Friday, October 31, 2008





Spain completely covered by cloud, see satelite foto. Next is isobarmap, speaks for itself. No flying possible.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

´Shows you how easy the Niviuk TAKOO reverse launches in termic conditions. Thanks Marcus for sending this.
What has this to do with paragliding ?

Well today we saw beautiful lenticularis clouds on the lee side of our mountains. Beautiful clouds in the shape of an almond.

And these clouds also appear in the fresco's of Pierra del Francesca in Arezzo Italy. That painter used to live at the foot of the mountains and so was probably inspired by the wonderful shapes of these clouds.
All 15th century. On practically all his fresco's he painted these clouds. And not like everybody else the fluffy cumulus clouds.

Ok, ok, I leave it. I am just surrounded by three pilots who are teachers and it rubs off I guess.

Take care.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

sky looked great, but the winds were too strong,
so voluntarily the pilots were invited to go to the VIA FERRATA near Villena and do some climbing on the steps, ropes, ladders, hooks and bolts.











Tuesday, October 28, 2008


Same foto almost isn't it ? Well it is Jean Paul, Olivier's buddy who is flying at Toix today.
In between bad weather there was a good hour window at Toix. Southwestern winds, climb over the sea. And landing at Calpe for the first time for Olivier.
Bit difficult to find a site to fly, because of the weather looking badly. We were in the eye of the ocluded front today. So sometimes no wind, but sometimes hit by heavy rainfall. Calpe had some wind on its hill from early morning, it was just a matter of being lucky actualy for that wind to pick up a little. Some sun, a bit of safe cloudsuck, ingredients for a great day.

Monday, October 27, 2008


Today was the day to get out and get every minute of flying in, knowing bad weather was gonna come in again. So we did. Off to Peña rubia to check if we could get some morning flying in having western winds. At times some promising wind at take off, but it never kicked in. So off to the coast where we flew at good old Palomaret.
Ismael and Rafa texted me that is was smooth but on the hill. No rush. The breeze had to kick in, as western winds were dying off, and the haze came in looking towards the coastal line.
Once arrived winds were already peaking 35 km per hour.
Olivier with his fast UP Trango took off, followed by his buddy Jean Paul. Soon Guy, Ian, Andrew, Steven, Gunther and Birgit. Terrific lift, and for as long as you wished.
A splendid day in between bad weather spells.
Look at the chart below. Damn huge front, scary. With an ocluded front just above our head, looks promising looking for paella-snails tomorrow than for anything else.
Problem is the high above the Atlantic, is obstacled to get on the continent by a deepening low over the gulf of Biscaye by thursday. (northwestern part of Spain)



Sunday, October 26, 2008


Alicante southeastern part of Spain, costa Blanca. That's where we still got hit with strong eastern winds. Just below us, at the Costa del Sol, Malaga it is even worse.
As you can tell a high is promising over the Azores. But as we can see on the map a huge front is approaching from northern Europe. It'll give us some flying, but then we have to cope again with strong winds and with the polar air coming in, we'll have a descent in temperatures. Today was still high in the twenties, summery feeling. That was nice.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cow weather, rainy and grey. Everything turns green down here.
No flying today.

See you later Jon, David, Johan, and Fredrik.

Friday, October 24, 2008


Where is the best place to go fly ?
It is very simple. NOT where cheese is made. Because where cheese is made, there are cows. Where cows are, there is grass. And grass needs lots of rain. So don't go where cheese is made. Too much grass there, bad weather, not there so.

It is very simple. GO where olive trees grow. Because olive trees need a lot of sun and good weather. Lots of sun and good weather you find in the south of Europe. Southern countries such as Spain. Where there is good weather, Alicante so.
(inspired after an Adrian Thomas quote)
Today the weather was bad ...

Thursday, October 23, 2008



Been trying out the brandnew Advance Sigma7. Of course again you feel the solidness of Advance, the quality of Advance as soon as you take it in the air. Just wanted to put these fotos on my blog. Lots of words have been published already on different forums about this glider, so better check yourself. I talked to the pilots who picked up their Advance Sigma7 down here in Alicante, and they are all over the moon.
Something else, check this out and give it your vote, or better plant it into your blog :
No flying today, windy and rainy.




Wednesday, October 22, 2008



We were flying near Villena today, Peña Rubia.

Down below Jim pointing us out where he didn't want to be. Towering cumulus by 2 pm, ready to go back to the coast.

The Northumbria Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club is a small, but dedicated club consisting of pilots from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and surrounding areas of Durham and Northumberland.
They were here, just left, and hope they'll be back.
Their website : www.nhpc.org.uk

In case you think the only thing I love is flying. Here is a foto of my son, Paco, he is my everything.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008



Tonight, beer o'clock. After a full days of flying, in the sun, in the wind, everybody gets thirsty.
Every picture tells a story, wasn't it Rod Stewart ?

