Stevie G's Log Book 2010

[Stevie G]

one of my sponsors BlauVent...
maybe some of you'll be interested,  recycled paragliders, why not,  our girlie pilot Carmen is having several bags on   the market already, check out her website,   

Blauvent: individual new products from recycling old paragliders   | Cross Country International Han
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[Stevie G]

12/7/10...Organya...WSW 10mph... 38c... U-turn... it was flyable yesterday but Gerry and I decide to watch all the young dudes for a few hours instead...what a show... they are awesome... after spending time here I can see that the UK can never produce such pilots... these kids live, breath and sleep in their wings... it seems their pretty good at xc too...am so jealous ; /...today we just chill until late afternoon then time it right for a last good bye flight at the mountain... usual thing... over 3000ft above the valley floor within 10mins... do your stuff then back up again... after 40mins the wind veers from the west so its a little to difficult to stay up anymore... a good few land... Gerry and me happy, pack, shake hands goodbye with the guys and prepare for our journey back home : ? ... boo hoo...

[Stevie G]

10/7/10...Organya...SSW 9mph...37c ... Paratec/U-Turn... we did not expect to fly as the forecast was for rain and thunder but I guess the huge bowl surrounded by big mountains kept a blue hole for us to fly in from 1pm to 9.30pm... its the weekend and always gets busy in Spain for the flying, there were lots of pilots at take off maybe 50 in the air... 2 schools..more acro champs for training...busy... it staid consistant through the day, thermals rolling up the mountain 4-6mps... again 10mins and you were over 3000ft above the valley floor... everyone doing their thing... after nearly 3hrs of flying Gerry lands back up at t/o to collect our transport.... he's doing very well with his stalls and thermalling...Scotty too... we pack then go to socialise... another good day... all very tired... : )

[Stevie G]

8/7/10...Organya...SW 7mph... 37c... U-Turn... a late start today for all as quite a few of us were feeling a little delicate after a celebratory session with the pilots at Spain getting into the finals...especially Scot who doesn't even like football and didn't get to fly... the flying window started at 3pm and went on till 9pm... half the young acro boys just hung around t/o until late only getting in a couple of hrs training, they have been training there for around 3 weeks and have flown almost everyday... Gerry waits a while before getting in the air.. he only wants to boat around for a while today... there are still plenty in the air giving it all they have and some excellent performances going on in front of t/o as some are being filmed for the sponsors... i get only 40mins in the air and fly around timidly only to get in a few moves today... the air is very up and down today...we pack up early and get an early night..; l}   
 
9/7/10...SWS... a very hot day...were up early hoping to get an early flight as it looks like the weather is changing for a few days... we wait at the campsite with the others for the signs to start... but all we could gues was that it was gonna be a late one... we decide to go off and explore Andora... when we arrived back late afternoon shortly after it starts to work... but its quite a bit off to the west... I hang back at the hotel for a snooze but Scot and Gerry go for a gentle flight for an hr... they come back pleased... : )

[Stevie G]

7/7/10...Organya...SW 5mph...35c... Paratec...the conditions today are what magic mountain is known for... it was flyable from 4pm till 10pm... you took off and within 10mins your 4000ft over the valley floor and it was like it all afternoon...and the late restitution got you high above the mountain range for some fantastic scenery as far as Andora... to Ager...the snow capped mountains of France... Montserrat near Barcelona.... .... Gerry and Scot spent an hr practicing their stalls... me too... also clicked with asymmetric spirals to loops and sat to spin/helico.... the P81 is a difficult muther... after 2hrs am tired so land for beers and watch the footy... happy... : )

[Stevie G]

6/7/10...Organya...Thermic...35c...U-Turn/Paratec... we meet some other pilots at the campsite over cool drinks and a swim, waiting for the signs like the trees singing before wandering off to t/o...at 2.30 it all gets good and all the pilots (around 20) scramble to get away... theres a gentle Northely from the back but that is OK as the thermals generally keep it at bay... we get the usual 3-6mps up and get the normal 3000ft above the valley floor... everyone allways pushing out to practice their routines... we have world champions with us now perfecting their manoeuvre's for the comp here...for me its very exciting to watch... after 40mins in the air lift on the ridge becomes not so lifty so all push out to find it even more lifty and rough as... the meteo wing is changing from N to S and is converging in the whole off the valley space... too rough for most while the air mixes we land and wait it to smooth out with a chilled drink... after 2hrs we are back in the air all and all practicing whatever we have set ourselves for the remaining hrs until it drops off almost completely... Gerry and Scot have much confidence now and are starting to push themselves harder... nice to see...

