Getting flying and how if you want the most you need to trav

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:41 am

Yesterday sound like probably the best flying for 6-7 months with pilots up at cloud base 1200m yet no nhpc. I ask why as if I had been out this weekend there would of been a van full in the lakes flying. Why because I not only check weather i ring people check weather cams etc as it takes more than sitting in the house.

I could not go but if I had of been able to out I would of been so angry to of missed such conditions on a day off.

Remember that most of Northumberland is out for lambing and this is the months I get the most hours in

Post by **colin keightley** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:07 pm

I think what youve got to remember Gary is that travelling to fly is costly and those who arnt confident with predicting a site dont want to waste that money.

However when your about you are good at bringing people together they trust your predictions and can travel fairly cheaply as you always have a van full.

berow · Post by **berow** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 1:36 pm

Sounds like you are having a go at the club Gary. Seems a tad harsh.

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:24 pm

Winding people up and letting them know what they missed out on.

Graeme Gilroy · Post by **Graeme Gilroy** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:20 pm

And some of us work for a living

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 10:48 pm

The days of driving 300mile for a fly are long gone for me Gary especially when you don't get to fly ! which does happen...

Sad Northerner · Post by **Sad Northerner** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 12:35 pm

I agree with all of the above. For me it's a balance between what my aspiration are for the day, cost, time etc. My advise is, (regardless of how irritating Gary's constant mutterings are) tap into the 'happy bus' group, forge other subgroups, ping ideas of each other and liaise members from other areas then, if means allow, go to the place with the best chance.

Remembering that paragliding is percentage game (if that makes sense?) so head to the hill that gives you the best chance to achieve your goal e.g East hill is great for a bomb about but if you want to go XC it is next to useless.

Ali

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:28 pm

Sorry Ali your wrong about East hill big time ! this site has it all - thermals, wave, convergence good soaring the full package.

Your telling pilots ''so head to the hill that gives you the best chance to achieve your goal, well I did just that many years ago and East hill always came up with the goods with some excellent XC flights over the Cheviots + wave flights to 4,000 asl + convergence flights to Wooler and back - that is not as you say ''Bombing about'' ?

Due to training very hard on sites like East hill & Titlington pike, sites that you stubb your nose at ! got me on the the British team for 6yrs achieving International honours so show some respect for some members who have shown how to fly and whats possible on theses small sites !

My best XC 112miles Scottish national record holder for 6 years - 54miles my respect goes to the likes of East hill and Titlington pike.

Post by **chrisfozz** » Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:45 am

Ali Guthrie (aka Sad Northerner) wrote: e.g East hill is great for a bomb about but if you want to go XC it is next to useless.

Sorry but i have to disagree, it's not next to useless it's just useless.

Keep it real mate!

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:38 pm

Not sure what you mean Chris by 'Keep it real mate' Ive proven theses flight can be done, its now your turn..

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Sat Mar 11, 2017 9:30 pm

If we did not have lambing closures then i am sure we would see more cross country in the cheviots but as they shut this is a problem.

Considering how many times we fly east hill cloud base has rarely been achieved and cross country also and i believe i have got the site record.

I think its a great site but unfortunately it rarely produces anything other than soaring and at that it can be below the hill most of the time.

Would be good to see some of these xc' s done with a IGC file to show how its done

RonDon · Post by **RonDon** » Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:40 pm

None of us can be on top of our tree all
of our life but it was nice when you where. Don't knock it, we all like to step back in time now an"then"

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:51 am

Apart from IGC files were not around then Gary and I don't need them to tell you how it was done. I remember very clearly these flights and happy to talk
about them at the Club meeting (CORNER HOUSE !)

I also have witness to these flights just in case of any doubt.. Selby Potts, John Wallis, John Dixson, Mike Rammsey, I could name more but don't see the point.

These flights were achieved on a hangglider but with the performance of the new wings Iv'e no doubt paragliders can do it also.

Lambing time is March/April which is not the best time for good XC flying - small punchy thermals with a low cloud base. I like the end of May, June, July for better XC conditions.

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:57 am

I don't doubt they were done its more a case of how often and percentages, there is no doubt there is a special technique to getting away from small hills. As you will see from my flight tp and east hill. It seems on every occasion you have to leave the hill very low and drift where normally you would dolphins to get height first. Was this the case when you got away?

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 1:28 pm

The East hill day when I few to Cessford at 1.00pm the sky had spaced out small Cu with a 14-16 mph s.east wind. The thermals were aprox 3-4 wing spans wide at ridge level so I had to dolphin 4-5 times to find a decent core then go for it. The thermals were coming from Branton village that day and they were good 4-6 up straight to cloudbase 4,600ft asl

Now about 2 miles behind East hill at base I hung around until the lift died then I flew straight for Cheviot hill because there is a good s.east ridge and I could see that it was working with good solid clouds above. I remember the huge sink over Cheviot itself when crossing and the sky was starting OD !

Decide to head for Hownam law the se ridge looked good but the wind was dropping so weak ridge lift and OD sky I got low so ended up with ridge hopping and scrapping into Cessford.

John Wallis picked me up.

I can understand Gary why members go to other sites with huge long ridges with a wide lift band but after a while its not a challenge anymore..
and I soon realised that I needed to learn how to get away from small hills
as to increase the chances of a big XC.

I think its time for some big XC triangles on the west side of the Cheviots
there is big potential over there.

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:36 pm

Thanks Ron that is what i was after as i do think it is one of them places where the first climb is the hardest then as you go further inland it improves. From what i seen and tried on HG you can core very small and a good pilot like yourself on HG would get in very small cores. No doubt the modern PG with sink and glide is making it more possible to do bigger things in the cheviots and always get a bigger buzz than anywhere else when it happens

Post by **chrisfozz** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:54 am

Yes Ron, I know you did those flights, i remember you telling me about them when I first started flying, back in 1994. Sadly, I've never been able to emulate them.

Post by **colin keightley** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:46 am

ron freeman wrote:I can understand Gary why members go to other sites with huge long ridges with a wide lift band but after a while its not a challenge anymore..
and I soon realised that I needed to learn how to get away from small hills
as to increase the chances of a big XC.

Because when I go flying I want to boat about, throw it around a bit then land back at the car and home for tea. And im like a pig in shit doing it.

John Wallis · Post by **John Wallis** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 12:43 pm

I also have witness to these flights just in case of any doubt.. Selby Potts, John Wallis, John Dixson, Mike Rammsey, I could name more but don't see the point.

I heard about it but certainly didn't witness it.

Plus can't remember picking you up after your east hill flight it was around 1981 ?? Can't remember what I did yesterday apart from moan a lot, but that's just normal is it not?

ron freeman · Post by **ron freeman** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:21 am

So you don't remember when you turned up at Cessford and I was cutting the grass for the farmer and you were pissing yourself laughing at me sitting on the lawnmower ?

Because the farmer gave me some dinner I offered to cut his lawn and had a great time and a great day.

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:02 pm

the beauty of the modern day gps tracking devices means you can show everyone how you done it and also for the future it is always there.

i heard a great podcast about the old day completions on PG and how dangerous it was trying to take pictures over areas etc.

happy days

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Getting flying and how if you want the most you need to trav

Getting flying and how if you want the most you need to trav

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Keep it real ?

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