"What's on" archive 2004 

Friday 31st December and it was good to get out on the hill again! A super day at Perranporth saw Roy H finally complete his CPC getting it all together with a 20 minute soaring flight and top landing, well done Roy. Mark W was down for his second day and was joined by new boys Dave and Alan J both Paraglider pilots who are looking for more performance. All three did well with some tethering on top followed by "free" flights off the lower dune to set them on their way. Good to see several of last years students making the most of it along with other club members. As the wind dropped a fair turn out of Paragliders also appeared until it got to light even for them. a top way to finish off what has been an excellent year.

Saturday 27th was power conversion training with "Big" Al. Conditions were very light and after the theory and checking out the unit/glider I had a couple of demo flights on the Discovery/Doodlebug combination. Unfortunately conditions remained to light to safely get Al off the ground due to wieght/direction but all the low level stuff was completed and Al is ready to go on the next good day.  

Sunday 14th November saw a rare day at St Agnes with myself flying a paraglider. In fact I was trying out an Airwave Wave (DHV 1) which so impressed me I decided to keep it as my own canopy. Even without a speed bar on it it seemed to get around just fine and not lose out  to several DHV1/2 canopies that were flying. In fact it nearly gave me  my first paragliding XC when it took me to 1000 ato in the gentle sea thermals. Pete C (both of them) also tried out the Sport 2 which seemed to impress despite being on the large side for one of them. Next week we should have a medium back down for him to try, call me if you wanna go.  

Saturday 30th October started early with the assembly of Richard S new Wills Wing Eagle 164 then it was off to Carbis Bay to try it out. Winds were lighter than expected so patience was called for. Martin J kept us entertained with three top to bottoms to consolidate his flying in preparation for soaring. Finally the wind filled in and after a "quick" (45minute) test flight by myself, well it was to much fun, Richard took his new toy into the air. A super flight followed with him making good use of the conditions to get above the paragliders. His smile on landing said it all.

Thursday 7th October saw an afternoon at Perranporth where in the very light conditions Martin J had three excellent top to bottoms to complete his EPC flying tasks and set him on his way to CPC. 

Sunday 26th September started off damp but conditions at the bottom of the dunes were not to bad and the day rapidly improved. Matin J moved up a level completing some excellent turns and taking him within a day of his EPC. Tom W  moved to top of the dune showing good progress with airspeed and turns becoming more instinctive. Cathy L had a cracking day with takeoffs and landings pretty much sorted and a quick go on her newly acquired Wills Wing Eagle 145 convincing her she had made the right decision. Mark W "broke free" from the tethers and had some consistent flights moving slowly up the dune. Richard S had another soaring flight to take his airtime for the weekend to nearly an hour this time on the Calypso in order to prepare him for his new Wills Wing Eagle164 due any day. Roy H also got back in the air for a couple of soaring flights the latter of which did result in a slightly untidy landing! All in all a good day with two pilots completing their CPC's. 

Saturday 25th September saw an excellent day at Perranporth with a full work load in good conditions. Martin J consolidated the previous weekends work whilst Tom W got back into "free flying" after a bit of a break. Richard S had a couple of good soaring flights to take him to completion of his CPC and looked very smooth in his new harness. Cathy L having travelled down from Wiltshire had her first goes at converting to hill flying having only experienced aero towing previously and made excellent progress as did Mark W on his first day both accumulating 18 flights each making his trip from Wells in Somerset worthwhile! 

Sunday 19th September unfortunately did not live up to expectations but all the same some super tethering went on at Perranporth with Martin J and Tom. The ideal tethering conditions also gave Richard S a chance to test out his new Woody Valley Cosmic harness which received  the thumbs up on both quality and comfort. We then headed to Chapel Porth but as luck would have it conditions deteriorated to a level where no training could take place.

