XC Buddy

[John Wallis]

With all this talk on the if's and buts of XC flying should you be Pilot rated or should you be a CP briefed on XC with the intent of doing your rating I have a suggestion. (I think the above covers most XC areas)

If you are interested in progressing your flying from CP and ridge soaring to actually flying cross country please enter your name below! If no names are listed we don't have a problem!

If the interest is there and I'm sure it is how about this.

Say we have a bunch of pilots who want to go XC this season and we will call them

Graeme
Eddie
Helen
Brian
Angus
Graeme
Mehdi
Liam
Gary
Mad Dog
Ron Don


etc etc

How about having a buddy scheme where an accomplished pilot pulls the name out of a hat of an up and coming pilot at the next meeting and they mentor that pilot through the whole season (A bit like the X Factor) I think this would create the most excellent format for passing down experience and knowledge.

And yes we could have an award if necessary or just the Kudos of the inter pilot competition.

Sounds very canny to me what do you think

Next meeting names in a hat!

P.S I want Ali Guthrie Or Gary Or Brian Day or Mad Dog....etc etc

C'Mon lets have some really good competitive fun

JW

[Chris L]

Brilliant idea John I think that will definitely benefit those wanting to progress into XC

[brian day]

Great idea John, we did try something along those lines for the NS62 comp, but it was done on a daily basis.
There don't seem to be many names in the hat at the moment unfortunately, maybe because no one wants to be paired with a miserable piss taking tw$t like me!
Also, with the exception of Ali, the rest of us are not good enough to wait and help, even when we meet up in flight we find it difficult to fly as a gaggle, that's the next step on for most of us. But I'll willingly give it a go.

[chrisfozz]

great idea John, can I have kylie Minogue.

[John Wallis]

Wrong show Chris she's on the voice not the X Factor but I know what you mean

[Graeme]

I hesitate a little to say yes straightaway to such a great offer But that's only because I'm also hesitant about moving onto XC too quickly.

I'm trying it out for a week at the end of this month. And signed up for CSC XC intro course first Saturday or Sunday of every month. Twitchy bum time but looking forward to giving it a go in a supported environment.

Buddying up with NHCP coaches would be a great follow on and I truly welcome the chance to learn more from you. But without being a burden on your own ability and pleasure. Plus I'm sure there'll be plenty times when I'd rather soar a ridge instead of XC.

Just wondering to get a balance if it would be an idea to have a beginners type weekend every now and again for us NHPC XC fledglings?

[gary stenhouse]

to serve the apprenticeship is always to start from the bottom up, and that is retrieve driver. i
a great way to lern and to enjoy seing your budy flying acrross the country know you will be there in the landing field with his cool beer.

you get to see his decisions first hand from below and will be there when he screws up at the first 5 k.

yep its the best way to learne for sure and we have been coaching miller for years and he just loves it

[John Wallis]

Hi Graeme thanks for the reply. The CSC XC week sounds great who's running it? Also if there's enough /any interest I'm sure the NHPC would do a follow up day/weekend.

I wouldn't worry about the CSC XC course being a squeaky bum affair because in my opinion XC flying is much safer than soaring a busy ridge. Once you're up and away you generally have the sky to yourself and you're away from the dangers/hustle bustle of mixed ability pilots fighting for the best lift on the ridge.

Once you're over the back and still climbing you are already looking for your next thermal source plus you'll be looking at the ground for safe landing areas should you blow it (Your priorities change from ridge soaring)

XC takes you into an exciting new area in your flying and some of the shortest flights can be a million times better than soaring the ridge for an hour. And I've had lots of shorts XC So I know.

So yeah don't think of it as squeaky bum time I personally think it's a much safer place to fly than a busy ridge.

Hope it goes well and enjoy

[AngusB]

I like the idea of an XC Buddy but like Brian said less so eloquently, who'd want to put up with me?!

I was going to have a go of flying XC from Clough Head along the Milk Run last summer but bottled it in the end as I didn't feel ready for the challenge once I was airbourne.

