Toms flying outings

[TomG]

22-12-2009 Rhossili W 10-15
Arrived to meet Gerry paking up apparently just as it had died down again. Took my time to rig while keeping an eye to see if the wind would pick up again, it didnt so i launched in to good lift. Had 2 hours of pottering about, doing loads of top landing approaches to both the very top and pimple.
In all a good session to blow away the cobwebs on a surprisingly quiet ridge.

[TomG]

 04-10-09 RAF Halton, WSW 10
Back in the K21 today for the first 3 flights of general handling, circuits and landing. Im getting better but keep rounding out a bit too low on landing. Went up again just after lunch with much livelyer air, scooting over to the ridge and cahsing squirrels in teh trees below for a couple of mins before gaining 100ft over the top and spent 39 mins with 3 other gliders. It was quite hard work with the turbulence and turning every minute or so and i landed feeling quite tired, but managed to pull off my best landing of the day.
Total airtime 55mins.

[TomG]

27-09-2009 RAF Halton NW 5-10
A different mount toaday, the old fasioned k13, with the extra wind we were getting a bit more height from the launch, and even better after turning off the line went strainght in to a smooth 2-3kt climb, which I managed to stay in to 2000ft ATO before it died off to zeros, giving me my longest  non ridge flight to date of 22mins! had a bit of drama on the landing after coming in a bit low between the hangers!

[TomG]

26-09-2009 RAf Halton, NW 0-5
Got knocked off early so nipped down to the airfield about 14:00 to find my instructor doing his 5 year checks. Got a launch at 15:30 and bumbled in to a 2 up just off the line which kept us up as i practiced my tight turns! over another two launches I learnt to fly the whole launch and landing, coupled with a bit of thermalling in between, all good fun in otherwise smooth air. Still loads more boxes to tick before I solo, but apparently in progressing really quickly!
total air time 40mins.

[TomG]

19-09-2009 RAF Halton, N 0-5
Arrived at the crack of somthing early and helped to pull out the gliders and do the DIs before flying started at about 11:00
Had three launches in the K21 learning the last part of the winch launch, circuit planning and landing, I keep wanting to round out too high! then spent the rest of the day retrieving landed gliders then had another 3 flights in the afternoon consolidating the mornings learning. Only 30 mins airtime though as the air was dead still with not even a bump! Still its all good learning!

[TomG]

13-08-2009 RAF Cottesmore
Not paragliding but a ride in a merlin helicopter around rutland, only 15 mins but great fun at medium and low levels.

05-09-2009 RAF Halton, W15-20
Back to gliding this time, but in a Duo Discus.
Winch launch to 1000ft and then scurrying off downwind to the ridge behind camp which was working well with mixed thermals, enabling to maintain our launched height. I was able to fly for most of the 30 mins, sharing the ridge with 5 other gliders.
For a grand finale, the instructor too over for a 120kt run along the 2km ridge at tree top height before zoom climbing at the end losing only 150ft from our start height, hows that for energy retention!

[TomG]

06-08-2009 Rhossili W 10 - 15

Arrived to see quite a few wings already in the air so zoomed up to the pimple just as Viv was landing. Rigged up after a quick chat and took off into light lift, not gaining much over 100ft except in the odd thermic bubble. Landed back on the crowded pimple for a break after an hour as Stevie G and co were arriving. Back in the air again in better lift this time I practiced my wingovers and tried a few 50% assymetrics, the first time Ive tried it on this wing, and was surprised at how benign they were.
After some three hours in the air it had picked up a bit and with lift everywhere getting down presented quite a challenge, eventually landing on the third go!

Pic and some videos of the day can be seen here

Rhossili 06-08-2009

[TomG]

01-08-2009 Rhossili dune W 15 - 20

Arrived in the carpark at 15:00 to see people waiting on the pimple and a few flying the dunes and groundhandling on the beach. Got in touch with Steve who said it was good so headed down, taking to the air at 16:30
Got up to 300ft from the far end so had a play with my newly adjusted speed bar, only to find I coulnt get anymore than half on! Few more adjustments later and up I went again, this time much better, as the wind appeared to have eased I jumped back to the main ridge to be hoovered up then pushing out, getting in the end up to 920ft.
Spent the rest of the flight building up my wingovers and generally messing around on the dunes.
All in all a very satisfying 2 hrs.

[TomG]

15-06-2009 Marros SW 10 - 15

Arrived at TO and was greeted on the track by the chap living behind who said someone else was there earlier but didnt fly saying the wind was off, wonder who that was?
Went and looked over the edge to find the wind slightly off to the west and just right, so quickly rigged up and joined the gulls floating around getting to 200ft ATO and pushing as far round to the west as the next valley.
After an hour or so the wind dropped and went of to the west and I spotted rain approaching from wisemans bridge.
A quick landing and packup just in time for the rain to arrive as I drove off.

In all a pleasant boat around with fantastinc views and watching the clouds boil up inland.

