Mat's Paragliding Blog

A collection of paragliding photos from the past few years

2010-09-10T10:18:00.001+01:00

Web cams - good idea?

2009-03-06T16:48:00.002Z

I thought so until i'd spent most of today seeing people soaring at Dunstable while i'm stuck in the office. http://dunstablehpc.co.uk/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,62/

Not that it looked a fantastic day, just better than mine!

Dunstable - 21st February 2009

2009-02-21T20:56:00.001Z

First flight this year - seems like ages since I was airbourne. Glider recently back from its MOT with The Loft and a nice sunny day wih 8-10 mph forecast. Unusually it turns out to be correct!

Not too many people in the air at any one time, got some reasonable height rather than tree skimming for once. Some nice thermic bubbles breaking through the smooth air. Managed 1hr 15mins before it got a bit blowy and I decided to land at the bottom having seen Hugh go for a dragging on take-off. I'll leave top landing in strong wind to the pro's!

Great to get a 1st flight of the year in without waiting all day for conditions to improve. Lets hope I get more flying done this year.

See more photos on flickr

Great video of the Nova Ibex mountain gliders in action

2009-02-06T15:36:00.006Z

NOVA IBEX Hike & Fly in Snowdonia, UK from Steve Nash on Vimeo.

This is a video I found of the NOVA IBEX Hike & Fly weekend that was held in Snowdonia. Maybe some lighter gear is in order??? Roll on summer...

Learn to paraglide in India

2009-02-03T18:41:00.002Z

Steve Reed my paragliding instructor in India is now CFI with Nirvana Adventures based in Kamshat in the Western Ghats of India (only a few hours from Bombay).

http://www.flynirvana.com/

Several posts detailing my training with Steve in Goa back in 2005 can be found here.

Paragliding on Kent TV

2009-01-29T08:42:00.010Z

As part of the Sport in Kent series, Kent TV broadcast a program which gives an insight into XC flights by paraglider from the Sussex South Downs. This programme features Carlo Borsattino (who I completed my CP with) and 2 other pilots.

Watch the film online.

Carlo's photos from a flight to Hastings from Devils Dyke are here (not sure if this is the same flight or not) .

Algodonales - Cloudbase at last

2008-08-03T16:54:00.007+01:00

I had a great week in Algodonales with FlySpain. We flew at 3 different sites over the week and finished off the week with a 30km cross-country to Rhonda.

Me and several other pilots were picked up from Malaga airport and driven to the very comfortable FlySpain townhouse in Algodonales where they put up all their visiting pilots. We had the afternoon to wander round the pretty village and generally take it easy before meeting Rob the next morning for our first briefing. Several of the pilots had been before and Rob seemed a very chilled-out kind of guy. We headed off later that day to a site about an hour away. Conditions by this point weren't looking too good as it had become quite grey and cloudy. Another group of pilots were just launching as we arrived but it looked like an extended top-to-bottom was the most we would get but we soon saw that they started to contact some good lift above a band of cliffs on the way to the landing field.

I was keen to get into the air but also a bit nervous about flying as it I hadn't had much airtime recently. I managed to launch perfectly first time (not always easy in light conditions) and flew across the hillside to where other pilots were marking thermals. For a while I managed to contact some decent enough lift but it wasn't really taking me much higher initially but I eventually found some decent thermals and quickly made it to base for the first time, then I popped up into the actual cloud itself. Now this is always something I'd wanted to do but when you can only see white stuff and you know there are other pilots flying nearby its actually a bit worrying. No problem I thought, I'll just big-ears back below base and I'll be fine. I pulled in my ears as far as I could but I was still going up with the vario screeching. I added some speedbar, then full speedbar and while my ascent rate slowed I was still going up rather than down. All I could do was hold a steady course and hope to reach the edge of the cloud. I did this eventually but it was pretty hard to hold in the A-lines for so long and the wing was thrashing around quite a bit. Being on full-bar was also quite tiring. While in the cloud I caught the odd glimpse of Nick (one of the other FlySpain pilots also in the cloud) but eventually the ground became clearer and I finally was below base once again.

All this was quite exhausting so I decided it was time for me to land, but there just seemed to be so much lift about I thought I'd better make the most of things and was soon back at base, onto the ridge and playing happily. I then decided to push out beyond the landing field into wind and went from one cloud and thermal to another, slowly creeping forward until I was about 1.5 km in front of the landing field just before a small hill. At this point I decided I'd had enough for a first flight and made a nice fast downwind run back to the landing field and the minibus. Only Rob was still flying but as soon as he was down and we had packed up we headed back to TO for another flight. Unfortunately conditions had deteriorated somewhat and it looked pretty lumpy and unpleasant judging by the first few to take off so me, Rob and Liam gave it a miss.

The next day we flew at Montellano which was a nice site but didn't really produce much flying on the day except for Rob who managed to climb out and go XC. Still, we all had a nice day trying to stay up and kept Lee busy doing retrieves all day long. The next day was blown out, as was the following one despite us checking out the launches at Montellano and Lejair just in case. Some of the more active people in the group went mountain biking while the rest mooched about the village and caught up on some reading.

We flew at Lejair for the final 2 days and I had some great late afternoon thermalling flights off the mountain managing to stay up for quite some time. It was great to have plenty of time to locate and then stay up in thermals. The scenery was really beautiful and I felt my flying improved enormously. On the final day we took off from the west launch at Lejair after a short flight from the upper launch earlier in the day. I quickly climbed out and joined the others above the main launch and got loads of height before pushing out towards the twin peaks. No-one else seemed to be getting up as high as me and I kept on finding climbs. I didn't want to waste this opportunity so via radio I confirmed the route to Rhonda and set off on a glide. It was only once I was past the twin peaks and still finding plenty of climbs that it dawned on me that I actually was going XC at long last. I knew there was a small ridge site with Roman amphitheatre between Lejair and Rhonda and this soon came into view. I was nice and high for the whole flight and found climbs easily despite it being a blue day and no other gliders around. At one point I was nearly 2 miles ASL and everything looked pretty small but I loved being up there. It was quite comforting to know that if I did have a collapse or worse I had plenty of time to sort it out but there was never any danger of that - conditions were extremely comfortable. I took the time to take some pictures of the scenery but couldn't see any other gliders following me. At one point I flew in a straight line for over 5 mins climbing all the time.

Rhonda was becoming nearer and nearer and I realised that I was going to make it there unless I encountered massive sink. I called Rob on the radio to ascertain the best landing field and eventually spotted the one he meant. First however, I wanted to fly over the town and check out the gorge and the bullring. I had plenty of height and I managed to have a leisurely waft about far above the town. Eventually I decided to land and headed for the field near the hotel Rob had described.

On approaching the field I discovered the wind was far stronger than at first thought - despite carefully assessing direction etc by flying around above before making a final approach. My careful planned landing was going a bit awry and I ended up landing (slowly going backwards) in a farmers back garden with his Alpacas. Luckily I missed his house and any high fences/trees and other hard objects but I was now fenced in. I packed up my kit and started looking for a way out just as the farmer appeared. He seemed a bit suspicious of me at first (who wouldn't finding someone in their fenced off back garden with a large rucksack) but as luck would have it he was an English ex-pat and so I was able to explain myself (my Spanish being somewhat lacking!). I walked along the track to the hotel and waited for Rob and Lee to arrive (they had followed on behind me from Algo). We sat in the bar for quite some time before Lee arrived with the minibus and it was 11am before we got out for dinner that evening. It was a great last flight to end the holiday with and I'm already looking forward to a return trip next year.

FlySpain were a great outfit to fly with and I'd recommend them to anyone - either to get their EP/CP or for a flying holiday. Can't wait to get back!

