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Club trip to Cornwall (Looe) Jan 2005

John Kingsley has sent these pics from the of the Jan 2005 club trip to Cornwall. We were based at B&Bs in Looe (with good curry houses). Lots of flying was had by the HGs on both days at Carbis Bay and St Agnes.

These are some very good but big video clips (up to 63MB), I'll try to get smaller versions. If you only watch one clip this year make sure it's this one of Nick ;-) (about 14MB)

Various pics.

Christmas Party 2004

Some pics from the main event on 11th Dec 2004, thanks Ken.

Rhossili - 6th Nov 2004

Mick sent this clip in. It's about 1.7MB and shows Jim on his second soaring flight ending in a slight water landing.

Photo Shoot at the Beacon - 19 Sept 2004

Richard Sheppard took these pics at the film shoot on the Beacon.

A film crew from Independent TV is coming to meet us on The Beacon on Sunday Sept 19th. I think it is for 'Heart of The Country'. Looks westerly and even might be OK for PG wings as well (wind looks less on Sunday). Weatherjack is giving 3 in the east and 2 in the west. Nick Collins is meeting the camera crew at 09.15hrs and taking them up The Beacon. Please try and come, so that we can put on a good show. The Film Crew have to leave before 12.00 for another location, so please be there very early.
Regards, John.

Hi Y'All,
The Video Shoot (Carlton TV) on The Beacon on Sunday morning went very well in difficult conditions( The problem was all that Stage Make-up we all had to wear!!!!!!) There was plenty of PG's as well, and it was close to PG tolerant. Even Ian Bradley was there!!!! Four gliders took off (three topless and one rigid) and I hope the film crew got what they wanted. Perhaps we can get a raw copy (Ken/Nick???????). Derek (Combat L) did do a flight to goal and managed to fly home to Worcester and land by his home. Well done Derek. Pity about the broken upright!!!!!!! I landed at a stubble field NE of North Hill Got to 1400ft ATO (probably higher than the whole of Derek's XC!!). Pity about my bent upright!!!!! Nick landed in the normal landing field, with stories that he had mis-rigged his Stratos. Still managed to get higher than the rest of us. Something about one wing was flapping!!!!! Perhaps you could explain us Nick????? Tony Jones landed at Ken and Jacky's house.
Regards, John.

Some pics from today's media extravaganza. Tony did some very nice low passes for the cameraman. I saw that Nick decided to stop the low flying malarkey when his wing gave a funny shudder as he was diving. Was it turbulence or some other factor Nick?
- Rich

Pics from Woolacombe July 2004

Richard Sheppard supplied these pics.

Rhossili July 2004

Mick sent these from Rhossili.

Shots of the 'new' landing option.

Club BBQ 2004

Some fine pics from our resident photographer Richard Sheppard.

Yet more pics from Richard Pearce

Saturday 24th April 2004 - spent around Bringsty Common and a couple of flights up to near the Beacon and back. Managed a couple of photos of the west side of the Beacon from about 500m away. Photo shot angles perhaps not seen by many. Little bit of 'engine off' thermalling 500m in front of the Beacon.

More pics from Richard Pearce

This time with no power assistance! A good bank holiday monday on Hay (12/4/04)

Pics from Richard Pearce

Flying around the Wales/England borders on his paramotor on 28/3/04 while the rest of us were grounded. Nearly 4 hours in the air traversing the countryside from Ledbury to the Bristol channel and back. Surprisingly bumpy considering there was no sun. Thermals were usable for about 3 minutes until they decayed. Even managed to soar Marcle with the engine off for about 8 minutes (longest). Pics of Much Marcle.

Pics from Brian Ginger

Jan in Rhossili

Some pics from a very successful day at the Shrine. PGs flew in the morning and HGs had the best of the afternoon as it picked-up.

Christmas Party 2003

Guess what the theme was.

Piedrahita club trip Sept 2003

No write-up yet but some pics from the very successful trip in early Sept.

Some from Bryan.
Main take-off above town, Rob getting ready:

Spot our white van going up while Bryan was coming down:

The bar across the road for some pre-dinner drinks:

Outside base:

Last meal at Steve and Puri's before we had to come home:

Malvern competition

Announcing the  'Malvern 100' to celebrate 100 years of flight.
Weekend: 18th October 2003.
Briefing 11am Kettle sings launch
Task: Speed race lasting 100 minutes around defined course: Great Malvern to Castlemorten .

Turned out to be a good event with 7 HGs taking part.

