The barn is packed full of trikes, hang gliders, Doodlebugs and Boosters

Ben Lomond in the back-ground as Sue Elcombe the joint owner watches Darren Arkwright dismantle his Booster

Chic Sermani strolling along the 1.2km main runway which was a bit soft after the rain. George the owner regularly lands an Islander there. It used to be the Stirling Parachute Centre.

Darren landing after a trip up towards Ben Lomond in rough conditions.

The place is pretty relaxed, and an ideal place to learn to aerotow, I like chickens anyway. It's so flat and huge that landing after a weak link break is not going to be a problem.

Donald McKenzie, sitting on the trolley on the left, started the syndicate. Andy McGlochlan and Big Al the Fireman are also tug pilots. Andy used to be a Marine and isn't scared of anything: and that includes dragging aerotow novices through the sky.

I got as far as being on the runway harnessed up and ready to go. Al got towed to 1000' on his Discovery but reported that it was far too rough for my first attempt at aerotowing. A bit like saying the firing squad were off for the weekend.

Big Al the Fireman is a great Doodlebug enthusiast. He is passionate about bivvy flying and had just gone on a fully unsupported trip with Colin Lark and one other. They had something like 20 kilos of luggage including tents, stoves, sleeping bags, roll mats and spare clothes. Bad weather curtailed their trip. The genuine reason that most people use Discos and Targets for powered flying is for light wind take-offs. Allegedly you have to be Linford Christie to get a topless glider off the ground under power on a calm day.

The folding propellers on the Boosters are much less likely to break than the wooden ones supplied on the Doodlebug.

The field is 45 minutes north of Glasgow just past the Campsie Fells. It is in a very wide flat valley that ends at Stirling at the east and the Ochils. The big mountains start just a few miles to the north. Although it's a farming area, it's very lightly populated so the flying doesn't bother anyone. In fact six assorted Doodlebugs and Boosters did a flypast for the village fete the morning before I arrived. The main runway is 1200m long and faces SW and there is a 600m one at right angles. Apparently towing cross-wind isn't too much of a problem.

It looks a much more appealing place to learn to tow than the cramped fields down here. I'd like to go back.

Gordon Allison