Saturday 18th September saw the return to training after a period of poor weather and competitions with Martin J getting some very useful flying in at Perranporth. He had a total of twelve flights off the dune showing continual improvement in glider control, not bad for a couple of hours work. 

Sunday 25th July was a good day at Perranporth starting off with a couple of dual flights with Julian going first followed by Jane both of whom enjoyed the experience in the near perfect conditions (it could have been a bit more sunny). Julian then stayed with us for a taster session when he joined Tom, Martin J and Richard S for some tethering on top in the freshening breeze. As the wind eased back we headed down the hill to the shale where richard flew the Mars "down" to the beach but not before experiencing several beats along the dunes whilst maintaining height.  Julian and Martin had a fun time on the dunes before we headed back up to the shale for Richards next flight. Conditions were as good as they get and Richard took advantage of them with a 10 minute soaring flight before being sent to the beach! I could hear him laughing from the shale, to say he was pleased would be an understatement. Another three dual flights took place with three lovely ladies Penny, Sue and Becky all of whom had a great time flying with the seagulls and hawks. Then it was back down the bottom for Martin to carry on until a les than perfect landing stopped play! Still it was 20.30 and the end of a super day. 

Monday 19th July and with a Southerly breeze we headed to Godrevy for 1 on 1 session with Rob H from Kingsbridge. An excellent evening was had which took Rob from low level flights up to 75'ers. In the 41/2 hour session Rob knocked off the majority of his EPC tasks, can't be bad. Nice to see Mark P (ex student) also make an appearance flying his hanger at the site. 

Sunday 18th July and another good day at Perranporth in lighter conditions saw Richard S sort out his turns culminating in Four cracking flights down from the shale two of which were on the Mars so progressing him to fourth generation gliders, the smile said it all!  New boy Tom from Looe also made excellent progress on his first day with a total of nineteen flights!! taking him from low take off runs through to 40' at the back of the dune including turns, his smile may have been even bigger! All in all a good day although pretty tiring to all concerned. Thanks to Chris W for his help carrying up. Rumour has it that Patrick B was seen to dive face first onto the ground whist being pursued by a paraglider, closer inspection apparently revealed that he was attached to it. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  

Saturday10th July a cracking day at Perranporth in near perfect conditions got three pilots soaring with Chris W flying three different gliders in succesion and accumulating 1hr 25mins airtime with "top landings", Jonathon M had two successful flights both of which he top landed totalling 50 mins airtime and Roy H also got two in giving him an hours airtime and a top landing. We also managed some excellent dualling so a good time was had by all. A long day with the last glider landing at 22.00hrs!  

Sunday 4th July and the wind dropped away to a light breeze at Parranporth. Roy H knocked off a couple of top to bottoms to get him back to where he was when he went off on his travels 10 months ago and is now ready to soar. Chris W patiently waited for the wind to increase but unfortunately to no avail however he did fly the training glider to the beach for the fun of it where we were carrying out low hops. Richard S started his training in earnest and was flying solo by the end of the day having made serious inroads into his EPC. 

Saturday 3rd July was a windy day at Perranporth however some excellent tethering was to be had with Roy H and Chris W making the most of what was on offer. Conditions were such that "soaring" was possible with both pilots flying prone and having flights lasting minutes rather than seconds! Thanks to Tom from Looe for his help on the tethers who we shall hopefully see soon under training. 

10th June to 21st June was spent in France (Millau) at the British Nationals. Whilst I think it is fair to say I did not perform to my full potential some interesting times were had in the variable conditions and a pleasant time had overall. Four tasks were flown in all during which I glid alongside all the top makes and can say that I was more than happy with my Talons performance. Several out landings in fairly tight fields also proved the gliders capability (or was it mine) as did flying in the rain! All in all a good test and one which it passed successfully. Wills Wing "back up" and support was also in action when despite a major crash no Talon pilot was left with out spares. In fact a full spares package was on hand for both 140's and 150's. 

