there is only that much energy

There is only that much energy. We are all knackered by flying today. Many many hours today, without stopping. It kept on being lifty, superb to try out wing,wing-overs, spirals etc... for all levels.
After hours we looked at each other, and doubted if we were gonna fly more or pack. Ok, one more, another hour. And again, and again. Tired but happy we are all. How could we complain.

Marc, thanks for being here again, I hope Switserland welcomed you with great weather. But most important of all, have a great weekend with your family. Un abrazo.

Acro flying

Guy de Groof is here as a paraglider pilot, this is what he does in his other free time. Acrobatics.

5 de la tarde

foto's, happy belgians and swiss Mark who is leaving tomorrow morning,

and below, Ray and daughter, Australian.

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5 de la tarde,

poem by Lorca, book by Hemingway, start off all bullfights. 5 de la tarde is all about Spain.

5 de la tarde means '5 pm'.

Hemingway, a must read if you like Spain, living here, or loving it from a distance. Strange that the foreign writers like Hemingway, Michener (Iberia, a must read if you like ... ), wrote the best books about Spain. This all because domestic writers were censured. Not long ago, only 35 years, which is recent for European history, a cruel dictator called Franco was ruling Spain. Franco, who shared ideas with Mussolini, Hitler, couldn't have it domestic writers expressing their thoughts.

5 de la tarde, when the day restarts again in southern Spain, when shops open up, when grandma's take their stroll in the park, when matadors sharpen their swords and bulls get nerveus, when siesta is over.

And, guess what, also for flying '5 de la tarde' is essential. Just like today.

Instability inland, foggy, inversion, thick air. But at 5 pm, sea breeze coming in, crawling under hot air. The right time to fly, lots of time. Best cloudbase, excellent climbs.

5 de la tarde, life can be so excellent if you can just wait till 5 de la tarde

Voodoo chile

Dont' know which foto'st choose. Take your pick, these were my views today.

Cameleon on our road up to the hills.



Gypsy girl together with her father picking snails. For paella.

Socks.

Part of thebelgian group, rock 'n roll at age.

Late afternoon, our low-airtimer flying over the crest. One of his first thermal flights.

Just before I got home.

Hondon de las Nieves

Hondon de las Nieves. A walk up, so hardly flewn by locals. Just by José who put a nice carpet on take off to protect our babies.

We didn't think of flying today as western winds were howling this morning. Strangely enough no isobars, no wind forecasted for today. Weird. I think we should check more 3D charts from now on.
Anyway, after siesta winds were cooler. Lesser dry than the air moving in from inland. Did we get a breeze ? Yes, we did. Hurry up with the ice cream and lets get going for some Hondon.

We walked up to the eastern take off, and had our flying in. Some 300 meters above the cliffs, which gave us a splendid view of the valleys surrounding.
And then the fan turned off ... .

a dance you said ?

The dance at 3 pm, foto published on general request.

Andy, showing off his six-pack, followed by Louisiana Jones. Andy, our only english pilot present.

Why do english always have to take their clothes off ? And where is your tattoo ? Take care Andy, see you hopefully very soon again, lets all practice for our road trip to the Pyrenees.

a swim, some food a dance and a flight

You see the face. It is the western face of El Cid. We were flying today, late. At 4 pm, and it was still not calm. Upper winds southwest, below east. You could feel it as suddenly pressure dropped in the wing. You could feel it when at cloudbase it got choppy.

At 6 pm all clear, breeze took over, and all calmed down.

Guys swam in the sea, had food in Agost, about 4o ladies asked to dance,and a flight till pm. Can't complain.
About the 40 ladies ? Yes, in the restaurant there were 40 ladies were celebrating a birthday or something. I'll tell you, it was quite noisy. After their meal they invited all pilots to have a dance. Right in the middle of our lunch, a polonaise. I hope some of the guys send a foto, so I can show how it looked like.

Sunday afternoon chill

Cabo de SantaPola, never bad. Especially not on a sunday afternoon, when family gather to have an afternoon off having a stroll on the beach watching the paragliders, letting their kids play.

Amelia, princesa, gracias para posar por la foto. Tu eres un angel.

Amelia princess, thanks posing for the photo, you are a little angel.

