Articles
Scratchy!
I had assumed everyone had landed so you can imagine my surprise when I looked up from the rear car park to see glider very low, clipping trees before a very rough landing on the road that lead into the car park…
27 Feb 2011
I had assumed everyone had landed so you can imagine my surprise when I looked up from the rear car park to see glider very low, clipping trees before a very rough landing on the road that lead into the car park…
27 Feb 2011
Fun in the Mud
I headed back to launch, burned some height off with some 360's then landed in the muddiest bit of ground I could find
12 Feb 2011
I headed back to launch, burned some height off with some 360's then landed in the muddiest bit of ground I could find
12 Feb 2011
Where's Will?
I watched as Cathy towed Will through a hole in the clouds and continued upwards. We quickly lost sight of them as they continued above the cloud…
01 Nov 2010
I watched as Cathy towed Will through a hole in the clouds and continued upwards. We quickly lost sight of them as they continued above the cloud…
01 Nov 2010
Aerotow Conversion With Flylight
My alarm sounded at 5.30 am, I was suffering from sleep deprivation, a result of a long weekend doing the BHPA club coach course and the commuting and early starts that had accompanied it. Outside, dew coated my glider bag that rested on my car roof and to the east, the first hints of the approaching dawn broke the darkness of night...
25 Oct 2010
My alarm sounded at 5.30 am, I was suffering from sleep deprivation, a result of a long weekend doing the BHPA club coach course and the commuting and early starts that had accompanied it. Outside, dew coated my glider bag that rested on my car roof and to the east, the first hints of the approaching dawn broke the darkness of night...
25 Oct 2010
Not a Good Day to Fly
At a height of 40 feet I was seriously running out of room, then, just as I was about to run out of field, something aggressively lifted the nose skyward. I kacked myself as my glider had never done such an involuntarily manoeuvre and I was close to the ground...
26 Sep 2010
At a height of 40 feet I was seriously running out of room, then, just as I was about to run out of field, something aggressively lifted the nose skyward. I kacked myself as my glider had never done such an involuntarily manoeuvre and I was close to the ground...
26 Sep 2010
An Epic Day With a Not So Epic Landing!
I pulled on speed and set up for a landing, then at 10-15 feet above the ground, I hit rotor and dropped hard on the deck for a crash landing…
25 Sep 2010
I pulled on speed and set up for a landing, then at 10-15 feet above the ground, I hit rotor and dropped hard on the deck for a crash landing…
25 Sep 2010
Not Quite the Epic Expected
As I launched I had to run like Forest Gump before I was lifted off the ground…
18 Sep 2010
As I launched I had to run like Forest Gump before I was lifted off the ground…
18 Sep 2010
Between the Rain - It's Wales of Course
I checked my vario/altimeter to judge if I had height for a top landing but I had forgot to zero it at take-off! It read an altitude of 1,200 feet, I was nowhere near that high so had to rely on my own judgment…
04 Sep 2010
I checked my vario/altimeter to judge if I had height for a top landing but I had forgot to zero it at take-off! It read an altitude of 1,200 feet, I was nowhere near that high so had to rely on my own judgment…
04 Sep 2010
A Perfect End to the Day
As I crossed the large mound of earth that borders the western end of the paddock, I turned back into wind, moved onto the uprights and for a brief moment thought I was coming down right there as the glider hung stationary above the ground…
16 Aug 2010
As I crossed the large mound of earth that borders the western end of the paddock, I turned back into wind, moved onto the uprights and for a brief moment thought I was coming down right there as the glider hung stationary above the ground…
16 Aug 2010
Overcast at Mendlesham
With such benign air, I flew the glider fast and embarked on several tight turns. My head began to spin when the scenery around me spiralled and I felt the g’s pushing my chest into my harness! I quickly decided I’d had enough of that
01 Aug 2010
With such benign air, I flew the glider fast and embarked on several tight turns. My head began to spin when the scenery around me spiralled and I felt the g’s pushing my chest into my harness! I quickly decided I’d had enough of that
01 Aug 2010
Devil's Dyke / Ditchling Beacon Loop
Daniel and I ride from the Devil's Dyke to Ditchling Beacon and back.
31 Jul 2010
Daniel and I ride from the Devil's Dyke to Ditchling Beacon and back.
31 Jul 2010
Exams
The pilot exam itself was much harder and of a format that I had not expected but I worked through it and finished it in just over an hour. I then re-read the entire paper and changed some of my answers…
24 Jul 2010
The pilot exam itself was much harder and of a format that I had not expected but I worked through it and finished it in just over an hour. I then re-read the entire paper and changed some of my answers…
24 Jul 2010
Summer Competition
I screamed at everyone to grab a glider but realised after seeing the confused looks on people’s faces, that I had been the only one to have seen the pending chaos! When gliders began independently flying themselves, people realised the gravity of the situation...
03 Jul 2010
I screamed at everyone to grab a glider but realised after seeing the confused looks on people’s faces, that I had been the only one to have seen the pending chaos! When gliders began independently flying themselves, people realised the gravity of the situation...
03 Jul 2010
Suffolk Thermals
When everything went quite I knew something wasn’t right and looked down expected to see the weak link had failed. It hadn’t, the bridle and line were still there and as the ground was rushed towards me, I instinctively flared…
26 Jun 2010
When everything went quite I knew something wasn’t right and looked down expected to see the weak link had failed. It hadn’t, the bridle and line were still there and as the ground was rushed towards me, I instinctively flared…
26 Jun 2010
Hot and Humid in Suffolk
As I looked at the sky as I drove to Suffolk I could see an inversion was established and with the high-level cloud, thermal activity would be minimal. It had been over a month since I last visited the tow field and despite the not so inspiring sky, I was keen to get on the winch and in the air again...
