El Cid and Palomaret

Before the shit is gonna hit the fan, I mean winds are gonna be too strong from tomorrow, we drove the dakar-piste up to take off south, El Cid.

Later we flew at Palomaret, nicely.

Actually when I left, pilots were way above the crest and sky was opening up. And all this before storms will hit us tomorrow sunday and monday.

I am off to Belgium while it still exists. Seeing my folks, back on tuesday, and I think just in time when winds have dropped off, so flyable from next tuesday onwards.

Bob, beer testing. Tell you about it later.

Benidorm paragliding

Terra Mitica Benidorm. Besides a wonderful attraction park, there is also paragliding been done.

We went there hoping for a seabreeze of some kind to get at least some soaring in. But, bad day, very weak winds. I think Klaus and Hans were best performing with keeping their wings just just above take off.

That's what we got today. Foto was no taken today, but a while ago. Today it was very cloudy, cirrus curtaining, screening the sun, not letting heat through enough to heat up the parking lot and trigger off thermals.

Easy day at El Al Maret

Michael, one man band, playing a Martins guitar

An easy flying day at El Al Maret, lift everywhere all the time. Exceptional ? No. Special ? No. Typical ? Yes.

A smooth southeasterly wind gave us room to play and for some of us to fly all the way to Maigmo and Los Ventos.

Then later as the breeze kicked in, differnent style of flying. Cloudbase was lower at 2.30 pm already and view was not so clear. Typical.

At the end of the day, again smooth as a baby bum.

Villena paragliding

Villena paragliding. We flew norhtwest at Peña Rubia and later south at La Solana. Two sites with opposite wind directions in the same afternoon. Left late, it was already 2 pm before winds started dying off. A good day, not with splendid conditions, neither with high cloudbase. But with lots of take offs, flights and happy landings.

Gregory Isaacs

Gregory died today. One of my favourite reggae artist. Time enough to play his records as it wasn't flyable today. Too strong winds. Chill.

Toix - Calpe and Adam

If you ever get to fly with us at Toix, Calpe, be aware of Adam. Adam walks around the landing field, on his terrain, cause this is his nudist beach after all. I bet you, if Adam approaches you asking if he could help folding your glider, I am sure you'll never had your wing that fast in its bag.

So we did it again at Toix today. Bottom foto is a one year old foto from Cloud at Toix, german lady who is visiting us next week with good old Ulli and Volker.

It was an awesome day with almost all pilots making the jump towards Altea Hills. Temperature very high today, 28 degrees celsius at one point, heaven.

more about Toix ...

Since there is a mast in the middle of the landing field at Toix, I have not only to brief about the lovely naked ladies hanging around, but about the danger hugging ... the mast...


Well who do you think put his glider over the mast ? Me. Yes, got to be honest. Luckily there was Bob who climbed up the mast, unbelievable and got the tip of my glider over the mast. No harm done, slightly embarrassing though.


Erik did even better, instead of hugging it, he flew right into it and broke the damn mast. Followed by a loud applause from the locals. The mast was estetically not in place anyway.

tOIX cALPE

Afteroon flights over Altea, near Morro de Toix today.

There was a party going on at Calpe Toix. Club Monte de Toix was preparing a paella, Pedro's style. Great stuff, enjoyed it at the most guys. A paelle cooked under the pinetrees, near landing field.

Antolino ready to launch at Toix, Calpe. Southwest.

Erik, Ovynd and Borre on the left.

Moni, Patrick and Bob

Reconco, Onil

There was not a lot of choice today to get the best flying in inland. Cloudbase was not the highest as it was the 2nd day of eastern winds. (winds from sea) So Monte Cabrer was not an option with its long drive and ..... walk up.

Off to my favourite one then, Reconco Onil. And it pleased me seeing all pilots having great times. Foto's tell the story. At our 1100 m high take off it was chilly, the warmer valley was the ingredient of a great cocktail of thermals.

Norwegians !

Blacks socks and jesus shoes, Norwegians !

5 euro helmet sticker

This is how our 5 euros helmet sticket looks like. We offer it voluntarily to any pilot visiting our region. We rarely have somebody refusing buying it. The 5 euro goes integral to the maintaining of our sites. Keeping take-offs clean, acces to take offs etc... . The 5 euro helmet sticker is for a whole year for all our sites in the province of Valencia.

I tell you, I don't know how it is in your club, or on your site, but sometimes it is a burden to ask a visiting pilot, if he wants to buy a 5 euro helmet sticker. Sometimes, like this afternoon, a foreign pilot doubted if the money wasn't ending in our pockets, instead of being used for the sites. Like someone punches in your face, excatly. You really think we would only ask 5 euros ?

Cheers guys.

Always a day at the coast

It is summer, the sun shines, the mediterranean looks so inviting, and temperatures rise. It felt that way.

We flew for hours at the cliffs of Santa Pola. Trying out each others gliders, chat, fly, chat, fly, chill.

I flew the brandnew GIN Tribe, EN C, and feels good. Fast, very good quality - fabric and stitching of course, and it felt very very easy to handle it. A glider for lots of us.

A high pressure over Spain, warm african air, feels just like home ... .

Mid october thermals

A bit of everything. Nippy thermals, some work to get into their cores, a breeze making it all smoother in the end. Glad to see some local pilots amongst us.

