"What's on" archive 2006 

Tuesday 26th December (Boxing Day) was a nice day out in the fields with Dave B completing his CPC in fine style over 9 flights whilst playing with big ears asymmetrics, speed bars amongst other things, following the flying he took his theory paper to complete his qualification, well done Dave. Lee and Sam P came along and had their first taste of Paragliding both ending up with 3 cracking flights getting up to 40 feet and flying across the field. Dave B (a different one) a visiting pilot dropped by on spec and put in 4 tows to give an unexpected bonus to his Christmas holiday. Al J put in 4 flights on the Paraglider whilst waiting for his battery to charge on his power unit then headed off for an hour on his Hangy for a stooge around before returning and letting Paul H have a go as he finished winch driving. Kaz P also got some airtime on the Paraglider to keep her hand in. 

Sunday 24th December (Christmas Eve) and despite a gloomy looking day we went out to the tow field and had a good time. Steve H completed his tow conversion on the Paraglider putting in 11 tows pretty much up to cloudbase at 600' ish. Barry H got well into his tow conversion also on a Paraglider knocking off 8 tows and getting higher than he has ever been before on a para whilst experiencing a whole different kind of flying compared to the hill. Paul h finished the day off having done all the towing with some ground handling as the wind freshened a little. 

  Wednesday 20th December saw us in our new "Dead mans cove" tow field and what a nice field it is to, with up to 500m of tow and again some amazing views. Barry H came along to begin his tow conversion course to give him the opportunity of getting airborne more often than relying on the fickle hill conditions and had an interesting day playing with forward launches. Al J did a tow conversion course making it look all to easy putting in 10 flights and enjoying the whole thing as he does. Paul H (yes winchman Paul) had his first day at Paragliding  and did amazingly well going from zero to high flights (600') by the end of the day so having a huge grin on his face with 11 flights. Nick G and Paula M back from their holiday in Turkey dropped by for some fun, both towing like they had never been away and Pete C spent the day on the winch with Tim J to become re qualified in the art, so you've been warned!

Sunday 18th December and with the wind a little fresher than forecast we opted for the hill so Paul W could put his skills to the test. With superb conditions he quickly rattled off a couple of soaring flights and top landings at Perranporth before letting Voytek have a go who also had his first experience of soaring without ever having walked up a hill!  Can't be bad. Paul W put in another flight to give him nearly an hours worth of soaring before the tide came in and play stopped. Their tow training made life easy in achieving their goals of soaring Hang Gliders not only by giving more flyable days but also by saving the physical hard work, its got to be the way to go.

Saturday 17th December and it was good to get out after the poor spell of weather. Back in the tow field Paul W brushed up on his Hangy skills having a super day whilst Tim J showed us what he could (or couldn't) do with his topless glider. Bit on the brisk side for Para's so other than a little ground handling and theory Dave B had an easy day of it. Still a nice day and pretty socialable to with various pilots dropping in to see us. 

Thursday 16th November was a day in the tow field where Jim H put in 10 flights on the Hanger moving him further into his EPC. Pete C continued his winchman training and is now back up to speed having done some super tows the latter of which saw me releasing at the 1000' mark.  

Sunday 12th November was to fresh for towing so we took the opportunity to go to the hill where we took Paul H up for a dual flight which had been bought as a 40th Birthday present for him. In classic conditions he had a good fly around experiencing the fun of Hang Gliding mixing it with the seagulls before coming in to land back on top almost to perfection. 

Thursday November 9th was a good afternoon in the tow field where we were re training Pete C to be a winch operator having been out of it for several years. With Myself mark F and Wanda S to practice on Pete got on well towing us regularly to 500+' from where all of us thermalled up to have some smashing flying. there were plenty of birds around to show us the lift even without the need for a vario as demonstrated by Wanda.     

Tuesday 7th and you would think it was summer in the tow field not early November. Les A, Rob H and Dan P were all out on taster Days Paragliding and had a good time although the very light wind make them work for it. Having mastered the forward launch and necessary ground work by lunch time they were quickly onto the winch where they each put in 4 tows across the field getting up to 20' or so before all doing stand up landings resulting in huge smiles, will they continue, we shall see. Whilst these guys were doing their ground work Wanda S, mark F and Steve C (clutching his new CPC rating) used the lines and had a good time sharpening up both their flying and launch marshal skills and putting in nearly 30 tows between them..

Sunday 5th November and the sunshine continues giving a lovely day in the fields where Jerry H moved further into his Hangy EPC with 9 flights taking him into releasing the line, turns and some stand up landings. Mike G down on a Taster day Paragliding had a top time and by the end of the day was flying the full length of the field comfortably up to 40' ending in first class landings, he may well be back. Voytek made a re appearance after a couple of months lay off and quickly got back into it with 3 cracking flights on the Hanger. gay J came out to sharpen up her landings in preparation for her Aero tow endorsement which she hopes to do next week. Kaz P also used some of the vacant lines to practice spot landings on the Paraglider. 

Thursday 2nd November and with  high pressure over the UK it was a great day to be out in the fields where Steve C was back after a couple of months layoff to complete his CPC which he did in fine style with a total of 12 tows some of which were pleasantly extended by the gentle thermals that were drifting over the field. Mark F, Wanda S and Kaz P all had fun chasing the lift with tows of around 600' whilst dodging the odd helicopter that came by to have a look!

Friday 27th October was back in the tow field where Jeremy  H got his first taste of towing. by the end of the day he was confidently flying across the field on the Hanger and ready to move onto releases flights and gentle turns before rain stopped play. 

