Good soaring at Big Collin

Little wind and low cloud in the morning meant getting a few home chores done. Went out to Big Collin at lunchtime. Colin Dowey and Martin Bates were already there and Colin had been doing some ground handling part-way up the hill. Martin and I laid out our wings - Skywalk Tequila 4 and BGD Wasp M respectively - about half way up the hill. The three of us took off at various times and skimmed around.

Bertie and Martin

BK - Mowenpik airbag reversible harness

When Brian Dawson arrived I went to the top with him and took off for a soaring flight as he got ready to fly his Firebird Raven M.

BK on Wasp M

I top landed to give Brian a hand in the strengthening wind to untangle his paraglider lines.

Martin seemed to have mastered his ground handling and had a long soaring flight on his Skywalk wing, eventually going down to a tiptoe landing at the bottom.

Martin on the Tequila 4

Meantime Ian Cross arrived as well as Ken McConnell with a student. Everybody flew but the wind on top at times was hitting 20mph but mostly 16 - 18mph. Brian had an excellent soaring flight with a slightly out of wind top landing.

Brian on the Raven M

We eventually packed up around 5pm as the wind was dying off and Ken's student had just bottom landed as I left.

[All photos courtesy of Shauna Duggan ]

Saturday 17 FEb 2018 - Good day at Dungiven

Some low cloud in the morning but I had a taster day planned for a newcomer. Then he called off so, despite the scudding clouds overhead I decided on a run out to Dungiven anyway. Of course getting there was not so simple since the Roads Service in their wisdom had closed the main road from Toome to the Castledawson roundabout. With all traffic now on the diversionary route progress was slow but steady. At the Castledawson roundabout I noticed a car behind me with a familiar-looking long package on the roof - it was Donal Hamilton with his hang glider.

Sniffing the wind at Dungiven west, which was gusting to 20mph+, Donal started to rig his hang glider. I took out my demo BGD Wasp M for an airing and was approached by a spectator who enquired if he could fly his drone to film some flying. We had a discussion about safety, flight paths etc and he returned to his pickup truck to prepare his drone. By the time I got ready, the wind would give us a lull to 15-16mph so, taking advantage of one of these I took off.

Well - I say I took off but in truth the paraglider took off, lifting me whilst I was still facing it in the reverse launch position. Don't panic; fly the glider; and a quick wiggle spun me round to face the right way as the wing hoisted me skywards. The drone pilot had put on his high visibility jacketLift was mostly smooth with the odd mild wobble here and there. After about 20mins boating around I began to lose feeling in my fingers, they were so cold even with a good pair of leather gloves. So I started a top landing approach, only to find lift all the way back to the top road leaving no option but to land well behind the top fence.

Arriving back at takeoff I met Davy Boyd who had arrived from Fermanagh. Davy's takeoff on his Firebird Raven was a copy of mine! The wind had dropped a bit and Davy gradually got lower until he disappeared towards the bottom landing area. See his starting point photo.

After a few minutes I hopped in the car and started to drive down to pick him up. Halfway down the road I discovered Davy still soaring a few feet above one of the lower slopes. I watched as he gradually gained height again and resumed his flight well above takeoff height. See  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1F9EmVEFto. He eventually landed on top.

By this time, Donal had taken off on his hang glider and was cruising somewhere over Benbradagh whilst Davy was exploring the ridge round to Boviel. One of Phil Barron's former students, Stevie, had turned up and watched for a while.

I took off for another flight . Lift was smooth all along and well out from the ridge. Donal had landed as the wind moderated a bit. Having packed up his hang glider he took out his new paraglider and started to prepare it for flight. It seemed to be taking such a long time with Davy looking as if he was helping now that he, too, had landed. In the meantime Stevie took off to join me on the ridge.

Eventually curiosity got the better of me and I came in to land beside them. Then the problem became clear - the lines on one side of Donal's paraglider had got themselves in the worst tangle I have seen in a long time. It took the three of us another good 20mins to get everything as it should be. By this time the wind had died off so Donal's paraglider flight consisted of an extended top to bottom flight with Davy doing retrieve. We packed up as darkness was falling and went home well pleased with a rare opportunity to go paragliding!

Big Collin - no wind!