All belgian and swiss pilots as well very happy. We were a bit too early at the site, so we had to parawait a bit. But second half of the afternoon, we could deliver hours of flying over the cliffs of Santa Pola. And others, let me thank you for buying a helmet sticker. It all helps maintaining the sites clean and hassle free. It shows your respect for us local pilots, thanks !

Matter of finding the right hill.

La Cortina, the only hill in the sun today. Inland very cloudy, thunderstorms even.

The group just arrived this morning and were happy to fly along, not too heavy, just relaxed at La Cortina.

Warm enough, ice cream time, summer is definetely in the air, ladies on the street, as if they are walking on the catwalk, no complaints. Hot time, summer in the city.

Spain in fiestas

Spain in fiestas. All over Spain girls dress up to go to the fiestas and be crowned as most beautiful.
Sevilla, Alcoy, the main ones this week.

I could have put another foto of a paraglider today, a paraglider who flew early morning today, as this afternoon it got too unstable and huge developing clouds came in from the north.

PC works like old car

PC kinda crashed I guess. Hope it is not McAfee ... .

Yesterday meeting with the boys at Valencia, reunion organised by the federacion. A federacion who needs all the support it can get, to preserve out sites from further problems, hassles.

The more we are, the more possible accidents, incidents. We need to make sure all is better organised in near future. There was also a demand to all pilots, ALL pilots to do help out with pending matters. It is of all times, that always the same persons do the dirty work. Time for others, newcombers to do the dirty laundry.

Hope I can upload foto's, talk about flight let you know how it is down here in Alicante if you have wings, after visiting the PC doctor.

Summerbreeze

Crickets are back. Soon they will be an all-male orchestra chirping, using their wings as washboards. Summer sounds.

All aboard, all pilots who had to stay because of the volcano, have left. They had their extra days of flying and no regrets, it was nice.

Others didn't make it, Irish pilots and Danish pilots. Damn. What a pity, because this is really a nice time to be here.

Today flyable at the coast for our Norwegain guest, his last day before packing, enjoying his Nova Triton. Some pilots also flew inland. So there was as choice of sites.

Back to normal I guess at airports, so hope to welcome next groups, coming in on saturday.

And again, I had a big helping hand from Carmen and Alex, helping me out with my blog.

All works again, thanks buddies.

Recocno again

Our three XC pilots from abroad, Geert Belgium, Godvind (or something ...) Norway, and Hendrie from Holland. All made their XC from Onil Reconco, going different ways. They reached 2000 m ASL, a 1000 m climb and left downwind. They landed at different places, with personal bests for some of them.

And also personal best for Ismael who managed to fly 78 km, from Reconco, to Jalanca, Cofrides. Skygod from Caudete.

And again it was the right thing to fly at Reconco on a first day with eastern winds, after a hot day with southwesterlies. It all depends at what time these easterlies kick in.
Best time is early afternoon, then the sun is at its strongest and thermals kick off already bigtime.
But why is it just then so good ? I try to explain.
Southwesterly winds do shape a fantastic XC sky in Alicante, but usually cannot be flown as it is too strong. (see fotos yesterday)
The first day northern, eastern winds kick in under this 'southwesterly sky' is always guaranteeing high cloudbase. Being proven for years. Best flights have been done with this crosswind east on this southern faced mountain. We can profit from lee thermals with this crosswind. Soon after the day gets strong around midday, clouds come in from the east, from the sea this is. It creates a conversion, and cloudstreets are formed.
That is exactly what happened again today.

Hats off for our XC pilots today. They made the decision, as was briefed to only leave the hill when they climbed 600 above take off. They climbed more than that, and flew from cloud to cloud. Formed, again, by this cold air crawling under the warm air from earlier hours in the day.



This is me, nowadays.

Wonderful day, that simple

These boys didn't mind the ash-cloud. These boys had the time of their life, all on their own, climbs up to cloudbase at 1750 m ASL, which is an 800 m climb. A wonderful day at a wonderful site.

Hendrie and Ralf, waiting for Geerts' and Alvinds' call for retrieval.
Both went XC over the back.

Very unstable

Not so stable weather down here in Spain. Although we saw some pilots having a flight this afternoon, it wasn't the day we were all hoping for.
Some at Cabo, and some at Benidorm.

Inland, hunting for thermals was impossible, rainy weather on our bigger hills unfortunately.

Spring break ?

Knackered we all are after been flying all day. From 10 am till 8 pm, just some coffee breaks in between.