See more photos on flickr

Malvern - 16th February 2008 (2)

2008-03-05T22:03:00.003Z

Made the trip over from Milton Keynes leaving a little later than planned and getting to the site around midday after negotiation a road closure near Worcester which added to the delay.

Was straining to see if I could spot any wings in the air from the moment I saw the ridge in the distance but was quickly becoming certain it was a wasted trip over as I couldn't see a thing. Still, I was going to have a nice days walking even if there was no flying.

As I got closer I started to be able to pick out a few gliders in the sky but by the time I was near the the hill I could see plenty in the air - but it looked cold.

For once I managed a (nearly) perfect launch first time after waiting ages for a lull in the medium-strong conditions on take-off. Everyone seemed to be maintaining height with no problems at all and even pushing far out in front of the ridge.

It was freezing on take-off but once I was in the air it was surprisingly OK. By the end of the days flying I was well and truly frozen - or my fingertips were at least. I seriously started to wonder whether it was posiible to get frost-bite from a few hours flying! Letting go of the brakes and dangling my arms down seemed to restore some blood flow which helped a bit.

Deciding to land I discovered a problem...there was so much lift it was impossible to top-land. i tried so many times but just locked onto the magic staircase every time and just couldn't get down. Eventually I decided I'd better head for the main landing field before the light went and on landing quickly packed up as I needed to find a lift back to the car park on the other side of the ridge. Luckily one last pilot was waiting for a lift round and his mate dropped me off too - thanks very much whoever you were!

Malvern - 16th February 2008

2008-02-17T21:29:00.004Z

First flight at Malvern. Managed 2 1/2 hrs before succumbing to the cold and failling sunlight. A great days flying with lots of silky smooth air. Not much chance of sinking out - there was lift everywhere!

I'll add more photos and details in the next couple of days.

See more photos on flickr

I was particularly pleased with this image.

Dynamic Decisions DVD

2008-02-10T18:26:00.001Z

Browsing XCShop just recently I found myself tempted by this DVD. Having received it a fews days after ordering I watched it few times and was fairly pleased with what I got for my £5.95.

If i'd ever been tempted to upgrade my wing this DVD would have cautioned me against getting one beyond my experience. As it is I haven't been tempted to upgrade as (a) I don't fly often enough; (b) I still consider myself a relative beginner; and (c) cost is unlikely to ever not be an issue!

Anyway, I was very much reassured that the low-end 1-2 gliders exhibited lots of passive safety. My wing is a Skywalk Tequilla (a low-end 1-2) and seeing how some of the higher rated gliders reacted to both symetric and asymetric collapses I shall remain happy with my glider for some time to come.

There is also some nice flying footage on the DVD as well as the demonstrations of how the different grade gliders react to collapses. While its not a full-on professionally filmed and produced DVD I felt that for the price it was certainly good value for money and much welcome inspiration in the UK winter time.

Algodonales

2008-01-31T11:46:00.000Z

I've just booked up for a weeks XC/thermalling course with Flyspain at the end of March in Algodonales. Having looked at many other courses/holidays and locations this seemed to offer the best deal for my level of experience and they also have self-catering accomodation. Hopefully i'll get some longer flights than I managed last year in Greece but without conditions being too booming! I had been planning an SIV course in Turkey this year but the dates clash with a friends wedding. Given the awful flying weather we've been having lately in the UK I'm currently wondering if I'll even get back in the air before I head off to Algodonales?

Anyway - time to start dreaming about some big distance flights in a sunny land...

Ground Handling Techniques - DVD

2008-01-18T11:54:00.000Z

I bought this DVD a few weeks back from XCShop. I have watched it a couple of times now but to be honest I wasn't that impressed. There were a few useful tips I picked up regarding launches but I think my copy will be hitting eBay in the not to distant future. I would be great to handle a glider that well but just to have suitable conditions for groundhandling would be a major achievement in the UK. Most of the time it seems that the wind is far too strong and gusty. I would rate it 4 or 5 out of 10. Worth a look but not worth £19.95. Save your money for one of Jocky Sanderson's or Bruce Goldsmith's titles.

A photo of me?

2007-12-18T10:42:00.000Z

Just came across this image of me flying at Rushup last week on another website. See the photo in-situ on the UK Climbing Website: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=77339

The wonder of networked living!

Rushup Edge - 13th December 2007

2007-12-14T12:10:00.001Z

I'd almost given up any thought of flying before the end of the year. Every weekend I'm free it seemed to either be howling a gale or pouring with rain. This week though an area of high pressure settled over the UK giving light southerlies so checking every forecast on the web I booked the day off work at the last minute and the following morning left home at 7am headed for Rushup.

I arrived about 10.30am surprised to find no-one in the air and only a few cars in the car park. It seemed highly flyable and so I made my way up on to the ridge. The wind was between 10 and 12mph and all seemed fine. I took off second go after a mild dragging on my first attempt (wing came up asymmetrically) and soared around for 5 minutes or so before being forced into a slope landing as I slowly lost height. The air was smooth enough but had areas of lift closely followed by sink. Kind of weird - it was smooth lift followed by very smooth sink - almost like sets of stairs in the air mass. I'd not flown in such un-predictable conditions before and they seemed especially strange as the wind on the hill was so consistent. Was this some mini wave effect I wondered. There were some wave-ish bars of cloud in the sky to the south west but I didn't think that would affect me below the top of the ridge.

Slogging back up the hill saw me disintegrating into a sweaty state of near collapse at several points before I got back to take-off. I sat down for half an hour to recover and to re-assess conditions. Why had I gone down when the wind was so consistent? It was a little bit off to the West but no more than when I was here in October.

A couple of other pilots arrived after a while - one a willing wind dummy so I got to wait and see if things had improved. They had! We all took off soon after and spent a very pleasant hour or so wafting around in the smooth, light conditions.

At the end of the day the sunlight broke through the clouds and illuminated the hillside and I followed Mat along the ridge and down to the landing field with a number of hill walkers photographing us as we flew past them. A great end to the day where the temperatures never got above 3^oC.

See more photos on flickr

Rushup Edge - 21st October 2007

2007-10-26T09:36:00.001+01:00

At last I've made it to the Peak District. Having spent many years climbing and walking in the peaks I know many of the sites quite well from the ground so it was lovely to fly one of them at last. I got a lift up with Keith and Tanya (thanks guys) and driving towards the site we could see a few gliders in the air. The walk up was a lot shorter than it looked and I met Adam, another Dunstable member on the way up.

Had a lovely day flying the ridge from one end to the other and back. It was fairly light conditions but it was relaxed flying, great views and nice to see so many gliders in the air - don't they look pretty! I also met up with Andy who I met in Greece back in May this year.

Can't wait for another opportuntity to fly in the peaks, but with winter coming it may be some time.

See more photos on flickr

St Andrè, September 2007

2007-10-13T18:46:00.001+01:00

Having gained a bit of experience at Lachens and Gréolières I was keen to fly somewhere with a bit of XC potential. St Andrè has certainly got a reputation in this regard and I was keen to see how far we might be able to go.

Arriving on launch I was a bit concerned to see how windy it was, but people seemed to be getting off OK (OK so there were a few minor mishaps but it seemed doable) and the sky was blue and full of gliders.

Once I was all ready to go it seemed like the wind was just getting stronger. There were lulls but once again I found myself battling with the wing on the ground. After lots of waiting and a few failed attempts I took off and immediately went up - rather faster than I was used to. Ulric followed me into the air and I concentrated on moving along the ridge and thermalling to get some height.

