windy morning.  Met Ivor who had come down from Sennybridge on his Honda 90 Supercharger - that man is keen!  We waited a while in the car and the wind seemed to drop a little so we went up the hill and were joined by Owen and his mate who launched first.  For a while, it was quite strong and there wasn't much lift but by evening the wind mellowed and in places,  it became very lifty indeed as Ivor demonstrated by gliding out into the valley gaining height as he went. We were joined in the air by a group training with the Combined Services , various visitors from South East Wales and our own Viv and Stevie G and a good time was had by all.

After a gentle floatabout at Abernant the previous evening and sunday's flying at Heol Senni -phew, that's three evenings in a row!   

[Nick Roberts]

Sunday 18/05  The 'Aftercast' - which was correct; the Met Office or the Beeb?  The answer lies somewhere inbetween I think.  Certainly, it was windy in the morning as said the Beeb but it was easterly and that tallied with the Met Office Mountain Forecast.  Then along came the cloud as predicted by the Met but the wind dropped  a little and backed northeast and then the sun came out.  A text from Ivor stating that someone was flying up at Heol Senni was enough to start the stampede.  Launching at 16:30 it was still a tad strong but as we went into evening, the breeze mellowed and some nice thermic flying ensued.  XC was almost possible and the sky downwind looked great in the early evening but we contented ourselves with nice climbs to over 1000' ato  right out in the Senni valley.  When I landed at 19:00, I checked my GPS - Cor blimey 3.5 hours airtime!  A great club turnout - John N, Jon M ,Steve J, Andy H, Ivor, Gareth, Max T, Viv, Stevie G and me.   

[Nick Roberts]

Some reasonable evening flying at Bryncaws on tuesday and wednesday when the wind eased. Nice to see a few pilots out on the hill and great to see Viv happily soaring about.

Up at Bryncaws today, patience was rewarded at around 16:30 when the wind dropped.  Steve J and myself launched and climbed up to 1500' ato in various thermals and floated around for a while before the wind backed to south and died away to almost zero.  It didn't last long, but for me, it was the nicest flight of the year so far.   

[Nick Roberts]

A big club turnout at Bryncaws today and great to see Steve Millson and all from Axis Paragliding training
on the hill.  Conditions were mainly overcast with light winds at first but a good soarable breeze during the second half of the afternoon meant a good slice of airtime for all.  Not much thermic activity but there were some strange lumpy parcels of air at times. 

[Nick Roberts]

March 27th - Arrived at Rhossili late afternoon.  T.O. 16:30  Wind WSW and just nice for a launch from the pimple.  The hill was working really well and I enjoyed a nice hour in the air on my Omega 7 along with around six other pilots.   

[Nick Roberts]

First flight of the year for me and the first thermals for quite some time..  Wind at Heol Senni NNE but working ok at the northend of the hill.  Launched at 12:15.  Some nice gentle workable thermals made for some reasonable climbs and enough height to drift out to the northeast and join some Red Kites in good lift to around 3500' to 4000' amsl.  Mostly cloudy and very cold but well dressed for the day.  It's good to be back!   

Nice to see Paraventure out on the hill too.