August 2006

Doyouwanna ? Of course you do, it doesn't get much better !

As you have read before, summer is great. But only for those pilots who can relax and wait to fly late in the afternoon till sunset. We rarely miss a day in summer. But it is hot, if you cannot take the heat, you better wait till september. If you love the sun, the beaches, the flying late afternoon, you'd love it !

XC, thermalling, soaring all of it in august.

thursday 31th of august

Inland ok to fly, at the coast ok to fly.

Magi and Toni from Zaragoza around. Magi is in a wheelchair and is a paraglider. He has a special chart, specially made for him and he flies a paraglider. It does something to you if you see somebody with such an eager to fly, take off and enjoy the air.

As soon as the access to Cabo de Santa Pola is sorted, I am gonna organise a weekend again for physically and mentally disabled. Four years ago now, I organised it with lots of help of my friends (club-mas7 and lots of friends). Maybe some of you remember, we made 80 tandem flights during a weekend with all mentally and physically disabled. With the problems of Cabo, I had to cancel the next event for them. I will do my very very best to organise it again next spring. I just hope the problems around Cabo de Santa Pola will be solved this autumn. We need our proper and totally legal access to our take off. I cannot organise it if we have to walk through the gully. We need access for them, bringing them to take off with our car, bus. I hope, but I am sure, I will have lots of help again organising this with my fellow buddies around here.

wednesday 30th of august

Had things to do today, didn't go out to fly. From my terrace I saw a hangglider fly today.

Haven't heard from anybody inland what they did. Could have been strong inland.

Most stories on our forums are about buddies having flewn epic up north, or in other countries during their vacation(s). Turkey, Switserland, up north in Castejon de Sos etc... . Also, we may be very proud again of our fellow spanish pilots, Raul and Felix Rodriguez. Again, I lost track now how many years in a row, they won all that was possible. They won it all in Villeneuve Switserland.

tuesday 29th of august

Thirty degrees and more. Beaches more and more empty though. Because summer season is coming to an end. And if you live here you don't mind. There is less traffic, life at a slower pace all of a sudden. And soon we will fly all day again, we still wait till later in the afternoon to go fly. Avoiding the punchy, nasty thermals, and the heat.

It was flyable on many sites today. We flew at Cabo de Santa Pola. Others flew at La Cortina, others inland on several different hills.
Cloudbase not high, not XC days, inversion due to the high pressure over Spain. Soon we will have cooler nights, and hot days, higher cloudbase, XC days. And after flying in shorts and T-shirt it will be time to iron our flying suits again. We are all ready for it.

Cabo de Santa Pola with the ferry in the distance bringing you to the Island of Tabarca

monday 28th of august

Officially closed but if they call to go out and fly and we are about, what do you do eh ?

End of tandem season. Always a bit tricky those tandems. We do fly above, land on rough terrain. Many times passengers never run or even get their legs out when approaching for landing. I usually tilt them out of the harnass, them screaming. But that's the only way to have them get their legs out. Still then you have to shout to make them run. Otherwise landings can be very rough on our stones. You as a pilot are usually better off as you come and touch ground a second later.

Anyway I love to put smiles on those passengers, most of the time, it is the time of their life, an experience they will never forget.

I fly a UP sherpa, very happy with it.

We flew at Palomaret today, cloudbase was not that high. Thermals were great though. Big fun.

Sunday 27th of august

If God created sunday as the seventh day to go out to fly, then I'd love to buy him a beer.

I cannot be rational about this. I still get a buzz when I had a good thermalling flight. Getting the kick of flying in a thermal, higher-ing up above the mountains, rewarded by stunning views.

Maybe I am a too enthusiastic about flying, about life. No worries I won't get into this. It just feels so fucking good to be airborne, flying with the buddies on your favourite hill. And having the luxury to choose your time to fly, choose to fly more, choose to land, choose to hug and kiss your friends meeting them tomorrow again.

So today I had a good day.

26th of august saturday

Back from Brugge, Belgium, where nothing seems to have changed. It remembered me 100 % of the life you lead in this city. With lots of tourists, bicycle traffic jams. Bruges la morte, where a curfew would never be necessary, as nobody is on the street after 6 pm anyway. Shops, stores all is closed and dead after 6.

I prefer Alicante Spain with its flying, its great weather, the beaches, mountain biking, elderly playing domino on the streets, children in the park after dark: It's feels so much more alive.

Today Pepe called to have some flying in at Palomaret, but had to give it a miss, very early flight back home this morning. Asked him how the week, or the last 10 days have been. Everyday flying he said, but not a lot of pilots around. Lots of buddies in Turkey now, some acro festival.

wednesday 16th of august

West wind was predicted, getting stronger during the day. And they were right. Although at midday it felt like it was gonna be flyable on our little southern hills. Late afternoon, more south and flyable inland for sure.

