Viv's Blog

[Viv]

Airtime 2010; 56hrs 15 mins. No trips abroad.

[Viv]

14th Nov. Rhosili. Wind off to the N on arrival, pimple launch 1400hrs, a few beats along,  having to keep close to the face and even fly above the path to the trig point, something I don't normally do as I often got sucked over the back, being a lightweight. This is my undoing, as I pass around the back edge of the bowl I am in the lee of the rock behind the white house, and gently touch down in the heather, just past the rocks. 20 mins. A nice clifftop walk back, observing the changing conditions, then after taking some photos of Nick testing the Advance Omega 8, pimple launch for a sunset flight, nice and smooth, and a nice mushy flare to land. That article in XC magazine must have sunk in. 20 mins  of controlled fun.

[Viv]

25th Oct. Cwmafan. Windsock off to the east a bit, but manage 35 mins to mast height, keeping over the trees today, a few swoops out over the valley, topland in a lull, parawait and have 10 mins more, but it's a bit bobbly, keeps switching off, so I topland before I go down. We admire Stu's elegant placement in the greenfield, and chuckle as Barrie dumps himself in the bracken nearby. 

[Viv]

24th Oct.  Rhiw Wen. Arrive late morning and parawait, a few inflations, reposition, untangle, ground handle until the wind drops to a manageable level, the front of the hill is too windy so I go from a few feet back and have a short beat about until the sun goes behind clouds and we topland for a warm up.  10 mins. The sun comes out, the clouds shrink, Dee feels alone in the sky we all go some more, this time I get up to cloudbase with the old pro's, Nick as usual the highest and farthest, I follow him across to the quarry as the wind varies it's direction and the others land on top.  I scratch up slowly and finally get above the quarry, stunning views from this vantage point, we circle gleefully about, then I feel a lull and head towards the carpark, clear it with enough height to go back to launch, pass a few more times, then as the weather is approaching visibly decide it's a good time to land in front of the cars. Graham nearly lands on my car, but the crunching noise is the rock in front as he just misses the carful of old people and touches down in the carpark. Another weather lesson today, and a spectacular double rainbow has everyone on their camera. About 1 hr.
 

[Viv]

17th Oct. Fan G. A short climb round the south side today, Phil inflating on arrival. The liftband is so narrow that there is only room for two up at a time. I groundhandle and inflate 'til they have spread out a bit, then have a 10 min buzz close to the hill but staying in front! Nick lands, then Phil and I wonder why until a big lull lets me glide in for a nice topland in intended spot.  The sun comes out and we all go again, the liftband is nice and wide now, though as the texture of the clouds change so does the air, I feel an inexorable pull and look up to see a swiftmoving cunimb just above, so near I feel moist and cool, it's nearer than the hill. I shear off and get down but near the hill it's quite strong, so follow Nick's advice and glide round the side for a nice bottom landing by the sock, and await retrieve. 50 mins.

[Viv]

16th Oct. Heol Senni. 3pm launch from the shelf as it's a bit gusty, sky growing overcast, the cloud shadows on the ground help to let off some weak thermals, it's a bit bumpy today, but manage a good half hour and fly the whole site with good height out in front, Nick warns that I may get pinned over the quarry, and I do by circling into the zone of accelerated airflow. I cannot penetrate so glide off to t/o, but as I am behind the fence by now and feeling the rotor starting I scratch round the side aiming for the landing field, avoiding the sink behind the trees, and slope land just behind the fence. The wind whipping round the side of the hill reinflates the wing and it's another tug-of-war before I dare unclip.

[Viv]

12th Oct. Heol Senni. See Barri and Stu aloft on approach, launch just after 4 pm and join the circuit, in the end we are all up and enjoy huge loops with varying height for a good hour and a half, a few close passes give wake tuck from Gerry and Leo, then the cold bites and  I topland briefly, then go again as the sun goes behind the trees, the light is particularly wintery with greys and silvers with added mist, artily spooky, and a nice pint in AB on the way home. 

[Viv]

3rd October. Rhosili. A bit of groundhandling and a couple of inflations, then Nick comes on the radio advising me how to launch. The Senior Club Coach course must have gone to his head, it is smooth air with the occasional gust, but 6pm pimple launch and a good 50 mins of flying the whole ridge to ourselves, Jon M went early. I want to get down as I am quite cold, the sun is tilting towards the horizon and finally breaking through the clouds, but as usual the pimple has become unapproachable, I resign myself to a carpark landing after checking there are no cars in it. One exploratory pass, I see it is within my glide angle, and make a constant aspect approach from the tideline, over the wall with plenty of height and SSS to touchdown successfully in intended spot. Just in time for the most glowing sunset, pack up thinking that dewpoint has come quickly, then realise that the ground is still soggy from the month's worth of rainfall that fell recently.

