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wednesday 31st august
Very cloudy at coast today. Inland it looked better. We sometimes have a wall of clouds up to 15/20 km inland. In autumn, and especially in winter. It looked like we had the same meteo phenonemon today. Today some friends flew inland, near Onil, which is approximately 5 km behind the line where sea breeze gets to usually. From this imaginary line, the structure of our mountains are more green and less Arizona looking like.
Sometimes in winter, we have very low clouds not permitting us to fly on near sites like Palomaret. Amazing once we pass these line (Maigmo-Palomaret), the sun burns through and we have blue sky. It has to do with the huge humidity near the coastal area. Very amazing and hard to describe.
Cloudbase was not high, but some friends managed to fly a couple of hours. At Onil.
tuesday 30th august
Some locals informed we that flying in the mountains was not the best choice. Turbulent and low cloudbase, so no prices to be won. Antolino flew at the coast, which was a better choice. Safe flyng and nice views, again training take offs and top landings, maneuvers etc... .
Personally I went to the waterpark Aqualandia, to check the rides and tobogans. To check if everything is still safe to let you have a good time on our rarely non flyable days.
monday 29th august
Some in the mountains, we at the coast. Had to fly some tandems with friends. Nobody there, just Antolino and me. From next week onwards visitng pilots will enjoy our sites again. I hope it will encourage more local pilots to fly with us. The more the merrier.
sunday 28th of august
Officially not guiding till the first of september, then Icelandian fellows want to rule the skies in Alicante.
But some phone calls asking to do tandem flgihts, couldn't resist and flew all afternoon several tandems. One was very special at the end of the day. Flew for the first time with my six year old son Paquito. Many pilots asked me if I had taken him up for a flight yet. No, I didn't, I told all of you then, that I was waiting until he asked me.
Well this summer his was asking me when he could go fly with me. We did. I tell you, after many hundreds of tandem flights, it felt different. I flew a Gradient Aspen with him, a smooth nice glider, deadeasy to launch. But still, it is something different flying with your kid for the first time. You want everybody to fly far away from you, and lots lots of space to topland ... .
A little milestone for me it was, nothing else. But hours of flying again today, can't beat that.
saturday 27th of august
This week we were visiting family and friends in Belgium. No change there, trees a big bigger, lots of green, everybody a bit older, and same old tourist traps in downtown Bruges.
Down here they flew every day, or at the coast or on our hills. Some 25 km XC flights were done.
Got home this morning and flew this afternoon at Palomaret. Not too many on the hill. I think the heat takes its toll. Many locals wait till september to fly all days again. It has to cool down soon.
friday 19th of august
You had to have the window right for Cabo., At first too weak, then too strong, then very cloudy. But between 4 and 5.30 it was super. Climbs soaring, climbs cloudsuck. Later on the sea got nerveus, so time to get down. Kisses for Youri who's leaving home tonight, and Dave who has been kitesurfing as well this week. Both got their first license as kite-surfers.
Tomorrow closed for a week, see you all back on the 28th for more flying, have fun.
thursday 18th of august
No flying, too dangerous today. When we arrived at Palo, clouds were forming over the Onil valley. Big fat cumulus clouds, BBC's - big black clouds, a bit later cunimbs on the left on the right. Mammatus forming, so shot of back home, making ourselves beautiful now to head for downtown Alicante. For those who have been here, raise a glass, we go to the Mojito bar. Our visiting friend Yoeri is an in Belgian well known salsa dancer, lets see what he can pull.
Tomorrow weather looks a bit better, a bit less unstable. Have to get these guys in the air, because it is their last day, and that counts.
wednesday 17th august
Strong all day. Boys went kite surfing. Later in the afternoon some flights though. Until it got stormy on the sea, so time to get down.
An hour later back home in my village El Altet, it started raining. First drop of rain, and guess what. The usual, no more electricity in my entire village and this for more than over three hours. It rains so little, many main power-cables are not insulated at all, this must be it. Because it happens again and again.
But we take it as it comes, no worries. It is part of it. In the distance, the blackpool coast line was lit all the time. While they were having silly quizes in their Dick Turpin's bars, we had a candle light dinner with a cool Rioja red wine.
tuesday 16th august
Again too unstable inland. Dark clouds, embedded cunimbs. So stayed at the coast. Joeri got better at this wingovers with his brandnew Tequila. Dave unfortunately couldn't take off, winds too strong. Many locals at the site, which is always nice.