I'm sure most of the fear was psychological & a lack of trust in my wing but the biggest factor was the unknown bombing out options.

My question to you all is: Where would you say is a great place to do your first XC (once I'm Pilot rated of course!) with fairly good bombing out options & easy enough walks out/retrieves?

Maybe we should try to organise a few options for if the weather decides to let us play out. I know if it's flyable you'll probably want to do your own thing & that's fine with me but if someone is willing to coach a small willing group of myself & Graeme (& anyone else who wants to put their name forward) then I'm up for it.

[gary stenhouse]

cross fell to the cafe lots of decision making plenty of landing options.
humbleton hill to yavering bell and back
clough head to helvelyn and back to save any bad landing optings though if above helvelin then go on to grassmere very safe if well above.
model ridge to hastie bank

all good first steps and generally always pushing out as far from the hill and trying to get back to the hill to get back up again.
using height above take off is a great gauge to use and learning the glide of your glider.

[Chris L]

Angus, Graeme
I'm happy to help out on any milk runs in the Lakes
Probably the easiest to start with is Blease to Skiddaw or Souther and return
Its not too demanding and has amazing scenery once up above the Blencathra main ridge
Clough to Grasmere can be tricky in parts and you need to watch out not to put yourself into rotary air after Helvellyn but with a bit help its not to difficult
and is quite often doable in a NW-W direction
Swinside is also a good option for an early XC down to Buttermere
Works well in a Westerly but will take SW through to NW
Give me a shout when you plan on coming across

[John Wallis]

Model Ridge or Carlton are excellent loads of landing places and roads. Plus in the Cheviots Moneylaws is a good thermic hill where you can drop onto the Bell and fly towards Wooler. Even East Hill (Don't laugh) and West Hill are safe hills to leave and it's not too dramatic.

[John Wallis]

Wonder if it would be worth a few words to describe your first XC to give novice pilots an insight?

My first XC was from Longknowe (No longer an NHPC site) It was shite anyway. Left the hill with about 300 feet and hung onto the thermal as if my life depended on it. Lost the thermal and glided for Newton Tors where I got another thermal low down this took me over the moors to land near Wooler 6.2 miles just over 10K didn't really care how far it was as I was wetting my pants with excitement Still very fresh in my mind though Hang Glider by the way.

[Graeme]

John it's David Ashcroft that coordinates the CSC courses but supported by the other club coaches. One of their incentives is to walk the 4 miles from the landing area to launch then fly back to your car : ) - though I know not where this is yet. I really do like the idea of free flying far away from the madding crowds above a busy ridge.

I am happy to be a retrieval driver - just give me the nod and if I can make it I'll be there to support you all in return for lots of anecdotal advice and guidance.

Like Angus the short hops seem to be great way to get a feel for XC and with the support of a coach even better. If there is ever the opportunity to dedicate the odd flyable day to bringing beginner XCs on then count me in for sure. If this entails you veterans sacrificing an otherwise XC flight just for us then I suggest the club compensates coaches with a few cans and a bunch of flowers for your missus.

[Graeme]

Angus, Graeme
I'm happy to help out on any milk runs in the Lakes
Probably the easiest to start with is Blease to Skiddaw or Souther and return
Its not too demanding and has amazing scenery once up above the Blencathra main ridge
Clough to Grasmere can be tricky in parts and you need to watch out not to put yourself into rotary air after Helvellyn but with a bit help its not to difficult
and is quite often doable in a NW-W direction
Swinside is also a good option for an early XC down to Buttermere
Works well in a Westerly but will take SW through to NW
Give me a shout when you plan on coming across

Cheers Chris - many thanks and will do - the first post cp XC weekend is the 6th April but I am away in Algo on my XC clinic that week - so - weather permitting - will give you a bell the following weekend.

[Graeme Gilroy]

Sounds like a plan coming together John , and I thought ye were kidding about takin me out the back ! Lol

Graeme