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sunday 31st of july
What a weird day, winds too strong all day. Even late in the evening still blowing from the east. We had a day off so, enjoying the shade.
saturday 30th july
Greg, Jimmy, Steve, say hello to the ones I know in England. Ian got his first flight in at Palomaret. Followed me around in the thermals up to the crest. Just minutes after launching he was screaming happy. His best flight ever, after years of trying to get good flights in at home.
Conditions were great, smooth thermals taking you all the way up over the mountain tops, giving you splendid views of the nature reserve in the back.
Clouds came in later in the afternoon, so maybe tomorrow we stick to the coast and fly.
friday 29th july
conditions too strong for taking off at our XC sites Sierra del Carche Info from pilots nearby made us stop on our way full of expectations. What was left ? Well Gregg and Steve took the kajak out to the island of Tabarca in the sea. Knackered but happy I met them again this afternoon for flying at Calpe. At first weak (!), but after a wait lovely to soar above the Morro de Toix rock.
It's been a good week for the Manchester boys. Flew every day and did well. I am sure they enjoyed the babes in the swimming pools early morning, the tapa in the local bars, the flying, the sun, the sea. Hope we see you back guys !
thursday 28 july
Well if we register 9 m/s thermals at 6 pm, it means it was allright no ?
It was, it was great flying. At one point in the back we saw huge development and winds started to kick in strongly. We were aware of venturi's and stayed out of them. In front of us, the inversion layer. In the back huge clouds building up. So we had to be checking weather for a while. But it turned out the better way. The instability didn't get to our hill. Again the Alicante breeze, the sea only a good 15 km from the site, withheld the nasty conditions from inland with its strong summer sea-breeze. Meteo-wise a pretty interesting paragliding day.
Front is passing over tonight, tomorrow looks like XC day. Hopefully the bit colder upper air, will get us higher cloudbase. Thermals could kick in strong tomorrow.
wednesday 27 july
Day started with a flight at Cabo de Santa Pola. A bit later off to La Cortina. Finishing the day near Calpe, flying over Toix. KnACkerEd...
tuesday 26 july
At last I got my pilots to do something. Flying to Maigmo and back, at times a bit punchy. All did well, registered 4 m/s thermals. A tandem flight, a toplanding, a beer and calamares, sepia, merluza, albondigas. A nice surprise for the oh so british Gregg. He asked me to put the Irish pub on my list of things to go to, yeah right. Maybe the fish 'n chips in Santa Pola as well then.
No Gregg, tomorrow I take you to a very old lady's restaurant, and you are gonna try her delicious paella ! Welcome to the world.
And this after flying. Tomorrow it is supposed to be west, and I hope to go to Calpe. Always nice in summer, landing on the beach, after a XC to Sierra Bernia. Fingers crossed, I have good pilots this week so Calpe could be an option.
monday 25 july
We got Jim's glider repaired whose lines got snapped yesterday on our spanish grass. He did allright, and from what I heard from his buddies, it's been a while since they have seen him above take off anywhere. Good.
Not too many pilots on the hill, with this continuing heatwave, they stay down near the beaches.
The air was calm, here and there a punchy thermal, but nothing to worry about. Not too gusty at take off and smooth at the landings.
sunday 24 july
Oh, a good day in the mountains. Not epic climb but 400 meters above take off. Thermals plus 3 m/s, punchy at times. We needed some sport. Three british pilots around, I think they can fly all the sites. Manchester boys. Tomorrow afternoon I invite them to go inland to one of our specials.
Still high pressure, visibility poor.
saturday 23 july 2005
Another day at Palo for us, some flew at Toix. Nowhere very good. You could fly for a while, but too much work to stay in the thermals. You had to keep on using the same thermals till you dropped out. The weather is too hot, too inverted. Tomorrow we stay at the coast.
The only remarkable event today was, that a Ukranian pilot thought I was the red cross. After guiding him the whole bit, he gave me the poor excuse that in Urkaine people didn't earn that much money yet, so couldn't pay. Just a minute before, he took out his GPS for data, and told me he was in Spain mainly to buy a 4x4 pick-up truck. What a lousy cheater.
Yes, he got away with it, I am too soft, too soft, too soft.
Lets hope soon we get the promised thunderstorms. We want the rain, it has been too dry for a long time. And we need to get some instability so we get high again.
friday 22 july 2005
Another day at Palo. Afternoon flying, when temperatures drop a bit, because it seems we are in a never ending heat wave, 38 degrees celsius. Nicte thermals, winds a bit off to the east on our southern hill.
Low inversion, haze over the valleys. No XC days, but thermals as long as you please.
thursday21 july 2005
Typical summer day. 35 degrees celsius. So you have your coffee at the kiosk early morning, get bread and food for lunch.
At noon it is already so hot, the only place you can hold out is in the pool or near the sea. In between dips, you live your life inside under the ceiling fan. After the obligatory siesta, you meet fellow pilots at 4.30.
Another cafe con leche, to get going for the late afternoon flight. On the hill, the usual friends. Today with Gregory, a Polish pilot and Nigel, British pilot, up in the air at Palomaret. At first a bit rough, eastern wind, low cloudbase, windsheer at 1050 meters above sea level.