Some from Richard Sheppard.
If you flip between these you can see an animated John (with a floppy nose-man!):

Nick finally ready for take-off:

Derek (?) taking-off:

From Bryan, some more pics of Alan, Derek, Nick and John:

The event was entertaining for non-flying spectators:

But it was only supposed to be for foot-launched aircraft!

Barmouth Club Trip 2003(c)

Oct 4th/5th

Sat was blown-out...

But Sunday wasn't! Landing on the beach after some fantastic flying over Barmouth. The first from Malvern to do it...?

What was Nick doing here? No-one seems to know...

The 3M's (Malvern/Mercian/Mynd) competition at Bache Hill

Sept 13th/14th 2003

Some photos from Mick.

Kettle Sings, Sun 29th June 2003

I think Jackie Shail took these. Quite strong for PGs but an unexpectedly good day all round.

Barmouth Club Trip 2003(b)

June 14th/15th

Some photos from Mick. I don't see much flying going on ;-)

Barmouth Club Trip 2003

Feb 1st/2nd

Sing this all together!!!!!!!!

There's only one effin Fairbourne,
There's only one effin Fairbourne,
One effin Fairbourne,
There's only one effin Fairbourne.

This is what you would have been singing, if you had gone to the Club Barmouth weekend. Hey, and if you take the 'F' out of Fairbourne you get airbourne!!!!!!!!

I had Friday off to do something else, but it got cancelled so Diane and I got to Fairbourne fairly early on Friday , after a beautiful drive through sunny, snow covered mid Wales. Rigged on the hill, but sat there in lovely sunshine all day with absolutely no wind.

Checked in at The Crown in Barmouth early evening and met Derek Evans in town. Derek informed us he was camping!!!!! Trying out his tiny new 1/2 man lightweight tent/shower cap. He had found a small grassy plateau directly above the town and that was where he was going to live for the weekend. Craig Townsend arrived in the middle of our fantastic curry meal in the neighbouring curry house. Nick Collins then arrived and a very pleasant evening was had by all. Derek in deep discussion with the owner of The Crown on the subject of 'one man/woman tents I have owned'. Derek then proceeded to negotiate a fantastic full English breakfast for £3.00 for the following morning!!!!!!

Chris Smith arrived at breakfast time, the next morning and got in on the breakfast deal!!!!

Incredibly the wind was on for Fairbourne, so off we all went to take off.

15mph NW perfect. Chris was first off on the PG, with us stiffie and rigid pilot frantically trying to get rigged asap, since a westerly was forecast later. Chris now looks high and Derek is off and soon gets very high. Craig gets off, soon followed by Nick on his rigid Stratos and me. Meanwhile Chris had toplanded reporting 500ft ATO and conditions a little strong for floppies. However, conditions were perfect for stiffies and rigids. We hit cloudbase at about 2000ft, then had to go forward and above cloudbase on to 2500ft and beyond. I could see Nick and Derek further south down the coast and over the sea. They kept disappearing into cloud. Then I completely lost Nick. It turns out he went about eight miles down the coast, still in lift. I had no idea where Nick was now, and even thought he had somehow gone XC over the back, through the cloud! I now see that Craig had toplanded successfully, and found Derek enjoying himself, looking at his own aurora!!!

I decided to give Barmouth a go and try and cross the wide estuary. I got there with 800ft ATO, and could have easily landed on Barmouth beach, near to 'The Crown'. I am now getting very cold. Chin and left thumb frozen. Should have put my silk balaclava on and not left it in the harness pocket, and should have put my hands in the bar mitts a lot earlier. I now fly back over to Fairbourne, play around for a while and top land in super smooth air. Indeed, all the time we have been flying, we have had super smooth conditions. In my 27 years of flying hang gliders, I cannot remember smoother conditions.

I talk to Craig and he had had a good flight. I can now see Nick out over Barmouth. Derek now top lands, with a huge smile on his face (I think he was thinking of his little tent!!!!) Nick comes in under perfect control about ten minutes later. We all talk about our fantastic flights in winter on a coastal site. I think Nick had been to about 2900ft. We now think we could have managed to get on to the ridge above Barmouth and on up onto the higher hills/mountains to the north. The Cader run to the east was not on, because of cloud.

Nick now tells us that he feels more of a passenger on his new wing, than a pilot of it. I don't think that he and his glider are one, yet!