[Viv]

26th Sept.  Rhiw Wen.  A call to Nick had me on retrieve on the way up the valley, to meet Barrie, Steve J, Stu and the others who had mostly landed for a windbreak. It was so chilly I jumped into my thermals in the carpark. A quick cuppa as it was too windy at first and off to the side, 1st inflation had me dragged to the brink before I pull on one side and she collapses vertically, practise holding her down with C's for a while, inflate in a lull and get hoisted as I turn, dumped onto airbag, still holding her overhead I manage to regain my footing and push off to join the others for a good 30 mins of active fun, pushing further along the ridge with every beat, pausing in any lift, following the contours and a lovely Red Kite, plenty of room to play both high and low, a sheer delight in this autumnal landscape, an elegant landing in the smooth stonefree area below the golf course, only a short walk to the carpark, and pint on the way back. Bliss.

[Viv]

21st Sept. Cwmafan. 17-25mph all afternoon. Parawait with Gerry, Barrie, Nick and ChrisD. Wattsy arrives, I pack up. Then unpack in a lull. Nick shows the way, I launch last at 17.00 and for the first time here fly above the trees! It's a small but challenging site. Beat about a while, attain mast height, push out over valley, the sun is in and out, wind backs to S.E.  I get that pinned feeling that says the wind is stronger now, perhaps its my altitude. Speedbar on half to 3/4's, first approach to land is too high, 2nd a bit low, scratch up over the rubble to land, take a wrap, wing reinflates and drag to fence and stop just in time.  It seems I am not strong enough to pull the C's in a stiff breeze, so will just pull in one side to do a vertical collapse in future. 40 mins.  A nice bunch of members old and new, but no debrief today.

[Viv]

18th Sept. Rhosili. Sock limp on arrival late morning, pimple launch and 30 mins of cruising, avoiding others, until the wind increases and out to sea a dark damp mass is seen, pimple land from up the gully, swing around a bit before landing, don't collapse the wing promptly and kneeslide to a stop. Lunch over, I go again and have a few beats and nice height until the freshening wind stops any more penetration, speedbar and bigears get me down to ridge height, then over the back I go, avoiding rotor behind the trigpoint and landing nicely among the stones. Nice to see the heather regrowing after the fire this summer. Bright yellow and purple. 30 mins.

[Viv]

12th Sept. Rhosili. Floccus clouds on arrival, with high cirrus. From the Worm's Head (not the bar) I see Gerry launch and do the cliffs.  Nice pimple launch in a lull, achieve 1300ft according to Stu's altimeter. A good hour before the sun is veiled by altostrata and the horizon is lost in the gloaming. Horses grazing preclude landing at t.o, several exploratory beats by cliffs, speedbar used over sea before final glide into empty carpark field, land and collapse wing perfectly, no belly surfing today! It would be sunset if you could see it. Thanks to Colin for carrying my kit up.

[Viv]

9th Sept. Rhosili. Arrive late morning to hear JN in full flow, like the breeze itself, to Mark-in-the-van and Barry. Kit check, practice inflation, reposition, off in a lull, beat up the sunny sides, nice big liftband to play in as the tide comes in, the others launch too, are they white horses or is it the sand gradient? look out to see striations on the surface, and definitely horses trotting in. Think about landing, too windy on the pimple, on every approach I get drawn back up, not wanting to land behind today, there is a 4 day old foal there, I do the ridge again, practicing min sink, getting max glide as seen on DVD later! Gentle swingovers which feel to me like acro as they get bigger, the sun is on the dunes as I tickle past the campsite, then I see the tent field has only one occupant, object fixation draws me down to land in this lovely big green flat space, standing landing and pull like hell on one side to collapse, only get dragged a few feet, it's 25mph here. Get a lift back to find Gerry has brought the flask and sock down, thanks, enjoy the tea, parawait and we are rewarded with a smoothing of conditions for a sunset flight.  Mark even carries my kit up from the bottom gate, says how light it is!  Barry and Huw decide not to launch, perhaps after seeing my express hoist, untwist aloft, hover, then whizz off to play until lots of seperate cu's form, I practice getting under the edge of the cloud shadow on the beach below, and sure enough get pulled up, not wanting to get damp I don't go too high, speedbar, bigears, cloudbase is low today.  When the sun is obscured by clouds I go for a sneaky low down approach up the gully, don't quite make summit, and drape her over a gorse with added brambles. Mark helps and we pack up in spots of rain. The blackberries are delicious. 2 hrs 15 min and 1 hr today. A real blast.

[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.