Later at 8 pm, it switched off quite fast, so refreshing beer at the old man's bar Antoniet, Agost.
20 july 2005
I was wrong. they didn't carry the virgin Mary from church to village. They were carrying the statue of Maria Magdalena, and as far as I remember she wasn't a virgin at all. I think I actually would have joined her friendship with good old Jesus.
So we flew over the procession, lots of people chanting. Once in a while a canon-shot, scared the shit out of us. Seconds later you could see the black smoke of the bom, just below your feet.
We had fun. Not a normal flying day, but a get together with pilots from the village Novelda. This site is not flewn a lot. We'r spoiled with other good sites, but it was funm, just to make the effort and do this.
19 july 2005
Afternoon flying till late in the night with full moon at Cabo de Santa Pola. Magic !
Tomorrow we fly at La Molla. Down in the valley there is a yearly procession, bringing down the holy virgin Marie from church to the village. Each year we contribute by flying over the procesion, a very very special flight. Holy, holy.
18 july 2005
Again thanks for the support for Cabo de Santa Pola. Some friends ask me if the BIC code is correct. Yes it is. The BIC code is the new name for the older SWIFT code.
| Anyway, good late afternoon flying at Palomaret. Just the four of us. Rafa, Kath my wife, Peter my friend and me. And conditions were superb. Late restitution lift all over, getting you high above the crest, overlooking the natural park of El Cati. |
17 july 2005
Hard work to stay up at Cabo de Santa Pola. Left in the afternoon for Palo and flew until thunderstorm didn't permit us any longer. Again, hot, hot ,hot.
16 july 2005
96 degrees in the shade ! Forty-two celsius for the Europeans. We flew a bit at Palo, but the inversion didn't permit us to fly nice thermals. Heatwave !
Tonight there is the semi-final of the international handball tournament for girls in my nearby village Torrellano. Jamaica vs Brasil, it is gonna be hot in the gym.
Tomorrow we all prefer to fly at the coast, when it is so hot, it is nice to have a dip in the sea to cool down.
15 july 2005
First a big thank you to all you guys, who sent us money to save Cabo de Santa Pola. Thank you, you are stars. We'll keep you informed.
This morning somebody was flying at the cliffs. I didn' fly today, just took the kajaks out and had a tour on the sea with them. Tomorrow again, full service for visiting pilots.
14 july 2005
Strong at Palomaret and pretty off to the east. Rafa in the air and Ismael., Antolino and me waiting. Until it got too cross from the east, almost northeast. I had tandems to do, and preferred to go to our famous site near Santa Pola.
Took off solo, soon to find out that wind on little heights were very strong. My XC trainer measured 35 km/h norhteast. So no tandems done today.
Richard, you were here last weeks of June. Got your inquiry for a Sup·air Cocoon harnass, but lost your email address. I can get you that harnass for 680 euros, as doyouwanna guest I knock off another 60 euros. So you only pay 620 euros. Let me know what to do, ok ? And which months to come down to get good flying. Try september, still availability.
03 july - 13 july 2005
These two weeks we were up north to have a break, and fly a bit. Flying was not our priority, we do fly enough at home. But had to meet Roberto from Logroño to fly up north near the famous rioja region. Heading back home we passed Arcones, flying site near Segovia. I tell you, if you are looking for a place to start up a guiding service abroad, then choose the region of Logroño. Nobody is there, and it has opportunities. Maybe not all year around, but definetely from spring onwards till early autumn. Maybe call it IFYOUWANNA.
Some photos I shot during my flying near Logroño. To be very honest, maybe I shouldn't have been in the air. I can only assure you that if I was guiding pilots, I would not have advised to fly. In the distance I saw foehn-clouds coming in over the mountain area up north. At take off it was still gusting 30 km/h. Took off, one eye on my XC trainer (what a machine, you all should get one), to check wind conditions. At the end of my flight, with plus 4 m/s cloudsuck, I had only 5 km groundspeed, full bar on my Airwave Magic. Made some maneuvers to get down, and landed near my camper where wife and kid were playing. The Rioja wine tasted just fine.
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02 july
Family arrived, taking care of the house. Had some tandem flights with the little ones at the cliffs. Loved it of course, sunny, over the Med, ice cream, playa, swim. Tomorrow early morning, before the heat we are off up north again. We will explore the region of La Rioja with our paragliders. And we won't say no if invited to have a taste of the best (spanish) red wine the Rioja !
Cheers, be back the 18th of july to guide more visiting pilots from up north. Still availability first two weeks of August, be quick though.
01 july
No locals were flying today. Unfortunately, because maybe today Monte Cabrer would have been nice. So stayed local at our famous Cabo de Santa Pola site.
Got pretty nerveus, when a brit asked me what I was doing there. He had the guts to let me know that there had been burglaries, asking me if I was allowed in to get to the paragliding take-off. What an asshole. So sad to see that those persons can fuck up the easy going, laidback lifestyle of the spanish. For crying out loud, go back home.
Anyway, after that had a flight with Richard and tried (again) the Airwave Mustang. Rafa, Antolino, Richard an me, 4 pilots that was it for today.
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