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Parachute Repack - February

 

We are still planning a club chute repacking session in February, date/time/venue TBA. Also a PG ground-handling clinic in conjunction with Robin at Airtopia is still planned for spring ’04 ready for the new season. Come along and brush up on your essential skills.

 

Malvern Triangle by Nick Collins (Malvern-Ross-Hereford-Malvern 15th August 2003)

 

Misread the morning. Weather jack had been giving it a 4 for several days, but the sky was full of messy alto cumulus at breakfast and not a single leaf was stirring, anywhere. So spent the first hour or two going to Focus and into town, still looking for a leaf to move - nothing.

Then it was eleven thirty, the sky was blue and great cumulus were filling it up. All change! Kettle sings car park by 12:25, too late for my liking! Carried up by 12:50, speed all the way, in the heat- it’s your own fault you should have been more decisive at breakfast! Rigging in no wind whatsoever. 1:30 the cloud shadow had shifted away and the blue hole above was starting to fill with a tiny cumulus, perfect; any movement and its ‘go’ time. Its blowing 2-3mph up the hill, there are those birch fluttering all around the bowl, right down in front too(why are we pulling them out?), but I’m not ready! Surely a para’s going to try it – no. Fine by me, I need you in 10 minutes time for wind dummies!

One forty and I’m perched on the edge, tuned in. Nothing. Graeme Steel skims across the bowl, going down and lands on the side. Here it goes again. 2 mph up slope, birch quivering. Any paras going to go? No! Still it keeps coming; the whole bowl quivering, I’m off, it’s practically a nil wind launch, but I’ve never had such an easy to launch glider as a Stratos. Nothing in the bowl, out to the spur and into the surge. Turning, yes, but its small and I’m out the side, back in, round again. It’s strong lift but I’m out of it a third of the time. On about my third time into the hill, they greet me! A wall of paragliders coming straight at me! Now who’s the dummy? T o be fair I may have lost it even if they were not there (about eight of them are now climbing away), I think I was catching the bottom end of the thermal – my thermal! Now strongly sinking out I go straight out hoping for the 3 counties thermal – it’s been there on the previous two flights! And there it is, 250feet above the road and the Stratos is climbing. I guide it round but it’s really messy, only averaging 0.5up. On a windy day there would be no hope with this one. But in nil wind it’s just round and round over the same tree! Not really expecting it to work out I keep with it and it gets stronger. Back to take off height, and still climbing. Eventually, this takes me to just short of cloud base at 5700asl. But only just over the back of the hill! This has to be the Triangle day, I’ve roughly planned it: Ross, up to Hereford and continue with a turn point over Hope under Dinmore and then back to the Malverns! Theoretically easy with a 20 to 1 glider.

I set off to Ledbury at 30 to 35 mph, sailplanes passing me at all different heights on some task into Wales. Ignoring some rubbish over Ledbury I continue to Much Marcle, some lift now would be useful, I’m heading toward another general mass of cloud and there is lots of sun on the ground. I find it and climb with two Greater Black Backed Gulls back to 5 grand. Ross is now just a hand’s reach away and I glide off to make my house the turn point. But half way there I enter a strong 4 up and climb strongly to reach cloudbase at 6400. Fantastic; the highest base I’ve ever had in Britain. I glide back to my house taking pics straight down.

Now to Hereford. I fully release the flaps and head off following the remains of the railway line over a mile below. I’m very conscious that the afternoon is slipping away, its now gone 3 and the sky is looking less than ideal, lots of cirrus and little sun on the ground. Clouds in front are scraggy and grey. I push on with the glide between 30 and 40 mph depending on the lift and sink. Over the Callow there is something and I waste a minute or two trying to work it but give up. Now entering Hereford about 3 grand above, slowing, waiting for anything. The sky is grey the ground is grey and it feels like that triangle is a distant dream, but on a glide straight across the centre of town I find my next climb and to my real surprise it takes me back to base. I look towards the Malverns and their familiar outline is just visible in the east, but between us it just looks grey. I should really push further north to make a better triangle, but it looks like a hopeless sky. I take the old railway bridge over the Wye as a turnpoint and turn eastwards. My glide should give me about 24 miles from this height! But I’ve got to clear the Malverns to reach the 3 counties and then there’s the sink from all that grey – why does the subconscious so easily bring up the negatives?