Thursday 26th was a bright and sunny one with a moderate north westerly breeze so we were out at Perranporth where Jeremy H started his Hang Gliding course with plenty of ground runs and low flights in the good conditions. Emma S came down for a dual flight and caught the conditions just right allowing her to enjoy her flight along the cliffs complete with stalls and 360 turns before landing back on top in good style.  

Tuesday 24th October and finally a break in the weather so it was back out to the tow field. Jim H on day 2 of his hang Gliding course got onto the Mars and also cracked off his first release flights and gentle turns taking him well into his EPC. Sally H started her Hangy course and did well with the ground based activities before getting her first flights in with the latter ones being pretty good including plenty of turn corrections!  Pete C came out in the afternoon on used the lines whilst we were having lunch then promptly climbed out from 400 feet up to over 2000 feet as he drifted off downwind finally landing somewhere north west of Truro close to 13k, not bad for mid October.

Thursday 12th October and it was a nice quiet day on the field under what looked to be a good XC sky. We spent the day getting Jim H started on his hang gliding course and by the end of a fairly intense day he had completed all the ground based tasks, put in 11 flights and was well into his EPC course. His final flights were really good taking across the field solo for about 400m at a height of around 20', not bad for day one.

Wednesday 11th October suddenly turned out nice so we headed out to Perranporth for the afternoon. Jill G who had been given a voucher for her 65th birthday had a super dual flight on the hanger in near perfect conditions. as the breeze eased a little a few para's also appeared to make the most of the unexpected slot.

Saturday 7th October saw a fun day out on the tow field with pilots regularly towing up to over 900' and enjoying extended flights  although it was not quite good enough to get away. Still nice to see both hangers and danglers enjoying it. I had some good flying on the OZONE Rush (s) demonstrator and what a nimble thing it is, grab yourself a go. We even got Pete C back on the winch towing hangers and hope to convert him to paras soon to give the regular boys a break and chance to XC

Wednesday 4th October was another day on the hill where Pete L was hoping to complete his hill conversion. Unfortunately after a pleasant soaring flight Pete landed awkwardly resulting in a damaged ankle so stopping play for a month or two. Still in good spirits he vowed to be back asap so watch out for his return. Ed G used the rest of the day to put in four flights with a mixture between top to bottoms and soaring the last resulting in a super top landing. Mark F also had a fun time now fully hill rated. 

Tuesday 3rd October and as the tide went out and the wind dropped a little we got the next batch of students out on the hill. Pete L made easy work of his 3 soaring and top landing flights despite the busy traffic and had a super time. Ed G also got his feet off the ground for three flights and top landings again with plenty of company many of whom insisted on hogging the bowl in front of launch/landing to show off their "radical" manoeuvres adding to the challenge. Kaz P also made it out after work and put in a nice soaring flight followed by a fine top landing. another session and they should all hopefully be sorted. Good to see Nick G and Paula M out enjoying the nice conditions before they head off to Turkey. Plenty of free flyers also out including a good number of Hangers and a rigid all of whom had fun playing with the sea thermals.

Tuesday 26th September and it was out to the tow field for fun flying with some of the newly qualified pilots and some of the not so newly qualified. With good clouds developing on and near the site things looked good from the start. It me a few tows before I managed to contact good lift but then quickly climbed out from my 550' tow in what turned into a "6" up all the way to cloudbase at 2000' on a small Ozone Mojo. Full speed bar and Big ears were required to make my way back down only to be met by Mark F on his small  Ozone Buzz on his way up at 900' having also released at the 500 mark. we flew around together for bit then once again it took a conscious effort to get down as I had promised to relieve Paul on the winch so XC was not an option. Mark  came down again having to pull Big Ears absolutely buzzing with the experience of thermalling all with out a vario!! That set the pattern for the day with everybody, Wanda S, Pete L, Nick G on the Paras Gay J and Alan J on the hangers experiencing thermic flights with up to 3 gliders in the air at the same time and flights up to 15 minutes and a 1000 feet to be had. Coady made an appearance having watched me circling at cloudbase from his house and sneaked off XC  but left a bit early and only had a short walk back whilst watching the others circling overhead. Taking over on the winch allowed Paul H to disappear off on his power unit along with Al J on his for nearly two hours before returning after a grand tour of west Cornwall. Things quietened down around 4.30 pm although pilots could still maintain height with gentle climbs. A top day especially for the new pilots who had some of the best thermalling in Cornwall this year.  

Monday 25th September was a day on the hill where in near perfect conditions we had a full work load. First to get going was John V on the hanger for a taster day who started off with the basics and by the end of the day was flying well in a relaxed mode across the top before being brought back down to earth by the wing tethers prior to him heading off the edge. He had a good day and with good aptitude should seriously consider taking it up. Between Johns flights the Danglers got going  with Mark F, Wanda S, Paula M, Nick G and Tim J all completing their hill endorsements in fine style with at least 3 soaring flights each and top landings. several hours of airtime was accumulated between them and it was good to see  of them  flying together by the end of the day. Look out for them on the hill. Pete L came along and practiced ground handling so getting his head into the hill environment where he to will be heading soon. There was also a number of free flyers out giving the new "boys" plenty of experience at flying with others as well as meeting new pilots. 

Sunday 24th September and despite the showery and slightly breezier than forecast conditions we had a good day on the tow field. Phil S put in 11 flights on the hanger taking him through his EPC tasks and making a fair dent into his CPC ones finishing off with a couple of high flights and circuits. Phil also passed his theory paper with flying colours so gaining his EPC, well done. Al j came out and popped up a few times on his hanger to try and contact the passing clouds towing to around 500'.

