Viv's Blog

[Viv]

15th August. Heol Senny. Cold and 20mph. Parawait until lunchtime, then shelf launch in a window, 20 mins of bowlscraping, climb and a few beats before a lull dumps me for a slope landing halfway down. Long trudge back, thank goodness for the stuffsac! Then at 4pm the magic lift starts, we all have a great fly, nice height and use the whole ridge, then some more scratching round the side, finally landing accurately by car. 40 mins. Nick does the shortest XC ever. On the way down to the Ancient Briton we see 3 deer leisurely crossing the road.

[Viv]

8th Aug. Rhosili. Much like last week, except there is a chap pumping out music on the pimple. Nice launches, lunchtime 1hr 30 min, midafternoon 1 hr 40 min, cloud and wind increase, it's tandem day today, controlled landings, one in ferns. Nick and co pack up, and make for the pub. I enjoy the now peaceful ambience until I feel a lull, and go again with a nice launch from the front, Rob Mansley still at work, it's a beautiful sunset with double sundogs, no white horses but striations on the water indicate the wind strength, I can't seem to get down onto the lifty pimple, nobody on radio, the sun is kissing the horizon, I think about pulling the ears in, and find speedbar line clipped in harness. A chap shouts carpark after sunset, and after several exploratory passes along the cliff I make a constant aspect approach from the outgoing tideline, over the path into the now empty bottom carpark, a few gentle s's and perfect touchdown dead centre of field. 2 hrs. My car is the nearest vehicle. Windsock abandoned.

[Viv]

1st Aug. Rhosili. A busy day at the pimple, just about everybody and the dog is there. A couple of practice inflations, then a good 30 mins as the sun moves round to warm the downs, interesting clouds today and a sundog just before it goes cloudy. Land in ferns behind t/o, at least it's not crowded just there, mushroom up and take tea while waiting for the conditions to smooth out a bit. Extra layers are welcome. Evenually launch from right down the front of the pimple in a fresh breeze, and as the liftband has widened considerably, push out to the peripheries, only coming back to top up, careful not to go too far back, nice height, huge loops, max glide most of the time, 1 hr 45 mins until numb fingers force me down. A better approach and landing this time. I am not the only fernlander today. Colin has filled the bag with litter, how noble of him.

[Viv]

25th July. Graig Fawr. Thru Cefn Parc, park by road and bogwalk to t/o. Nick does a test fly and walks back from the adjoining slope, I do 500 yds in 30 secs, some groundhandling then as its so light we regroup and go to the other layby, see some locals launch so go for it, a good hour of active fun until a lull dumps me in the ferns waist deep and its like a jungle, I'm further away from t/o than I think, fail to relaunch from the shelf and as it's gone all overcast again with increased wind I pack up and hike back to the car with directions on the radio. Thanks to Stu for carrying my bag, a gent. A lovely site with views of my house, the gower and lougher estuary all in one 360. Boggy. Could have done a Norris and flown home.

[Viv]

11th July. Rhosili.  Light wind, a bit southerly but doable from pimple. Axis is up top.Takeoff at lunchtime is hampered by tourists with cameras posing, I make a swift launch and away for a good hour in the narrow liftband. Wattsy copes in a civil manner. Nice to see Stu, Alan, ChrisD and Jon, some visitors from Avon. I make several passes over the pimple before landing accurately, wing collapses onto my head! There is a rainbow coloured halo around the sun, and a total eclipse predicted tonight in Chile. After a warm up I go again, but the sun is veiled by cloud so no great height, top of the stack briefly, I see by the sock that the wind has gone quite southerly, try a different approach this time and make a less than graceful downwind landing by the sock, wing flops into the gorse. No damage. We watch latecomers trying to inflate in nil wind from the terrace. 2 hours. 34 hours this year without going abroad.

[Viv]

3rd July. Rhosili. The most different types on clouds on arrival mid afternoon. Pimple launch in the lull, and 45 mins of exploring the liftband, nice landing and go again after a warm up, another 1 hr in much smoother air, the clouds have moved inland and eventually the wind is so light that I nearly land on a Polish pilot. Another beautiful sunset from the pub.

[Viv]

30th June. Nant-y-Moel. Arrive lunchtime to see Axis and Paraventure, Norris, Cookie, Rob and Tina, have a little 15 mins fly and land as the sun goes behind cloud and I sink to t/o to land. Tea and chat, then the sun comes out and we have 40 mins in quite turbulent air, big climbs, but lumpier as you go higher. There is one tuck at height and I swing about like the pendulum I am. Land nicely to get my breath back, then go again for another 45 mins until I feel a bit queasy. The schools pack up and only the die-hards remain airborne. Nick has gone XC so I await the call.