Flaps off and I’m off, picking distant fields as way points for the best straight line. At least there are no sun pockets or good clouds to feed my indecision! Just uniform whitey/grey. I speed on, it is hard to believe that this could be possible; I can hardly see the Malverns! Four miles on and approaching a small blip of a hill I enter another climb and it tops me up on most of the height I’ve lost so far. Off again. At times, in the 2 down air parts I’m pulling 40 mph but mostly it’s 35. The Malverns are now becoming more distinct and I can make out small specks of white and the dip at the Wych. Peering ahead through my watering eyes, I can make out a small triangle of golden field on the far side of the hills. Is it enlarging or shrinking? Half a minute later I can see the triangle is getting bigger; more of the field is becoming visible, I’m overgliding the Malverns! I might just make this! Arms tucked in, eyes on the vario as I undulate, trying to max the air; eating energy, repulsing sink. Looking south I can see Ledbury again and the Malverns are getting large, the vario’s unwinding but it’s still showing 2 grand above the Kettle. Still the triangle’s enlarging! Over Bosbury and the sink begins; 4 down air. Like a rising door the golden field shrinks. In seconds it’s gone, pulling 40 it looks hopeless again. I look for the west side landing field, I can definitely make that, but so close. The sink eases and my sights are on the Wych again. I can see myself perhaps just grazing the roof tops through the cutting or not quite making it! Then that sound from the vario that I haven’t heard for about 15 minutes. I turn and work a broken one up. This might be all I need. After about six turns it becomes a good 3 up and I’m laughing at the hills that now shrink down like an opening door. I keep with it, just because it’s so easy, and break out when I’m back to 2 grand and the Malverns are looking almost flat. I race towards launch watching paragliders desparately trying to stay up below. Triangle complete! Easy on a rigid! Get one! Now I’m convinced.

At home I calculate the sides. On reflection I should have pushed further north to Dinmore but you never know. I realise that all my xc’s so far on the Stratos have ended not because I couldn’t find lift but because I decide to land! Obviously I’m not pushing this glider’s potential far enough! Now planning to beat Steve Elkin’s distance record for a triangle: Malvern – Hay –Monmouth? Sounds crazy to me, but flying around a mile up on an English summer’s day is pretty surreal in itself.

Land of the Dragon!       By Nick Collins                 

 

Through winter nights I watch Welsh hills slide grey into grey skies and perceive the glancing sun hack north as winter winds to spring. Through these days I steal my flights as the Dragon sleeps, but dream again of the spring and the flight that could take me right through. Right through over valleys and highlands, across tumbling rivers, through this Wales to Irish waters, and the sea.

 

 

The first ten miles slide indecisively by as I climb again from Malvern. This day of St George maybe? The cirrus is thick and the climb fragmenting. Is this the day? Still in England on my third climb I reach cloud, six thousand two hundred above sea and the haze swallows me as in my tunnel I glide to the borderline and Hay. Smooth glides through lazy sink takes me high over Hay as the Bluff lies sleeping almost invisible far below in the grey. I push on to the Begwns and Builth.

Out of England and the demise begins. No more the high flight, now the ground like an open mouth; swallowing. I circle on lift but even with the blade wing the average says down. The valley line draws my course and I circle in point two hoping for the stoke. The Wye chokes me in south of Builth, as the ravine in the beast’s side lies open. I cross the neutral point to point five down. The fields are tight and I’m only two hundred above the far side top. Below Aberedw rock lee side cooks. Glide off or hold onto the decay? I wait, still turning and then… the surge. Speed and spoiler carve me in and it’s solid six up all the way round. I’m pulled out by the fiery breath as the chasm shrinks into flatness. I breathe again.

Now the beast lies low; hidden in the murk of the mile high that took me out. I think I know this land, but the Dragon’s bare quarters stretch barren as I lose height unprepared to glide it through. Desolate flat top stretches all ways downwind as each weak climb convinces me I need more. I turn in one up over a broken south-east faced ridge, eight hundred above. It’s going up, but I baulk at the chance. Which way? The landscape conspires; throws hillsides at me for which I am not prepared. Now I have succumbed and this land once again engulfs me.

Over Alt-y-clych to the west of Newbridge I realise, through the mist, that these ridges run westward and maybe I can follow them down to a crossing place; a way through. Quietly, it works; each fragment of ridge throws off new thermals and I glide ever westward. The haze reveals: Y Garth, Griben, Garn wen to the Carcwm and Garn dwad. Finally the four up and I’m out. From Llanwrytyd-Wells the drift is west over more highlands, but the young Tywi guides me through.