Tuesday 19th September and it was off to the hills to introduce some of our tow students to the art of soaring. After a bit of chasing the wind we ended up at Perranporth where Mark F took advantage of a soarable slot to put in a nice flight followed by a first class top landing. Wanda S also got her first taste of the hill with a couple of extended top to bottoms as the wind backed to the southwest and became lighter making it unsoarable. Still both were really pleased and I thoroughly enjoyed testing the conditions on their Ozone Buzz'z, thanks guys. Click on thumbnails below to see the fun.

Sunday 17th September was a more relaxed day on the tow field with not so many out allowing those there to really crack on in the super conditions and take advantage of the longer tow length of the "stubble" field. Paul W kicked off proceedings on the Hanger and had a first class day seeing him complete all his CPC tasks, convert to a "chest release", move onto a fifth generation glider, master 360's and generally have a fun time, pass his theory, oh and enjoy the views over his 10 tows. Tony P on the Paraglider just got better and better through the day and quickly finished off his CPC tasks taking the instability manoeuvres in his stride then carried on towing for the fun of it putting in 360's whilst also enjoying the stunning views along the north coast. To finish his day off he took his theory exam and passed so completing his tow course in 6 days, something that started with a Taster day whilst on holiday from Birmingham. Pete L also completed his CPC by passing his exam so spent the day as a qualified pilot building experience. Kaz P took the informal height record at the end of the day by towing up to 567' although to be fair earlier in the day tows were noticeably higher including hers but no vario's were being carried to record the heights. Pete C also popped by to demonstrate how not to tow before heading off to the dunes.

Saturday 16th September saw a full house at the tow field with lots going on. Liz C and Kev S both on a Taster Days Paragliding had a fun day resulting in them both flying solo across the field up to 40' so seeing the stunning coastal views before lading and doing it all again. Tony P was back to start his CPC Paragliding course having travelled down from Birmingham for the weekend (thats how impressed he is with us) and had a top day  moving him well into his CPC tasks and finishing up with his first "Big Ears". Dave Beard also started his CPC Paragliding tasks and moved well into it also finishing with the "Big Ears" experience. On the Hanger Paul W was down for the weekend from Wiltshire on his third day and broke the back of the flying tasks with some very consistent and smooth flying. Phil S moved within spitting distance of his EPC tasks on his second day and got to grips with 4th generation gliders. Pete L was putting in the experience tows on his new Ozone Mojo and Woody Valley Velvet harness combination, whilst Nick G,  Pauls M and Kaz P were also out having fun. With over 60 tows throughout the day everyone got plenty of flying in the perfect weather. 

Thursday 14th was a lovely afternoon at Perranporth where Kaz P got soaring and had a cracking 20 minute flight before beach landing as the breeze dropped and the wind veered to the north. Nick G and Paula M both got off the hill and experienced extended top to bottoms in readiness for their soaring flights.

Tuesday 12th saw an evening session at Godrevy where Tim J got his first experience of soaring paragliders putting his tow experience to good use and making it look easy. increasing wind, lowering cloudbase and oncoming darkness finally put an end to proceedings before he got a chance to have a go at top landing.

Sunday 10th September and although it was a quiet day it was a good one for Phil S who came back after a Taster Day to start his full course on a Hanger. With the field pretty much to himself he clocked up nearly 20 flights getting him well into his EPC tasks. During the breaks for Phil to get his breath back Tim and myself sneaked in some tows on the Paragliders to play with the passing clouds. A nice relaxing day all round with Phil getting the best of it. 

Thursday 24th August and it was an early start on the field where Paul W cracked on with his Hang Glider training making excellent progress by the end of the day he had rattled up 17 flights, completed his EPC flying tasks and ended with a high flight and circuit, not bad for his second day. Martin Jones came along to pick up his new Airwave Sport 3 and tried it out on the tow, landing with a huge smile the first words that came out of his mouth were" this things superb", any one want a used Z One ? Nick G and Paula M also came out to gain some more experience tows in preparation for their hill conversions. 

Tuesday 22nd August and with a few showers passing in the morning we got off to a slow start but things cleared up after lunch and it turned out a lovely afternoon and evening. Paul W (already a qualified parag;lider pilot) started his Hang Gliding training having travelled down from Bristol and made good progress over 8 flights to end up flying without tethers, nice one. Richard S came out to do some refresher training after a long lay off on the Hanger and had a good day with 5 flights. Pete L finished all his CPC paragliding tasks over 9 flights and taking the instability manoeuvres in his stride, only the exam to go and he's qualified, well done Pete. Tim had a brief relief from winching when i managed to find a slot to tow him up both on the Paraglider the a Hanger to see the spectacular view from our "North Cliffs" site.   

Saturday 19th August and despite a poor forecast we had a good day on the field before the wind picked up. An early start saw myself tow up to 550' on the Paraglider to test conditions then climb to 1300' (cloudbase) under a cracking street in a "3 up"  before pulling out and spiralling down to teach so no doubt giving up the opportunity to smash the Cornish XC record, still that's dedication! Despite being a weekend we were low on numbers so Steve C took full advantage and put in 8 excellent flights seeing him through the vast majority of his CPC tasks, only one left to go (launch marshall) not bad in two weeks. Dave B put in an appearance after a longish lay off and recapped before finishing off his EPC tasks with 5 flights and passing his exam so gaining his qualification. Kaz P put in another 4 flights in preparation for her hill conversion and even Patrick B came out later to entertain us on his Hanger.

