Anyone interested?-Gary?

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:28 am

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Parascending-Para ... dZViewItem[/url]

Fingers · Post by **Fingers** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:50 am

Is it not worth the club itself buying this?

Bob Sutherland · Post by **Bob Sutherland** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:46 am

Ronnie has a better one than this that could probably (and has been) used if there was enough interest and a tow site available.
Some good days were had with good banter at the tow site.

Fingers · Post by **Fingers** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:21 pm

As I understand it Ronnies has been mentioned quite a few times, with no forward movement.

Maybe whats needed is two or more people who are keen enough for one of these to just do it.

How much would you pay for a tow up to 1000 feet?

How many can you do in a day?

Is it a viable proposition for someone to make a little money to operate it?

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:44 pm

I would certainly consider becoming part of a syndicate if there are enough people and we can get a field somewhere near the center of the country (Ali?). Or as Steve says, what about the club?

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:09 pm

sounds to me like far too much hastle, and don't think it would ever work. if you could get catrick airfield then i would hapily purchase it myself. but theres one thing buying one the next is storing such a monstrosity! i think it is worth finding out if there is any existing tow sites that can be explored? i do not think you would ever get the commotment needed to get one of these things up and running and enough people to go go out to run it and fly it. for me it would have to be flatland launch site so that you can fly much higher winds and fly further.

cheers gary

Fingers · Post by **Fingers** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:53 pm

We have a starting list of sydicates

Steve M
Ron Don
Ali PG

Keep it simple.

Get enough in the sydicate so as its cheap for each.
Find a good high field.
Ask the farmer to keep it there.

Get enough in to start and its not going to be much each. Have a clear set of terms and conditions so everyone knows whats what.

If it dont work out.......... sell it.

Bob Sutherland · Post by **Bob Sutherland** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:15 pm

Cockle Park good ol' days.

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:12 am

With such an overwhelming response, it's hardly surprising that Ronnie has let his tow field go and doesn't use his winch.
Oh well I'll just have to keep walking up hills, doesn't bother me, but it seemed like a better option for those not so keen on the walking bits involved with flying.

Sad Northerner · Post by **Sad Northerner** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:09 pm

The crux of the matter is not so much getting a winch as getting a place to put it that will produce the goods. Ronnie's winch was in a great place for training but, being close to the coast, did not give access to the XC weather post cp pilots crave.
Put a winch in the right place in the NE (I have some ideas) and we've got an opportunity to do some big flying....and I mean big, subsequently the lack of interest that Brian pointed out would soon be replaced with overwhelming enthusiasm...I bet.
If this idea is ever going to come to fruition we need to start by securing a decent winch site...until then everything else can wait.

Ali

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:25 am

Go do it Ali, get the site, then at least we could talk to Ronnie nicely to check it out before committing to purchase a winch!

Mike Brown · Post by **Mike Brown** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:52 am

And don't forget to check out with CAA that the possible site would be granted permission for Towing before going to too much trouble.
Cheers
Chief Tosser

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:35 pm

http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=16163

some interesting reading on this about building a winch and also methods and other stuff. i reckon the way i was talking about using the back of the van and a winch is a good way to go

John Wallis · Post by **John Wallis** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:53 pm

Been there done it................

Thing is winching is great fun but it needs operators. It needs a place to store it. It needs maintenance. It needs fuel. It needs a vehicle with a hitch to pull it. We all want to fly and on the good XC days who will be the guys stuck on the winch operating and who will be the guys bringing the cable back to take off on the motor bike we will have to purchase, fuel, service etc.

Then you have aero towing with a trike. (HG) We have several trike pilots in the club that would need training. We would have to buy or convert a trike for the purpose. It would need a CAA MOT every year. The pilots would have to be current. Fuel, maintenance, hangerage, insurance, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc

The plus point with the aerotow is that the tug pilot also gets a flying fix and something I would give thought too.

Great ideas but massive thought and commitment to such schemes are required.

It's so much easier to turn up at a hill and take off.

I don't think people realise how much effort the likes of Ron Freeman and the like put into running a winch.

JW

Sad Northerner · Post by **Sad Northerner** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:54 pm

By and large, John, I agree winching would be a pain to organise; but consider the benefits. Currently only one of the nhpc sites has come up with the goods (cross fell) other than that we have to travel to the Dales, Scotland or the likes, which is equally a pain in the arse.

We have seen the effects of getting a good site, namely Cumrew. More paragliding XC miles were done from Cumrew in the space of two years than in the sum of the remaining NHPC sites history...most of us want that option back.

Winching should not be considered a replacement for hill flying but simply something to consider as an option on the 'right' day. I would hazard a guess, however, that one good day on the winch would underline the benefits of having a site in the right place and would subsequently generate more interest and enthusiasm.

To summaries; yes it would be a pain to organise but it may open up a whole new set of possibilities, possibley record breaking ones, so lets not dismiss it at this stage.

Cheers

Ali

John Wallis · Post by **John Wallis** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:19 pm

so lets not dismiss it at this stage.

Hi Ali I wasn't dismissing the idea I was letting people know it's not a doddle to set up. Having helped John Miller build the first NHPC club winch we have seen a lot of the ups and downs of winch/club syndicates.

Just as a seperate thought what a about the winching field that the sail planes are using in the Eden Valley just below High Cap. I wonder if they would let us join "Their" Group

Sad Northerner · Post by **Sad Northerner** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:53 pm

It's worth investigation my hairy faced friend (Magnum PI on the case).

Would be good to brainstorm the whole winching thing sometime maybe we could put together a steering group?

Love

Ali

PS I knew you weren't dismissing it, I was just trying to provoke a response to see if you still cared.

Kitt Rudd · Post by **Kitt Rudd** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:03 pm

A couple of years a ago I helped Jocky S explore options for a which site near Lazonby ( Eden Valley north of Penrith) it would make a great place for defined flights (triangles).

brian day · Post by **brian day** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:14 pm

At last some people with their cups half full, instead of the half empty brigade!
I wish I had some knowledge and expertise, but as usual, I don't! But I'm good at getting things going.
John, you obviously know how to do it, Ali, you have the knowledge, lets get together and make it happen!
I'll even let a hang glider have a go.
I'll even have a go on a hang glider if it gets things going!

Post by **gary stenhouse** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:21 pm

i have never said i would not like a winch, but bacause of time and patience i would rather be a paying customer and just turn up and pay per tow. now that i am hangliding i would love to go down the tow road for ease. like what kit says flatlands is the way to go its just a question of where? then permision.