A chat, a flight, a hug. a kiss, a toplanding, quite relaxing, making plans for tomorrow "mañana", ... , Spain gets to you after a while, you can't leave it.
monday 15th of august
Low cloudbase and lots of wind all morning. It was gonna be flying at the coast, not in the mountains. And it was. With some 25 pilots in the air at Cabo de Santa Pola. It felt good that the site is not forgotten by other Spanish pilots from inland, like Madrid, Ciudad Real, etc... .
Many tandems in the air, shouts of happiness, lots of pictures taken. That's how Cabo de Santa Pola should be. Lots of fun, lots of pilots, no hassles ! Viva Cabo !
Sunday 14th august
Afternoon cliff soaring at Santa Pola. It had to be done, relaxing flying on a lazy sunday afternoon. Families, kids, tourists, all enjoying the colours in the sky.
saturday 13th of august
Today Juan Pedro will remember as he flew 105 km from Caudete to Cuenca. Site record.
We were at Palomaret doing tandems and having fun in the pretty rough thermals. But nothing like his XC flight, Congratulations my friend, you're the best !!
friday 12th of august
Hours of soaring at Cabo de Santa Pola. That was the flying today. It is august, this is Spain's vacation months, many visiting Spanish pilots in the air. The Mediterranean had its beautiful color again, a color you can't describe. The reflection of the sun in it, so warm so inviting.
thursday 11th of august
| I'm just a lonely boy , ... , lonely and high , ..., tears in my eyes, ... , oh I can cry, ... (Eduardo's imterpretation of some Gene Pitney song I suppose) Ron managed to take off in the only 10 minute window we had, nobody else enjoyed a more than an hour flight over La Muela. You know we have lots of sites (30 or more), this one I hadn't been for years ........ |
wednesday 10th of august
Flew late in the afternoon, but as you can see it weren't condtions for low airtime pilots.
Pictures taken minutes after landing.
tuesday 9th of august
good day - sunshine, mijn voeten.
It was 40 degrees at take off today, so a bit of a thirsty hot day. We flew at Cabo. Very tyring day. Too hot to do something. But visiting pilots were here to do their thing. So luckily they had some flights over the cliffs. In the evening it was way too hard for many. Blowing 30 kn per hour. But nice once in the air, time to do some maneuvers, assymetrics, spirals, wing overs. Have to do it, rust never sleeps.
monday 8th august
We have to remember this day as exceptional. Today was not flyable, and this in mid-summer, strange.
Even late in the afternoon, no flying was possible.
From inland, thunderstroms were approaching. Usually they rarely get to the coast with this eastern wind we have. But instability was too near to have safe flights. Some of my buddies were on the hills inland, and informed us not to come. So stayed at the coast.
The sea is usually one of the best indicators of what the wind does. But this only when the prevailing wind or the sea breeze is gaining terrain. What happens usually is that at first we start to see white horses, or if the winds are kicking in fast, then first we see the "cellulite"-lines on the sea before white horses appear. Then we know it is time to get speedbar ready.
This is not the case when instability, thunderclouds are approaching. Because the accompanying winds, gusts can easily come from the upper air layer, as cloudsuck for instance.
As well as important is the density of the air. The more dense the air is the easier you can be flying backwards with strong winds. The more dense the air, the bigger the resultant force remember ?
More : sea level density standard pressure 1013 mb, 1.225 kg per cubic meter, which decreases by altitude. Density of the air is one of the factors that influence the aerodynamic resultant force. Other factors, shape of your paraglider, speed of your wing, ... .
Oh god, lets go out and play.
sunday 7th august
Gary in the air when we arrived after coffee break in Agost. Conditions were good. Blue sky, nice and warm, pressure dropping, thermals up to 4 m/s. Ron and Hendrie, Kath flew till late. It wasn't epic the flying, but building up airtime for a couple of hours is never a loss.
saturday 6th august
Once a year we go to Guadalest to fly over the lake. It is a bit out of our way, but many pilots are happy to jump on the truck and take the ride to take off with its astonishing views. We fly above the most visited village in Spain, Guadalest. Guadalest is a small village which was "broken" in two pieces by an earthquake. One part lies 100 meters lower than the other part of the village.