Evita under her Skyjoy ? something like that, a very special brand, never heard of it, but it seems to fly nice
Kike and Raul, local flying bums at Cabo
Liam trying out the Gin Zulu, lets hope he goes for that wing, it would give him so much more pleasure than his old beaten up Wave. Go for it Liam !
Group flying at Cabo, after we go back from flying at Palomaret. Where we left because of the towering cumulus just behind take off. Still had great thermals in early day.
Nice heights at Cabo, definetely one of the better days at the cliffs. Look at the sky, nerveus inland no ?

Viva Suecia, Fredrik pointy harnass, and Ronny bataclava.

Belgian SAT master Tone, lots of skills.
Laurel flying a Windtech Combat, attack !
An Niviuk NK1 in the air. Super glider to get used to the flying. Absolutely to recommend for low airtimers, to get confidence in. After a year of flying this glider, all should be ready to jump up to the more performing Niviuk Hook.
Should I stay or should I go ?

In the back Piti making out. In the front, Alex, thanks for all your help, you'r a star.



Monday, October 20, 2008



Obvious. No flying today. Windy, lots of clouds. Just good to play baseball at the beach, go climbing near Sax, game of tennis, chilling feet up. Whatever suitable.

Sunday, October 19, 2008



We have to get to the take off of Cabo early. See if the wind veers to the east, possible be in the air before it picks up. Textbook, exactly what happened. Too strong too fast, as soon as it got on the hill, east.
Tone, Belgian pilot with Aspen flew the longest, keeping an eye on his GPS, because having forward speed was important.
That's it ?
No way. We had good flying inland afterwards. Lots of wind at the coast, and nasty clouds behind. But a huge window for all of us. Strange though, all over winds, and just in the Agost valley lot less wind. Our magic mountain lets say.
Usually on sundays the site is pretty busy. But no one was on the outlook I guess, we had the whole mountain for ourselves. Meanhwile John and Fredrik, flying with their new Advance gliders and harnasses. Mercedes quality.

Saturday, October 18, 2008



Everybody flew each other glider it seemed. We had hours to check out how good or bad other gliders flew.
Many pilots in the air, I counted 30 in the air at one point, but "this site is big enough for the both of us" we were all singing.
I flew the Niviuk Peak and the Gradient AvaxXC2. I felt more comfy under the Peak, but I am used to fly the Niviuk gliders. The gradient Avax of course is a hell of a glider, but was more cautious in the turns etc... . Doesn't mean shit, gotta get to know your glider, and in time you know how it behaves.
We flew till dark, till winds were just getting stronger. Meaning tomorrow maybe blown out .... bummer.
Per, Alan, Johan, Jesus nice to have had you again. Stay sexy you all !
Can't complain, we had great days so far this week. Although the forecast was crap.

Friday, October 17, 2008



Flying at Carrascoy for some of us. With an amazing flight from Chris under his Gradient AvaxXC2. Got in the air just right in time, before the breeze from the back kicked in. Used the convergence all the way.
Then we moved to Fortuna, where all of us got our feet off the ground. Some feet not too much off the ground, some feet way high !
Fortuna has two take offs, one low one high. We split the group in two, trying to please everybody according his skills. The higher one is a bit more technical and can be dodgy when things go wrong.
Lots of efforts on a not so good day, but we managed again to fly. About an hour of flying for some of us, at Fortuna. Where nobody else flies but us ..... . Weird.

Thursday, October 16, 2008


Toix, Calpe. Soaring site with fascinating views. Southwest. Italians, Swedish, English and Irish pilots, a couple of locals.
Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Carrasqueta. Less challenging, winds were weak, so only top to bottoms. For most of the pilots first time on Carrasqueta.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008





Flights with a view for the newcombers from Newcastle. And although the weather forecast again was bad, we had blue sky and big thermals all afternoon. Later in the day, lots of clouds, but still to be flewn till 6 pm.
The weather forecasts have been very wrong lately. All predictions were against us again today. We were supposed to have strong eastern winds, but none of that. As soon as I woke up, I could tell, by the look of the inversion layers, that breezes were gonna take over. And with the northern winds up high, cloudbase was gonna be enjoyable. So it was.

The foto's are not todays, my new camera Pentax E50 is crap. Blurry, or white, or nothing. Can't get it right. Anyway I hope all enjoyed the views, some of them even flew all the way to Maigmo, El cid and back.

Best performance for the low airtimers today, who managed to have their first real thermal flights in. Also for Dudo, but that's no surprise, he did the classic, Maigmo-Los Ventos-El Cid and toplanded. Two hour flight a day, and he's off home.

(roadtrip pyrenees june july 2009 = fully booked, sorry)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008


DOYOUWANNA roadtrip to the Pyrenees 2009

saturday 28 june 2009 till saturday 4 july 2009.
Cost same price like previous years, 450 euros.
More info later.
(foto Hendrie flying over the monastery near Berga)


Sorry guys. Little time to write in my blog. Early start, late home. We have been flying all day, from early till late. Knackered and have to get ready for another day.
Today was superb, at one point the challenge was more to find some sink, rather than lift. Estupendo. And we had the honour to have Claudio, the founder of Niviuk, amongst us.