Stevie G's Log Book 2009

[Stevie G]

8/10/09...Blaenavon. NE. 15mph. 12c... got the call from Paraventure... "Blaenavon, bang on the hill, 15mph, thermals up to 1000ft ato"... sorted.. hr and a half later Gerry and I was there... nice to fly a different site... it was in a lull when we arrived, but we got ready and in minutes the whole valley started to lift... nice... we could push out far and still get lift but not enough for XC... I did get around the ridge and had it all to myself a while... after an hour the breeze got very cold and dynamic only letting us ridge soar... good fun...then at the end of the day it was very weak only scratching was left.... flew 1.15hrs and got 2270ft amsl... drinks with friends for afters..

[Stevie G]

4/10/09... Rhossili.WNW. 15mph.17c...arrived late morning to see about 7 gliders flying... they had flown about an hour then it just died off...we're all at top T/O... more pilots arrive....most of know eachother... local and visiting...it was going to be busy... by mid afternoon it came on lovely and in no time more than 20 gliders were in the air, the tide was out coming in, lots of beach.... most of us getting 1000ft asl...we even had a few sea thermals to use... there was a good flying window, most flew for hrs... I flew 3 types of wings that day... Airwave Tandem, difficult to SAT and wing over... a FB Spider hard to get energy for wingovers and flaps like mad in SAT's... fair play to D.Siddoli to make it thrown around... and then my Octane FLX.... I managed to get 2.15hrs airtime... a nice day at the seaside again...

[Stevie G]

28/9/09... Rhossili. NW-N. 16mph. 14c...arrived lunchtime to see Paraventure and a small handfull from a visiting school waiting up top...it was too strong so I suggested we go have a warm cuppa to wait for it to change...we get back up an hr later it was still NW but a little weaker... I take off but get no lift on ridge as it was too N... so head for cliffs which was soarable, maintaining a 150ft above the cliff I fly for about 30mins, my acro wing is not the best for soaring so decide to land....Paraventure flew for another 30mins on his Sigma 7... then was joined by a visiting pilot...the wind was going back to NW so the visiting pilot then soared the ridge for an hr... I'd flown... it was cold...when to the Worms for a warm up...time to get out the winter gear ready I thinks....

[Stevie G]

26/9/09... Rhossili. NW-N. 14-15mph. 17c... found a window in the afternoon for a gentle flight at Rhossili...it started about 2 and got good for 3.30pm...only a handfull of pilots on the hill... Nasher, Nick, John M, Gerry, Gron a few more... it was NW easing over to N in just a few hours, so the ridge was giving up and coming on more on the cliffs...an easy day with a 4hr window... I flew only 1hr and 800ft asl.... all the pilots were happy for the day...

[Stevie G]

25/9/09... Rhossili. NW-W. 15mph. 18c... lots of pilots early at Rhossili... weather charts looked good, but it was a slow start as yesterday with a weak Northely then dying off for an hour or so? meanwhile Nasher gave a large group a site briefing, good to see... then the wind on the sea began to appear, heading our way... 3pmish light at first, giving us little hops... and then wind streams appearing giving us a stronger breeze for a few hours... tide turned around 5ish making it more boyant giving us more height again.... 20ish gliders in the air, good air law... nice to see so many visiting pilots, they travelled hours to play on our hill... good to see Chris D too... the breeze increased...too strong to take off, many land on beach others soared the dunes till sunset... the good flying window today was a good 4hrs... I flew 1.30hrs... big social in Worms afterwards

[Stevie G]

24/9/09...Rhossili. NW-W. 15mph. 17c... a slow start at Rhossili today... a weak NW around midday then nothing... patiently waiting we could see the wind on the sea in the distance getting closer... by 2.30 it was on... tide still on the way out, loads of beach...not many pilots there today... the usual band... the tide turns after 4... the wind increases as does our height, up to a 1000ft asl... small thermals cycling thru... sometimes boyant out front... everyone does what they like to do in the air....it starts to pick up around 6... most of us land, then go for beers.. a good flying window...I get 1.50hrs

[Stevie G]

20/9/09... Rhossili. W. 14-16mph. 22c... got there 10.30 hoping for a fly on the cliffs... only a handfull of pilots there, James, Gerry, Paul, Frances, Rod and Scott javascript:void(0);... it was a weak northerly so no cliffs... then no breeze at all... so down to the Worms for light refreshments... at around 1ish it started to kick in, so all back up and ready... we could fly straight away... it was 14mph NW-WNW... after an hour of gentle soaring the tide was on its way in, the breeze increased a few mph and small thermals came along giving us better height and it was on the hill... a 5hr window... it was a fantastic day and only 8 gliders around.... some choosing to just happily soar around... others practicing their manoeuvres..   pilots were flying up to 1100ft asl... at around 6ish the breeze increased and went North, too strong for the cliffs...so all down very happy, for more serious refreshments at Worms...

pics shot by Dr Mushroom

[Stevie G]

19/9/09...Rhossili. NW. 12-16mph. 17c...meeting up with some locals, Gerry, Nasher, Viv and plenty of visitors and the school Paraventure, the wind was on early... a little weak but strong enough for a soar... 10 in the air for an hour then it just dropped off for 20mins and came back on stronger and WNW... perfectly soarable and able to gain height... a dozen of us in the air... a very friendly group... good conditions, blue sky, good visibility.... after about 4hrs the wind streams on the sea became more apparent and white horses came along... gliders weren't penetrating so well so warnings on the radio to watch for increasing wind... an hr later the white horses become choppy so we all go for a beech landing... everyone safe. all happy, big social in the Worms Head afterwards... there was a 5 hr window with gliders getting 1200ft asl... I flew tandem 2.10hrs getting a safe 975ft asl...