After gaining quite a decent amount of height with little effort I tried to push further along the ridge only to hit lots of sink. I couldn't believe it. In almost no time I was well below launch and it looked like I would be heading for an early landing. I was the only one going down and so I just kept searching for lift. I eventually found a good climb which I stayed with for 700m until I topped out at about 2,300m - what a relief! Such a great feeling to have fought my way back up, although it seemed to take forever.

Our plan for starters was to try and fly along the ridge but Ulric also found lots of sink and so we instead decided to attempt crossing the valley over the town of St Andrè to the Crète Des Serres. All went well to start with but I ended up only finding sink apart from a couple of blips on the way over and was forced to contemplate my landing options on the far side of the valley, but well short of the ridge.

It wasn't too hard to find somewhere to land once I had established where the pylons and electricity wire were! Safely down on the ground I could only ponder my misfortune. Apparently it is rare not to make the transition when leaving the hill at the height I did, so I was clearly unlucky. Still, I was safe and felt very pleased with my thermalling and that I had found that climb which saved me from an even earlier bomb-out.

Conditions were fairly gentle according to Ulric and I didn't have any problem dealing with them - although a small front collapse just after take-off was a little concerning but it came out of its own accord.

The views from the air were amazing. It was an especially clear day and the peaks of Mercantour were visible in the distance. Other pilots made 50km+ but for me it was a more modest affair but certainly valuable experience and a taster of what I hope to do a bit more of in the future.

I stayed with Ruth and Ulric Jessop in their self-catering flat which i'd highly recommend.

Gréolières, September 2007

2007-10-13T18:14:00.001+01:00

Having had a few flights at Lachens inthe company of Ulric I felt confident enough to try a solo flight from Gréolières in the next valley. Ulric had warned me that it was difficult to climb out from this site and right he was. I found myself going down almost immediately! But a short top to bottom flight was just fine and I comfortably made the landing field after losing height over the pretty town.

The walk up to launch was long and hot, but with Ravi generously offering to (practically forced me to let her) carry the glider for some of the way the task wasn't as hard as it could have been . Once on launch we were met with a gentle southerly breeze directly onto the hill and so I got away without too much trouble. I would love to fly here again (when the navette is running!).

Lachens, September 2007

2007-10-13T17:56:00.000+01:00

On holiday in the Maritime Alps for a fortnight i'd arranged some guiding with Ulric Jessop. It took a few days before we both felt it might be suitable for a nice evening flight at a local site. In all I flew at Lachens four times during the week, mostly just soaring, but also finding some thermals but they were never that strong although they allowed me to gain height and prolong the inevitable return to earth.

On a few occasions we shared the hill with a local paragliding school, though it never seemed too busy. Lovely evening sunset flights in smooth air - couldn't ask for more!

Video of me reverse launching during CP training in India - 2005

2007-09-29T15:32:00.001+01:00

Great new book

2007-08-26T12:16:00.000+01:00

I ordered this book a couple of weeks back. Haven't had much time to actually read it but what I have read has been really interesting - makes quite a change from the Pilot Handbook or Touching Cloudbase.

As i'm off to the Alps very shortly its come at the perfect time and from what i've seen it seems to cover everything i could possibly want to know about thermal flying.

I ordered my copy from Northern Paragliding and received it the very next day - how's that for service!

Long Mynd - 25th August 2007 (2)

2007-08-25T19:27:00.000+01:00

Eventually conditions calmed down a bit and taking my wing a bit further down the hill I figured i'd be able to launch safely enough. Sensibly waiting to see a few others do this first I decided it was my time again. Again I made a perfect launch and was soon flying high above the hill and connecting with the odd thermal and drifting back.

At one point i'd probably drifted too far back as I struggled to make it back to the hill, but I guess I learnt something. The crowds had left and there were a few pilots in the sky but i had a lovely flight with plenty of space to myself to play around.

It had been a magic day and I didn't want to land, but the prospect of a 2-3 hr journey back to Milton Keynes meant that I had to cut the flight shorter than I would have liked - I also needed to eat!

I set up for another top-landing but this time didn't get it quite right and so had to correct my approach and landed nicely at the back of launch. If only it had been closer to home, I would have flown until the sunset. As I pulled away in the car the sky was still full of people enjoying the last of the day.

Long Mynd - 25th August 2007

2007-08-25T19:16:00.000+01:00

Having kept a close eye on the weather, it all looked set for the Mynd - a site I hadn't flown before but had heard a lot about. Given that it is 2-3hrs from my house I wanted a guaranteed day (or as near as possible). Leaving a little later than planned I hit bank-holiday traffic before Shrewsbury and not seeing a whisper of wind thought i'd had a wasted journey. Eventuall I navigated my way through Church Stretton and up towards the site. On the way I was convinced there would be no wind and so was looking forward to rambling around the hills for the day as it looked so lovely. The, as I rounded a bend I could see a sky full of paragliders and my dissapointment turned to euphoria - it was flyable.

I parked and walked onto launch, took a few photos and got my gear sorted. Clipped in and the wind died. Everyone was grounded immediately. Eventually it became clear that this might last a while so I unclipped, got out of my flying suit and settled down for a lie down in the warm sun.
Someone had a remote control paraglider complete with action-man pilot which kept people amused, then all of a sudden the wind switched on and people were taking off all over the hill. I got ready and was soon in the air myself. I stayed up for 45 mins or so, catching a few thermals and getting nice and high. I headed down the ridge where it was quieter and settled into flying and taking in the beautiful landscape. Eventually I felt like I wanted a rest and so headed back to launch intending to top-land. For once this went like a dream and I made a text-book landing.

By this time conditions had picked up a bit and so I had my lunch and waited for things to calm down a bit.

Dunstable - 17th August 2007

2007-08-17T18:57:00.000+01:00

Given the previous failure at Dunstable I was keen to fly and so leaving work early I arrived on a flyable day to find many people in the air and my friend Richard there also. I got off first go this time and enjoyed a 25 minutes or so wafting around. Eventually things died off and we bottom landed. The hill didn't seem so hard as usual and satisfied with a sucessful flight I spend a while watching others fly and chatting to Richard back on top. The weather also looked promising for the weekend so I was happy have got back in the air.

Dunstable - 6th August 2007

2007-08-06T18:55:00.000+01:00

Given the distinctly unusual summer we'd been having, coupled with study and work commitments I hadn't managed to fly since May in Greece. So, feeling like I wanted to get some airtime before I went to the Alps I headed to Dunstable. It was a little windy to say the least and I was content to sit out the gusty conditions watching others pitching around high above the hill. Eventually conditions calmed down and I attempted to launch, but kept on braking the wing too early letting it get properly overhead. Eventually I took a break but by the time I felt ready to give it another go the wind had dropped right off and I decided to head home and have my tea. Of course as I started packing my kit into the rucksack things picked up again for a brief spell and a few people got airborne once again. Still, it was a lovely day to be out, the sky was beautiful and I enjoyed myself taking pictures other people flying.

Paragliding photos now on Flickr

2007-08-04T09:09:00.000+01:00

I've now added all my paragliding photos to Flickr. Click here or on the image above to view them.

Flying Paradise

2007-05-25T09:46:00.000+01:00

Looking back on the trip I didn't get as much airtime as I had hoped for (but that's paragliding isn't it) but it was a well priced, well run holiday. The hotel was located on a quiet beach where you borrow snorkelling and kayaking equipment as well as mountain bikes (all free). Christophe worked hard all week to make sure we flew every day and his drivers and instructors were a friendly bunch, as were all the others on the trip. We got lifts into town to eat every night and a trip out on the only morning we couldn't fly. The only criticism is that there were perhaps too many people for him to deal with as he also had a few students and was one instructor down for part of the week. However, I would definately return for a trip in the future.