It is an amazing place, and a hell of a ride to take off, where the views are astonishing. You have to fly there early, because at noon the sea breeze kicks in and funnels through the valleys. If you are too late to get down, if you haven'¡t seen the windlines on the lake, then speedbar is a must. We land near the lake, skinny dipping in the cold water, have an ice cream later on, and chill till the sea breeze dies down to fly at the coastal site near Calpe, Toix. And that's what was happened for the most of us.
On photo Bartual with his Boomerang 4. The air is so bright and clear and blue, the reflection of it, in the lake, is magical.
Friday 5th august
Went to good old Palomaret. When we arrived some pilots Jose Luis Segorb (Up Trango), Rafa (the remains of a Gradient Bliss) and Pedro (Gradient Onyx) Altur were already near Los Ventos, trying to achieve the triangle Palo - Miagmo - Los Ventos and back.
Hendrie (dutch Sigma6)) and Ian (Brit Sky glider blue), didn't mind to fly a bit later. Thermals were still plus 4/2 meter per second, so enough to get over the crest and overlook the natural reserve in the back. Big smiles all over.
Ian especially is happy about what he achieved this week. He got a lot better skill in his thermalling than when he arrived. Groovy.
Thursday 4 august
Everything went wrong today. I am gonna keep it short. I have a bleeding bottom leg right now. Got home from "flying" and I helped my little neighbour's kid, to learn how to bicycle, let him go, he fell with his whole body and bike against me, auch !
Went to Monte Cabrer, took 8 pilots up to fly. Wanted to take off where the car was parked, and got stung by a wasp, auch !
My dear old friend Hector then showed me a new take off, he cleaned from sticky bushes and spanish grass, he asked me if I wanted to give it a try. Maybe it could be ok, no more walks up you know. Come on Nick, do it !
Damn man, sweating my ass of in this heat, sliding down on the very very steepy "new" take off. Sliding like on my back, yes backwards, feet up.
NOW, NOW ! There IS a gust Nic ! Give it a go !.
Damn, why do I always listen to my buddies, I am too good. There was no gust, so again I slid off the steep hill, my glider not at all wanting to fly. I got hit sliding down by a rock, auch ! That'll hurt sitting on that side for a while.
I finally drove down. When I was at the landing field, and asked Rafa if they all had gone home, finished the day. He pointed up, and then I saw, realising that some of them were still flying and already had a super flight for over an hour in nice thermalling conditions.
Huh, I never be a champ. I'll have a Havana Club on the rocks.
Love you all !
wednesday 3 august
Summer flying. Many spanish have their month off in august. It was nice to see the Cabo packed again with our colourful gliders. At last some tourist found there way again to the take off, so we can chat with them, and sometimes do a tandem.
It was not too hot today, more bearable, a northeastern wind all day, which always cools down.
tuesday 2nd august
Too strong to fly, hugh cumulus nimbus inland. Lovely for kite-surfing, pretty nice to have some shade once in a while.
Had a long drive at night, to watch Jamiroquai, over the moon.
monday 1st of august
Got up this morning, lots of things to do. Sort out rent a car for Ian, get the girls to the waterpark. And the wind was getting more and more on the hill. After all these years, still getting slightly nerveus to get on time to give Ian his first flight at the Cabo de Santa Pola.
Great, at 11 amn, we were on time. Flew for an hour, before we had a rest, because getting too hot and windy.
Then in the afternoon, we had a plan to meet at 5 pm again at take off. A bit later in the air with Darragh, and Andy. A bit later two ladies in the air with us, mon and girlfriend of Dominic. Conditions weren't getting better. Winds calmed down a whole lot, got more cross to the south. Managed to top land on each occasion. No lying, my passenger Andy, Australian bloke, preferred landing on the beach near the chiringuito (which is such a more beautiful name for 'bar on the beach').
It would be rude not to say, but today we flew with Jamiroquai's friends. They are in Alicante for the moment, on tour in Spain. Jamiroquai we met at take off, we had a chat, a beer at the chiringuito, and are invited to see his gig tomorrow.
Don't know if I need to say, but I always loved his music, and now holy shit you have a beer with the man. Life is good, isn't it ...
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