Saturday 8th May and a super afternoon at Perranporth saw Mark P complete his CPC flying tasks with a couple of 30 minute soaring flights in the sea thermic conditions. two first class top landings were also performed along with 360's and even some "thermalling"!  dual flying also took place with passenger Mike G enjoying his first experience of Hang Gliding. I managed to get a flight on Gays brand new U2 145 which was superb and possibly the nicest Hang Glider I have ever flown with  a blend of performance and handling that has to be tried to be believed, gay liked it as well!! (anyone for a used eagle 145) Paul H was also out on his U2 160 showing what the term sink rate really means whilst playing with the passing clouds. It was also good to see Richard W out airing off his glider along with Steve Hunt airing one of my used wings a Klassic 13m which looks a bargain at £495.

Monday 19th again saw a good forecast fail to perform however we did make the best of it with Mark P getting his first soaring flight in on the Mars at Chapel Porth. He did a good job flying well and rounding of his thirty minute flight with a super top landing, the smile said it all. Unfortunately lack of beach and wind stopped play so it will be another day before he completes his CPC.  

Sunday 18th and despite a good forecast things were not so goood. However we managed to get some training done with plenty of tethering at Perranporth for Richard S and Rob H who was down for his first day. Thanks to Chris W for his help on the tethers.

Tuesday 13th saw an evening session at Perranporth resulting in Mark P getting his hand back in after an enforced lay off resulting in three top to bottoms setting him up for soaring next time it's on.  

Saturday 10th April was a good day at St Agnes where Patrick B got to fly his new Talon 150 for the first time. The smile on landing said it all with he glider being in his own words "all he hoped it would be but better" and I think the word perfect was in there as well! A pleasant days flying was had by a mixture of hangers and Danglers with several visiting pilots in both disciplines. Patrick now looks forward to getting hi Talon into the XC Leauge.

Monday 5th April (my birthday) and back to Perranporth with Jonathon and Martin. A good amount of theory was done whilst waiting for the wind to hopefully drop. However a trip to the beach revealed it to be ok down low so the action got underway. Jonathon did well with his previous experience showing. Martin had an energetic afternoon by the end of which he head firmly got the basics sorted and enjoyed several flights from the dune. Thanks to Patrick B for his help and nice to see ex student Toby make an appearance to say hello. 

Sunday 4th April and it was off to Perranporth where the wind was a little fresh. However some useful tethering took place along with glider introduction rigging etc. Four "students" were out Chris W who is waiting for a refresher to get soaring again after a lay off of several years, Jonathon who is in a similar situation, martin J again has done some before but was in the early seventies, I knew I couldfind someone who had been flying longer than me! and Richard S who is completely new to it. All had some fun up on the tethers until the wind picked up even more and threatened to take us all off the ground at the same time.   

Friday 26th March saw a trip to Carbis Bay in the afternoon where we got a dual flight in with a lightweight passenger in the 16mph breeze. Chris Lobb also completed his final soaring flight to obtain his CPC which was done in good style enjoying a 4o minute flight, well done Chris.  

Sunday 8th March and day two of the comp' at S Agnes. Same format as Saturday but in a much fresher breeze. With the spot landings out of the way I made the first break for an XC drifting back in a zero at 800 feet which eventually turned into a climb getting me on my way. Back on the ridge the pattern repeated itself throughout the afternoon resulting in 10 pilots going "over the back". The best distance was taken by Patrick Buxton on a borrowed Klassic (pending delivery of his Talon) at 35k followed by myself and Pete C on Talons at 27 & 24k respectively showing that there is still life in the older gliders yet, and yes it is the Klassic that is for sale at a mere £495 and worth every penny according to Patrick! Overall Kernow won the comp convincingly with over double the next clubs points.