Peters Paradise

2007-05-24T19:31:00.000+01:00

I had three flights at Peters Paradise. This was a beautiful site with views of the hills, sea and islands. First flight was an extended top to bottom. I didn't find much lift but others did. Landing was straightforward if a little rough for me as I unexpectedly found lots of lift then sink on finals - but no broken bones, just a few bruises.

The next flight was in the afternoon. This time we headed for the silos for landing and it was a beautiful flight over Didi Ma and the patchwork of fields. Really amazing views.

For my final flight I was first to take off and for a while I found good lift and was staying up nicely over a rocky cliff. It started to get a bit rough though and so I pushed out a bit further then whack! Not sure whether it was a collapse or what but my right wind dived beneath me to the right. I controlled the turn, got back on course and decided to get the hell out of there. I soon realised I wasn't goning to make the silo landing field and started evaluating my options. Pierre was flying a little in front of me and we headed to the same area of flat fields on the outskirts of town. Both of us made it into corn fields without incident. I was happy to have made an unplanned landing and also dealt witht he collapse or whatever it was up above the hill without getting completely scared. Others made it into the silo landing field - but only by being on the bar all the way. Andy had a low level front collapse but was OK. Yet another Greek salad was called for.

More Photos

Teds Cafe

2007-05-24T12:12:00.000+01:00

Teds Cafe was a great site to fly. They day we were there it was a bit blowy up above for the first few pilots after launch so I hung back a bit until things calmed down. A perfect launch then I was flying around between sink and climbs - nothing major in either direction but definately pleasant flying. When we reccy'd the landing it looked fairly small and surrounded by olive groves on all sides. I was a bit concerned about how I was going to judge my approach correctly but in the end managed to just scrape in - a little low but safe nontheless. Unfortunately I was so happy to be down safely and not up a tree my glider managed to drape itself over the adjacent olive tree after touchdown. Luckily it only took me 15 minutes to rescue it. A few other pilots overshot or found friendly trees to almost land in and for those who didn't have a tangle of lines and branches to sort out it was off back up for another flight. A great site and one I am looking forward to flying again at some point.

More photos

Blacky

2007-05-24T09:56:00.000+01:00

Just one flight at Blacky. For me the launch was pretty intimidating - a firebreak in the forest covered with rocks, bishes and fallen trees. Wind was also marginal for a reverse launch and having not forward launched before (for real that is - only in a sloping field) I tried to coax a reverse launch out of the dying wind but the wing wasn't quite inflated and I screwed it up twice aquiring a few bruises on the way. Eventually I let a few others go ahead of me and made my first forward launch with no trouble at all. By this time i'd missed the good lift and so it was another extended top to bottom but I was just glad to be in the air.

More photos

Marias Way

2007-05-24T09:47:00.000+01:00

We had a couple of flights from Marias Way during the week, a relatively small site without much lift (at least on the days we flew there) so the flights were extended top to bottoms heading for a small landing behind the beach (this can be seen in the bottom right of the picture in the bay just beyond the village). Again Christophe was on hand to guide people in by radio as it is quite a tight landing with not much room for error. The flights were nice if a little short but better to fly than not.

This image is of the take-off at Marias way. A good clear launch - forwards or reverse dependant on conditions.

More photos

First flight

2007-05-24T09:27:00.000+01:00

Not a picture of me launching but gives an idea of the beautiful flying in Greece. Tintin is the main hill behind the hotel and beach where we were based. The landing was fairly narrow and short, but Christophe guided most people in - sending us out over the sea to lose height. There wasn't much lift in front of take-off so it was pretty much a top to bottom. Amazing views and very beautiful to be flying over the sea before curving in to make a landing on the beach (the same one shown in the video on this post).

More photos

Flying Paradise - Greece 2007

2007-05-23T16:06:00.000+01:00

Well this was my first flying trip abroad since gaining my CP last year. I looked at quite a few different options in different places but ended up choosing Flying Paradise in Epidavros, Greece. The trip seemed good value, catered for people with a range of experience and also there were activities to do if it wasn't flyable. I didn't fancy being stuck in the middle of nowhere waiting for conditions to improve.

Anyway, I had an excellent week not missing a single days flying (although others did miss a day - I happened to first to lauch on that rather windy day!) and having a great time with the others on the trip. We ended up flying at several sites: Blacky, TinTin, Peters Paradise, Teds Cafe, Maria's Way and a small cliff the name of which i've forgotten. Christophe was a good guide, quite crazy but always concened about safety, and really worked hard to make sure we got into the air as often as possible.

I personally didn't clock up any huge flights as I was a bit cautious about flying in rough thermic conditions and so I often took of later or early rather than fly in the middle of the day. I also managed to screw up a few launches at Blacky (quite intimidating as its a tight fire break in a pine forest) which meant I missed all the good lift.

The following posts give a more detailed picture of the different days flying.

More pictures of the trip can be found here on Flickr.

GPS Maps

2007-05-04T10:47:00.000+01:00

Having bought my Garmin GPS recently I now have needed to locate some maps to upload into it to make life more interesting (my street is a blank space on the basemap that is supplied with the GPS). Given the relatively high cost of Garmin MapSource products (£129), I started to trawl the Internet and asked in a forums for advice and alternatives:

UK CAA Airspace overlays
http://ukgarminairmap.wikispaces.com/

Free Garmin Maps
http://garminmapsearch.com/

I haven't tried any of these yet (my new PC doesn't have a serial port and so I have had to order a card - still waiting!). Will post an update when I get a Map into the GPS.

Milk Hill - 21st April 2007

2007-04-22T07:43:00.000+01:00

The forecast was for light southerlies for this weekend, veering SSW / SW on Sunday. Having recently joined as a full member of TVHG I set off for Milk Hill in Wiltshire just before 8am on Saturday. I managed to reach Buckingham (fortunately only 8 miles or so from home) only to realise I had forgotten to put my boots into the car with the rest of my kit. A quick return journey back home to pick them up saw me once again heading in the direction of Milk Hill. Arriving at about 10.15am there was only one other car in the car park but it seemed clear that the wind was much stronger than the 8-10mph forecast. A quick check with the wind-o-meter confirmed this with winds averaging around 16mph with frequent gusts up to 20mph!

A day lazing around on the hill chatting to the other pilots followed, all of us hoping that the wind might drop. It probably would have done eventually but with a 2 hour drive ahead of me I wanted to get home at a reasonable time and so left about 3.45pm (still no sign of the wind dropping). A few other pilots had launched earlier but it was just too windy for me to dare give it a go. A few of those who launched managed to get away on an XC, landing north of Marlborough - lucky them. Speaking to one of them back at the car park he said they'd reached 3,000ft altitude. One day hopefully that will be me!

New kit - GPS

2007-04-22T07:33:00.000+01:00

Just placed an order for a GPS. I had been debating for a while whether to buy a GPS and when. Given my currentlevels of experience I probably don't need one just yet, but will if I want go on Carlo's SIV/XC course in Turkey next year (i'll write something about SIV at a later date). Carlo recommended the Garmin Map 76S (pictured above) but I noticed recently that Garmin have released a new version with colour maps. Colour maps would have been very nice I'm sure - but with a price tag of about £300 it seemed a bit costly. I'd been keeping an eye on prices over at www.blokesstuff.com and I just noticed last night that they dropped another £25 of the price of the black and white version. So, I quickly snapped one up at £149. For the amount of use its going to get, I think the B+W version will do me just fine.