Friday 18th August and despite a showery forecast we went to the fields where we had a super day as the Cu Nimbs passed by further inland leaving us in glorious sunshine all day! A busy day with Pete L fresh from his EPC qualification putting 5 high flights  and exploring the speed range along with 180 turns and spot landings so moving him further into his CPC tasks. Tony P had a fun time completing his EPC 2 flights then putting in 3 high flights to give him a taste of CPC, not bad after 4 days and to think he only came along for a Taster Day! he headed off back to Birmingham with a big smile and hopefully we shall see him again before to long. Sreve C also completed his EPC and also put in 3 high flights so giving him a total of 9 for the day and setting him well on his way to his CPC. Tristan SJ came along for a taster day on the Hanger and did very well having a total of 7 flights ending in a super unaided flight right up to the winch at 10 -20' up. Nick G was out to try his new sign written Ozone Buzz and gave it the thumbs up along with Paula, Mark and Wanda also put in an appearance on the paras whilst Gay flew her hanger and Alan his powered hanger so plenty to watch for everyone.   

Tuesday 15th August was a little breezier than forecast so keeping the Paragliders pretty much on the ground with the exception of myself testing conditions ending up at 800' on the tow then climbing a bit more in steady lift after release, a determined effort was required to get down. Steve Cole also sneaked a flight in during a lighter period but apart from that it was all ground handling. The hangers had a better day with Kieth S completing his EPC tasks and going well beyond over 8 flights with the last ones up to 300 feet before completing good turns down to land. Danny who was out for a Taster day changed from Paragliding to Hang Gliding due to conditions and had a good day with 5 flights across the field, he is already talking about coming back for more. Gay J was also out on her hanger enjoying the longer tows and getting up to 700'+.

Monday 14th August and another fun day with plenty of flying. The morning was a little breezy for the paragliders so they put in plenty of ground handling whilst the hangers started off proceedings. Kieth S made good progress through the day on the Hanger finishing off with 3 release flights (out of9) so taking him well into his EPC after two days. Brandon had a super Taster day on the hanger ending with a couple of flights the length of the field firing his enthusiasm for more. Richard and Rob C had a great day both having had a bit of experience over 2 years ago ending up with 60' release flights and 5 launches a piece. Pete L continued into his CPC tasks with High flights and circuits whilst perfecting his spot landing techniques over a total of 5 flights. Steve C on his second day put in 8 flights including release ones and turns to take him within a day of his EPC tasks Kaz p dropped by and put in another 3 flights along with Nick G and Paula S to keep their hands in. Oh and the new retrieve bike worked fine.

Tuesday 8th August and a cracking day out in the field with something for everyone going on. Ollie and Miles K started things off by getting into their Tow conversions on the Hang Gliders and by the end of the day had 11 tows each so completing the course in fine style. Jem K and Kieth S both on day one Hang Gliding had a fun day ending up with 6 & 5 flights respectively the latter ones for the length of the field solo and in fine style. Pete L on day 3 of his Pg EPC completed his tasks and moved into his CPC tasks with 6 flights the last 2 of which were high flights and circuits. Tony P having decided to go for it after his Taster Day got well into his EPC Pg tasks with 8 flights. Steve C on day one of his EPC Pg got the basics and plenty of ground handling before ending the day with a couple of cracking flights right along the field so setting him up well for day 2. Steve K and Kaz P both qualified pilots made use of some "spare" lines to enjoy the stunning view so making a total of 60 tows for the daybefore we watched the sun go down whilst having a BBQ on the field. Almost Perfect!

Sunday 6th August was another fine day with light NW breeze making it a perfect day on the field. Pete L had his second day with us worked hard on his ground handling before getting back on the winch to knock off 7 more flights so taking him only a few more from completing his EPC tasks. Andy r came for a days tuition having done a couple of days several years ago and quickly got his ground handling sorted followed by 7 flights taking him well into his EPC syllabus. On the Hanger front Voytek returned and had a top day with 9 flights so completing his CPC in fine style ending up flying the Calypso, well done. Phill F came for a taster day on the hanger and did very well showing a lot of natural ability so hopefully he will return. late arrivals Mark F and Wanda S both now qualified  came out for some evening towing on their Ozone Buzz's and proved they hadn't forgotten how to do it after a two month break.   

Saturday 5th August saw us back in the fields where a top day was had with New student Pete L and Tony P who was down for a taster day having a great time. By the end of the day they had both notched up six flights apiece taking them well into their EPC syllabus, Tony should really take this up, what a Taster day! 

Wednesday 2nd August saw us starting some Paragliding hill conversions at Perranporth where Mark F Wanda S Ed G and Kaz P all had a good day learning the basics of hill launching along with the theory. unfortunately conditions were not up to it for soaring however with all the ground work done fingers crossed for a good day soon.

Sunday 11th started off gorgeous then ended up damp but we still had a good day with Phil S and Steve  experiencing the joys of Hang gliding and Paragliding respectively on Taster Days. Woitech converted on to a chest release on the hanger and has now also passed his CPC exam so bringing him to the end of his course, next stop the hill!! (after a little more towing). several free flyers turned up to play with the thermals drifting across the field with Big Al getting the best of it.Nick G cracked the reverse launch on the Paraglider before rain stopped play

Wednesday 7th June saw a pleasant afternoon/evening with Nick G, Paula M and Pilot XX building their experience whilst Chris p came for a taster day resulting in 4 tows on his own across (and above ) the field. Gay J also had a few flights on her Hanger whilst Dave B finished off his winchman tows to complete his operators licence. With a super sunset rounding off the evening who could ask for more.