Anyway, we have all had great flying, in the middle of winter in Wales and return to Barmouth to more, yes more, curry (it is worth the drive out here, if only for the curry house, next to The Crown) and beer, red wine, beer, those coloured shot drinks with names like, 'orgasm', 'sex on the beach', 'blow job', etc. Make more friends:- a drunken construction worker from Burnley who had been in Barmouth jail the night before!!! Derek refuses to dance with Diane (I think he was dreaming of his little tent, again)

Sunday turns out to be blown out, but we start investigating other take off points above Barmouth. We have a pleasant lunch time drink at The George' in Penmaenpool (End of the toll bridge up the estuary) and make our way back home.

JB.

Not that it was cold but the speed he got change was amazing!

This the the hare and the tortoise: In the air before the hang gliders for what I thought was a good flight. See the hang gliders still on the ground after 1/2hr? 1/2hr after that I'm on the ground and the stiffies have specked-out.

New shoes?

This is where the stiffies take over: I was almost going backwards coming in to land when the 1st hang glider (Derek?) launched.

John taking off ... and landing much later, much colder!

Combat on Fairbourne 'take off':

Craig in a blue sky:

Derek landing:

Just top landed the Combat:

Nick landing:

Sunday, blown out above Barmouth!!!

Derek. Thinking about his little tent!!!!!!!

Diane and Chris checking the gale force wind on Sunday:

Fairbourne take off in the far distance from hill above Barmouth (not sure who the pirate is!):

Christmas Party 2002

Not too much fancy dress but a very good effort by the few that took part.

Two of our senior committee members, a conservator and someone who's had too much red-eye to drink.

And some more nice photos...

Barmouth Club Trip 2002

16/17 NOVEMBER

Amazingly the forecast looked reasonable and a few of us headed up on the Friday in good weather but did not fly because there was very little wind and a slight easterly drift. Compensation was had in the form of much drinking and a great Indian meal.

On Saturday, Conwy Mountain was nominated and we set off in separate groups and managed to link up at the Sychnant Pass within a 15-minute window. Wind direction looked good but the carry would have been outrageous for hang gliders so we went to Foel Lus nearby.

Initially the wind was quite light but we saw paragliders soaring Conwy Mountain and local paraglider pilots began to arrive at Foel Lus. Frantic rigging followed and Frank took off first on his paraglider followed by Nick. The rest of us then lobbed off including John, myself, Craig and Chris.

Most of us flew for more than two hours with height gains of 800 feet and soaring not only Conwy Mountain but also the mountain to the West of Foel Lus. Incredible! All this whilst it rained inland.

Sunday was a lovely day but very little wind. We all congregated at the Fairbourne take-off but flying was not possible. A few of us watched Mark Asquith take off from a farm field on his Discovery/Doodle-bug combination. It looked fun and quite tempting.

A terrific club trip ended with a beer in a nearby pub.

DEREK EVANS

Saturday flying at Conwy, view over Conwy town:

Frank flying around:

View of take-off (I think!):

(Some of) the team on Sunday:

Full tent-drying facilities at Fairbourne:

View of Barmouth from Fairbourne. Tony as a piece of modern art:

Mark on his Doodle-bug, viewed from the comfort of a nice pub!

2002 Repack

General

There are angels and natural phenomenon on the top of the Blorenge (Jan 2003):

You aint seen this, right?

Some floppies flying at the Beacon in Oct 2002. Includes Bryan who was best of the day:

Paragliding Accuracy Comp held at the Blorenge in Sept 2002.

Some pics taken at sunset after a good fly at Bleanavon, Sept 2002.

Some helpers hard at work at a tree clearing event on 11th Sept 2002. This may become date to mark as it was on the same day last year that trees were cleared by the club.

Bryan Hindle and Ian Bradley help Tony Jones launch at the Kettle Sings on a nice sunny day, after the hard work above.

After a recent tree clearing event the committee (and a few members) were tracked-down to a local pub where this covert photo was taken.

Ken Shail found this old photo him taking-off at Kettle Sings in the early 1980's on a Birdman Moonraker '78 (a real hang glider). It had a wingspan of 37.5 feet and was something else to handle. Check-out the flairs in the background.

BBQ 2001

These are some pictures of a past BBQ! None yet for this year.

Members

Paul Harvey on his way from Malvern to glory at Monmouth in the 1997 Airwave Challenge.

Steve Griffiths circling above the Blorenge during the Airwave Challenge in 1996.

Leo Jones at Hull mountain California. Leo is an ex-Malvern member and is now the club Flight Director of the Sonoma Wings club.

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