juni 2006

If you want to come out this july or august read this first :
July and august flying in Alicante

friday 30th june

we are off on vacation till 12th of july approximately, then guiding again till mid-august

thursday 29th of june

Good flying at Palomaret, relaxing. Early birds left, no cloudbase and turbulent said Pepe. We flew late, and after everybody was gone, just Charles and Gerard flew in smoothest conditions. No XC day, too much inversion, but still a nice thermalling day at the end of the day.

Tomorrow we are off to the Pyrenees. We are gonna head for Ager, Organya and Berga, maybe Castejon de Sos. Escape the heat for a bit with the family. Play around with my seven year old Paco, let my wife Kath fly again at one of her favourite sites Organya. and of course meet up with the Spanish buddies from the north. We'll all be back the 13th of july for guiding. You behave.

We cannot check emails daily, but if you need a new glider, or you want to book a flying vacation do not hesitate to call us on 0034 606 781 180 or 0034 616 087 086,

wednesday 28th of june

Caudete, two local pilots were flying. I just have the story from them. It looked good after a bit of parawait. Sudden southern winds, anabatic winds so for taking off under the windmills. 15 minuts great flying, but soon turbulent and very angry clouds forming in the back. So back towards the coast where Palomaret was waiting for some strong stuff, dying off in the later hours.

Alicante is definetely not for beginners this period. Lots of strong thermals, gusty at take off, and meteo situations changing rapidly. Not for beginners doesn't mean, not for experienced pilots. On the contrary, if your skills are there, you can enjoy the sites in a wise. safe, lovely way.

tuesday 27th of june

Something wrong in the air. Jose Luis and Rafa flying, southwesternwinds rolling over El Cid, but as well eastern direction Maigmo. Inversion was very deep, hammery a times. Later in the afternoon all smooth again. Something bad in the air. Hopefully nothing to do with the game tonight ...

monday 26th of june

Bartual in Monte Cabrer, Rafa and friends at Palomaret. Most of the pilots at Cabo though. Preferring the refreshing sea breeze and a dip in the sea after chilled beer at the "chiringuito".

sunday 25th of june

Inland flying, on different hills. Sierra del Carche was fine, Palomaret was fine, more inland Reconco, Biscoy. Strong thermals, all day southeast winds.

saturday 24th of june

All tandems today. Alex, David, Carlitos and me, we all had to please our customers / students inland, flying thermals.

Only Kath, airwave Sport, a lonely girl in the air.

In the back growing instability, grey big clouds coming in. Forecast is bad for inland Spain, tomorrow in the north west even thunderstorms and rain. Not in Alicant though, down here it stays hot and it will be flyable for weeks.

on our way

friday 23td of june

Jose Luis and Bartual took off at Monte Cabrer, but the too good weather, inversion, didn't permit them to go XC.

So we stayed local and waited for the strong sea breeze to die off. And at 5 pm it did, We flew a couple of hours, together with some new students from the new local school Kasana At last, a school that I can recommend. And they speak English. So if anybody wants to combine learning paragliding, beach, good weather, swimming pool, chill, great food and nice people, drop us an email.

Tomorrow there is a reunion at Yeste, see you there. Sponsored by the village, every year it is a big party for locals and visiting paragliders. Flying, paella,live music, shows, sangria and cerveza, flying, paella, live music, shows, sangria ...

And Simon, your Nova arrived, it will be sent to you on monday.

thursday 22nd of june

Alicante at its best. Inland clouds forspelled strong conditions near Monte Cabrer, Agres etc... .
So we stayed near Palomaret. It was also flyable at the coast, but we wanted a change, and with than many sites down here, we can !

+ 5 m/s thermals took us up way above the crest. In the air with Dag's beautiful little lady for more than 45 minutes. Together with Dag wanting us to fly close, so he could take pictures. The view over the back, thrilled the newcombers once again.
No wonder, next autumn the new movie of Asterix and Obelix is gonna be shot down here. A studio and a wooden castle will be build for the ocasion. Not on take off, don't worry. No, on the left of take off, behind the climbing wall.
I talked to the owner of most of the mountian and valley, and he told me again not to worry about the paragliding. Meanwhile his wife asked me to have a go on the tandem, and good news this is. Other good news is, that the road up to take off is completely repaired and all in tarmac. Hooray !

- commercial break now - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh life can be good sometimes, chilled beer after a splendid day, watching the sun go down.
Hearing how your passenger has undergone the experience of living men's oldest dream, which is flying. Makes your day, and it triggers off the enthusiasm again to do this job, guiding in one of the greatest and most reliable areas of Spain, olé !

wednesday 21st of june

Skygoddes today, was my wife Kath. She flew her Airwave sport in pretty sporty conditions this afternoon.