Tuesday 6th June and despite it being the devils day we headed out for an evening session to the fields where some very pleasant towing went on. Butterfly Dave had a good time driving the winch so giving Tim J a chance to get in the air and Dave enough tows for his Operators licence. Pilot XX had the best of it and rattled off another 9 tows taking them through all of their CPC tasks and finishing on a spot on spot landing. Even I managed to get up in the air for more than a demo flight to enjoy the spectacular sunset, really must take the camera up some time and show you.  

Sunday 4th June and a little bit of high cloud gave a little relief from the sun making it a very pleasant day indeed. Woitech got things going on a hanger (the new pink one) and had a super day completing the last of his CPC tasks in fine style. Nick G and Paula M got to grips with speed systems on the Paragliders followed by Asymmetric's so completing their CPC flying tasks with big smiles. Paul T began his Hang Gliding career with his first hops on the Condor getting his feet off the ground. Pilot XX had a cracking day putting in the high flights and circuits to take them well into their CPC tasks leaving only the instability tasks and exam to do. a good turn out of "free flyers" also turned up including Mark F and Wanda S with Mark having his first flights on his new Oazone Buzz/ Woody Valley Velvet combination which proved to be the business. Paul H had a couple of power flights before returning to the field to take over winching from Tim to finish the day off with a total of 67 tows..  

Saturday 3rd June was even hotter with sun cream being the order of the day. Once again mark and Wanda used the "free lines" and are now pretty much ready for their hill conversions which is good news as their new Buzz's have just arrived. Pilot XX completed their EPC flights in fine style and kicked off into their CPC ones with a smashing high flight and circuit with the beneift of the stunning view along the cliffs thrown in for free. Woitech was back in action on the hanger putting in 6 good flights and taking him within a couple of days of completing his CPC. Ed K, cat K and Mike M were all along for taster days and did really well ending up with solo flights along the length of the field at heights up to 40 feet (ish) where they could also see out to sea. Butterfly Dave also turned up to rebuild his towing skills with a view to using them in his school so I guess we must be doing something right!  

Friday 2nd June and I think summer is here with a gorgeous day in the fields although dare I say it possibly a little to sunny!! no I daren't long may it continue. A full days work done with a total of 57 tows in a relaxed atmosphere saw Mark f and Wanda S racking up the tows and getting loads of experience in between training flights. Nick G and Paula M moved closer to their CPC's 12 and 13 flights each including the first of their "instability" manoeuvres. Pilot XX also had a good day with 10 tows leaving them only a few  flights short of their EPC flights after two days.    

Thursday 1st June and the weather continues so we had a super afternoon evening flying with Karen R moving well into her EPC completing her first releases flights and gentle turns with a total of 6 flights. Mark F and Wanda also came out later and rattled off 7 flights each with Wanda getting her chance to try the Ozone Buzz and loving it. Tim J also got some light relief from winching when I towed him up for 4 flights so he could play with some passing clouds.

Wednesday 31st May saw us back in the tow field where Karen R started her tow training on a Paraglider along with XX, both got on very well and were flying solo across the field by the end of the day. Mark F and Wanda S both now qualified came out to build their experiences in preparation for their hill conversions and also in readiness for their new gliders. Mark converted onto an Ozone Buzz and was convinced it was the way to go for him, both enjoyed 10 and 11 flights respectively.

Tuesday 30st May we managed to fit in an evening Dualling session at Sennon Cove where Neeah N (13 yrs old) had a lovely flight over the picturesque village on a beautiful evening so fulfilling one of her ambitions. It would not surprise me if we see here flying on her own in a few years time.

Sunday 14th May was a quieter day on the tow field as the wind was on the top end for Paragliders so the Hangers took over. Voitech continued his training with 14 flights completing his conversion onto a 4th generation glider and also getting his first high flights and circuits in. Myself and Gay had some nice tows to play with the thermic lift that was drifting through whilst Paul H and Al J flew their power units out of the field and enjoyed an aerial tour of west Cornwall before arriving back after an hour or more. Almost relaxing! 

Saturday 13th May was a busy day with a full house for training. Andy and Ish were with us for a taster day on the Paragliders and did a good job on the ground handling front through the day despite the lively conditions. patience paid off and at the end of the day as things quietened down they both got on the line for a couple of good flights across the field with plenty of airtime. Nick and Paula had a very chilled out day playing with gliders, passing EPC exams then sleeping whilst conditions settled and were rewarded with 3 flights each in nice conditions at the end of the day. Andy S on the Hanger rattled off 3 High flights on the Stubby before converting to the Mars, another 4 flights in preparation for the remainder of his EPC course. Voitech still smiling had 6 flights on the Stubby so taking him to the end of his EPC course with only the exam to go, not bad in 3 days. Alan j (Hanger) and John T ( Dangler) were also out making use of the lines especially in the more lively part of the day with varying success. 

Thursday 11th May and summer has arrived at least for a day! Blue sky a warm wind and the birds singing being on the tow field was a pleasure. Mark F and Wanda S had an excellent time both completing their CPC flying tasks with ease ( in two and half weeks)  including the dreaded asymmetric tucks, in fact Wanda seemed to enjoy them. With another 9 flights each some of which were again in buoyant air plenty of practice was to be had. I managed to take my new Wills Wing T2 up for her first flights and all seemed to be in order. John T had 5 flights on his Paraglider but turned up a little late missing the thermic cycles that had been around.   