[Norris]

What Stevie has not put is that if it was not for him doing almost all the driving, his local site knowledge and his advice on local customs, food and shopping, the trip would not have been half as successful, and would not have been half as much fun. Cheers mate.   

thanks for that Norris... your years of experience well showed and impressed the locals... hopefully we will fly europe again mate

[Stevie G]

16/9/09... Palomaret. SE. 12mph. 23c.. again not thinking to fly, DoYouWanna gives us an early call to go look for a blue hole before the storms arrive... we find it at Palomaret... all eager to get into the air... no one misses a chance... cloud base was low... rising and falling... only gentle lift to be found... the boys spend over an hour exploring the plain, constantly keeping an eye on the weather... Rhys and me just take advantage of doing as many manoeuvres as possible, landing and getting a ride straight away back to take off... the blue hole disappears and dark clouds loom...an awesome hour... we go for the last group supper... all happy boys....tomorrow we fly back at our own hills with the rest of the ScumDog Crew

[Stevie G]

15/9/09... Cabo de Santa Pola. NE. 16mph. 23c... we didn't expect to fly at all, but was rewarded at the end of the day with a coastal flight, the area was unstable all around and the sea very nervous, we had a window and used it... there was only us boys flying and my local friend Alex, together doing our sats and fat wingovers and the boys playing for all the lift they could find...Cookie entertaining the locals at the landing with his Waga style ground handling... we had over an hour in the air and lift up to over a 1000ft above the med....the air became too electric for comfort so we all land happy...later to watch the fantastic thunder and lightning storm over land and sea ...

[Stevie G]

14/0/09... Pe????ubia... W thermic. 25c... a short drive to Pe????ubia by middayish... gentle thermals cycling thru to start... all off the mountain in no time searching for the rise... looking , Norris finds it first... getting his 300ft above take off puts on his speed bar then hoofs it over to the next range and slowly works the mountain to cloud base and over to the next village to Biar....I follow quickly behind and we just use the 6mps lift to cloud base 5700ft asl.... big instability in land developing fast...active flying... didn't wanna do xc... the locals land well before us...best we land to.. only moving forward 2mph... eventually make it back to Pe????ubia...topping up height  to landing area on the way... thermaling with the vultures showing the way... over 2hrs in the air... sat to landing... window over...go for swim in the med...

[Stevie G]

12/9/09...Palomaret... thermic. 29c... Palomaret is my favourite site...so much to give... XC... acro... or just thermal ridge soaring to cloud base... we got there at  lunch time and could fly straight away, all in the air, Norris gets 3000ft above take off and decides to go xc over to del cid, he makes it there and back again and top lands worn out... don't think he realises how well he did or how difficult that actually was... Rod and Chris go play in thermals, seeking and getting high just exploring the whole valley... 6mps to cloud base at 5200ft from take off... they also could off gone xc... after 2.30hrs it became too strong... instability inland... we go chill a while at a local bar... beer and tapas... after a few calls its too unstable to carry on inland... thinkin we had finished for the day on our way back we get a call that its back on the coast, so we get a last hours flying with the locals a 1000ft above the med.... great stuff...

[Stevie G]

11/9/09... Santa Pola...NE 16mph. 32c... we go for a flight at Cabo...5mins from our apartment... we all fly except for Rob...we know the wind is to increase, we keep an eye on the sea... we enjoy the 600ft cliffs getting just over 1000ft above the Med, some of us practicing manoeuvres others just enjoying the view... around 40mins we land as the sea is showing white horses and the breeze is strong, we practice a little ground handling...allways fun...then have a few beers at the beach bar... now go for siesta and hopefully fly for late afternoon... I love this Spanish lifestyle...

[Stevie G]

10/9/09...30c... today we had to go find the right place to fly...too south for goat mountain, so no xc for us...some of the locals got there early and got away, my friend Dudo managed 140k...we went first to Roconco, it was on but still early, I dummied for the guys... strange?... it was on but couldn't even ridge soar..it was sink all the way... dolphining for 1300ft and finding an alternative landing field.... we go then to Caudete...huge mountain range with wind turbines...Ismael joins us and shows us the way in the air... Norris and Chrissekite managed to keep up with the lift for over an hours flight getting 4000ft above the valley floor the rest of us land after half an hour in deep sink... Ismael goes xc and does 50k... Chrissekite and Norris land as it picks up and there tired... we then head back to the coast for an hours evening flight at Cabo... everyone happy and again very worn out...