She was top of the stack several times. Knowing her very well, she is usually pretty nervous when she's on top. But she lead us to different thermals all the time.

Thermals died off sooner than we predicted, so an early day home. Heatwave from tomorrow onwards, today it was already 35 degrees and extremely sunny. With this weather we start later in the afternoon, because it is :

- safer
- cooler
- better thermals, not so hammery

)for a while no foto's, lost my digital camera, sssssh....(

tuesday 20th of june

Are all Norwegian pilots that relaxed ? I think they are even more laidback than the mediterraneans. They were happy to chill today, with girlfriends and mother in laws at the beach.

First half of afternoon, flights were done at Palomaret, up to 1300 ASL. Jose Luis, Rfa, Bartual, the usual bunch.
Later at Santa Pola, only the local school was getting its students out to do top to bottoms. Now, 7 pm, inland it looks 'merky, mercie,murquee' ... .

Over the sea clouds as well, instable for the sailors.

monday 19th of june

On the road with two experienced pilots, looking for inland flying, hoping to go XC. But we didn't succeed. The sky wasn't looking very inviting. the northeastern winds for M Cabrer, San Antonio were too gusty to be safe taking off.

If we'd stayed at the coast and join the others, we could have been flying later afternoon soaring on the cliffs.

sunday 18th of june

Early start at Santa Pola. Rough because winds were coming from Alicante (north). We flew for a good hour and had paella. Waiting for winds to get better. At 5 pm, as usual nicely easter laminar wind.

It was sunday, so lots of unexperience pilots at the site. Always bad for the heart. Rough toplandings, uncontrolled take offs. But only scratches, and band aid.

Inland it was tricky again. Clouds were forming rapidly. Some locals were on the search for XC again. Haven't gotten any phone calls yet, so don't think big things have happened. We'll see them all tomorrow.

In Alicante the Hogueras fiestas started. Big statues, parade cars are put up in every parish. Every parish has his own paella contest, dance hall, costume parade every night. And this for more than a week daily. The last day, all statues get burned. Fire brigades from the region are present to keep the fires downtown, yes in city centre of Alicante, under control. The town is packed with partying people, the way spanish love it.

saturday 17th of june

Again Rafa XC, from Palomaret to Beniloba. Groovy !

Condtions were very very strong. Bartual, one of our other 'best' pilots, flew together with Rafa in pretty marginal conditions. From zero lift to 6 m/s seconds thermals in no time. More inland, growing cumulus congestus. He left Rafa alone and flew back to the landing, big ears in.

Jose Luis, on foto with his Nova Tycoon Dhv 2/3, got in the air only much later. He had a hard time keeping the glider above his head at take off. Once in the air, his speedy glider was pitching and rolling.

It was a very strong day at Palomaret. Safety wise, you had to know your maneuvers. Spirals, B-line stalls, even knowing your full stalls could have been needed. Maybe you call it crazy. But for top-pilots like Rafa, this was not the limit. He still was in control of his old beaten up glider.

If only he had a decent sponsor, who gave him a new glider, good equipment, decent electronics he would win many comps. He would just need some trainer or coach, to charge his batteries, make sure he got his radio or phone with him, and make sure he didn't forget to hook up his speedbar.

I am not blowing his trumpet, but I've seen so many comp pilots down here, that I can tell he belongs to the top of the top-pilots.
Unfortunately he's not born rich, like many top pilots are, but fortunately this is as well, because so he keeps on flying with us !

Nova Tycoon, what a banana eh	Jose Luis - evening sky

friday 16th of june

Instable inland, thunderstorm alert. At our coastal sites, wrong winds. East at Cortina where we need south, south at Cabo where we need east. Inland we didn't even dare going, it looked very angry. The weather is not very paragliding friendly in Spain for the moment. Tomorrow we are supposed to have cloudy weather with south eastern winds, lots of pilots are waiting to get out on the weekend.

thursday 15th of june

Due to some cancellations in July. We can offer a fly guidance, including rent a car and accomodation, swimming pool, sun, beach etc... for 315 euros a week. Only 2 places left at this price from 13th of july. Bad luck, Hendrie, let that foot rest an see you in autumn !

Too much eastern wind, fun for the kitesurfers. And no more full moon to fly at night, when east winds died off to 15 km per hour.

wednesday 14th of june

For those who haven't been on the planet, Spain won 4 -0 yesterday in the world cup soccer. Even if you do not care about soccer at all, the fiesta that was held in Spain after their victory was worth joining. That's why yesterday there was no diary. Too much fiesta, too much vino tinto, too much .... si si si , vamos a Berlin .... .Whole Spain all of a sudden was united again, after the recent political troubles with Catalonia and the Basks. It was as if they won the cup already.