Tuesday 9th May and despite a grey start the day turned out nice with the first flights being in smooth buoyant air giving very extended flights for those on high flights and circuits. Mark F on day 3 of his course had some super flights, 10 in all, some of them lasting close on 5 minutes in the good air and moved well into his CPC tasks with some good "spot landing" practice on each one. Wanda S got her first high flights in a came down with a huge smile, the extra time in the air giving her the opportunity to relax more and by the end of her 9 flights was landing pretty close to the spot. Paula M and Nick G made it out for the afternoon and after a couple of recap low flights got to the top of the lines also moving them into their CPC tasks with 5 flights each.   

Sunday 7th May was a sunny day out in the fields with quite a bit going on. Voitech continued his progress into his EPC Hang Gliding with another 8 flights moving him to within a day of completion if all goes well. Roy H finished off his Tow conversion and also got to try his new Woody Valley Flex Harness with which he was well pleased. Nick T from Dartmoor came down for some towing and got some in before in his words a "harsh landing" following an early release left him short of a couple of uprights so stopped play for him. Steve B came for a taster day and tried the delights of both Hangers and Para's having been a hanger from the 80's. I sneaked a demo' flight on a Mojo and enjoyed a 15 minute flight thermalling up to 800 feet or more over to the coast before returning to the field to carry on training. Big and Little Al's got up on their power units and Gay and Little Al also got some towing in. A pretty full day.  

Saturday 6th May turned out nice with us with us waiting until the front passed by and getting out on the field at around 14.00. a good afternoon evening was had with Voytek now back for a full course having experienced a taster day making excellent progress into his EPC Hang Gliding  completing the ground work and putting in 7 tow flights. Roy H appeared having not flown for about a year and began his Tow conversion course enjoying 8 flights and working on his landing technique at the same time. Al J was also out and although a little late in the day had a good go at trying to connect to the passing thermals. 

Friday 28th April saw the start of the British Open Hang Gliding Series in SE Wales. With a good field present on the Blorenge a 58k race to goal at Jnc 18 on the M4 was set but the tricky conditions proved to much with no one making it. However flying a Wills Wing T2 144 i won the day with 40.5 k taking me just across the river Severn back into England with another T2  taking second place with 32.8k. Saturday 29th and under a better sky a race was set to goal at Hinton a distance of 57.4k. Holding back to try and get a good start cost me and by the time I left the Blorenge the lead pilots were gliding to goal. Still a pleasant flight ensued and whilst making it was the priority I still managed a reasonable time to place 9th for the day and dropping to 6th overall. Bruce K now lead the field on his T2. Sunday saw us at Merthyr where despite an unpromising sky a 50k race to anywhere was set. The day improved when wave lift set in on the ridge and some stunning flying was had cruising up and down the wave bar taking us to 5'500feet asl in silky smooth lift. However making distance was not to prove so easy with no obvious routes. Leaving late again I managed to slip away from the wave and glide into an area where glimpses of sun were to be found. having cleared the valleys into the flatlands with another pilot it was a case of using all available lift to work towards the 50k mark. Setting off  on final glide my calculations reckoned it should just be obtainable but unfortunately I did not allow for the line of hills in my path at 49k!! Landing in amongst them at 48.4k was enough to win the task and the competition overall so giving a good start to the defence of my title from last year. With T2's taking 1st and 3rd there can be no doubt as to their performance at the highest level. 

Wednesday 26th April and after a dreary start to the day things brightened up nicely to give a good afternoon and evening resulting in a good days work. Wanda S, Paula M, Nick G and Mark F all had some good flights totalling 26 between them and all completing their EPC flying tasks in three days or less. Mark finished off with a super high flight and circuit to start on his CPC, but then he does do sky diving so does have a slight advantage. Tim J also had a good afternoon finishing his CPC tasks and experiencing the delights of asymmetric tucks and accelerator system, not at the same time, during his 6 flights.           

Monday 24th April and spring is definitely here with a lovely day in the tow field. Newcomers Mark F and Wanda S made the most of the day progressing well into their EPC tasks with 9 and 6 flights a piece. Dave B had his first taste at Paragliding have changed from Hang Gliding and settled in very quickly putting 6 flights including a very extended low level one in gentle thermic lift. Nick G and Paula M returned for the afternoon  session and moved into release flights and gentle turns putting them well over half way through their EPC's in two days. All in all another good one and the sight of birds thermalling over the field was quite enough to get myself and Tim (winchman) tempted however our professional attitudes prevailed and we stayed firmly on the ground.  

Saturday 22nd April saw three taster days out on the field along with Tim J continuing his paragliding training. Darren had a crack at Hang Gliding whilst Nick and Paula went on the Paragliders. Darren had the better of it in the morning with a little more wind making the Hanger the easier option. In the afternoon as the wind dropped the Para's made good progress with Nick and Paula having 4 and 3 good tow flights apiece and signing up for a full course there and then. Darren had a couple of flights on the Hanger then to round off the day did a bit of Paragliding which he may well switch to, that's what taster days are about. Tim J put in another four flights so taking him well into his CPC and getting his hand in at "Big Ears" into the bargain.    

Tuesday 17th April and a day 'off' so managed to sneak out in the afternoon to try out my new Woody Valley Tenax 2 harness at Chapel Porth on the T2 and what a super bit of kit it is with its internal tilt trim locking system, lots of new mod's compared to my old one and all of them worthwhile, in a word 'superb'. Al J also came along and put another 40 minutes soaring into his logbook in super smooth lift taking up to 350' over the cliff tops.