[Stevie G]

5/7/10...Organya. N 3mph... 33c ... U-Turn/Thriller... we were the first at t/o today and the thermal activity kicked in on the hill perfectly around 1pm...we all get ready and fly eagley (flap flap)... in about 15mins the thermals get up to 6mps  and were soon 3000ft above the valley floor... the visiting acro pilots spot us and quickly join us...what a fantactic display of skills we witnessed... these young pups did everything... new routines... outstanding manoeuvre's.... a new generation... they stayed in the air training for about 4hrs...we on the other hand after 2hrs were knackered with our feeble attempts....good tho : )... we have to land and have a break and beer ; )... we get back up late afternoon and its still going strong for an hr but then gets too week for the acro wings to stay up... only leaving Gerry and Scot the whole of magic mounting for themselves on their serial wings to explore the mountains hidden secrets... awesome day... much much more tomorrow apparently.... an equally good social afters and a very tired group : )... BTW Franc's attempts of the young pups acro was very entertaining ; /

[Stevie G]

4/7/10...Organya...SE... thermic... 33c... U-turn/Thriller... did not expect to fly today as it was constant lightning and thunder from 2.30am to 6am this morning... really full on... but by 8am skies cleared for a beautiful day... by the afternoon there came a window for an hr of flight... a small group of young budding acro pilots had been training their routines for the coming comps... these kids are still in school and fly/train every day after school... they can do ALL the manoeuvre's and do them very well... I will try and get them on the GoPro.... Francois and Gerry get some excellent height over the plane and Francois is doing SAT's very well, he's happy... Gerry is getting proficient at his B'lines and building up to deeper spirals... the sky over develops really quickly and the thunder is cracking off again, so everyone is down fast... have a quick beer and wait for the next window ; )... it comes but is only t2b's.... from tomorrow is looking good for the week... I can see 10 days is just not gonna be enough...

[Stevie G]

June-July...Spanish Pyrenees...33c+... on my annual road trip to Catalan... meet up with the guys at Barcelona... decide where to start?... Berga it is...we spend 2 days there and get 2 hrs flying in the mornings and then after siesta's we fly another maybe 3hrs in the afternoon...we get great heights and manage xc's... with the late winter the conditions are demanding... but for me, outstanding, with stunning scenery... ... due to instability we then decide to move on to Ager... an awesome place for xc practice... due to weather condition we stay there for the rest of our trip... my word , what a place ; ) the ridge alone is an expedition... again we fly early in the mornings for 3hrs, siesta then back for more in the late afternoon for another 3hrs... its technical and sometimes down right scary... but so rewarding... the ridge alone is an xc log... if you can achieve it... the out and returns are ? did I just do that!... the restitutions out over the old Mores village can get you 7000ft asml mucho+... difficult sometimes to get down... now my road trip ends : /... kiss my friends goodbye ... move on to Organya for some FreeStyle training...we see what goes...am happy... thank you World x   

[Stevie G]

20/6/10...Rhigos...light...17c...arrived early afternoon with Gerry...supprised, minutes later Nick and Viv turn up... good to see... straight away we all rig up and take off... Nick disappears in the stratos somewhere...as he does... ...its a light take off but finding thermals you were getting 6mps ups... sometimes bullets... sometimes football fields....good height to looking for.... for me I managed around 4800amsl.... I could push out to theheads of the valley and easily make it back... a little kickin at times...some collapses here and there.... anyway... I manage this twice... at the end it did get strong and rough... was best to stay in air till it eased... for me a fantastic 2hr flight... a light lunch on the way home..... I love this sport... x

19/6/10...Rhiw Wen...17mph...meet there with Nick, Gerry and Viv... it was calm to start..odd... as its howling everywhere else... it start to pic up...we go up ready.. its on the hill and right on the edge... all 4 in the air... its lifty, some sort of convergence going on... Nicks off doing his superman stuff... up up and gone... Gerry doing well too... Viv has a short flight.. lands safe... not the friendliest of conditions.... after 30mins we all decide to land... it pics right up, the convergence is a little rocky...all down safe... then off for a debriefing pint...