[TomG]

24/05/2009 Fan Gyhirych SW, vairable

Got to TO with Viv and Nick about 13:30 and proceeded to parawait for an hour or two for what little breeze to come on the hill more constantly.

I was the first off but only managed a couple of beats before sliding in to land just below TO. Second time was better, hooking in to a climb on the southern end which i was able to hold to around 400 ATO before losing it and floating down to topland a couple of minutes before Nick. That set the tone for the rest of the day until it started to die off at about 17:30. Nick went off to the bottom of the col and I followed in the next cycle, aiming for the usual layby, I thought I was going to be a long way short but blundered in to a pocket of lift marked by some swifts that got me back to TO height on the west side and sealed the glide home.

[TomG]

12-04-2008 Fan Gyhirych SW 15

Arrived a bit earlier this time to find even less wind than before, so we waited until Mick came back from a walk to say it was on on the south side.
Round we went to find it strong but manageable, so all launched in to some very rough air, with 10kts lift and nearly as much sink. Had a rough ride to just over a grand then decided I wanted out, only problem was getting down, as soon as id found sink I was being hoovered back up again only a few moments later. Got down in the end to wait it out and had some good flying in the late afternoon as the conditions mellowed, finally landing next to the track just as it died off.
All in all another good day with 1.5hrs flown

[TomG]

11-04-2009 Fan Gyhirych, Light and variable.
Arrived on top after carrying up from the middle gate to find a number of people parawiting with a very light wind. Got set up and pursuaded Andy to go as a wind dummy, showing us that there were good thermals rolling up. Me and Gareth then took off in the next cycle and i managed a couple of beats before sinking below TO, luckily Gareth marked some lift and we both climed out to meet andy.
On arrival at base at around 3000ft ATO Andy went across to Pen Y fan whilst I stayed with Gareth and headed down the cloud street staying high. I watched Gareth get away from me only to see him low over the boonies near Ystraflte reservoir, so I hung about and got high meanwhile losing sight of him. Then It was my turn to get low so flying over some exposed rock scree provided another long climb back to base for us both. From then on the run to Merthyr was quite easy, bimbling slowly along and occasionally circling under stronger lift back to an ever increasing base, topping out at 6177ft AMSL on the outskirts of the town. By this point Gareth had got well ahead and i had lost sight of him, so I bimbled around over the opencast wondering where to go, then deciding that as I didnt know where Cardiff airspace was nor which way I should head and being helped by frozen fingers and toes I started the slow job of heading down to land with all the other parawaiters on Merthyr. Made a perfect landing on the top in nil wind to end a flight full of personal bests, 25.3 KM in a near dead straight line and height gains of 3822ft.

The day was finished off with a lift to brecon with a friendly Hangie whose name escapes me and from there back to the landy with Andy, Cheers chaps.

[TomG]

03-04-2009 Marros, 10-15 S

Arrived with Stevie G, Scott and Gerry to find it very misty and light, but dead on the hill.
After a short wait we all ended up groundhandling for an hour or so before Steve got away on a borrowed big wing. On his return I had a go, finding the best lift to be above the row of bushes in front of TO. Had some good fun flying about in the mist, as the lift was light I had no problem seeing the ground. Later on it picked up some more and with 50ft ATO all I coud do was follow the dark shadow of the bushes in the mist for a couple of beats before landing to let the others have a go.

Annoyingly just as the mist cleared the wind dropped, leaving us scratching again.

All in all quite a good day with lots of practice for toplandings!

[TomG]

16-02-2009 Rhossili, variable.
First outing of the year for me aboard my newly aquired Sigma 6.
Got to the top TO by about 13:00 passing by the hangies on the pimple and being overtaken by someone with lightweight gear, grrr.
Said hi to Ivor Andy and Jared and as some were just staying up quickly unpacked and went for a couple of hops, staying on the ridge by TO. after a little while the lift had picked up enough to allow me to jump easily over the bowl and on down the ridge to the caravan park. As i was slowly heading back I noiced that it was starting to get hazy and on arrival just below TO was greeted by wisps of orographic cloud and really rough and not very lifty air after trying unsuccessfully to scratch up I slope landed just below TO. By the time I got back up the cloud was quite thick so had lunch while waiting for it to clear.
As it cleared so came the wind and I was able to easily soar the whole ridge, experimenting with the speed bar and general handling, as well as taking loads of pics. It was good to be able to fly next to Andy on his Mojo, it really showed the performance differences. Whilst heading back towards TO the cloud came back, and while Andy zoomed off towards it I elected to stay on the far side of the bowl with 2 others as the bank of cloud approached. As the wisps started to engulf us I opted to land while the other kept flying, Ive no idea where they landed as it got thick very quickly.
And thus ended a satisfying days flying, im very pleased with the Sigma, cant wait to try it out inland.

Pics from the day are athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfE3U8wHb0k (The video's owner prevents external embedding)