[Viv]

29th June. Rhosili. Arrive at 1600hrs to see some in the air, by the time I walk up it's off the the south and they're landing. Very light, I launch from the pimple into a light gust which didn't build. Crab across the gully, scratch up the front and turn before the gap, sink and scratch back towards the pimple, instead of a smooth glide up and round there is more sink in the gully, I push out to catch the breeze as it whips round the front, but am so low that I can only dune soar out and back til the beach claims me. Climb up hopefully as some have launched again, only to find the window had closed. All grey and lumpy, too cold to go for a swim. ChrisD is going up for a tandem as I head for the pub. 5 mins ttb.

[Viv]

27th June. Rhosili. A busy day with 20 gliders and a half dozen hangies, I go up top where it's quieter to launch after Gerry plays wind dummy, and the rest of the parawaiters launch from the pimple. 30 mins later I land on pimple for a warm up, then go for 1 and a half hours, wisps of orografic at the far end . The heavy traffic has spread out into the whole liftband. I keep away from Cookie doing spiral dives and wingovers, the wash is quite turbulent, and the hangies. Try to pimple land but circle too low and choose the ferns over the wall or gorse for a fast dowwind landing on the side. A couple of speedwings are there launching from top. Last flight of the day is in smoother air than it has been all day, the tide is in and the surf looks great from above, as I push out to sea there is a highway to lift from the sun on the sea, then a perfect landing on pimple at last. 1 hr. I pack up then wish I hadn't as there are only 4 left playing in the sunset. A nice debrief in Worm's Head, and home by midnight.

[Viv]

26th June. Fan G. South launch today, stong thermic gusts, have us up and down like yoyo's, most challenging, the Zulu behaves precisely and I feel safe and am working it until a trackside landing and walk up to go again. It goes blue and we go, less gusty and a long sink out to land nicely by the windsock. Not as near as Alan! 1 hr 15 mins total today. The Ginger Pig guest beer at the AB is exceptional.

[Viv]

25th June. Fan G.  An early start at the north east edge of the bowl, but an all day wait, edging round the whole rim until late afternoon on the south face, forgot to do up the legstraps after the walk, very unstable! 5pm launch and climb round to join the boys, Andy H John M and Steve's Jones and Adams, Nick in a very tight liftband, my personal best surpassed again. 40 mins of very active fun, and land by the track for easy walk to car.

[Viv]

24th June. Rhosili. 4pm launch from pimple, an active 2 hrs of flying better than ever here, this seems to be the month for outdoing my personal bests! Some orografic wisps to see what the air is doing. Then get blown back for a greenfield landing behind the burnt patch. Another 1 hr 30 mins in smoother air, though quite strong, enough to keep me from pimple landing. We pose about for Ciaran, photos to follow.  The cliffs are good today. Car park perfect touchdown and chat to an original hangie from the 70's. Nice to se Gron, Jon M, Stu and Guy as well as Nick doing tandem with a model for the tourist board.

[Viv]

23rd June. Nant-y-Moel. Arrived mid afternoon to find it had been quite strong all day but now manageable, nice launch and immediate lift along the ridge, climb at the gully and beat about, cross the gap and round the bowl, further than before, higher than before, longer too. 1 hr 40 mins and a nice landing by sock. Nick lands nearer to it. A lull for tea, then the restitution came good for another 20 mins until it went too light, scratched along for a final approach and nice land. There was a sundog again.

[Viv]

22nd June. Rhosili. Off to the south til the sun comes round. A few practice inflations, the place is teeming with Paraventure students, 3pm pimple launch in bubbly air, 1 hour of trying to keep away from people, it's very different to the usual smooth fly here, wing tucks as I try to turn in lift, I have height so only wail quietly as I momentarily plummet, lean the other way as you do, tug my weightless control handle to pop her out and glide to a different trigger point for my next top up, the sky hooks are at different faces today because the wind direction and sun angle are from the south. To pimple land this time I pull the d's, then c's as I touch down behind the track in the ferns. No pricks there then. Rob and Tina arrive in time to catch the best part of the day. It's a lot smoother and more westerly so another 30 mins until the breeze goes light, everyone lands too. I try a last launch but skim Rob's mushroom. Guy arrives but no joy. I watch Cookie buzz the Worm's Head from the terrace, as he enjoys a solitary sunset cruise in what has become a Northerly! We kick ourselves for packing up too early.

[Viv]

21st June. Merthyr. A new site for me. Windsock off to the side all day, Nick goes XC in the only useable gust, Andy H and Steve can it, finally the only 4 left launch, I find it very weak but mindful of Nick's advice to climb in anything lifty I manage a few beats and get above the mast, it's a bit lumpy, go back and make several passes over t/o before a neat landing by car. The wind has moved back to southerly, the boys make it down safely and off I go for retrieve of Pilot of the day Nick, rescued from the Karaoke bar before he breaks into song. 15 mins.