Monday 16th April was a glorious day on the tow field with plenty of sun and even our own pet lamb! Dave B returned from his enforced layoff and made 8 flights on the Hang Glider working on his landing technique to rebuild some confidence. Mike P from Bristol came down for the day after giving up on hill training due to frustration and had a stunning day building on his previous experience resulting in 14 flights the last of which was a high flight and circuit with a tow to 400 feet so completing his EPC tasks in a day!. Al J was also out with us banging in the tows so experiencing another set of flying conditions which did get quite thermic at times. All in all a good day with happy faces at the end of it.

Saturday 15th April was another days towing which saw some of the usual suspects joined by a couple of Hang Gliding taster days which proved to be good fun. Last weeks student this weeks pilot Al M was at it again with eight flights and again perfecting his landing flares in the light conditions. Tom W finished off hi Tow conversion (HG) then enjoyed some fun flying with superb views along the north Cornish coast with eight flights. Pam N and Woistik K had a top taster day on the Hang Glider  getting six flights each on the tow line after a mornings worth of ground school. by the end of the day taking up the sport was a serious consideration.

Friday 14th April and a good towing day was had with Al M although now a qualified CPC coming out to convert onto a 5th generation glider on which to gain some experience in readiness for his Wills Wing Sport 2 which is on order. he had a good day with ten flights including mastering the art of nil wind landings although it has to be said his last was less than perfect. Andy S was back on the field and quickly completed his EPC and moved onto his CPC tasks finishing the day on high flights and circuits in fine style with a total of thirteen flights. Tom W, an ex student pitched up to carry out a tow conversion which he did without much problem an enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere as well as sharpening up his landings with eleven flights.   

Saturday 8th April was a top forecast so we headed to Perranporth with our lucky weather charm (Al M) to hopefully get him some more soaring and top landing. In brisk conditions we started off doing some static tethering on top with Andy S and Ben D who was with us for a Taster day whilst things eased a little. Sure enough the wind moderated so Al took to the air to put in another 30 minutes before heading to the beach as the lift dropped off. A "pleasant" few hours were the spent running up and down sand dunes with Andy and Ben getting some low level flights in both of whom did very well. With gliders once again soaring we headed back up for a late lunch and to check out conditions. Things were much better lift wise so Al launched again and enjoyed improving conditions taking him up to 300 feet above launch for another 30 minutes before coming in and doing what was possibly the best top landing of the day followed by an even bigger smile taking him from nearly zero to hero in under a week! With such nice conditions we rigged the Dual glider and got both Andy and Ben up (one at a time) for some super dualling to round off a top day. 

Friday 7th April and it was off to the hill with Al at Perranporth where after a bit of ground training on hill launches he rattled off a couple of top to bottoms to "acclimatise" to the hill environment. With the wind moving off the hill we decided to call it day as soaring conditions were marginal. just about to zip up the glider bag when a final wind check revealed the conditions improving so it was rig again. With things looking good and after a quick demo' flight Al took to the air for a 30 minute soaring flight followed by a super bottom landing and a big smile.  

Thursday 6th April was an even quieter day with only Al M out in the tow field as a student however what a day it was with him having 19 high flights spread out over a very relaxed day so taking him through his CPC tow tasks with flights to spare. Slightly thermic conditions in the middle of the day gave Al a bit of extra experience which he dealt with comfortably. CPC exam was again passed with flying colours getting Al his CPC rating in record time, ok i will admit he had done some hang Gliding some years ago (but not all that much).   

Tuesday 4th April back out on the tow field was a quieter day with just Al M and Andy S on the Hangers  so a lot of progress was made with them having 13 and 10 flights respectively. Classic conditions, a bit of natural ability and possibly some top instruction and winch operating saw Al move through his EPC into his CPC completing his first high flights and circuit by the end of the day. Andy also made excellent progress taking him within a a couple of flights of his EPC. Both then took their Exams in the evening passing easily with marks of over 95%. 

Monday 3rd April and it was back to the tow field after a bit of a break due to the weather. Mike and Ally who were down for a taster day on Paragliders had a full on day of it which culminated in them each getting their feet well and truly off the ground with several flights across the whole length of the field.  Meanwhile Al M and Andy S both from Bristol had their first day of Hang Gliding training making good progress and getting them flying on the winch to start off their EPC courses in fine style.

Sunday 5th was all it promised to be with an excellent day at Perranporth a good turn out of Hangies were there despite a fair few heading to High Cliff. Jim L down from Oxford had a super day gaining his hill endorsement to compliment the tow training he had already completed last summer. With over an hours soaring in three flights and two top landings he more than doubled his total airtime in one day. Keep an eye out for him on Dunstable Downs which is his nearest flying site and congratulations to him for a job well done. Pete L had his first flights on his new Wills Wing Sport 2 and made it look easy, well most of it, with a super first top landing followed by some more entertaining ones! Several other pilots also kept us entertained with somme early entries for the crash trophy resulting. especially good to see "old" Al out again showing the youngsters how to top land Perran.   

Saturday 4th March saw us at St Agnes to get some flying in and try out a few used harnesses for customers. It was a cracking day with 15 Hang Gliders out in the fresh breeze. After changing the lower rigging on my T2 (don't forget to do yours  sometime) I had a super flight resulting in a cross country to the Lizard Point arriving with loads of height to spare. with climbs of 7 up max altitude oe of 3'700 feet and ground speeds of 95 kph it didnt take long to cover the 27 miles. several others also got away from St Agnes  whilst the remainder enjoyed some classic sea thermalling. Oh and the harnesses were fine!

