Doyouwanna Alicante

[GlennP]

Hi,

Just got back from Spain to overcast warm front gloom for the rest of my week off. Brilliant!

Just wanted to pass on a Hello and All the Best from Nick Pollet. I think he's missing Gary Stenhouse for some reason.....

Cheers,

Glenn

[Brian Nellist]

Hi Glen how was the flying what sites did you fly.
I was there last October with a gaggle from NHPC.

[GlennP]

Hi Brian,

Good to hear from you. Hope you ve managed to fly recently.

I flew El Cid (take off the size of my bathroom) straight from the plane last Monday. Very intimidating with a sheer drop after just a few steps. Had to get it right. The German fella who was with Nick fluffed it and lost his bottle. I went next wing up quickly and off before I could turn. Spun round and headed off towards the LZ. It was a no wind top to bottom (1900ft ) but at 500ft agl the glider wanted to stay up so it was a longer flight than might first have been thought.

Next few days were the worst weather I've ever seen in Spain. Rain and 90kmh winds. Had to induge in the local brew as I saw my hopes of flying literally being blown away.

Saturday came and I was desperate. The winds had dropped but were still gusting. I had a feeling later on that it would be flyable but Nick said not. Went for a walk to Cabo and found gliders on take off. We headed for El Palomaret and took off in blue sky thermals late in the day. Nick guided me in to my first thermal and after 10 mins let me do the rest. After 40 mins I bombed out and Nick landed after me. After a moan about landing at the end of the field we went back up at which point my ground handling went to pieces (weird after all the practice i ve done) and it took 3 attempts at launch. Nick left me alone in the last thermals of the day and I was in the air for 1hr 10min and up above the ridge behind take off.
Sunday we headed back to the mountains early to one of Nicks favourite spots. The peak was littered with wind turbines gently spinning. We were stopped in our tracks by private guards looking after the dirt roads now being used for the national mountain bike championships. Bugger. Turn round fast and heading to La Solana.

The first take off at La Solana was reasonably prepared but once again a large audience made me nervous and 2 attempts at TO were followed by a successful launch. Nick guided me to a couple of house thermals and then left me to it. I followed his friends (one ex SAT team guy) and flew up above the masts for 52 mins then hit a bit of sink and landed below. Nicks taxi arrived and I went for another 50min flight from another launch which was smaller with only 1 fluffed launch. but pushing out from the ridge over the village below in afternoon thermals. Another landing in the bottom field and a celebration beer awaited.

Monday was an early start at Cabo with the biggest TO area but more spectators. I pulled it up too aggressively and got lifted whilst slipping on dogsh1t and looked a tit. A bit of ground handling later I was off but immediatley followed a student pilot and bombed out. I was very angry with myself and overheating in my flightsuit in 27C heat. A German taxi this time. Spechen Sie Deutsch?

Next attempt wing up , turn right and off. Nice one! Headed right across the gully and off along towards the lighthouse. Spent 54 mins soaring from TO to 500m past the lighthouse and then back past TO to Sta Pola. Cool!
Then the winds dropped and I bottom landed next to the beach. Nicks Taxi took me back up to take off and after building a wall the glider came straight up and I walked it to the edge and off back toward the Faro Lighthouse. Even Nick was impressed.

Another 50 odd mins and it was almost getting dark. The winds subsided and another landing on the beach was made. While I was lining up a German student crash landed on the slope and caused a fairly major rescue operation even though he was perfectly fine.

It all worked out in the end. I've got a better idea of foreign flying ie it's not flyable 100% of the time . Morocco was the same so I should have known that already.

I thought Nick was a good bloke and looked after me on the hill. I flew some amazing places and did things I thought I wouldn't do. At one point I was top of the stack.

Good times.

Glenn

[gary stenhouse]

looks like you missed out on the weather a bit this time glenn but nick will always do his best to get you flying. nick gave me guidance through my first thermals and the sites are great to normaly get good practice in for thermaling etc. july august september can give daily flying but not so much xc, but sometimes good flying followed by a drink or two is all you want cheers gary

[GlennP]

Yeah the weather sucked for a few days and ther is bugger all to do in Santa Pola. We (me and German dude Marcel) headed off to Elche and Alicante in the hire car roaming around in the rain whilst being battered by 100kmh winds. The parasols outside the bars took off in the gusts. Even they were getting airbourne.

Nick was cool. We had BBQs at cave houses near Hondon and I ate his oranges with a beer on the sun patio at his house. He didnt complain about my lack of flying (1hr 20 post CP) and stayed calm when my ground handling temporarily went to pieces. I ended up with over 6 hours in the book so came away with 600% more airtime than when I arrived.

I caught my first thermals and ridge soared with some of Spains best pilots. It was a good experience and if I have some spare cash I'd go back this summer but Millau is booked already so I cant.

All in all a good trip.