Young, old, boys, girls, paraglider, soccer-lover, all were having a good time. During the game the streets were deserted. And no calls from paragliders, I think the heisa around the world cup kept all pilots home. In the evening, lots of people on the avenues, and a euphoric atmosphere in Alicante. Happy faces, summer arrived, bikinis, ice cream, beach, sea, sex and fun !

The competition in Ager was cancelled yesterday, due to too much wind and instability. Meanwhile Suby is competing in Tsjechie and doing well.

http://spectrograph.net/gallery/

tuesday 13th june

Bad day for France, Togo and Alicante. Because not a paraglider in the air:
Superwaves on the sea, surfboarders and kitesurfers all over. But no flying. Other toys !

There is a huge bowl of cold air above the continent of Spain. Meanwhile the surface is heated up by the hot june Spanish SUN. Winds east, southeast, generated by the hot sun, heating up the land. Winds onshore, sea-air coming in. All this will eventually result in huge thunderstorms tomorrow. Instability all over. Lets look at the towering cumulus nimbus tomorrow, spectacular they will be.

And just before this instability, lots of personal records are broken. 315 k triangle flights for hanggliders, several flights over a 100 k on paragliders, etc... etc ... .

Other good news is that for those interested, we no have a Ozone Geo for only 1450 euros, 10 flights, and excellent condition.

monday 12th of june

I can fill in my diary early today.

Everybody is gone, again made some friends that I will miss.

Pilot Shirin who arrived 10 days ago, telling me that paragliding didn't mean so much to her. I think after her flights this week, she maybe have felt, sensed the magic in flying a bit more. A beautiful girl, restless,and full on.
Geir, what more experienced, the quiet one, who definetely needs another glider. Performing on a slow and lazy UP Makalu, will easily result in first decent XC flying with an Airwave Sport3 or Niviuk Artik for example.

And of course Gerard, been here before a couple of weeks ago. Had his moment of excellent flying above Palomaret, peeking over the crest, into the nature reserve. Overlooking the mountains, with in the far front the Mediterranean Sea, positive vibrations.

If you have a minute look at website of Belgian art photographer Robin Van den Abeele, nice ones :
http://spectrograph.net/gallery/

sunday 11th of june

Off to Monte Cabrer. By the time we got there, tens of vultures were already circling the thermals.

Shirin and Geir made a fantastic thermalling flight all over the valley. Clouds were formed, so it was easy to spot the thermals that went on forever. Geir needs a new glider, he is flying a slow Makalu, I think he should go for a hotter wing. Shirin flying her epsilon should stick with it and get another 50 hours of thermalling under her belt. Where ? Well not in Norway, up northm but down here where the action is. Door is wide open.

Just before our big guys took off, trying to go XC. Well Rafa made at least 90 km this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow when he logs it we will know more. As far as I can see on the map, it might well have been 100 km. He just called, and fuck he said - had to land out again, near the nearest house in Catilla La Mancha. Because in that province, nearest roads are sometimes a 10 to 15 km walk, so he spotted a house where at least he could meet somebody and wait for retrieval.

friday and saturday 9 - 10th of june

We had to live with very high temperatures. Swimming in the waterfalls of Fonts d Algar, snorkeling in the Med, chilling around the pool. No flying, due to strong eastern winds. Shame.

thursday 8th of june

Very scary. A bushfire near your house, smoke making you cough, the noise of burning palmtrees, crackling of dry bamboo and grass on fire. Sirenes of fire brigades nearby, helicopters hoovering.

Between our house and Cabo de Santa Pola there is a nature reserve. It houses many birds, and is a very peaceful area to go mountainbiking, walking. It is classified as a nature reserve. A nature reserve means no licenses can be given to build on it. Unless there is nothing left of the nature reserve.
Makes you think that way, if you heard the locals of the neighbouring village Balsares talking about the fire. They told me, there were plans to build more houses on this very strategic area (road between Alicante and Santa Pola), but no licenses were given. Because it was a nature reserve. And they started laughing, some of them sour.

It reminds me of the fire that was intentionaly set on the hill La Cortina (five very obvious seat fires were found). Shortly after the hill was burned down, they could start building Terra Mitica (Benidorm), with Zaplana as one of the main investors. Señor Zaplana, there is a big chance you will hear from him as future president of Spain. And they all got away with it.
Terra Mitica is our site above Benidorm, one of our most fragile sites at the moment. The hill and landing field is owned by Warner Brothers now, bless 'em.