Once again I enter the smoke fogged chimney at height and glide off westward to somewhere. My mind scrambles to reconstruct some resemblance of a map, but I’m in a land far from home and barrenness surrounds me. Though the murk is a ridge, sharp edged and to its south a small road climbs to its edge. Ffarmers! It’s like an old friend. I’m elated as I know from there is Lampeter and from there the sea! I circle in a weak climb a mile out in front, still 1500 or more over this beautiful ridge. As always the drift is slow, but the climb kicks off as we pass across its edge. The final climb? And perhaps all I need. I make full use of the Latin wing’s silk like sink and drift with it over Lampeter and beyond. Now the landscape becomes my friend as the green vale of the Aeron points its way to the sea. Speckled cumulus crown my flight as there through a misty veil lies no more of this place; a line cutting through and journeys end, the sea. To north the coast curves and indents at Aber, while south the hook of Newquay suggests more. But I’m done. The sea air pulls me coastward as I consume the evening air on terminal glide. Aberaeron grows larger with nothing beyond but silver blue, as I roll into town with two grand or more. Below stretches the outer limits of a benevolent friend that has this time let me pass. But now my eye is drawn to the fields and the cliff launch south of town. In a final gesture the down flow has me scrabbling for the flaps, but my huge span drops me, gull like, to the cliff edge. Five forty five, five and a half hours and eighty-three miles from English Malvern.

I look forward to my next spar with the Dragon!

 

 

Analysis

Conditions:

Jack Harrison rated the day at 4 with a 4,000 ft base (rather too low in fact!). The high was starting to lose its grip with a low approaching from the south west, increasing the flow and lowering the pressure. A light east to south east was forecast. It seems Malvern often gives its best when the wind veers just to the south like this.

At launch the wind was 15mph but actually only 10 in the air, although the thermal fluctuations above this were giving paragliders some trouble. At noon the first cumulus were showing their heads and I launched at 12:15. Cumulus varied from 1/8 to 2/8 coverage all day.

Most climbs were generally weak with the large amounts of cirrus damping the heating; 2 up or less making progress painfully slow. Some climbs (rather too many) were averaging 0.5 or even less. On my flexwing I would probably have given up or left them as zeros.

Equipment

Glider: Icaro Stratos (large) with conventional A frame, my clip in weight: 82Kg.

Features:

  • Stunning sink rate, no flexwing can even get close. In moderate small thermals the difference often does not show, but when lift is weak and not too small the Stratos just lifts away. This was certainly significant in this flight, particularly when I was stuck on  ridges west of Builth Wells. Also when working thermals on a ridge  and gliding forward inter thermal, the Stratos nearly always stays above the rest of the field; ideal to spot the next cycle.
  • Ease of control.  There is more of a lag than with a flexwing, but it requires so little effort and pitch coordination doesn’t really seem to matter-it sorts it all out for you. In fact if you keep the speed up to 28 or 30 any lag becomes very slight. It is also so steady in a thermal that less energy is needed for constant readjustments. All of this means that I have been able to double my usual time in the air before my back complains!
  • Brilliant glide in the 30 to 35 mph range (quoted at 20 to 1), although above this speed top flexwings are similar.
  • Very light to carry. I never have the two halves together unless I’m flying! This makes for two very easy packages; 32 and 42 pounds is the heaviest!
  • Car transport very easy once you have sorted out some slightly deeper roof bars.
  • Take off and ground handling. Excellent, it’s hard to believe that such a huge span could be so easy to manoeuvre and the glider stays straight and level on every take off run; the spoilers sort it all out without you even realising, helped by the pronounced dihedral.
  • Landing. I’ve slowed mine at altitude with full flaps to 13 mph and it still had not stalled!! Not quite the ideal landing technique, but it illustrates the dramatic effect of the flaps. Definitely easier to land in nil wind compared with my flexwing. You’ve probably read this before; landing is really easy.
  • Rigging. Similar time to a topless once you practiced.

 

Harness: Woody Valley Tenax. Excellent harness; comfortable, easy to put on and off, very streamlined and great angle of dangle adjustment, although I’ve adapted mine with an extra rope from a new footplate to the base of the hang strap. This pulls you down easily on launch and prevents “head-up” during high-g pull outs.

Statistics

Distance 83 miles. Time in the air: 5 1/2 hrs    Landing: 5:45pm  Date:23 April 2003

 
FUN with PPGs by Richard Pearce
Good weather for Paramotoring in October. Here is an extract of one flight:-
 
12-Oct-03      Trysull        
1100ft ato max 63minutes 20k furthest distance, wind SSE 3 mph
Engine Saturne (Konig) Paramotor and wing Gradient Aspen 28 (L)      
Nice out and return to Ironbridge and a fly down the gorge and back.
Flew over several horse gatherings - must have been the day for it? 
Flew down the gorge and to the main cooling tower. 
Max speed attained of 59kph using 3/4 bar. 
GPS helped on the return leg as there wasn't much in the way of ground features to traverse. 
Couldn't catch the Balloon over Telford.