Saturday 7th March and it's St Agnes again this time for the "Brass Monkeys" comp'organised by the South Devon Club. A good turn out of hangers were there to enjoy the moderate northerly breeze. two tasks were set the first a spot landing and the second open XC.  Talons proved themselves easy to land with a 140 taking top score a mear pace from the spot. Not for the want of trying but no XC's were to be had although the afternoon saw some excellent flying with  Talons again proving both their sink rate and glide whilst cruising the ridge like WW2 fighters on high cover above the masses! 

Sunday 29th saw Pete C and myself at St Agnes in a Northeasterly keen to squeeze the last miles out of the winter XC league. Patience was the name of the game. After an hours flying Pete landed and 30 mins later declared he was derigging, 5minutes after that he received a running commentary as I cored away to 3000' with some stunning views to be had along with a 21.5k XC. Pete popped his battens back in and was rewarded with a flight to Illogan where he landed in a  ploughed field, still all good fun and it remains to be seen if he has won the Winter National XC league or not on his Talon. Plenty of flying was also to be had at Carbis Bay by both Hangers and Danglers in near perfect conditions. 

Saturday 28th Feb' and five Hangies turn up at St Agnes but only four rig in the fresh NNE wind. The sky is looking good which is confirmed when having been in the air for only about 10minutes I take the second thermal I find to do 30k landing my Talon 140 on the south coast. Pete C and visitor graham Leason only take about 5 minutes to hook into something resulting in Pete on his Talon 150 landing at Gweek and Graham at Illogan doing about 25k and 9k respectively. Roger Green was the last to take off and found conditions still active landing near Scorrier so givimg a 100% XC record for the day!

Tuesday 17th saw a gathering of hangers at St Agnes in the fresh NNE breeze. Some good flying was to be had with 3 pilots going over the back or more "down the side" as it turned out due to the wind veering further to the east. Pete C on his WW Talon made it to Hells mouth on what sounded like an interesting flight, I made it to Illogan landing near home and Gay on her WW Eagle made her first XC from St Agnes in what turned out to be challenging conditions. Paul H spent most the afternoon looking at the top surfaces of the other gliders confirming the sink rate of his WW U2 is everything it is cracked up to be. Tim J also made an appearance but due to an early evening appointment cut his flying short just as some good XC lift kicked in! 

Sunday 8th February was the Frostbite competition with twenty pilots gathering at St Agnes. Conditions were breezy and unstable the ideal combination for some XC's. Tasks were Spot Landing and Open XC. Nearly all the pilots flew with some experiencing sea thermals for the first time. Closest to the spot was two paces away achieved by three pilots all from South Devon Club. On the XC front five pilots went for it with the furthest distance being 19.8k not bad at 16.45 on a winters day. Kernow won the comp overall also taking the top three places. A good day all round  and a good day for Wills Wing with Talons taking 1st, 2nd & 3rd. (Pictures to follow) 

Saturday 24th January saw a good turn out at Perranporth and whilst the paragliders played around at the foot of the dunes the Hang Gliders had a cracking time up above.  Chris Lobb returned to soaring with an excellent flight followed by a top landing and is now one flight away from his CPC. Two pilots test flew the Talon 140 and both gave it the thumbs up proving that they can be top landed at Perranporth despite their amazing performance. For one of the pilots who had already ordered a Talon without having even flown one it confirmed to him that he had indeed done the right thing.  Some dualling also took place with Wendy and Mike experiencing the thrills of Hang Gliding in the brisk conditions. All this along with plenty of other free flying made for an excellent day with the best turn out for a long time. 

The first flying of the year got underway at St Agnes on Friday Jan' 2nd with five hangers making the most of what was to be had. Myself and Pete C were there on our Talons whilst Patrick B Tim J and Geoff Hoer (Condor) made up the biggest gathering of CSX's ever seen in the UK!! With the wind off to the east conditions could have been better however, they were good enough for Coady to confirm his total satisfaction with his new Talon and for another Talon order to be confirmed. Geoff Brook also turned up but alas a little to late as the wind dropped and veered further to  the east so stopping play.