Zen and the art of 'Winglish'

2007-04-19T08:59:00.000+01:00

Just read an interesting article over at www.paragliding-tales-and-reviews.com on the art of kiting (that's groundhandling for us English pilots). Its a great little story about getting a 'feel' for your wing - that is instead of trying to control your wing by what it looks like and by thinking about what you should be doing, but to control it by becoming more 'in-tune' with how it feels. By listening to and feeling the glider through your body, harness, risers and brakes you respond more instinctively to the movements of the glider and ultimately become one with it - moving in perfect harmony. At this point you understand 'Winglish' and speak the language of the glider.

Its the sort naturalness we all want to achieve but is hard to attain simply through rational analysis. Sure, thinking about what is happening and why what you are doing is either working or not is definately helpful, but I really believe that getting into 'the zone' or reaching any level of mastery often can't be analysed - its something you have to feel, and of course experience always pays off!

So, next time you are being dragged about the launch area and the other experienced pilots are handling their glider effortlessly in strong winds - you know they are fluent in 'Winglish' while you are still only catching the odd word.

The article on Winglish was originally written by Jeff Greenbaum and is featured on his website along with a series of other articles on different aspects of paragliding - many of which are useful to (relatively) low airtime pilots like myself.

Flying holidays

2007-04-13T16:17:00.000+01:00

Once I had completed my CP I was keen to get a good few hours flying in and so started to think about a trip abroad. Having heard some horror stories of small, difficult and rocky landing fields from a fellow pilot I was looking carefully where I chose to go. I wanted somewhere where I was going to be looked after to an extent as I only have a relatively low amount of flying hours (32) - I didn't want to find myself on a trip with sky-gods flying in booming conditions (at least not on day 1!). Eventually I settled for Flying Paradise in Greece. The other options I considered were South Cyprus (not running a trip this spring) Morocco (too expensive) and Turkey (not ready for SIV just yet, just want to do lots of flying).

Flying Paradise seemed like they were willing to cater for a range of pilots, the trip was reasonably priced and seemed to have a few other activities on offer should it not be flyable. Hopefully conditions won't be too epic at first but I am keen to make some XC flights during my stay. One of the landing sites is the beach in front of the hotel which sounds ideal - I can't miss that (can I?). See the YouTube video below of someone screwing it up (ouch!).

Hopefully this video (click here) gives a taste of what's in store for me...

I've also booked up for a fortnights holiday in the Maritime Alps for September with Ravi - mainly walking and climbing - but I'm also going to be doing some flying. We've booked accommodation with Les Basses Beaumettes - the owners of which are Scottish pilots Ulric and Ruth Jessop, who are now based in the Alps and offering guiding services so hopefully I'll be able to make a few good flights while we are there too.

New kit

2007-04-12T22:24:00.000+01:00

Just ordered myself some new equipment - so this nice new Vario should be on its way to me any day now, along with a cockpit and Sup-Air flying suit! The Vario should make finding the lift a little easier in the future.

Dunstable - 10th April 2007

2007-04-10T16:03:00.000+01:00

Keen to make the most of the good conditions I headed once again to Dunstable. This time it was a sneaky session during an extended lunch hour. I had planned to go after work but thought it best to try and fly while things looked good.

On the drive over I could see gliders in the air and so was excited that it was 'on' again. I arrived about 12.30 and was in the air not long after although it was clear conditions weren't ideal. There seemed to be cycles of wind and lift coming thought for short periods followed by lulls. After watching the others fly for a bit and one pilot manage a tree landing I managed to get off at a good time and flew for 20 minutes or so - eventually making a (slightly hard and fast - must remember to turn more into wind!) slope landing and getting my paraglider and lines all snagged on the brambles.

Untangling the lines and free from the brambles I returned to the launch but I had to wait a while for another good cycle to come through before I could launch again. Once in the air I managed just a few beats along the hillside before sinking out for a bottom landing. Still, with two flights in my lunch hour on a lovely sunny day I was happy enough, and the walk back up the hill will keep me fit.

Dunstable - 9th April 2007

2007-04-09T20:50:00.000+01:00

I made a trip to the downs today hoping to find it flyable. Keeping an eye on the wind during the day I hoped to avoid the stronger mid-day conditions but on getting near to the hill I could tell that it was likely to be a wasted journey as there was little wind. The last of the pilots were just leaving having been grounded for most of the day although some had some good flights before the cloud cover killed off any decent lift.

I sat waiting for the clear skies to the north-west to reach the hill but it was clear they were going to be a long time coming - but it was nice to just take in the view at the end of a warm spring day.

Dunstable - 8th April 2007

2007-04-08T15:56:00.000+01:00

Arriving at the downs around 9.15 the conditions looked promising. But instead of flying I was here for a walk with Ravi (the glider was in the car for a chance of a short flight on our return) and so we set off across behind the downs for a half-day walk. It was a lovely walk through farmland and small villages and on the return leg we could see Richard on his Atos high above and occasionally a paraglider. Where we were a few miles away the conditions felt rather strong and on returning to the car park I could see that only one person was flying and most pilots were sitting out the strong conditions.

Being a bank holiday the crowds were out in force and while it looked like conditions were mellowing, they still seemed fairly strong and I also didn't fancy taking off in front of so many people - besides which even the experienced pilots were clipping the fence on takeoff! So feeling well satisfied with the flying two days before we headed for home.

Combe Gibbet - 6th April 2007

2007-04-06T21:32:00.000+01:00

A great day - 6 flights, two top landings, four slope landings and plenty of height gain. Longest flight - 1 1/2 hrs. Now completely knackered and slightly sunburned but managed 4 hrs of flying overall - well worth the drive.

I was on site for 9.30 and in the air by 10am. For a while things weren't too busy but gradually more people arrived. Four of us had the ridge to ourselves for a while which was great - so much more room than Dunstable.

Things got a little bit bumpy for a short while, but pretty mild really. Most of the time it was smooth soaring conditions - the only downside was the number of pilots in the air and their lack of appreciation of air law (pilots with the ridge on their right have right of way!). I managed to 360 back behind the hill for a short while and pondered where I might go if I gained enough height but was never really an option. A few other pilots did make it away from the ridge (Andover was the furthest I heard of). It was also possible to push out over the fields in front of the ridge (the best lift was often here) so it made a change to be flying away from the hill for once.

Combe Gibbet tomorrow

2007-04-05T22:45:00.000+01:00

Off to Combe Gibbet tomorrow morning - can't wait. I replaced the damaged line on my glider (which arrived in the nick of time) so i'm all set. The wind looks good (a northerly 7-9mph - nice and gentle for me) and Weatherjack was giving a 3 earlier today. Meeting up with Richard from DHPC at the hill. Never flown there before but it sounds quite a big hill which is good news as its likely to be busy since its going to be a sunny bank holiday. Aparrently its a good thermic site from which a lot of cross-country flights are made - though perhaps i'm not ready for that yet. Must get a vario sorted next week!

I'm going to set off nice and early so I can beat any traffic and get my kit sorted out before too many people arrive. Will write a post on the days flying once I get back...

Dunstable - 29th March 2007

2007-03-31T20:28:00.000+01:00

Another potential window - this time towards the end of the day. I slipped off early from work at 4pm and was on the hill by 4.30. This time rather than being too strong conditions were too weak. Hugh and another pilot managed to fly for about 10 minutes but by the time I had got my kit out the wind had dropped again. Deciding to practice ground handling, I eventually thought I may as well have a go and made a nice clean launch, but the absence of decent lift soon saw me at the bottom landing field.

Regardless of the shortness of the flight it was still good to be back in the air again - however briefly!

Dunstable - 12th March 2007

2007-03-31T20:16:00.000+01:00

Another promising weather window beckoned me to Dunstable (another 1/2 day off work) for the afternoon. When I arrived it felt OK but was considerably more gusty and strong than my last trip here. Keith, Hugh and others were already flying but I felt a bit hesitant as I could see their gliders pitching around - and compared to me they were skygods.

