tandem flights

My new flyer for tandem flying. Well touch, became dutch ...

Choice today, sierra del Carche for the XC hounds, Palomaret - Villena for the thermal freaks, and Cabo for the soaring lovers. Big choice today, as the weather was fantastic to fly.

Raul, Alicante paragliding, and Carlitos, with his school from Valencia, flew with their students inland at Palomaret,

while Kasana was doing his thing at Cabo.

And others just joined in.

It is 11 pm, just got back from the beaches, and it is still packed down there. Bars full, on the boardwalk lots of inline skaters, runners, cyclists. I love it.

sweet as

A hot day cooling off under the waterfalls of Font d Algar. And late in the afternoon filling up your boots at the cliffs.

Telling how flying feels, is like explaining how chocolate tastes.

Morroco paragliding

Todays' flying was lots better. Smoother it all was, more flying than just dealing with it. We all wished the conditions stayed a bit longer though. But the clouds curtaining the sun, spoiled the party too early in the evening. We stopped flying at 7 pm.

Other news is that we are on facebook, just look for doyouwanna and make yourself a fan !

Other news is that we are looking into organising roadtrip to Morocco for instance. We are thinking of meeting at Marrakesh, flying the sites in the atlas with local pilots. All mixed with some culture, exotic as it is. Price, around 450 a person. That would easily pay the bill for accommodation and food, transport and guiding. Thinking about it.

rough

Rougher than we wanted. Palomaret we went. Kike was flying, and his glider was veering up and down, right and left.
Waited a bit, as gusty thermals were kicking in too heavily.
Once in the air, we should have known, too rough to be good.
Sometimes a nice thermal, but then a rollercoaster ride, no good for flying. It was more dealing with it, than actually enjoying the flying.
Not such a good day, this kind of air usually means a change in weather pattern tomorrow.

floating in boaty air

Some shots of Saul and James, flying over the mediterranean cliffs near Santa Pola. An easterly wind, kicking in strong at midday, dying off later in the afternoon, giving everybody a chance to enjoy.

Also tandempassengers having a life experience. Even René who was scared at first having vertigo, but soon he felt more relaxed once he enjoyed the easy floating, the stressless environment, the colours I guess as well. It doesn't always have to be strong and tricky. Some times it can be nice to just soar.

But ... I surely hope we have done Cabo for a while now, I feel more like flying the thermals inland, hitting cloudbase, a bit more adrenaline please.... .

For you honey

Woke up this morning and realized it was married for 18 years today. This one's for you honey.

Santa Pola

Business as usual. Afternoons always gets us a nice seabreeze. Smearing our noses in with factor40, and off we go, till dark. Is it smearing ? Sounds grose. Grose ?

True colours, all the way.

Pressure drops

Pressure dropping a bit, formation of clouds inland. Made us fly till late, and once close to the clouds, some nice cloudsuck made it all worthwhile.

Nice and fresh in the air as well.

Foto StevieG launching his Paratech.

Ballon jump

2010 July 13 Roll-over from Filip on Vimeo.

Our belgian pilot Filip Perremans, regular visitor of Alicante, his first balloon jump in Belgium. Respect Filip, I wouldn't dare.

Hairdryer, hot air fan

The coastal flying in the evening is the most refreshing 'sport' to be done in this heat.

The refreshing seabreeze late afternoon is very welcome after having temperatures up in their thirties. Running cycling in this heat is out of the question, swimming diving snorkeling actually is a superb alternative.

Writing in my blog is not to convince you to come down, it reflects our daily life as a paraglider down here in Alicante. I just hope that all of you get as much flying in as we do, daily, yearly. Have fun.

Skygod

Skygod, Saul from England.

The core of the paragliding community

Here are my buddies, the vast local paragliding community lets say. At Cabo today.

Shocking video

These assholes risk a two year jail sentence we just heard, fair enough.

Argèles - Agost

Back from roadtrip to the western Pyrenees. Wasn't so lucky with the weather to fly. Strong winds. But on top of that we were in the middle of the Tour de France.
The campsite we were in, was only a few hundred meters from the road where the race passed by. There was a special atmosphere. Everybody doing sports, biking, hiking, running. It felt good. But as I said unfortunately the Tour forbid the flying for most of the time we were there.
A nice region, but it is not the first time that in midsummer we had not the best time to fly.

Who said once. Where there is cheese, there are cows, where there are cows, there is grass, where there is grass, there is rain, lots of rain. Better be where the olive trees grow.

Back in Alicante now, under the 'sol de justicia' ! 30 degrees and more, eastern winds, you know what that means .... .

Onil, Reconco

Take off at Reconco, Onil Spain, June 2010 from Bluewing65 on Vimeo.

checking out new roadtrip, maybe ...

Going up north, western part of Pyrenees this time. Making contact with colleagues and local pilots. See if we are welcome to head up there with a group, flying their sites, see how good they are.
So it'll be difficult to check my emails. If you want to book, make reservations, or buy a glider, harnass, you can still reach us as well on mobile number 0034 616 087 086. Or on mine, but better the other one, as I will loose mine for sure .... again .... 0034 606 781 180.
Talk to you soon, have a splendid week.

