Agnew's West again.

Student Pete Stevenson managed to get two good flights in 10-12mph westerly before the wind swung to the north and died. Martin Bates had a shortish soaring flight from the top on his Niviuk Skin wing.

Stole a gap in the showers!

Student Pete Stevenson got in some valuable ground handling in gusty conditions at Agnew's Hill west this afternoon. Wind was varying between 12 and 18mph. The small Firebird Trainer wing is a bit of a handful in such conditions but he succeeded in taming it. When a short shower came through we adjourned to the classroom (my car!) where we had a useful discussion on various aspects of paragliding theory. For most of the afternoon we watched large slow moving showers moving in the distance north and south of us, leaving 'our' hill in the clear but for the one light shower.

Good day at Dungiven

Some good flying at Dungiven W this afternoon. Jim Rainey was in the air as I arrived. Phil Barron and Dermot Lagan had flown. Phil and Jim left soon after for other engagements leaving Dermot and me to carry on.

That seemed to be the cue for the wind to pick up with sharp instant gusts 9 - 20mph coming through. I tried ground handling in this but the lightweight Skyman Heartbeat wing was a real handful, tending to leap about on the ground and a small tug on the risers resulted in the wing instantly flying up overhead and beyond and then tucking after briefly lifting me on the way and dropping me again!

We waited and were eventually rewarded by the wind dropping to a manageable 12-14mph for takeoff around 4pm. I had a couple of good soaring flights, discovering that the wind at height was more NW and noticing that smoke from a fire across the valley was showing a consistent N wind! Lift was more or less everywhere and mostly smooth with the occasional wobble.  Approach to top landings was smooth. Dermot had another flight as I was getting ready to pack up.

Training at Skeagh

Lovely sunny day with some thermal activity. My two EP students, Pete Stevenson and Gintaras Jakutis had a ball for a while. Pete had eight flights from the top, with standup landings by the windsock on most of them. Variable wind put him off course on a couple of flights. Gintaras (known as GT) still has some trouble with reverse launches and involuntary braking for takeoff but improved with practice and got two top to bottom flights - one with a 'bum' landing but no harm done.

Activity was abandoned around 2:30pm when the northerly wind began gusting 9 - 21mph. Dermot Lagan had arrived for a look but wisely decided to keep his wing in its bag.

Robin Young's Hill

Another day with little to offer by way of flying. At the top takeoff at Robin Young's  the wind was on the hill but varying between 4 and 12mph. When it picked up a little I took off and turned to fly along the cliff. I didn't get enough initial lift and flew along the top of the front ridge. There was very little lift - barely maintaining and close to landing. when I flew off the end of the front ridge and back towards the cliff bowl I was still only maintaining height.

I then turned to fly along the front ridge lower down - 172ft below takeoff. Surprisingly I was able to maintain height and by staying in close managed to gain enough height to get back and turn into wind to land by the car park. I guess the glide at speed of the Skyman Heartbeat I was flying, saved the day.

The radio control model flyers were out but not enough wind for them by that stage. The wind later went north and got very gusty - measured 8 gusting 17mph at the lower takeoff. No more flying.

Another day on the ground!

Spent the morning at Greenmount college at a seminar on "Building United Communities through outdoor recreation". Before things got going and at tea break, Ian C and I managed a chat with the National Trust warden for Divis and Black Mountain. As a result we are reasonably optimistic that free access to that site can be achieved.

After lunch I headed to Robin Young's Hill. On the way I spoke to Dermot L on the 'phone and learned that there were two paragliders airborne at the Carnlough site we had visited yesterday - turned out it was Mark W and Mervyn G again.

Robin Young's was clagged in so I joined Loudon Blair and his mate Sam in the warmth of Loudon's car as we waited for the cloud to lift. The wind was very light and off to the east a fair bit.

Eventually the cloud lifted and I got a 'go', flying Loudon's radio control model glider. With only rudder control that I was never used to, I found it a bit tricky and had to be 'rescued' by Loudon a couple of times when I overcontrolled. Great fun until the wind died and put an end to the flying. Meantime Dermot made the pilgrimage to the top of the Carnlough site just as it all went flat calm so he did not fly.

Much running around without flying!

Following an early email from Ian C, I headed to Agnew's Hill before lunchtime. Martin B and Dermot L were already there, but as the wind was off to the NE we decided to try Robin Young's. I arrived there just as Ian F was landing near the car park and Mark W was packing up his wing. Ian reported that the wind had been strong earlier then dropped and was now too light to soar. Another pilot arrived in the car park - believed to be Mervyn G but who didn't come along the hill to speak to us. He and Mark left as I was helping Ian to pack his wing.

Withe nothing better to do, Dermot, Martin and I headed to Carnlough for another look at the Binagee site. We were able to drive up to the bungalow again but the surface of the lane above that was too loose for driving on. We took a walk up the lane to the top where we had a brilliant view of Carnlough bay. The wind was coming and going and predominantly off to the NNE - too far off and variable to consider flying.

On a spur lower down to the north we saw what appeared to be Mark W and Mervyn G preparing to launch on the NE face of the spur. They had a couple of short flights each with little lift and slope landings followed by top to bottom flights to the fields by the farm below.

Returning to Robin Young's Martin, Dermot and I had a word with former hang glider pilot Loudon Blair and his radio control model flier buddies. One of them returned from the top of the hill to report that the wind at takeoff was on the hill but over 20mph! Loudon had flown his soaring model earlier and said that the air was very turbulent. Not long after that Dermot measured the windspeed at the car park - 20mph! That was that! Going home time.

A good day at Big Collin

Yesterday - Sunday - saw three paragliding schools in operation at Big Collin plus a handful of UHPC members.

Beginners Pete Stevenson and Gintaras Jakutis spent some time at the bottom learning to master forward and reverse launches before moving up the hill where they both got airborne successfully.

Word from members who flew was that it was quite gusty higher up and many slope landings and bottom landings were noticed.

Light wind faffing about.

Martin Bates, Dermot Lagan, Tom Carson and myself spent the afternoon at Big Collin in sunny and mild conditions with light and variable wind, mostly SSW. Phil Barron was getting a student successfully airborne as the rest of us practiced our ground handling at the top, interrupted by semi-soaring mostly groundskimming short flights ending up our last flights by the cars.

I was playing with the Skyman Heartbeat M - a lightweight EN B wing. In a bit of breeze it easily inflates in a reverse launch by simply stepping back in the harness without the need to use the front risers. Cobra launches are also very easy and the glide was better than I expected as I overshot my intended landing spot. Handling is light and precise and the wing is noticeably faster 'hands up' than my Firebird Raven M. This might be down to reduced drag from the thin risers and line arrangement.

A pleasant day to be out and useful ground handling practice but not an epic flying day there.

Light wind fun!

Went to Agnew's Hill initially with taster student Pete Stevenson. Ken McC was already there with a student ground handling as the wind was well off to the NW. We then went on to Skeagh where the 5mph variable wind was mostly N backing NNW at times. After the usual preliminaries and some practice with forward and reverse launches, Pete ended up with excellent flights progressing to the top of the hill and getting in corrective turns to a stand up landing every time. Wind later increased to 14mph backing NW and then dropped.

Now we have another keen enthusiast raring to start a course. Coming from a background of kitesurfing and diving he is fully prepared for the inevitable parawaiting!