Not much flying due to a light north wind which became moderate westerly. Managed to launch ok after a wait and a wander and some more waiting. 35mins in the end but nothing special and quite rough.
roll on tomorrow (after the welcome party tonight!)
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Testing, testing...
1... 1, 2...
1, 1... 1, 2 ... check, check
Seems to work...?
Now, what else have I fogotten?
Oh yeah, insurance... might be handy, you never know!
sent from my HTC
Saturday, 14 July 2012
FoF 2012
The Foot Or Flybubble 2012 challenge is kinda like the Red Bull X-alps but without the mountains and over just one day. Like last years X-alps it's also been hit by unseasonable weather, the full story of my first attempt is at the Flybubble website and whilst it runs to the end of July I'll be unable to have another crack before the Nordics.
Here's a summary of the key learning points...
thank you to
my gorgeous wife for letting me loose
the flybubble team for the top class support, kit & organisation
the people behind rasp for actually being able to provide a useful met interpretation
the X-alps athletes for inspiration
the person who found my helmet
the people who own the fields I 'occupied' for a while
and most of all
John for driving me there, back and collecting me when I really couldn't face any more
Here's a summary of the key learning points...
- Start at your chosen take off, don't waste an hour walking to the course before you start
- Stuff goes in zipped pockets or is securely tied onto straps
- Take food and drink with you, especially drink
- Run fast, fly slow, maintain altitude on the ground and in the air if you can
- Make your decisions before you arrive at the point you need to think about them
- Pack quick, save time, if you're sure it's good then unpack and launch
- When choosing a field from the air, don't forget to spot where the gate is
- Take your pack off when jumping fences
- Smart phones are really just phones... they are no substitute for proper maps and GPS
- Be prepared for the weather to change, don't forget the hat
thank you to
my gorgeous wife for letting me loose
the flybubble team for the top class support, kit & organisation
the people behind rasp for actually being able to provide a useful met interpretation
the X-alps athletes for inspiration
the person who found my helmet
the people who own the fields I 'occupied' for a while
and most of all
John for driving me there, back and collecting me when I really couldn't face any more
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
So much for an epic June...
Unseasonal weather and an unusually positioned jetstream put paid to any hope of a decent June and what is normally one of the best (most consistent light wind) months for flying in the UK was an almost complete washout. I had 8x days in North Wales and 3x free weekends out of 4 and managed 0 hours...
July hasn't been much better but I had a crack at the Foot Or Flybubble challenge, exploits detailed on the Flybubble site in the near future (if not already). www.flybubble.co.uk/news/section/855
I mentioned previously how comps had changed, the biggest changes are in the scoring and post flight analysis thanks to the advances in GPS technology. When I was last competing the 'standard' was to set a goal at an optimistically achievable distance downwind. For example, the Pandy bottom landing field from Merthyr. Soon after, one or two turnpoints would creep in and my last 'proper' comp at Piedrahita in '96 had people racing off to the East end of the ridge and back (set in an attempt to spread out the pack) but this would result in pilots going round in circles, in close proximity, trying to take photos of ground features, often from not far above the ground.
Personally, I found this to be all too much, I wanted to learn from others and was learning nothing, sick of being slapped in the face by tips and trying not to snag a brake cascade with my boots I made a decision to quit on the way home. So why am I going back for more..?
Well, for one thing, times have changed. From the outside, the sport appears less 'gung-ho' at the upper levels now, there appears to be more restraint and tolerance. I watch the videos of Philippe Broers on Vimeo and it looks like huge fun, plus the advent of GPS trace, together with Google Earth, allows the aspiring pilot to see exactly how the winners achieved their glory. The opportunity to learn has never been greater. Lastly, I want a break, I want to fly every day, in the company of equally able pilots, not be worried about retrieve, share some tales of 'there I was' and fly somewhere new in 'relative' safety.
For me a this comp is kind of like a guided holiday with an element of challenge, Fof2012 has proved I'm not x-alps material, my ankle is not quite as fubar as I thought but my fitness is nowhere near 'cos I've had 6 months of being comparatively sat on my backside. That and I like my creature comforts too much, there's always vol visa but why do that when you can just vol, vol, vol...?
Dos cerveza por favor!!!
July hasn't been much better but I had a crack at the Foot Or Flybubble challenge, exploits detailed on the Flybubble site in the near future (if not already). www.flybubble.co.uk/news/section/855
I mentioned previously how comps had changed, the biggest changes are in the scoring and post flight analysis thanks to the advances in GPS technology. When I was last competing the 'standard' was to set a goal at an optimistically achievable distance downwind. For example, the Pandy bottom landing field from Merthyr. Soon after, one or two turnpoints would creep in and my last 'proper' comp at Piedrahita in '96 had people racing off to the East end of the ridge and back (set in an attempt to spread out the pack) but this would result in pilots going round in circles, in close proximity, trying to take photos of ground features, often from not far above the ground.