Unfortunately we got messages of pilotes stuck in their country, not being able to make it to Alicante. Damn, feel sorry. But nobody can do anything, so we just have to let it be. I do hope I see all you boys and girls in the near future.

For those who are here, most probably an extended paragliding holiday in Alicante were life is goooooood.

Nova Triton

Triton is one of the 13 (known so far) moons of our planet Neptune. It is also the LTf 2/3 from Nova, lets say the DHV 2/3, so topwing.

And it felt that way. Deadeasy for launching, babysmooth for landing, even when thermals and higher dynamic winds are present. In the air, it loves to turn, as if around its axe, by just a touch on the risers.

I would love to have one, but I was just test-flying Arvinds' glider right out of the box. Crispy and brandnew.

But always remember, don't ask that sexy girl to dance if you have no rhythm.

So we flew till we got enough today. From 10 am onwards and we stopped at 4pm, for our well deserved siesta, beer, chill whatever you fancied. It was playtime today, just relaxed flying.

Hendrie came from Holland to pick up his Swing Connect harnass. Look how big your bum looks having a Swing Connect. Would there a shower in it maybe ?

Happy flying

Geert, Belgian pilot. Flying an old Gradient Aspen Original. He enjoyed it today. Was humming about not being able to fly thermals this week, hum hum. But we delivered. We served him a whole afternoon of splendid thermals, and for the first time this week,there was a HAPPY Geert !

And he landed together with Arvind from Norway, passed the village of Agost. So upwind flying, and still having loads of height above the village Agost.

Patrick and Marc.

First blue sky, then very overcast, then bright blue sky in the late afternoon.

Instability

Grey day, not a lot of sun, no flying. Ready to hike on the dunes, visit the castle, chill. This low above the Azores is bothering us. Lets hope pressure rises soon, so I can hike in the sky.

Windy as hell

Oh lalala.

Lots of wind in Spain, and inland raining. Luckily at noon it stopped raining and we could go out, but not out with the gliders. Too windy even to groundhandle. And a couple of more bad days coming up. No good.

abuelos

Abuelos, grandfathers of Cabo de Santa Pola. These elderly men were here as pioneers. They found out, that the cliffs near Santa Pola, were excellent for trying out theiir flying matrasses. They did it, they cleanup up the site. Opened a whole new world for loads of people.

Now we 'youngsters' have to fight against powers that try to stop us from passing our time in a peacefull way, not harming anyone, just having fun.

What a different world.

So all enjoyed the flying at Cabo, inclusive my tandem passengers. It was lifty, as a cold front is approaching.

What is gonna happen to Santa Pola, nobody knows. From nature I am an optimist. But after all these years down in Alicante, I can tell you this.

The difference between Palermo Sicily and Alicante Spain, is that people don't get shot down here, but the level of corruption is sky-high in both places.

Maffia rules. Lets hope I don't get shot.

Monte Cabrer

Knicked this foto from Moncho's facebook. That was today's flying for Alicante, but had my last day off before season starts again.

From now on, till end of october it should be unusual not to fly lots of hours during your stay with us. From now on thermals kick in, hours of windows of flying at different sites in our region.

Even during summer it is lovely to come down and fly in Alicante. Daily we find a window to thermal, soar, early mornings or late afternoons, whatever your level is.

Lets hope you will enjoy your stay as much as we still do.

Cameleon

In the dunes, company of a cameleon.

More foto's of our roadtrip to Portugal

http://s955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/nickdoyouwanna/Portugal%20-%20eastern%20week%202010%20Algarve/

Portugal, back home

Back from a little roadtrip with our old camper. We were in Portugal, the south, Algarve. And again it was a surprise seeing such a poor country, being so proud. Streets cleaned up, no litter, parks maintained, beaches and dunes protected, non-smoking bars and restaurants, and clean toilets !!!!

If you ever go down south in Portugal, don't forget your glider. All along the coasts you can find sites to fly. Try to contact local pilots and see if just that cliff is not protected though. There are enough guides and clubs to be found. And if you go up north, check with Winston or check this forum to get in touch with locals : http://sam-sam.com/forum

Praia do Amado / Praia da Bordeira

Foto's of our roadtrip to Algarve Portugal

http://s955.photobucket.com/albums/ae33/nickdoyouwanna/Portugal%20-%20eastern%20week%202010%20Algarve/