What is wrong with our weather - blowing a gale one day and calm the next? I headed for Big Collin encouraged by an ESE forecast. On the drive down Hillhead Road into Ballyclare I could see that the wind turbines on Big Collin were still. Probably turned off I said to myself. This notion was reinforced as I passed the solitary turbine by the bend at the foot of the Collin Road hill section - it was merrily turning and indicating a SE with maybe a bit more E in the direction.

Arriving at the hill I discovered that it was calm down by the lane and bottom landing area. Never mind, I thought, it will be flyable on top. Before I started to climb the hill, Al McMaster and Sam arrived. Sam demonstrated his flying skills with a small drone that he handled expertly whilst his dad got his paramotor organised.

I made my way to the top of the hill - slowly, as with advancing age the hill seems to be steeper and higher than it used to be. I thought hills got lower by erosion - but it probably takes a lot longer.

Of course the promised wind had gone. All was calm on top with the very occasional tickle from the ESE for a few seconds and then it was gone. I laid out my Firebird F1rst M wing - one that I use for training - and then heard the roar of a two-stroke engine from below. Alastair had a couple of attempts at forward launch before succeeding a the third attempt. Strangely, although he had started his run each time facing into the very light whisper of wind indicated by the trembling windsock, the wing tended to drop off to the left on inflation and his successful takeoff had him almost running uphill to stay with the wing.

Up on top, things were little better. I had three abortive attempts to inflate the wing and reach flying speed with the wing taking a dive off to one side or the other. Deciding that the old legs were not capable of accelerating to flying speed on the gentle top of the hill slope, I made a short hop to just below the top where the slope was steep. That helped with the acceleration and I made a clean takeoff, followed by a few beats along the hill and a standup landing by Al's van. He had landed and packed up while I was faffing about on top.

I packed up as Al and Sam were leaving and was joined by a small friendly dog. Shortly after the dog's lady owner who had been out for a walk with the dog, arrived. She surprisingly understood that paragliders need wind to soar and warned me not to open my car door as I would have an involuntary muddy-footed passenger!

I took a drive round to the windfarm and admired the distant view of a sunlit Slemish mountain before heading home.

Another much needed fix!

Met Dermot Lagan at Dungiven W just after lunchtime. Wind was westerly but less than 5mph. Got my much loved Firebird Raven M out to do a bit of light wind ground handling. That must have been the magic sign because the wind gradually picked up to 14-16mph.

Meanwhile Brian Dawson had turned up and seemed to take a great interest in my wing. Beating him off, I took off and discovered lovely smooth lift all along the ridge. I was soon joined by Dermot who unbelieveably was flying without gloves - I had offered him a pair but he declined as he said he preferred the feel without gloves (no comment!). Although I was wearing good leather gloves my fingers became numb after about 15mins and I came in to top land.

Brian was waiting for me, with his interest in my Raven now up a notch and standing there with his brand new Gin harness now fitted with a reserve 'chute last night at the club repack, he was gloved and helmeted, so I had to offer him a flight.

                                                                                  Tom and Dermot concentrating

Despite not having more than a top to bottom flight on an EN A wing some time ago, he did a faultless reverse launch and climbed high in the sky to join Dermot who was clearly also enjoying himself over every part of the ridge. After a short while Brian came in to a  good standup top landing, reporting that he was uncomfortable as he could not get fully sat into the harness. After an adjustment or two he was off again - comfortable this time and having a ball.

Since it was obvious that I was never going to get my paraglider back out of his clutches, I dug out one of my Firebird F1rst EN A wings from the back of my car and flew that. After we had all landed, Brian produced a chasecam setup that he had made. It consisted of a £20 Hero copy, a strip of aluminium, a large Coke bottle and the circular rim from the lid of a large 'tin' of sweets. With it attached to one of the C riser tabs on my wing I took off. The chasecam worked perfectly and stayed steady in the airflow. The only snag was that the suspension line for the chasecam was a fair bit on the short side. But the concept was proved and will only need a longer suspension line next time.

With the wind now increasing we packed up. My beloved Raven somehow found its way into Brian's rucksack along with his harness. I expect it will give Brian many more hours of happy airtime - just as soon as I get the cheque!