05 Jun 2010
As I looked at the sky as I drove to Suffolk I could see an inversion was established and with the high-level cloud, thermal activity would be minimal. It had been over a month since I last visited the tow field and despite the not so inspiring sky, I was keen to get on the winch and in the air again...
05 Jun 2010
Rough Air at the Devil's Dyke
The forecast for the Devil's Dyke hinted the wind would veer more to a north easterly and drop later in the day. When I arrived, the wind was pretty strong, blowing a good 17 mph from the north [possibly with a hint of east in it]. I wasn't totally inspired to rig my glider and John and I wondered if Bo Peep might have been the better option...
31 May 2010
The forecast for the Devil's Dyke hinted the wind would veer more to a north easterly and drop later in the day. When I arrived, the wind was pretty strong, blowing a good 17 mph from the north [possibly with a hint of east in it]. I wasn't totally inspired to rig my glider and John and I wondered if Bo Peep might have been the better option...
31 May 2010
Soaring the Long Mynd
My personal mission today was to complete two successful top landings - I needed this to complete my BHPA Pilot tasks.
15 May 2010
My personal mission today was to complete two successful top landings - I needed this to complete my BHPA Pilot tasks.
15 May 2010
Boot Camp Day Two
As I launched, I knew it was going to be the highest of the day. I didn't kite out, but I did release at over 1,100 feet…
18 Apr 2010
As I launched, I knew it was going to be the highest of the day. I didn't kite out, but I did release at over 1,100 feet…
18 Apr 2010
Boot Camp Day One
The helmet queue was now quite substantial and more than an hour passed before my next tow…
17 Apr 2010
The helmet queue was now quite substantial and more than an hour passed before my next tow…
17 Apr 2010
Hard Work Rewarded at the Devil's Dyke
First attempt I was again way too high, my second attempt, too high, my third attempt, too high, my forth, too high! It was getting monotonous, so I turned back after my last attempt, headed for the larger landing field behind the Paddock...
14 Mar 2010
First attempt I was again way too high, my second attempt, too high, my third attempt, too high, my forth, too high! It was getting monotonous, so I turned back after my last attempt, headed for the larger landing field behind the Paddock...
14 Mar 2010
Blue Skies at Mendlesham
Eventually the winch was coaxed to life but the motorbike was ditched and Keith's car employed for the pulling out of the winch cables...
07 Mar 2010
Eventually the winch was coaxed to life but the motorbike was ditched and Keith's car employed for the pulling out of the winch cables...
07 Mar 2010
Holmbury Hill and Leith Hill with Friends
The Trend team visit one of Dan's old haunts, the Surrey Hills.
20 Feb 2010
The Trend team visit one of Dan's old haunts, the Surrey Hills.
20 Feb 2010
Back to the Surrey Hills
Finally after too many years away from Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill I've convinced some work colleagues to join me on one of my favourite mountain bike routes in the South East. The weather forecasts leading up to today had not been particularly favourable, but a hard frost overnight and clear skies in the morning looked promising.
20 Feb 2010
Finally after too many years away from Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill I've convinced some work colleagues to join me on one of my favourite mountain bike routes in the South East. The weather forecasts leading up to today had not been particularly favourable, but a hard frost overnight and clear skies in the morning looked promising.
20 Feb 2010
Mud and Flying at Bo Peep
Later, the wind began to drop and the tell tail signs of paraglider canopies being laid out on the ground below confirmed this…
06 Feb 2010
Later, the wind began to drop and the tell tail signs of paraglider canopies being laid out on the ground below confirmed this…
06 Feb 2010
Another Dyke Day
I heard a yell from the sky. The only hang glider airborne and a paraglider had what I can simply describe as the closest mid-air I've seen to date…
30 Jan 2010
I heard a yell from the sky. The only hang glider airborne and a paraglider had what I can simply describe as the closest mid-air I've seen to date…
30 Jan 2010
Typical Day at the Dyke
As the treetops grew ever closer, I conceded to the inevitable and set-up for a bottom landing…
17 Oct 2009
As the treetops grew ever closer, I conceded to the inevitable and set-up for a bottom landing…
17 Oct 2009
Barbed Wire Isn't Good For Gliders!
Finally I was confident enough to cross the Pylons and after some rough air, arrived at Truleigh Hill for the first time…
16 Oct 2009
Finally I was confident enough to cross the Pylons and after some rough air, arrived at Truleigh Hill for the first time…
16 Oct 2009
Flying the Flatlands
Published in SkyWings October 2009 - This article describes my first year flying with the Suffolk Coastal Floaters Hang Gliding Club. It was initially published in the Southern Hang Gliding Club's Windsock magazine, but after members of the Suffolk Club learned of it I was encouraged to submit it to the BHPA's SkyWings magazine. In October 2009 it was published.
01 Oct 2009
Published in SkyWings October 2009 - This article describes my first year flying with the Suffolk Coastal Floaters Hang Gliding Club. It was initially published in the Southern Hang Gliding Club's Windsock magazine, but after members of the Suffolk Club learned of it I was encouraged to submit it to the BHPA's SkyWings magazine. In October 2009 it was published.
01 Oct 2009
Light Towing!
Lots of people had signed up as it looked to be an interesting day, possibly one of the last good days of the year
27 Sep 2009
Lots of people had signed up as it looked to be an interesting day, possibly one of the last good days of the year
27 Sep 2009
Simply Not Nice at All!
What more can I say; this was one of those days that I really shouldn't have flown. The conditions were not nice at all…
13 Sep 2009
What more can I say; this was one of those days that I really shouldn't have flown. The conditions were not nice at all…
13 Sep 2009
