Reech's Big New Log

[Richard]

2009-12-28 Malverns
 
Was sunny but no wind when I got there. Then light ENE-NE wind and some orographic cloud. Waited but it never really cleared so took off and wafted my way to the landing field.
 
Reech

[Richard]

2009-13-12 Westbury 4-8 NNE-NE

Bit lumpy and off and cold and damp and dull. Flyable though. But getting a proper frontal collapse about 100 feet of the deck kinda says what it was like really............... Good to get airborne and do loads of groundhandling too!

Reech

[Richard]

2009-12-12 Ponty/Ebbw Vale loads of wind!

First visit to Ponty. Very windy, bit wet and cold. Too East anyway so went to Ebbw Vale. Right direction, bit gusty. Possibly doable on me mini wing but would take a braver/more desparate/more experienced man/woman than me to give it a go.

Reech

[Richard]

2009-10-18 Nant Y Moel

Not enough wind really. Loads of peeps on the hill for loads of parawaiting and scratchy flying.

[Richard]

More fun in the Sun with Doyouwanna

2009 10 03 Palomaret

2009 10 05 Fortuna

Reech

[Richard]

Spain with Doyouwanna. Fun in the sun!

2009 10 02 Carrascoy

2009-10-04 Carrasqueta

Reech

[Richard]

2009-09-19 Westbury
Did as forecast. No wind then lovely smooth lift with some thermally bits. Bit too busy for my liking when it switched on but much better when things thinnned out in the air.

No vid but someone took some ace pictures of me so will add those when I get them!

Reech

[Richard]

2009-09-13 Blorenge
NE 8-10 with little bitty thermals that didn't seem to go anywhere. Fun floating about. Not so fun getting below takeoff............ Did get back up though

2009 09 13 Blorenge

Reech

[Richard]

2009-09-12 Hay Bluff
After a visit to Pandy, where it was a bit too Northerly some of us went to Hay Bluff where it was a tad light but very doable for a little float about. Not been there before and it's very, very scenic!

2009 09 12 Hay Bluff

Reech

[Richard]

2009-08-22 Milk Hill then Milk Hill White Horse
10am on hill noone there. Joined by a few, Ummed and ahhed...Wind dummy showed it okay. Took off floated about in thermicery. Easy height gain to look over to WH and GB . Some peeps having fun there. Thought to wander over. Landed instead for a munch. Wind more south so yomped to WH. Floated about. wind clamed to next to nought. Waited about with a few others. Nearly went home. It came good about boated in abundant lift 'tll near dark! Result! Some got away from Golden Ball and White horse.

[Norris]

Couple of nice write ups there mate. Me and Cookie will have to come out with you sometime, be nice to break new ground.

[Richard]

2009-08-09 Nant Y Moel
Whizzo day was had. Got the about 1.30pm Word was it was light but getting stronger. Seemed to be the case. Mucho thermic cycles and lift to 2000' ato where there was a couple of quite big scary looking clouds which I decided to fly away from........... So I did! Lots of lift around so just floated about hither and thither. Stopped for a munch. Quite a few red ribbons about having a good time. Flew and flew. When it started to drop off landed to give the ribbons as much room as poss, then took off again when everyone had landed for another little float about! Wonderful.

[Richard]

2009-07-09 A day of 2 Bits............

A testing forecast had Ron and I going south from Bristol today to Whitesheet a Wessex site because the wind was going to be building during the day and Whitesheet is quite low and likely be unbusy...... So get there, some gliders flying. WSW and a bit off the hill, bonkers thermic! First time there so a bit of watch and learn to see what things are like is done. Ron's got a demo Skywalk Arriba and takes off, flys for a bit and declares it's pretty nasty! Not really what I want to hear 'cause of the 6 week no fly I've had and I'm still mindful of my skinny 2/3 I'm gonna entrust my life to, but hey ho off we go! Loads of lift and much to do to keep things right side up but it was fun. Felt a few specks of rain so it's a determined effort to top land as the wind goes even more off the hill and strengthens! Looking around there's Cunims dropping there guts in the distance but we are in bright sunshine! No chance for flying though. Packing was fun in the gale! Then some head scratching, and we decide to go to the south coast for a site recce at Ringstead and some fish and chips.

Get to Ringstead and the hangies are packing up after a brill day for them. Word is it's dropping so we hang about and do some wait and see. We haven't flown hereand there's nobody here so there's much reading of the site guide and it's numerous hazards.......... Ringstead is a most intereting site. You take off on a little ridge some way back from the cliffs and make a transition to them if you get enough height over a few fields and the last bit being trees with a powerline. The guide makes it very clear that this can be somehat dangerous! I can see that.......... Anyway, it becomes takeoffable so we take to the air and boat around the little ridge for a bit. I can easily get height so my mind starts thinking about the 'death glide' transition. I would have preferred someone else to show me the way but nothing ventured nothing gained so I tentatively set off. About half way and I've still got height but being cautious by nature I turn back to see what the return is like. No problem! Confident that conditions are right I top up my height and set off again. It's miraculous! Lift all the way across and a beautiful unfolding of the cliffs below me accompanied by the gentle beeping of my vario. Alone, in all this space with spectacular veiws up and down the coast, I can see just about see people on the beach and their tents. Floaty, boaty coastal flying! High up the wind is strong, being pinned on a 2/3 on half bar reminds me to keep a careful eye on conditons as cloudbase is very low a I can see them forming upwind of me and I DO NOT want to be caught up here if it goes orographic!. I can see Ron back on the ridge having a go at the transition so decide to head back to see what it's like to get back. This concentrates my mind somewhat as I'm actually flying into a headwind on bar! Nonetheless the transition back is uneventful and I maintain my altitude all the way back. Ron's still not getting the same height and two others arrive and takeoff and set off straight from takeoff!! I figure they know what their doing and aim for the cliffs again with ron below me and the two others below Ron! Ron must have figured that if they can get there he can! The two stay low and mess around at cliff height, I stay high and float about in wispy cloud that seem to scoot by me at an alarming rate..... After a a bit I do another run back to takeoff and return to check on things as the wind high is quite easterly of the lower wind and getting more cloudy. As time goes by it's getting very, very damp in the air and upwind I can see the clouds getting darker and darker and cloudbase is lowering with the setting sun so I beckon to Ron about the clouds who has also seen them and I'm off to the ridge for a vertical landing. My wing is so damp it's almost wet! Duly everyone comes in to land and an excellent apres flight chat is had!

We leave as dark falls and off to Weymouth for some fish and chips on the seafront! A silk purse from a sow's ear day!

[Richard]

2009-06-14 Nant Y Moel SW 10-16

Bit barking mad in the air. Very 'engaging' and active but very tiring too! Blown out for the afternoon. It did calm and was very, very lifty but still with some bullety themal stuff.

[Richard]

2009-06-13 Nant Y Moel SSW 6-10 with some really strong thermals blowing through

Pretty wizzo day. Lots of uppness, interesting air. A bit tiring with all the active piloting required to keep me wing over my head! Flew and flew, chatted a lot did a bit of coaching. Weird shaped thermals with a peculiar drift had me scratching my head trying to work it out! Even had a tip fold and my glider didn't fall to bits! Hoorah! Good time was had! Loads of vid to edit so will post it when it's done!

Some vid of the day with some 'guest appearances'

2009 06 13 Nant Y Moel

Here's some vid of Dan flying a hanky.

2009 06 13 Nant Y Moel Gin Bobcat

And now to the Gallery.

2009 06 13 Nant Y Moel Gallery

Reech