Fog in the morning. Waitng for a breeze, some time some where.

We had some flights at Peña Rubia and later on at Villena. But nothing big. Just parawaiting, chatting and a bit of flying. Not the best day, but for most of us two new sites, which was nice.

Dutch friends gone home, take care guys and girls !!

Landscape at ours and Pedro, good old friend from Calpe

Paragliding Alicante

Can be having his lousier days as well. Today was not the best. Ok, Volker flew one hour and a half, but then he is almost called Vodka isn't he Dave.

Anyway, inversion was thick, no thermals and winds dying off just after they started kicking in.

We all meet at Landy's Bar in Torrellano tonight, and will have home cooked tapas. An ordinary spanish bar, just the way we like it.

Morro de Toix, what a beauty to fly.

Take off Morro de Toix

Ulli Germany

Flying over Toix with Calpe in the distance.

An excellent day at Toix. A beauty to fly on.

Todays fotos by by Volker and Ulli. Lots of dutch pilots under their Swing gliders today got christened on our site near Altea, surely they loved it.

All good

We're a happy family, we're a happy family !

Lots of cloud this morning, but at noon sun burning through. So we had to go to a place where we only need a bit of sun, where the structure of the hill would help us with a little wind to soar up dynamic-lty, then 360-ing in the smoother thermals outside in the bowl. Exactly, looking for a bowl, wher air is compressed, and where some lee-thermals would do the rest.

Fortuna !!!! Sierra del Corque, where silince is deafening.

Well, the family was happy.

Oh god, you do remember don't ya.

Yes cloudbase was easy to reach.

Volker a German champion amongst us.

And Cloud (what a name) another German pilot with lots of skills.

We were ready for an easy day of peacefull flying at Palomaret today. A no stress day, hours if you wanted, or just her and there a flight, a toplanding, a drink a chat.

Nice conditions, so peaceful.

There was a little task set, brigde and then antennas El cid and back. Dave almost made it back, but bummed out near the bar, Volker did it again, and is ruining me having to buy bottles of wine for him. Congratulations.

I loved the day.

Oh by the way, the take offs were excellent.

Volker, Pepe and Ismael yesterday on transition from Onil to Villena/Cañada de Biar. They all got to 1700 m ASL, enough height to cross.

Shot by Jim, taken a couple of weeks ago.

I was too quick yesterday. Today was probably the best day of the month october.
1700 m ASL as cloudbase and lovely climbs over Reconco. Flying with vultures, of which Ismael can tell stories.

I let the choice in the group today. Three choices, waiting for Cabo, or Palomaret again, or going adventure to another site and hoping for higher cloudbase. All fingers up, other site. Loved it.
So off to my favourite site when winds are cross ... yes I do like out southern faced hill Reconco when winds are coming in from left, northeast. It is the cold northeasterly that brings in clouds and super climbs with the southerly valley right down below baking in the early morning sun already. Bingo for all today.

Volker, Pepe and Ismael flew over the back after a 700 m climb. Didn't get very far as southwesterlies were blocking their XC attempt.

Finished the day with a lovely dark brown ice chilled drink, debriefing about how we can better our take off techniques. Tomorrow we'll work on it.

Something to look out for, the glider of TEAM5.

Already best day in october I guess. Palomaret at its best. Lift everywhere, and easy flying to Maigmo for those who never done it before.

Although cloudbase was not the highest, thermals were present at all times. Even flying like a dolphin through the lift was getting you higher and higher. Of course with some skills you got 100m higher, but that was it.

Life was good up there, it gave lots of pilots confidence today, I am sure.

Lots of pilots around, of course sunday today. The odd student looking around, and enjoying, here and there a shout "hey - watch out, not too close", but no harm at all.

Good friends, no hassles .

Kéikelen kéikelen kéikelen... .

Parawaiting, actually cue-ing up for launch, below Wojtek polish instructor down here with his students.

Not expected, so much wind early morning. We had to fill up the gastanks again and head down south to Murcia.

Carrascoy (de sos) was on the menu. 30 pilots altogether, the whole club of Murcia patiently waiting for the right thermal. But no the best day. Some of us really did well and that was flying for half hour in hard to core thermals.

Anyway the site by itself is worth flying for the view, the easiness etc... .

Today was still a bit iffy. Western winds howling at Alicante. So no chance on my favourite site Peña Rubia. So off to our Murcia site Carrascoy. Always careful to fly these sites in Murcia as these sites are most sensitive. Rules, restrictions etc... .
Once there winds were from behind. Hmmm strange.
Northwest Alicante and strong, and down here no wind even from behind ???? What to do eh.

But had the solution, we just had to be lucky and getting a southwesterly southbreeze and we would be ok at Alhama de Murcia. And we did.

Flew for hours, overlooking the castle and village. One out of the hat today.

The only sad thing was the childish behaviour of the Hungarian group visiting our region this week.
Alhama is restricted to 10 pilots max. We were all getting ready to fly, our group 14 pilots. But Hungarian visitors, who arrived later at the site, found it necessary to hurry up and take off before we launched. So they could be in the pack of '10' max pilots. So childish. To me, I truly believe it is the difference in culture, education and behaviour. Elbowing your way in. Elbowing your way in, part of their culture, recent history. It was the way to get things done. Although they are very nice, I met them before, there is that missing link... it 's called respect, or call it politeness.

Flying in Alhama de Murcia, with its 'carpeted' take off.



The group this week, Guy, Roland, me, Gerhard, Liz Sampson, Bill, Ian, Tone, Willem, Henrik, Wilfriend and Rudy. No not at a golf course, but at the take off Carrrascoy. Artificial grass, what an effort by our Murcian buddies.

Below, Michel. He hurt himself groundhandling, believe it or not. A windgust caught his wing and hooray he met spanish grass on his way ... . Take care Michel.

We knew it, today was gonna be windy. And it was .... ..
And it was gonna be rainy, but it wasn't !!!

So we could enjoy a city trip, have a drink, read our book, walk on the beach, even swim in the still nice and warm Mediterrranean or play table-football with the locals. All waiting for tomorrow when winds shoul die off.

I think we'll have to move to Murcia. Carrascoy. We have to enjoy this place because soon it'll be closed for flying again.

Windy. West winds for a couple of days. Nice and hot though, which makes it less sad not being able to fly. That's the way it is, fortunately we have the beach, the cities, the mountains, in the evenings cheap food and good company.

Isobarmaps of today, tomorrow and friday. Lets hope friday we get smoother westernwinds, and we can fly at Carrascoy, Peña Rubia, Almudaina. Lets be patient and enjoy Spain in another way.

Roland belgian pilot

Tone belgian pilot

Willem, belgian pilot

TITS LIKE THIS MAN

beach of palomaret

sky yesterday

and the NOT chimney trophees !

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Down below, Willems' pre flight check ...

We drove up to Toix, but it was too strong. How many times we have been up there not flying, it is incredible, I start hating the place. But anyway good friends, no hassles, we had a good laugh and a drink at the beautiful beach near Calpe. There are worse things in life.

Weather is hitting us, lots of clouds and winds coming up for the next days.

Parachute backpack by Carmen. If you don't know what to buy your lover, check this out on

http://blauvent.blogspot.com/