These days are precious, blue sky, not a cloud, lovely thermals, and a view that can count. Its mid october .... and lovely.

Henrik, stay sexy.

Meanwhile in the village

Brilliant day, nice and relax, no sweat. At first we were flying too much under the wind, and it didn't feel comfortable. So off for a coffee and a tapa, knowing it'll get better, no hurry.

And of course it did. Still flying with a light northeasterly on our southerly site though. But that ice-cold air made it all so worthwhile now. Filling up our boots till all were satisfied.

Collin Ian and many others, thanks being here again and again. It is great to have all those repeated customers. I love it. I hope to see you all again and again. Take care you all.

Villena paragliding

Peña Rubia was working today. Pepe got to 1600 m ASL and Arvid again was skygod. A lovely day, blue skies, thermals not so easy to be caught, excellent for practising skills. Northwesterlies, veering to more cold air, from north.

Lee, chief instructor Cloudbase paragliding England. Above Pepe ready for launching.

Murcia paragliding

Oct, november, month when norhtwesterlies kick in hard in Alicante. Time to meet our ever sympathic neighbours of Murcia. Club Espuña, Club Alhama, active clubs in the region of Carrascoy.
And bingo, in Carrascoy winds were not strong at all. At least till 4.30 pm, when northern winds were gusting through the denser air near the sea.
All pilots experienced vertical sink approaching the landing field, something typical Carrascoy with norhterlies. Tricky, speedbar need to be ready, and you have to be keen to look for a suitable landing field.
Great day, and felt even better seeing we made the best choice as winds were still howling when back at Alicante.

Chill now

From nulwind to aggressive air at Peña Rubia. Henrik and Collin flew, nicely. Then Ian got in the air, just after some strong thermals were warning us at take off that it good get active, too active.

We saw Arvid coming off the plane at 11 am from Norway. Then we saw him rocketing in the sky under his Nova Factor, it looked like at 10 m up. Kicking furiously around to find his speedbar, standing upright but only on his stirrup. He was fiercely attempting to tame his wing. Got down after half hour. First day of a flying vacation .... . Chill now Arvid.

Its only varnish

You can fool yourself that you are not tolerant enough,

you might even think you're getting old, and be grumpy,

I am talking about when you see people litter everywhere,

when you see people spitting on the ground in the street,

if you see people coughing mouth wide open in the line at the supermarket,

wiping the slime off their face,

Again, normal behaviour or not, maybe you feel too critical, maybe its' not your business,

But ! When you arrive at your favourite take off, your home site, and you see that the neighbours have put their dogs' shit on your little seats, you do not want to fool yourself anymore,

that moment you are outrageous and you confirm the thought, that in this region, maybe in this whole country, there is just a bit of varnish on the surface,

below that thin layer of varnish there is the uneducated, not civilized world.

it is not normal, that people pick up the shit of their dogs and put it on the seats, seats used by us paragliders to have a rest, to have a sit in the shade.

I do live here, I love it, but at times, I really believe in that varnish, and it grieves me deeply.

The good news is, we flew for hours, and nobody could touch us, no complaints in the sky.

Tonight I am going to El Lebrijano, flamenco fusion with arabic music. And I'll shout olé, and I'll have a great time, with my friends, fuck it !

28 degrees, but feels autumn

An intimate dance with Henrik, thank god not a horizontal tango.

Feels autumn because we had our day at Peña Rubia. Meaning northwestern winds coming in, and a hot valley.

Down at the seafront winds were gusting southwest for Toix. Luckily we made a better choice inland. Inbetween the southwesterlies and the norhtwesterlies, there were some towering cumulus to be seen, soon converted into rainclouds.

Usually a three day cycle of bad weather, fronts coming through. No worries. Tomorrow looks different, charging radio's now. Henrik and Sune, two Swedish pilots can't wait.

Tilting point summer - autumn

A rainy day inland, at the coast sunny till late afternoon. Tilting point between summer and autumn, from now on leaves will turn brown, temperatures at night will be low, max 25 degrees, swimming pools covered, sea still warm though.

Sea still warm, cold air, a bag of cold air over the continent near our region Costa Blanca, with eastern winds THE mix for the "Gota Fria".
Unfortunately for the pilots who are around. It is a yearly phenonemom, coming back oct/nov for a couple of days.
"Gota Fria", means cold drop. Drop in temperatures, and heavy raindrops ... .

Not the most excellent times to be on vacation now in Alicante. But hey, we are paragliders and know this will only last a couple of days. Meanwhile we have to enjoy the sunny spells, chill, read a book, hike, drink and eat.

Irish pilot Paul Eustace send us this Alicante Paragliding Trip

Hope you all had a great day.

Thunderstorm weather

This looked all ok this morning, nice clouds, near Peña Rubia. Fluffy cumulus inviting.


In the afternoon this though. Towering cumulus congestus all over. Scary, more for us local pilots than for visiting pilots. We were looking at each other, have seen it all before. Uncautiousness leading to accidents before. Pilots not knowing how strong it can come in, being sucked up and blown back over the houses. Seen it before, we were aware of it.

A bit of an adventurous day, not really loving it. Especially when there was a warning out on TV, radio and internet about the heavy aggressive weather we were gonna hit late in the afternoon. Guardian angels, thanks.

Thanks Toni, thanks Alex an Sune for the foto's