Month: May 2005

Grateful for a rest after 8 straight days flying in May. A record for me. Have also had my first take offs from 4 sites new to me, but despite being desparate to soar N Barrule and flying onto it 3 times still haven’t managed it!!

Tuesday 10th May
45 min flight from Ballaugh. A bit thermic and too busy to zip up harness before left hill at 200 foot above takeoff. Finally had time at 3000′! 3500′ ato centred on Sulby Reservoir pulled speed out of cloud base and went for my goal of N Barrule. 500’/min sink all way via Snaefell to Clagh Ouyr along ridge to N Barrule. But just too much sink and a NE headwind meant a Mountain Box landing. I may have stupidly left convergence down centre of Island.  It was all downhill from today.

Continue reading 8 days Hang-Gliding!

Saturday dawned with what looked like a too strong NE…….Watty and Martin however had other ideas and were rewarded with a couple of hours on Slui Lewaige.  Later joined by Bill and Jamie. A little strong but very smooth.

Sunday saw Myself,Jamie, Noel, Goldie, Phillip, Keith, Simon and Watty on Slui Curn.  Later to be joined by Dave O. It was a little light and gusty with thermals coming through but not really enough to get above take off. Some of the gusts were quite severe, one gave me a nice dragging.  Everyone flew and everyone went down eventually.  Martin opted to fly the FRegain bowl……..

So a busy weekend, tonight has possibilities.  Weatherjack is getting excited about tomorrow….

The wind when Tony and I arrived (2:30 ish)was averaging 12 to 16 mph at the trig point on top of Sth Barrule, with it dropping to 8 and gusting strongly to 22 to 25 mph. We decided to sit it out and wait for the thermal activity to reduce a little. In the meantime, Martin and his HG arrived by which time some of the ferocity of the thermals had subsided, I was first off on my Brontes and straight into good lift with a six hundred FPM thermal hoisting me to 700 ato over the hill top. I pushed forward a little and found some more lift taking me to just over 1000′ ato. I pushed out from the hill and towards the left to try and find some more lift, didn’t so flew back to the hill and landed on the hillside to advise on conditions for Tony and Mike Swales. In the meantime Martin (HG) had took off and was skying out.

Conditions continued to moderate and my next flight saw me landing 250 below take off. Martin (HG) meanwhile had top landed his HG and Tony and Mike had taken off and flown down towards the cars with Mike finding some lift just after t/o and down near the cars. Martin (HG) took off again in marginal conditions and also flew down to the road. After my climb back up the slope I discovered Watty on t/o preparing to fly. I took off again and found some thermal activity, enough to let me land back on top, did a touch and go and did the same again. Watty then took of on the Nova Mambo(I think that’s what its called) and found good lift out in front of t/o. I followed but didn’t manage to get as high as Watty in what we think was restitution lift off the wood in front of the hill. After floating around for about 10 minutes the lift died out and we both landed down near the cars. In the meantime, Tony seeing us flying around at about 300 ato decided to walk up for another flight and some how or other persuaded a passer by to carry his glider up the hill for him, what a smooth talker he must be!

This, the last flight of day sprang no surprises and Tony had a pleasant top to bottom.

An interesting afternoons flying had by all.

Wonderful looking day yesterday (weatherjack 5 at one point), some of us had to work however. Later myself, Watty , Bill and Tony met up on Snaifell. Wind was thermic gusty from the N-NE. I had a quick flight and ended up slope landing lower down for an easy walk back up. Watty then took off on the new Mambo wing and stayed up, easily…great looking wing. As Watty was making it look very easy, myself and Bill launched into strong sink that had us searching for some lift at the southern end. Found something but not enough to get up and away and we both ended up landing on the slope, unable to make the landing field, which Watty seemed to make very easily on his new (very impressive) glider. Tony then took off, demonstrating big ears on the way down. We then hiked up again to find the wind blowing pure NE, Which is a nightmare on Snaifell……………and very difficult to get off on………..

So how good a day was it? Well Martin flew his Hang glider on Ballaugh. Taking off into an 8-12 mph NW breeze that would have been perfect for Paragliding he got to 3400 foot above take off! landing just north of Snaifell. Well done Martin, you lucky burger.

More of the same tonight, fingers crossed.