Eventually the wind seemed to drop a little and I felt like giving it a go. I got away first time but couldn't seem to get seated right, had my speedbar caught up and before I knew it was out of the lift band and facing a walk back up the hill. Keith landed after me at the bottom - in spectacular fashion!

Returning immediately to the top of the hill I once again prepared for launch. Again the wind seemed gusty and strong and I was nervous about getting dragged. Failing to commit to the launch saw me thrashing my glider around for about 30 minutes before deciding to wait for a lull to launch in. 10 minutes later I hit the perfect window and once again was flying.

Conditions were stronger than I had experienced at Dunstable previously and having had a small tuck on one side and some pitching around I felt a bit nervous. I tried to stay out from the hill, using the speedbar and decided that perhaps I ought to land. As I left the hill to head for the bottom landing I contacted with some lift and soon was high above the hill - much higher than I had been at Dunstable and not sure I wanted to be there. I decided I may as well make the most of it and soared the ridge trying to enjoy myself. Eventually I needed to land as I had an appointment I had to be back in Milton Keynes for at 4.30. Trying to fly out from the hill didn't seem to be working - I was gaining height, so returning to the ridge I crept backwards half considering a top landing. Eventually I managed to get within a few feet of the ridge, but just couldn't seem to touchdown - every time being forced to fly out again. However, one failed landing saw me drift over to the next spur and I managed (by a combination of luck and judgement) to put the glider down nicely.

I managed to fly for about 35 mins this time and was very pleased I had managed to top land in slightly tricky conditions. I was pleased I had saved myself the trudge back up the hill too!

Dunstable - 8th March 2007

2007-03-31T20:15:00.000+01:00

Now extremely keen to take any small opportunity to fly I set of early to Dunstable for a brief flight before work. When I arrived it was a little foggy on the highest part of the ridge but a gentle breeze was blowing onto takeoff. Completely alone (apart from the odd dog walker) I felt confident enough but was used to having a few other pilots around.

I brought the wing up and stood facing into wind keeping the wing nicely stable. I went for it and pushed forward and over the fence. I was flying but not getting any lift. I soared across the bushes and trees that cover parts of the ridge and realised I was going to have to head for the landing field if I didn't want to risk a tree landing.

I landed comfortably just short of the main landing field in the recently cleared area. Disappointed there wasn't enough wind but happy to have flown if only for a few minutes. At least I now had a better idea of how much wind was needed. I packed up the glider, walked back to the car and headed off to work.

Flying at last - 1st February 2007

2007-03-31T20:11:00.000+01:00

Given the previous day was a bit of disaster, the next day looked more promising with the winds scheduled to die down a bit. I was right and so after going in to work in the morning I once again headed off to the downs. As I arrived Gary was preparing for launch and was soon floating around nicely.

I couldn't get my kit on quick enough. Pretty soon I was also flying and enjoying the winter sunshine. In all I managed a first flight of 1.5 hrs, followed by a second one of an hour - though struggling to stay up as the wind dropped and went off to the south again. At the end of the last flight I managed a slope / top landing on one of the grassy spurs towards the pimple which saved a long walk back up the hill.

It was great to have flown for so long. It wasn't especially lift but easy to stay up for the most part and I had the hill to myself a number of times.

Parawaiting - 31st January

2007-03-31T20:00:00.000+01:00

At the end of January there was some settled weather and keeping an eye on XC Weather (as you do) I noticed that we looked in for a few days of westerly winds but for once - it wasn't meant to be blowing a gale. I booked a day off work in expectation and checking the wind before I left in the morning, I set off for Dunstable full of expectation. It was a clear and sunny day - just perfect for flying.

Unfortunately once at the hill it became clear that the wind was well off to the south, and whats worse, it seemed to be far too strong in comparison to what was forecast. Conditions didn't improve throughout the day and most of it was spent mooching about the hillside, sitting in Hugh's car and watching Markus fly his hanglider from the comfort of the new visitors centre.

Towards the end of the day I thought I might be able to give it a go, but it was still pretty gusty and the wind had gone off to the south. I tried to launch but just ended up getting dragged and covering my glider in muddy water.

First flight as a club pilot - November 2006

2007-03-30T13:39:00.000+01:00

Having got my CP I joined my local club the DHPC and spent much time on the Internet eargerly awaiting the right conditions to occur on a weekend. Eventually As a suitable window appeared and as I drove up the hill I could see paragliders in the air - I was so excited. My initial enthusiasm quickly evaporated as I realised how windy it was - there was no way I would take-off while it was blowing like that. I met some of the other club members who were a pretty friendly bunch and generally spent the day parawaiting but completed my airspace briefing from Kenny. Eventually the wind dropped off and I got ready to launch.

I got my wing up and made a clean launch first time. I made a number of soaring beats up and down the length of the hill before I started sinking out with everyone else. I had got into the air just as the lift died. Landing was easy - one side of a massive field, just keep going until you touch down.

Despite all the waiting around I was pleased I'd managed to fly unassisted and finally made it into the air once again. Unfortunately soon after this the winter set in for real and every weekend it seemed flyable I was away. Such is paragliding...

First UK flights - August 2006

2007-03-30T13:34:00.000+01:00

My second trip down to the South Downs saw me meet with Carlo at Mount Caburn. This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Eventually after waiting around for a couple of hours for conditions to smooth off, I took to the air. We spent the rest of the day flying and I managed a good number of flights, multiple top landings, slope landings, big-ears, speedbar and by the end of the day I felt at home in the air again. It was a beautful view from the hill and as I slope-soared the grassy hill I was in paradise.

Highlight of the day was flying back down to the car park close to sunset. The South Downs are a beautiful place to fly and it was great to cruise overhead as Ravi walked back down to meet me at the car. My landing was perfect and Carlo landed a couple of minutes after me. I was completely drained and after packing up the glider me and Ravi went for a meal in a local pub before heading home. It had been a long day...

A few more trips down to train with Carlo and I had my CP exam and all tasks in the bag - I was now free to fly!

My own kit - August 2006

2007-03-30T13:23:00.000+01:00

On my return to the UK I set about a more determined search for a paraglider and managed to secure an ex-demo glider through someone I had met in India (thanks Tim and Sam!) as well as harness and reserve.

All that was needed now was to find a school to get my CP with. I phoned a number of different schools but eventually decided to go with Carlo Borsattino of FlyBubble Paragliding. I decided to go with Carlo as he seemed to be a pretty nice guy on the phone and happy to talk through the various options, but more importantly was happy to take things at a pace that suited me. Having been a bit scared in India I wanted to get some confidence before qualifying and flying alone. It turned out Carlo already knew Steve (my instructor from India) and so after a few emails to Steve to confirm my experience he agreed to take me on and we arranged to meet at Firle in the South Downs.

People arrived to start flying soon after I did but the day was quickly blown out and I was introduced to the difficulties of trying to train in the UK - weather! A 2.5 hr journey back up the M25/M1 wasn't quite what I had planned. Carlo lived locally and was keen to go over the theory I needed to know to fly and pass the CP exam so we headed back to his house for a day of theory. While I had covered most of the theory with Steve the year before, it was helpful to refresh my knowledge and to clarify a few things with Carlo.

Flying again - July 2006

2007-03-30T13:16:00.000+01:00

I got married in 2006 and spent two weeks in the Alps on honeymoon to do some walking and via ferrata. A few days after arriving I spotted a few paragliders flying from the mountains above the village we were staying in. I was immediately drawn to thoughts of flying again but the idea of me ever getting up there seemed so remote. A few days later, quite by chance, we came across someone giving tandem flights and he was covering some pretty good distances. We sat in the sun on top of the mountain watching him make a number of flights into the distance and back again - conditions looked good! That evening we happened to see him in the village and I spoke to him about having a tandem flight another day and so got his phone number and arranged to call him a few days later when he was free. I was thinking that maybe this was the closest I would get to flying.