 

 

Go 4 It 2003 -  Is this the result???

 

   Paragliders                                                                                                                                                                            Totals

    Tim Crow               88.2         72.5         48.4         46.7         46.4         42.7         35.6         32.7         28.1         24.1      19.3       17        14.5    11.8     10.0      538.0km

    Bryan Hindle        94.4         51.3         31.2         19.4         15.2         14.7         6.4                                                                                                                       232.6km

    Chris Smith           23.8         16.6         11.5           8.2                                                                                                                                                                               60.1km

 

   Flexwings

    Derek Evans         59.3         28.7                                                                                                                                                                                                       88.0km

    John Bevan             8.0                                                                                                                                                                                                                         8.0km

 

   Rigids

    Nick Collins          189.65     133.82     59.94       23.83       14.0                                                                                                                                                     421.2km

 

 

ADVERTS

 
Aeros Xtreme Hangliding Harness. As new.  Would suit 6ft Medium build.
Please Email Frank on Sammi@Lawstroud.freeserve.co.uk
Or Telephone 07775817845 or 01453 791479

 

Trekking Ritmo 41 XL 90-120 kg. Sail in excellent condition with new lines (fitted in  1999 but only test flown for two hours since) ACPUL 12 A's. Would make a good paramotor wing or 1st time stable learner wing.
I am the only owner and know it's been looked after from new, flies great on a hill and winch launches easily (it's a really steady forgiving wing, I've used it for years without a reserve)

Open to sensible offers telephone me and we can organise a test flight view of the wing

 Phil Cooper  tel 07947 824370   email:PHILCOOPERALICE@aol.com

 

Freex Spear Large, Blue 20 hours, DHV 2

Freex Spear Medium, Blue 70 hours, DHV 2

Offers invited on both.

Ian Clague 0771 472 0583

 

Harley Sirocco (Large, 92kg-120kg) Acpul 12A rated, c/w harness; £250 ono

Dennis 07876 492406

AIRTOPIA

New Gradient Aspen is the best DHV2

Airwave Sport is the best DHV1/2

 

Vol Libre magazine makes the Gradient Aspen its glider of the year….the best DHV2 glider available today, an incredible achievement considering the quality of some other DHV 2 gliders that are also available.  After being in production for some time the Airwave Sport is still the best DHV ½……

Call for a copy of the translation….

We believe the DHV 1/2 Gradient Golden will also be a class beater. We have demo gliders available now…

!

Second hand canopies

Edel Atlas small                   fab condition 65-80kg                              £600.00

Trekking Sunbeam              very clean      95-110kg                            £875.00

Firebird Ignition                  excellent low airtime 75-95kg                   £825.00

Nova X Act                          Very Low airtime 85-105kg                       £900.00

Nova X Act                           plenty life left    85-105kg                        £450.00

Nova Xyon Large                    Good 105-125 kg                                     offers

Edel Sabre xLarge                     Fair  100-120kg                                     offers

 

The New Stuff

Canopies from Ozone, Gin, Gradient and Airwave, demo’s available, part exchange a possibility!

Call Robin tel 01453 827202

Mobile           07973 844449

www.airtopia.com   robin@airtopia.com

We are very easy to find, just off junction 13 of the M5, check out the map on the web site…..


Flying Diary

 

 

Sunday 16th November

Frocester

A good afternoon's flying on the paraglider, though I wish now I had rigged the hanglider up as it would have been a great day. I took off from Frocester where the wind went round to the North during the flight. I flew towards Selsley and did a short XC to Nailsworth where I landed.

Frank

 

Sat Nov 15
Loads of PG's and HG's having good flights at the Mynd on Saturday. Flying well out into the valley.
I saw two respected Myndy HG pilots(one a older member of the club and one a League Pilot!!!) demonstate how not to do a hang check. TD took off with just a woolly balaclava on (Topless on a Topless!!!!!!), and the checking league pilot was MD.
John.
PS. I could not stop it happening, because I was siting on the Virago. J.

 

Frocester
November 15th 2003

Had a nice couple of hours flying this afternoon at Frocester on the paraglider

Frank

 

 

November 7th 03

took off from Black Hill and had a nice couple of hours on the hanglider. It was quite breezy, however managed to fly the whole length of the Malverns

Thanks to Howard for picking me up from the landing field

Frank

Saturday November 15th

Another reasonable day at Frocester where I had 2 hours in the air on the Hanglider. I got over 1000ft and landed after the wind went SW around 3.30ish

Frank