Didn't fly today, packing for journey up north tomorrow. Back in ten days, all recharged to guide till the end of june next year again.

I will check my emails for sure. If you need to get to me, call or leave a message on my mobile 0034 606 781 180.

tuesday 15th of august

Instable inland, lots of phone calls where to go to. Big cumulus congestus forming, roaring thunder up north. At the coast more sunny, and very very hot again.

Alicante showed its good face again. Again it was possible to have numerous flights for all of us inland. The ever present breeze gave us hours of dynamic thermalling lift.

Flying the tandem at one point, it climbed up to the cloud with amazing aceleration. As I never fly with any instruments doing my tandems I am not sure how strong the climb was. But it was active.

I was flying with a lovely Irish girl way above Palomaret, flying in the valley towards cloudwards. Couldn't tell the passenger that it was getting pretty rough all of a sudden, looked up and lost half my wing. Shit shit shit, no worries though. My UP Sherpa flew straightforward. It has been my only collapse on my tandem in the 5 years I am doing commercial tandem flights. Big collapse, half wing, no problem. Big ears in, get lower, get a smooth spiral in and land. At the same time, my friend Bartual pulled in his big ears and preferred a bottom landing as well instead of the usual toplanding.

On the left, direction Maigmo, it was a lot smoother. We saw low airtimers go to the peak without a rinkle. Just under the cloud, it must have been active for us. Local turbulence.

After the flying we talked about our rough stuff in the valley, those who left for Maigmo hardly believed it. Oh well, another boring day at the office, or a flying day at Alicante, its' your choice. See you soon I hope.

monday 14th of august

Loved it today. Left early for Palomaret, had to wait till later, gusting up to 40 k/h. No good. Later on still strong, up to 4 m/s thermals and windy from the east. I loved it, flying my demo Niviuk.
Just read the Cross Country magazine and it is amazing what they say about the Niviuk Artik. Those profesionals have the same ideas as I had about the Niviuk glider. Wise men.

sunday 13th of august

Flew for hours at Cabo. Lots of sunday fliers. Careful with priority here and there. Especially with a tandem it was tricky sometimes. Also the remote control airplanes playing around you, don't give a lot of rest.

It is august by the way, busiest month for tourism down here, so many low airtime pilots from up north or inland trying out the site. An students with huge long ribbons etc... . No stress .... .

saturday 12th of august

My PC crashed so I was out for a couple of days, amazing how you miss this bloody things so badly.

On saturday we flew nicely at Palomaret. Ordinary day at the office, three hours of thermalling. Very suny day, not so hot as in july luckily. Later in the evening the winds came more from the west. For those who wanted there was late evening flying at the coast.

Friday 11th of august

The usual. Sunny, warm, three hours of thermalling. The usual. It doesn't get much better.

thursday 10th of august

Today's plan was gettting up early and go flly over Guadalest. A very pittoresque village with a lake down below. It is Spains ' most visited village.
Then go have a swim in the lake, before walking up to Benimaida and have some typical local food dishes.
Part three, after some chill fly the coastal sites near Benidorm.

Half the plan worked out. We were early enought at take off to catch the first thermals. Take off is not very clean any more, as it is only used by us, visiting it once a year. Michael and Betina on tandem and Simon and Martin from San Sebastian enjoyed 'the flight with a view'. Unfortunately my friend Gary took a wrong turn somewhere and arrived late.

The valley winds generated by the incoming sea breeze are always strong near the bridge. At the landing at the other side of the lake, the valley opens up and it is only half that strong. Good indicator is of course is the water on the lake. If is starts to get choppy, be aware of some strong gusts at landing.
There was more to see on the lake. Last week a plane crashed on the lake, when it was pumping out water to extinguish one of the many bush-fires we had lately. The pilot was rescued. The plane was easy to be seen overflying it, it's nose down. Rescue teams were fishing out parts of the plane today.

After the landing, there is the obligatory dip in the lake. More fresh it can't be, because it is the water reservoir of Benidorm. Nice and cool.

After local tapas, we called some local pilots to see what conditions were at the coast. STRONG ! So third part of the planned trip didn't work out. But great day, and again happy pilots.

wednesday 9th of august

Thermalling lift everywhere. Once in a while a wake up call, when gusts blew through from the east. Again, a lovely day at an amazing site.

Tomorrow plan is Guadalest, flying over the lake.

tuesday 8th of august

Thunderstorm inland, few drops at the coast. A lazy day. For some of us Mundomar and the waterparks, for others packing, getting ready to go home after 5 months. Don't let them cut your hair Gerard !