The day we met with Christophe was clear blue - but with a nice breeze blowing onto take-off. As we left the ground I was immediately reminded of the feelings I had when flying in the mountains in India - sort of excitement mixed with anxiety. I was very aware of how vunerable it would feel if onditions were a bit rough. Unfortunately the flight didn't last long. There were no decent thermals and while Christophe worked hard, we were forced to return to the valley floor. He landed the glider in an amazingly small spot, and while I was disappointed with the short time we had been able to fly for, it had me thinking...

Back to reality

2007-03-30T13:08:00.000+01:00

I was dead keen to get my own kit when I got back to the UK but the first problem would be that I would have to get my Club Pilot (CP) exam before being able to fly without an instructor. Flying with Steve I had clocked up 22.5 hrs of airtime and completed all of the tasks for the CP apart from forward launches. The reality of being back home with no licence, only one hill close at hand and no job meant that any ideas of flying were put on hold.

I did check out the classified in Skywings but to be honest it was hard to find the right kind/size of wing and within a reasonable distance. A new relationship over the summer also diminished the memory of flying as other things became more important and I wondered whether I would ever fly again.

I returned to India in November for 2 months with my new partner and travelled along the Kangra Valley. As we passed within a few miles of Bir I could see a couple of people flying in the clear blue sky but we didn't have much time and I had no kit (to be honest the thought of lugging a glider round India isn't exactly appealing either). I had begun to doubt whether I realistically had the time and money to really get into flying.

Last days of flying in Bir

2007-03-30T12:57:00.000+01:00

I finished off my flying in Bir with a few calm flights - often towards the end of the day when I could just chill out and take a few photos. Even heading straight out from the hill meant you had ample height and time to cruise above the villages - I explored the paths I had taken around the villages from the air, re-tracing the routes I had taken on the ground before heading over to the main part of Bir where the gompas, hotels and shops are. I had a clear view down the Kangra Valley past Joginder Naggar and on to Mandi.

As I flew I was wondering what it must be like to go XC? Certainly the view of the snow-capped peaks and passes to the north of the main ridge behind take-off made it clear you had to know what you were doing and be wrapped up very warm. A number of pilots have flown from Bir to Dharamsala and back in a day, and occasionally people make it to Manali, landing at Solang Nullah. This journey takes about 10 hrs by bus! I was all too aware that I was no way experienced enough to be thinking of either of these trips for some time to come. I look forward to returning to Bir one day and catching some thermals.

Gaining confidence

2007-03-29T23:00:00.000+01:00

Having had a bit of a worrying time on the previous flight, I felt I just wanted to get some shorter flights in, getting used to the more turbulent air and also practicing my landings. So over the next week or so whenever it was flyable (and calm!) I flew but stayed in the thermic air only as long as I felt comfortable.

I did start to feel more confident and managed a couple of hour long flights - on one of them gaining some considerable height and making a transition to the next spur running down from the ridge behind take-off. Unfortunately my landings all seemed to be jinxed - either I only just made it into the landing field, or only just landed before I ran out of room (heading towards power lines on the other side of the boundary trees!).

Whenever we landed there was usually a small reception party of local children, and sometimes some monks. Often we would be coming into land while game of cricket was in progress (the landing field was their local pitch). The children seemed happy playing in the sun and would hang around for ages happily chatting away to us and wanting to help pack up the gliders. While the flying was obviously great (well most of the time) the interaction with the children was one of the nicest things about being there. To top it all we were in a beautiful and unspoilt area of the world with green terraced fields stretching out from the Himalayan backdrop. I love India.

Going up!

2007-03-29T22:45:00.000+01:00

To say I was keen to go high was an understatement. Having spent nearly two weeks watching others flying while I remained earth-bound had made me want to get nice and high on the next flight. Having launched cleanly, I headed out to the house thermal and was soon climbing above take-off. The constant circles required to thermal were making me feel a bit queasy but it was great to going up rather than down and getting a good view of the mountains behind take-off.

I flew for about 45 minutes in total - I didn't feel that comfortable staying up much longer through a combination of bumpy air and feeling a queasy. Heading away from the hill it was much smoother and I enjoyed the view over the villages and footpaths I'd been exploring during the previous couple of weeks.

I anticipated landing to be no problem whatsoever but this wasn't the case. Not only did the wind seem to be coming from different directions - I wasn't going down! I tried 360's over the landing field - only to regain the height as soon as I came out of them. Big ears helped but not enough (maybe they needed to be bigger?). A combination of big ears and speedbar helped more but I just couldn't get low enough to land. I felt trapped! Having wanted to go high - I was now fervently wishing I was back, safe on the ground. This was not fun and there seemed no end to the buoyant, thermic air over the landing field.

Eventually I managed (I'm still not sure how) to lose enough height to setup for a landing. Unfortunately with the light changeable wind it was a bit fast and hard. No injuries, but I was a little put off - it had all seemed so easy in Goa. Give me a 2 mile stretch of beach with a stiff breeze to land in and I can do it no problems. Give me a small terraced field surrounded by trees with powerlines at the other side and it's another matter! Was paragliding such a good idea after all? Was I getting into something I wasn't cut out for? It required considerably more guts than climbing. At least with climbing you can see what you're up against - you can't see what the air is doing. But, once back down on the ground you just want to go and do it all again (well, after a while anyway).

First mountain flights - April 2005

2007-03-29T21:37:00.000+01:00

I'd arrived in Bir about 10 days earlier and was enjoying being in the mountains again. I'd spent quite a bit of time in Himachal Pradesh during other visits to India and it was nice to be back. Having been there for a while I had got to know a number of the regular pilots as well as catching up again with Andy - one of the English pilots from Goa.

With no instrutor and no equipment I had to amuse myself with long walks, visits to the local gompas and watching the other pilots fly against the impressive mountain backdrop. Eventually Steve arrived from Goa and we got the gliders sorted and a taxi organised to drive us to the take-off, a 30-40 minute journey up the mountain. Having had pleanty of time there I was familiar with the take-off and landing field so I couldn't wait to get going.

My take-off was a little different to what I was used to in Goa as there was very little wind - but it went OK. We were flying at the end of the day so the thermals had died down but there was some nice dynamic lift along the ridge and myself and Brian soared the ridge before heading out over the valley. Himachal is a beautiful part of India and from the air at the end of a sunny day it was even better. I made the landing field easily and without mishap.

Final days of flying in Goa

2007-03-21T19:28:00.000Z

I had already delayed my train to Bombay to fit in a bit more flying and managed to get some long flights in over the next 5 days with Steve. I had already completed the course and was now paying for extra days flying. Effectively being allowed to fly on my own but in radio contact with Steve who would keep setting me different tasks to do - practicing all the skills he taught in the course.

On one day I managed 5 top landings - which were far from easy. The top landing and launch areas were pretty rocky and surrounded by spiky bushes which didn't leave much room for error. Over those 5 days I managed to get 10 hours of flying in with a 3 hour flight on the final day starting from the most westerly takeoff - gradually making my way along the cliff as the wind changed and eventually making the transition to the hill above the lake beach. It looked a long way to reach on the glide but I just managed to tuck in and get into the lift. Eventually Steve (from Kent) followed me over to this hill and we flew around for a while longer inthe sun, venturing out over the beach below in plenty of lift - not much chance of sinking out today. Eventually I made a break for the main beach around the headland. I went on the longest glide possible - aiming to cover as much distance as I could before landing. Turning into wind I landed perfectly - way past the main group of cafes and restaurants. I was totally dehydrated, a little sunburnt and desparate for a pee - but it was amazing. Another pilot landing a few minutes after me had a lucky escape. He made his final turn in the wrong direction (not into wind!) - narrowly missing the roof of a beach cafe!