Personally, I found this to be all too much, I wanted to learn from others and was learning nothing, sick of being slapped in the face by tips and trying not to snag a brake cascade with my boots I made a decision to quit on the way home. So why am I going back for more..?
Well, for one thing, times have changed. From the outside, the sport appears less 'gung-ho' at the upper levels now, there appears to be more restraint and tolerance. I watch the videos of Philippe Broers on Vimeo and it looks like huge fun, plus the advent of GPS trace, together with Google Earth, allows the aspiring pilot to see exactly how the winners achieved their glory. The opportunity to learn has never been greater. Lastly, I want a break, I want to fly every day, in the company of equally able pilots, not be worried about retrieve, share some tales of 'there I was' and fly somewhere new in 'relative' safety.
For me a this comp is kind of like a guided holiday with an element of challenge, Fof2012 has proved I'm not x-alps material, my ankle is not quite as fubar as I thought but my fitness is nowhere near 'cos I've had 6 months of being comparatively sat on my backside. That and I like my creature comforts too much, there's always vol visa but why do that when you can just vol, vol, vol...?
Dos cerveza por favor!!!
Monday, 28 May 2012
About time...
Gosh what a wait but I feel so much better after the weekend. A monster drive and a lot of waiting around but finally I got a long flight in! I didn't fly highest, furthest or fastest but really don't care, I had a blast and feel completely settled.
Just shy of 2 hours in the end and everything seems ok, minor tweak on the harness to do but otherwise I think we're all set. Had some honky climbs and a couple of 'interesting' moments but it's all reassuring for now and I'm really starting to get that 'good' feeling. Everything that's new is working ok, might need to rethink the clothing though. I was still 'dressed for spring' and it was in the mid 20's on take off.
I mentioned at the start of this about how comps had changed and haven't really talked about that yet, so more soon for sure...
Laters, P
photo taken a few days prior
(from Carlo's Album)
Just shy of 2 hours in the end and everything seems ok, minor tweak on the harness to do but otherwise I think we're all set. Had some honky climbs and a couple of 'interesting' moments but it's all reassuring for now and I'm really starting to get that 'good' feeling. Everything that's new is working ok, might need to rethink the clothing though. I was still 'dressed for spring' and it was in the mid 20's on take off.
I mentioned at the start of this about how comps had changed and haven't really talked about that yet, so more soon for sure...
Laters, P
photo taken a few days prior
(from Carlo's Album)
Sunday, 13 May 2012
no flying = no posting
I was hoping to have something a little more inspirational or exciting to write about by now but am temporarily grounded by work & domestic commitments. Struggling for free time and having duff weather when the free time comes is never a great help when you're trying to find a way to train.
Currently getting ready for 3hr+ flights by spending 3hr+ driving in the car to somewhere that isn't raining and / or facing into winds of less than 40kph isn't great either. Don't get me wrong, Derbyshire is nice & pretty, just a very long way to go for 5 mins in the air. Even more frustrating to find your mates are flying huge distances the very next day.
I've still got another 10 days of heavy shifts before I can get out again.
Trying to stay optimistic that June will be good...
Currently getting ready for 3hr+ flights by spending 3hr+ driving in the car to somewhere that isn't raining and / or facing into winds of less than 40kph isn't great either. Don't get me wrong, Derbyshire is nice & pretty, just a very long way to go for 5 mins in the air. Even more frustrating to find your mates are flying huge distances the very next day.
I've still got another 10 days of heavy shifts before I can get out again.
Trying to stay optimistic that June will be good...
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Completely different conditions for the last couple of days flying, eeeking out an hour on a windy ridge under a transiting cold front and then a few days later being stuck on a shallow ridge for a few hours under a glorious sky & completely unable to get more than 30m off the deck... both of these highlight the level of perseverance required on the difficult days and the determination needed not to pack it in too readily, but also of always being mindful about when to quit.
It'll be another couple of weeks before I can get out next due to work / life commitments, hopefully spring will still be ongoing and I can actually get high and go somewhere... currently very envious of the flights getting made whilst I'm otherwise engaged and I'll need to be wary / mindful of the 'red-mist' that will ensue when I get the opportunity to head out next.
Must remember that it doesn't really matter... it's only a game.
It'll be another couple of weeks before I can get out next due to work / life commitments, hopefully spring will still be ongoing and I can actually get high and go somewhere... currently very envious of the flights getting made whilst I'm otherwise engaged and I'll need to be wary / mindful of the 'red-mist' that will ensue when I get the opportunity to head out next.
Must remember that it doesn't really matter... it's only a game.
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