Tomorrow looks promising. We go inland with new arrived guests Bernard, Simon, Michael, Bettina, Gary, and of course the french family who wants to go tandem !

monday 7th of august

Life is a theme park !! Flying again today, tandems, solo etc.... . Good people, good karma.

sunday 6th of august

Times square at Cabo today. Sunday in august. Lots of madrileños, valencianos, sevillanos, pilots from inland Spain, on vacation enjoying the cliffs of Santa Pola.

Lots of traffic in the air. Conditions were superb, there was room for everyone. You had to be careful for low airtimers now and then, but no stress. When I got back it was almost dark ,and still I saw gliders in the lights of the lighthouse, pilots having the time of their life.

saturday 5th of august

Flew at Monte Cabrer with our local buddies from Alcoy.

Monte Cabrer is an eastern face huge big mountain bowl, where we usually fly the best in the afternoons. Early mornings, strangely enough it is just top to bottom rides (700 height difference though). But as we all know we are not here to do top to bottom, but to fly.

So walked up the hill from the carpark, sweated our ass off in this heat again, and checked conditions. Conditions were not textbook, cumulus clouds drifting from the back, down below winds on the hill. So flying out would definetely mean, windsheer, active flying. We waited till 4 pm, and then took off. I immediately took distance from the hill, to find out thermals bits in the valley. And yes they were there. Very nice ones, not too strong, but as you came nearer to height of take off, you felt there was something going on. Strong gusts, cobble stones, you name it. Nothing too exciting, but nevertheless not the best time to get camera out and take foto's.
At some point the thermalling lift was everywhere as / and clouds were forming above us. They didn't look so severe, but the once in back still did, towering cumulus still moving wrong direction. In front of us, cloudstreet upwind though from the east.

It is funny when you see the other pilot with his legs wide open, you know he is not feeling very confident. I have a habit as well, I get one foot of the footstrip, feels more confident.
I landed on the huge field which is used when winds change to the south, so indeed, down below southern winds, gusty a times and rough coming in.

Not a low airtime day.

Chimo, showing us his own made T-bars for tandem flying. Why bother paying too much if you can make them yourself eh ? It cost him 10 euros all together, saves 80 euros. Huh.

friday 4th of august

Very cloudy inland all day. Temperatures nicer now, not so hot, a bit of a relief not having to spend the whole day in the water to cool down. We could fly later in the afternoon at the coast, Cabo. Gerard had his first cloudsuck experience, he loved it.

Gerard arrived 5 months ago and was crap.
He was taught in Nepal, but wasn't near to any experience yet. Now he flies, he doesn't float any more as he did at first. He made some very nice and long thermalling flights with us, and is hugely building up his airtime

He flies a Gin Bolero+, which is now very dusty by use in Spain. Next week he goes back to England, and lets hope he keeps on groundhandling, flying, loving the sport. Told him it won't be easy, living in London, not the best climate etc..., lesser conditions etc..., no hills etc... .

Try to keep on flying as much as you can, don't get rusty, do loads of groundhandling when not flyable. Come back and we take you high again Gerard.

thursday 3rd of august

Most of my friends have gone to Arcones. There is a national competition XC up there. I wish them all the luck.

Just as Pedro Bernardo, Berga, Ager, also Arcones is a place not known by foreign pilots. It is a huge XC potential site, near Segovia. Used by hanggliders and paragliders.

Meanwhile we are stuck here, with very flyable days. We choose our time to go out to fly. Flying from early morning till late evening, would be too much. Again it is in the upper 30's. One day you can do it, but flying every day in this heat is not the best thing. We like to change sites. If it is thermalling weather, high cloudbse, then we go early morning. If it is thermalling weather lower cloudbase, no potential to go XC, we arrive at 4 - 5 pm at the site. Then we can still fly till 8 - 9 ish in safe conditions, still in thermals. If it is unstable inland, too much wind, we choose a coastal site and soar all afternoon. This is southern Spain for you, all year around flying. You take pick your best month, your best time of the day, to enjoy the passion.

We fly every day, today after the thunderstorm. We had to wait till it was over, then in the air, 45 minutes, untill bumming out.

wednesday 2nd of august

Nothing can go wrong anymore. Locals flying at the Cabo Santa Pola. We preferred flying inland, thermal activity looked good. A couple of hours up at first strong of course, but again dying off, so Gerard with his Boleroplus could do his first toplanding.

Gerard, the woman

tuesday 1st of august

Beginning a new month. Sort it out tomorrow. Have to go get tapas at the ciosco Susy, en El Altet, you know, where we always meet in the morning. Some of my tandempassengers are still around. so hey, why not give them, a good time tonight as well.,

We have been flying at Cabo, conditions not the best. From very strong northeast to nothing southeast. So scratching in the end, wingtip almost touching the cliffs. Challenging though. A bit of a comp who could topland of course.

Guess what, I won !! (show off !)