The plan now was to meet up with Steve in a few months time at the famous flying site called Bir in Himachal Pradesh for some mountain flying - I couldn't wait. I have to say I was happy to be leaving Goa - I wanted to get back to where India felt like India again - and some decent food.

Clocking up the hours

2007-03-21T18:56:00.000Z

The next three days saw me clocking up another 4 flights. Two of 10 mins each, one of an hour and 35 mins and one just over 2hrs. Practiced D-riser steering and use of speedbar.

The three days after this I got in a number of flights of up to an hour, practiced big ears, wingovers (gentle ones) and some top landings (scary). My ground handling seemed to have come on a bit since the first few days which was pleasing. At last I could keep it above my head ready for take-off.

One of the touch-and-go top landings / launches saw me hit sink immediately after taking off (or was there too little wind?? or did I do something wrong??) and land in/on a small bush/tree immediately below takeoff. Immediately I was set upon by hordes of very angry ants (big vicious ones) whose nest was in the tree/bush I had landed in. It took over an hour to recover the glider (having to disconnect many of the lines from the risers) eventually putting it back together down on the beach.

The day ended with a memorable sunset flight with Steve from the hill above the lake beach - eventually making our way round the headland and landing on the main beach. It felt amazing to look across the beach and sea as I carved an arc through the air over the crowds gathered for the sunset. As I came in low over the beach so many people were looking up at the glider. At last it was me flying rather than just being an onlooker.

First solo flights

2007-03-21T00:23:00.000Z

Having felt like I'd made some progress by piloting the tandem the day before, I felt my dream of flying might actually come true - I just didn't expect it quite so quickly. Having determined that the wind was just right Steve led me to the launch above the small beach. Having briefed me he assisted me on launch to get the glider up, then assisted the actual launch (by pushing me off the cliff). Before I knew it I was flying down towards the beach. Feeling pretty gripped I listened to Steve's instructions on the radio and focused on the approaching beach. Thinking didn't really seem possible, enjoying the view wasn't really an option either - I was just so focused on the approaching beach.

When climbing I'd experienced times of intense focus - such as when making sketchy moves on a hard route with a big fall potential - but there was always a big dose of fear mixed in with that. Flying down I didn't feel fear - just that an overwhelming intensity of focus (the fear in flying has been experienced since this time - but thats another story!).

Having never landed a paraglider myself before I wasn't too certain of what was going to happen when I reached the beach. Given its size I couldn't really miss and as it turned out landing into the gentle sea breeze with a good flare on touchdown made it seem so simple. Like stepping onto the street from your front doorstep. No time to relax though, Steve was on the radio urging me back up the cliff for another flight.

In all I managed four flights that day. Two top to bottoms, and two soaring flights. I was well pleased - the longest flight was 40 minutes. At that time I didn't realise how fortunate I was to have such good conditions to learn in (not to mention having one-to-one tuition!). Since then I have met many pilots who have learned in the UK who have rarely flown for that length of time - and certainly not while training! Some had passed their CP with less than two hrs airtime! Other experienced piots there commented that I was lucky to have Steve as an instructor - they felt he was very experienced and very safe.

First flight in control of the tandem

2007-03-21T00:15:00.000Z

My first flight was as a tandem passenger - but this time being given the controls to learn to pilot the glider. It was pretty reassuring to have Steve right there - ready to take the controls should he need to. I gradually gained confidence in making turns and flying ridge soaring beats up and down the cliff face. We even flew out over the sea for a while then back to the ridge to get more lift again. What a beautiful place to learn.

At this point I still wasn't sure how I was going to manage take-off's or landings, having barely been able to launch the glider when groundhandling. Steve was merciless and insisted on making me practice groundhandling at every opportunity - also constantly telling me how important it was to practice pactice practice. I could see the sense in this but was getting a bit fed up with being dragged around by an un-cooperative glider. For the most part it seemed a pretty hopless cause as even when I did get the wing up, it would inevitable drift off to one side and collapse. But despite the groundhandling hassles, being able to control the tandem was pretty cool and I at least felt that at some point I would be able to fly.

The start of training - February 2005

2007-03-21T00:05:00.000Z

Assured from the start that I was going to get much more flying done by learning in India, as well as keeping the costs down I was keen to get going. The first day was to be taken up with groundhandling on the beach. Having some experience of trying other things that take a while to get the knack of, I knew that when it felt hopeless I just had to keep at it, knowing that it would all pay of later.

A few hours of being dragged around by a glider on the beach in the hot sun wearing a motorcycle helmet wasn't much fun. At times it felt like I'd never get the hang of it. The glider generally just thrashed around before pulling me across the sand after it. If I ever got it above my head it didn't stay there long. It was knackering, and I imagine pretty boring for Steve who must have seen the same thing so many times before.

I felt like my experience of flying powerkites helped a bit - but obviously not enough! Eventually (well into the afternoon) Steve called it a day and I retired - completely knackered - to the shade of a local cafe for a well earned rest. I have to say that Steve was remarkably patient with me throughout all the training I did with him. I felt pretty lucky to have found someone good to train with.

Plans made

2007-03-20T23:45:00.000Z

Planning a 6 month trip to India back in 2005 I contemplated what I might do on my return (hoping that I would have enough money to avoid working for a few months during the summer of 2006). I started looking into the costs (including equipment - it was around the 3 grand mark!) and logistics of learning to paraglide and mentally made plans to learn on my return.

During my time in India I was in Goa and happened upon people paragliding. It only took me a few days to ascertain that tandem rides and tuition was avilable, and that this was a much cheaper and better place to learn than the UK. A tandem ride with Steve Reed (who was later to become my instructor) followed partly for fun, but partly to be sure I wanted to learn. From what I had read it was clear it wasn't the safest sport around, but I felt confident in Steves instruction, but also the thought of flying was hard to resist - it all looked so easy!

When did it all start?

2007-03-20T23:31:00.000Z

Quite a few years ago when climbing inthe Peak District I saw some people carrying what looked like huge rucksacks up to the top of the crag - I remember thinking that this was some kind of masochistic backpacking expedition. A while later as I sat at the top of the crag, I could see that they were not just huge rucksacks but paragliders, and that these people were about to fly. I don't remember seeing them fly that day but another occasions I have been halfway up a route or sat at the top of the crag and have heard an electonic bleeping coming from above me. Looking up I saw a paraglider soaring just above the crag, tracking along ridge that the crag forms.

Walking in the Lake District one November, I also saw a group of people - with the same huge rucksacks walking up a hilside. It seemed a bit of a slog but taking in the sunshine we were happy just to sit and watch. I remember clearly that it was a lovely bright autumn and that one by one they ran, launched from the hillside and slowly floated back to earth. It certainly looked appealing.

A number of years on a sunny weekend afternoon later I saw people paragliding at Dunstable Downs and I remember clearly watching one pilot land on top of the hill, pack his kit into the rucksack and stroll of towards the car park. One day I thought...one day.

First blog post

2007-03-20T17:53:00.000Z

This is the first post on this blog. Perhaps inspired by Neil to have a place to make a record of flights, post pictures occasionally and generally to produce rather than consume web content for a change. As a relatively recent convert to paragliding I have searched the web for interesting sites on free flying and have noticed that its nice to come across sites that are relatively regularly updated. So, the intention is to just start writing about flying (as well as the inevitable parawaiting) and to see what happens.