Sunday 11th was a good day at Chapel Porth with nine hangers out on the hill in fresh conditions. Hakim made the jump from his Calypso to a more sporty wing followed by also moving on from his Supp type harness to a modern race type (Tenax) so is now set for this years competitions, this guy is seriously keen! (and quite talented). Chris Whittaker also had a go in another of our preowned harnesses and landed delighted with the extra comfort it gave compared to his older model so it was happy faces all around. there was plenty of flying to be had and good to see such a healthy turn out of hangers for a change.

Tuesday 31st January was a good day out on the tow field with Martin J completing his CPC tasks on his Paraglider with a total of eight flights through the day. Dave B was back down from Plymouth and moved onto a 4th generation Hang glider and moving well into his CPC tasks before his ninth flight ended with a heavy landing so stopping play for the rest of the day. Alan J and Gay J both had a fun time using the "free" lines acting as guinea pigs for Pete C to get his hand back in as a winch man. 

Sunday 22nd January saw us back on the tow field with a full day to keep us busy. Matin J and Tim J were at it again and after a good hour or so ground handling in the moderate breeze made good use of the lines to take them through the remainder of their EPC's and well into their CPC tasks. With flights up to 500' they got into doing circuits so cutting down on the walking and  also giving them plenty of airtime off the line to sort out the art of free flight. Simon C came out for a taster day and had a good time getting his feet off the ground and having four super flights with the last one being at 60' for the whole length of the field, we shall see if he comes back for more! Bernard C came along to check us out and had a brief introduction to Paragliding which he will almost certainly have a go at in the near future. Steve H was doing his tow endorsement on the Paraglider and rattled off eight flights leaving only a couple for another day. Alan J kept the Hang Gliding side going using any spare lines he could find. Several hanger pilots (including a blast from the past, John S) stopped by to check us out with a view to having a go at Paragliding so watch this space. All in all a busy day with the students making good progress made all the better by Paul H's driving of the winch, thanks Paul. 

Saturday 21st January was almost like a summers day out on the tow field where we had a very pleasant day getting a couple of  Paragliders started on their training along with a few Hangers "free flying" to keep their hand in. Martin J got his tow training underway having got frustrated at the lack of progress on the hill and by the end of the day was doing 150' release flights so getting him over half way through his EPC. Tim J (yes that Tim J) got his first taste of Paragliders and after a slow start got the knack of it and matched martin through the day to also end up doing 150' release flights so not bad going by both of them.  Just as we were packing up I got a call from Gabriel A who was with us on Wednesday 18th to say he had just had an hour and a half at Westbury and was sounding somewhat pleased, nice one Gabriel and good to hear from you. Congratulations got to Steve Hawken and Alan James for winning the Kernow XC League for Hangers and Para's respectively and picking up a Cornwall Hang Gliding & Paragliding Services voucher for £50 each for their efforts at the KHPA's annual dinner in the evening. (pictures will follow shortly)

Wednesday 18th January turned out to be an excellent day at Perranporth with a moderate WNW breeze pretty much all day giving super soaring conditions for the Hangers whilst a couple of Danglers made the most of the slightly lighter conditions in the morning. Tom W came out to get his hand in after a 6 month lay off due to travelling after completing his CPC. He enjoyed three soaring flights including top landings, 360's and ridge exploring so getting him nicely back into flying. Gabriel A came down from Bristol to be assessed for a CPC having been on a course at a non BHPA registered school so leaving him in the awkward position of not being BHPA qualified with all the problems that gives. We spent a good day filling in the gaps on both theory and practical by the end of which he had three soaring flights and top landings and accrued 1hour 45 minutes air time and passed his CPC theory paper, sorted. Good also to see another of last years students Hakim out doing his thing with that beaming smile that says it all.   

Wednesday 11th January started with a moderate to fresh Northwesterly wind so we took advantage of it and headed to Perranporth to hopefully complete Tim J's Dual Pilot rating. After taking him up for a spin in superb conditions Tim took "control" a proceeded to give me four trips as passenger. I must say he did an excellent job in fact a far better one than I did as passenger! We were joined by Paul and Gay on their Wills Wing U2's which both Tim and myself sneaked a go on as the wind got lighter and a number of Paragliders took to the air. Congratulations to Tim on passing his training and assessment to become a Dual rated Hang Glider pilot (Hill). Click on image below to see this stunning photo of Paul and Gay (and Jonathon) taken by Ian French. 

Monday 2nd January 2006! and strangely enough the same date as we first trained last year and flew the year before that. A good days Towing was had with three students making progress, Nick H on his fourth day out had 10 flights moving him onto the Mars (4th generation) and taking him well into his CPC having completed his EPC exam with a 95% pass mark. Dave B on his second day with us had 8 flights (including 4 high flights) so completing his EPC flying tasks and getting him started on his CPC. Cathy L had 5 flights converting her onto a chest release and completing her CPC exam with a pass mark of 95% as well. A turn out of "free flyers" also enjoyed the day and whilst as to be expected thermic conditions did not prevail some good humoured fun was to be had as they vied for the "King of the spot" title. Not quite sure who took overall honours think it was John T on his Paraglider whilst little Al was definitely robbed by Big Al who ran in and moved the spot as he was making an excellent looking approach!!