Nick, Kath y Paco

As much or little as you want

With this heat, this inversion, you can do two things. Or go early morning before it is too hot and fly off big hills like El cid, or Sierra del Carche. Or you can relax and try to fly some breeze later in the day. But flying you will, that's for sure.

I tell you what, there is not a lot of activity down here. Most pilots sit it out. There is the beach that cools you down, the swimming pools and the nights. The nights when everybody goes out and have meal on the street and socialize.

So for flying, it is all possible, but it is up to you how eager you are to beat the heat.

This time of the year we have that typical surrounding smell of burned pines and smoky grass. By evening some winds, some breeze from the sea cools you down. And you end the day by having your glass, enjoying the moonshine. You are invited.

Alicante paragliding

Graham, training.



Below Jules, and Michelle, tandem passengers today from Holland, where the sky is grey ... .



Some colour in their day, flying on our lap near Agost.

world champions

too strong is too strong ain't it

Abrazos fuertes

Done. Our commitment with a group from Granada flying tandems is over. With succes we flew with a big group of disabled persons again. As you probably know or heard before, once in a while (way too little) we organise an event flying paragliders for disabled.

This time we were approached to give all of them a tandem flight, on a paraglider, and if not possible as for wheelchair friends, a flight with a paramotor trike.

Yesterday we started, tonight we had our last flight.

Long days, from early morning, sheltering from the heat during central hours, and then again till late in the afternoon.

Some foto's who will just tell you a little tiny bit about the days we had. There are some emotions that you cannot describe. Guys, girls, you who have been here flying with us, thanks ! Thanks for letting us fly with you. Have a very pleasant memory of your stay in Alicante, and never forget, as we will never forget this days neither. Abrazo fuerte para todos

I have to thank all my friends who helped out again, yes again. I could name a list, but I won't, you know I really do appreciate this help so much. And a special thank you for Eric Claessens, our belgian paramotor-trike instructor who is always ready from first minute till last minute to help out. He is for real, no shit, no fake, for real. It is the second time that Eric has given us a helping hand, flying his trike. Eric, there is only one Eric.

Man, this group was one chain, everybody needed each other, had to rely on each other, learned so much again, love you all.

Visitors from Granada

This weekend we only make tandems with our visitors from Granada. A special weekend for them, and surely a special for me and my friends.

Thanks again Antolino, Antonio, Jose Bombero and Eric, for always being there when needed, helping out with these tandems. You are stars.

Tomorrow morning 8 am, yes it exists in Spain, heading to our site for flying paramotor trike with our guests in wheelchairs. Can't wait to help out.

Flying with vultures

There is more than football nowadays in south africa. Look at some of our colleagues tandem flight, with vultures. Amazing footage.

Click on it to see it on your large screen.

Mazarron paragliding

Better be flying at the coast. It is horrible hot inland, 40 degrees. So better enjoy the ever sea breeze at our coast and soar above the med. Once in a while enjoying the sea.

And this for a couple of more days. Tandems coming up, so staying near the house in Santa Pola. It is fantastic.

And it will be more fantastic tonight if our Iniesta, or Xavi, or Villa would kick out our german friends out of the worldcup tonight. Or didn't you know our spanish team was in the semi finals yet ? Everybody knows down here, haven't seen so many spanish flags in my life.

San Firmin fiestas

Everywhere fiestas in Spain. The biggest ones for the moment in Pamplona, where the bull runs are held in the streets, the San Firmin fiestas.

But there is more than bull runs in Pamplona. It starts with the 'chupinaza', the official start of the fiesta when 1000's of bottles are opened and drunk.
In moments the whole town is delirious and drunk. You love it or you hate it. But if you have been to one of those spanish fiestas, you know you feel alive.

Hemingway himself in 1959, glass of wine, very civilized.

Alicante paragliding

First groundhandling on the slope before first flights for this student.

It is hot, and we all notice, in between flight we have to get a swim in to refresh.

España

I don't see a Spanish flag, neither a Dutch flag, neither a Uruguan flag. Just a German flag , .... don't know about that .... more probably a stand-in, not knowin Spain is gonna get the cup.

Hey it is summer, and we are loving it. Lots of times pilots ask me what's the best time to come down to Alicante. Well I tell you, now it is. But you have to live it like the spanish.

Sleep in till 9, have a cafe con leche somewhere with a view, have a swim, early morning flight at the cliffs, have a swim, enjoy a huge lunch, have a siesta, have a swim, and have a fantastic late afternoon flight, till late in the evening.

That's the spanish way to spend the hot summery days. And I love it.

Did tandem flying today. With a 13-year old, only 42 kgs, and I felt it. As soon as we were on height, the winds were stronger, so it got more rock'n roll. No worries fly out to the valley and enjoy the smoother air.

You know when passengers love it, its' when they are all quiet. Then they enjoy the view, the thrill of floating in the air.

Ager

Last day in Ager, nationals hanggliding.

Berga Organya Ager

A few shots from up north on our yearly roadtrip. In the back thunderstorms on the higher hills in the Pyrenees, quite normal this time of the year. Another reason to go to the foot of the Pyrenees and enjoy Ager, Berga and Organya. All three sites, reasonably close to each other.

And of course always with the help of the locals, Jordi, Miguel, Oriol, Paco, escuela Pirineos and escuela Albatros, always ready to give visiting pilots some meteo advice, site advice. Nobody should fly without them, matter of respect I'd say.