17/6/10...Heol Senny...15mph... again turn up late... new faces...low airtimers...were off again and the air is a lot more friendly... good for all levels... I land after 1.20hrs... everyone seems to have the same idea too...then another good pint briefing at the ancient Briton...

16/6/10...Heol Senny... 17mph... turn up late late afternoon...Franc and Gerry have been flying since 4pm... some have waited all day : /   it calms a little enough for most to get air born.... were getting good height and can push out... but the air is rough.... we all seem to have the same idea at the same time and land after 1.17hrs for me... a quick pint at the ancient Briton afters...

5/6/10...Rhossili... Rhossili did its usual thing and gave us everything that day after 3hrs of flying we pack up as it died right off... Nick, Viv and Tom G turn up as we walk down... they stay on top we have a social for an hr at the worms only to see that the conditions come back on...sorted... only I go back up to join the late comers... Nick is doing tandems between Viv and Tom and I get an other hr of flying in until it does get too strong... and then another session in the Worms... we are lucky : )

[Stevie G]

3/6/10...BrynCaws...15-18mph... got to BC around 11.30 to see Gerry already there with a couple of visitors from London...all three got into the air and are doing really well...it looked a bit rock and roll but they were getting great height... the Scumdogs Team turned up by midday and were all quickly wanting to join the airborne... it was a strange combination of conditions... big air to cloudbase was easy... punchy thermals... stronger winds... floaty and heavy sink... but it was flyable... by the late afternoon Nick Viv and TomG turned up and that phase of the day it got strong just after we had all taken off... I noticed some of the guys landing were going backwards and it was well strong at height too... lucky for me I had good height but had to use full speed bar to push out front... slowly I made it over to the bottom landing but now it is very sinky and still strong... I got the wing down safe and got a lift back up and packed up as I had flown for almost 3hrs... but Nick and Tom were still in the air really good height on... safest place to be until it calmed later... an interesting 1st day back  : )

[Stevie G]

Spain...Valencia...30c+ .... managed to get a last afternoon flight in before the midnight flight home... the thermals were strong and cloud base getting higher.... out of 31 days I have flown 24 and have managed a conservative 40hrs of flying... probably more! its all good experience.... my sponsors DoYouWanna and BlauVent made my trip possible and I look forward to joining up with them again toward the end of June... meanwhile its time to make the most of my short stay back and fly again our own beautiful green sites... : )

[Stevie G]

Spain... Valencia...33c+ the flying conditions are just getting better... I dont believe it... hours every day...but its true... and Iv cut my trip off by a week.. and its been 4.1/2 weeks already... back to uk tomorrow... but still gonna get a days flying in before I leave... and back again at the end of the month for 3 weeks to continue my progress... what can I say? .... I¨m selling up and moving out... oh yeah... ; ) thats gonna be a major xc trip...............

[gareth.pawan]

Sounds Brilliant! Hope they do those huge bocadillo de patatas where you are.
Muchos felicidados y tranquilo.
 
 

[Stevie G]

Spain... Valencia... still getting hotter... its still flyable everyday so far but today is not...phew... now to chill a while and socialise with some of the locals... its not always just about flying, I love this culture too and prefare to keep away from the tourist centres.... luckily for me I have been able to use a serial wing for some epic flights on some awesome sites... on this trip I purposely did not use a vario and now would rather never use one again... the serial wing is a size too small for me but I still manage to thermal easily to cloud bases and to do out and returns...put in a little freestyle to at the ends... the flying is still an hour in the mornings then a relaxed lunch followed by a late afternoon flying for 3hrs or so... every flight has something to give and I like the fact that one never stops learning... today I can chill... fantastic...