No flying today, winds were too strong onshore. Didn't help stopping the fire either, it is still burning out there. Helicopters still hoovering above the house. Some pictures. Maybe in three years I can take pictures of new built holiday homes from hell, or a golf course. I said maybe, but I mean 'hopefully not'.

wednesday 7th of june

Early start at Caudete, the sit with the windmills. Bartual and Jose Luis in the air. It was soon very obvious it wasn't gonna be a great day for XC. Winds were cross and strong. You could tell the Gin Boomeang4 and the Airwave Mustang didn't have a lot of groundspeed aiming upwind for thermals.

Later in the afternoon after a spanish lunch in the village of Caudete we flew lots better at Palomaret. At first small cylinders of thermals, +4 m/s, nasty, very small. But as always things died off and all in the air.

Shirin, our Iranian-Norwegian girl took off at Caudete and we all had a bit of a scare. My heart is still pounding. A typical beginner mistake. Took off, got into a thermal immediately and decided to use the breaks to make her sit more comfortable in her harnass. the glider almost almost stalled, an Advance Epsilon. I shouted to let go off her brakes, and she literally let go of her breaks. Followed by a huge surge, leading into frontal collapse. She penduled underneath and just when the glider reopened hit the ground. She couldn't have been more lucky. She could have been seriously injured or worse.

Lots of low airtimers use break to make them sit more comfortable. To be honest I remember the day when somebody told me in my early 'flying carreer', not to use my breaks to get seated. But get both brakes in one hand and shove the thing under my butt. Do the same please.

Hey, a great sunny day in Alicante, accompanied by some epic flying over Caudete and Palomaret. Carpe diem !

tuesday 6th of june

Cabo was again the spot were we all met. It is a bit too hot for the moment to go inland. Record temperatures again in Seville etc... . Tomorrow we go inland, most probably to Sierra del Carche. Hopefully cloudbase is high and we can go places. It looks promising, as long as it doesn't get TOO unstable. But then we can always come back and fly nearer to the coast, no problem with that in Alicante.

monday 5th of june

Relaxing day. Reading the XC story Toni mas7 made. He flew during the comp this weekend from Reconco to Gandia, landing on the beach. Couldn't fly any further so.

The only pilot who ever did bette was Dave Snowdon who flew from Peña Rubia to Gandia. And Dave Snowdon is not just a pilot, but a pilot and a half.

We flew at Cabo today, enjoying the tandems and the flying in very relaxed atmosphere.

sunday 4th of june

Flying over El Cid. Typical Alicante landscape, bit Arizone like. very dry, rock formations, hot.

Later in the day, after lunch, back to Palomaret to have some easy flying over the ridges heading to Maigmo. If every day would be like this, it'll be heaven.

v El Cid, the little dots are the paragliders

Four 'parisiens', disguised as one french, an Italian who loves racing, one spanish macho, and a disguised norwergian. Take care !

saturday 3rd june

Cabo at first, too instable inland, starting up the day soaring. Then Palomaret, excellent thernalling flying. Something Remi, Jean Philippe, Bruno y Herve never gonna forget I think.

And then talking about Shirin getting to cloudbase on her first thermalling flight. What can I say, the weather is with us again, very warm and sunny.

Cabo de Santa Pola, wish you were here.

friday 2nd june

Fantastic, hours of flying.

Test-flew the just sold Advance Bi Beta3, told you before. Another british pilot found his way to buy his equipment at more reasonable prices on the continent. It felt great to fly the mercedes amongs the tandem gliders. But for a full review, please read the magazines.

Have to go have tapa's and a bottle of deep rose-red Rioja wine, have to celebrate the day with the french and the norwegians. Somebody has to do it no ?

thursday 1st of june

My french buddies were so eager today after a couple of days of not flying, but drinking, they were at take off Santa Pola at 8.30 am, yes 8.30 am.

I arrived at 10.30 am, after a nice breakfast, including café con leche at the ciosco Susy. Just in time to take off, in the still somewhat gusty conditions.
It bettered by the minute and looking down I saw the 'frogs' taking off one by one.
They flew over 3 hours.

During the central hours we had our lunch at Sueño Azul, a four course meal for only 8 euros. Together with new arrived pilots from Norway. Always very nice to welcome pilots from the Scandinavian countries. I admit they do have funny names, but they usually have good take off skills. And the latest equipment.

Then we left for Reconco. A 1100 meter ASL hill, with nice late afternoon soaring potential.

Arrived and immediately in the air for an hour of smooth soaring.

This weekend there is a local competition held in Reconco. Tomorrow we probably go practice there.

Remi flying Niviuk Hook over Onil	Gary just bought an Advance Bibeta tandem glider, another British pilot finding his way to buy his equipment at Spanish euro price.