Had forgotten about this blog for a while. Only one more flight in 2013 - at the SW face of Agnew's Hill in strongish wind. First flight in 2014 was on 11 January at Dungiven. Had an excellent flying trip to Algodonales with Simon Murphy being well looked after by Johan and Jackie of FlyAlgo - highly recommended.
Some local flying and training back home then off with Alastair McMaster and family and Simon Murphy (again!) to Rose Valley Lodge in Bulgaria in July for 8 days' flying with Gavin of Rose Valley Lodge. Gavin and his wife Lucy (a couple from Belfast), with Texan Charles Austin have started a fly/guide business based in the village of Kliment where they now live and which is convenient to the main Bulgarian flying site at Sopot. We had some excellent flying for all but two days along the massive mountain range in big easy thermals. Unfortunately Alastair had a heavy landing the first day which spoiled things for him and the family but he is now back in action. Accommodation, food, guiding and transport were excellent and all included in the package.
Managed to get the dust shaken out of the Magnum tandem at Big Collin on return, with Martin Bates as ballast! Flying since then has been at Dungiven and Big Collin where we currently seem to have a spell of SE winds and I have had some students out. Visiting Romanian pilot Cristian Negrisanu has a ball on Big Collin and managed a series of slope and top landings, which he had never done before.
