Peña Rubia - Cabo de Santa Pola

Northwestern winds inland, ready to fly Peña Rubia so. But is was nasty, no fun at all, the air was gusty, the landing was tricky.
After our tapa's and beer we headed for some easy soaring at the coast.

The french flyin chickens, Laurent, Hervé, Remi, John, Bruno and Jean-Philippe

Guilermo and Ariel

Bruno under his still crispy Airwave Sport

And Alex using my Takoo, which still is a beauty and does the job after two seasons

Thunderstorms

Early morning thunderstorms at the coast, sunny inland and hardly any wind.
A bit typical spring weather. Still colder air coming in by fronts reaching the southern parts of Spain where we live, and a hot sun on the coastline. Perfect mix for huge convergence, better stay away from it.

Santa Pola of course

Early morning at 9 am was already flying the cliffs. No one there, and I loved it. No stress in the air, thinking about a thousand things, a thousand nice things. And it all ended in an afternoon siesta, and a happy late evening session with the birds. Good vibes today on our take off, not too many bobo's ... , just nice people.

Scott and Jeckle,
down below John Sutton from Saint Hilaire, under his Gradient Mint

Jeckle following Scott on one of the training flights.

And that's me with the lovely Virginie, USA lady visiting. Her hair shines like gold under the sun, most beautiful.

Cabo de Santa Pola

Some late afternoon soaring at the coast. Isla Tabarca in front of you. If you wish to have a paella in the worlds' best region for that dish. Take the ferry to the Island which is 4 km out in the sea.

Great before, after, not during flying.

Have fun guys, Barca showed us how it is done tonight ... .

Alicante paragliding

Claudio, has to change his flying suit. Outdated compared to his shiny Nova, and sup'air harnass. Soaring well with this high performance wing, probably feels like having to drive a Porsche on a landroad though.

A long day, visiting sites, waiting for the winds to kick in nicely. And they did, Cabo de Santa Pola was lovely, once again.

Carrasquete Jijona

Herman Grónkvist, under his Sigma8.

Air from the Sahara today, very hot air blowing and too strong to fly. Excellent for a dip in the sea, beaches still empty, hardly anyone.

Tourists start arriving though. The early ones, mostly hitchhiking young people, poorly dressed and on a shoestring budget I guess.

They always look dissapointed, sometimes pissed off, if you don't give them a ride. But they have to understand, that on my Vespa, only having one helmet, I have to be on the safe side. Police and guardia civil, always on the outlook, and soon more after the horrible outcome of the elections.

Carrasqueta hoy

Flew Carrasqueta and it was very very nice ....

Parahawking Alicante

First real parahawk flight at Cabo de Santa Pola. Pilot Scott, passenger Kath and hawk Jeckle.

Lafayette

Lafayette. I always liked that name. It speaks for itself, but nobody knows who it was.
I am not gonna look it up. I don't want to know, maybe he was a bad lieutenant killing Cherokees, have no idea, dontwannaknow. Keep it as a mystery. And if I would get a dog I would call it Lafayette. Lafayette sit ! Lafayette retrieve !
Hey, whats' the name of your dog? Lafayette. Lafayette ? Yes, Lafayette.
Look how it is written, l-f-yt. Funny letters alltogether and still so American, very American. But he was french wasn't he ?
On the way back from flying I heard a song, meet you at Lafayette. That's why.
Anyway, Cabo day today for Dave and Julian. A good day. A day needed in Alicante, soaring the most known coastal site in Spain. Over the so preciously coloured Mediterranean Sea.
Scott was out as well, and had his first flight with the hawks at our site, Cabo. Jeckle, the hawk, did well. First time I say it live in front of my eyes. The big bird following the glider, landing on the passengers' hand (my wife's hand Kath). Then called in by Anita, landing on her hand. Done. Amazing.

Jose the fireman, Antolino the security guard, Manolo lightning engineer.

Dave Lucombe, english pilot.

Once upon a time, in a world of super heroes ...

... once upon a time in a world of super heroes there was a Nepalees paragliding pilot, called Babu,
who climbed the Everest, flew down his tandem paraglider, from the highest mountain in the world, 8848 m, ...


Landing at the airport of Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa town and mountain capital of the Everest region, at an altitude of 3,750m, Babu now is getting ready to continue his adventure, by kayak Topolino/duo, from Nepal, crossing to India, and to a final arrival in the ocean, in Bangladesh.
All info on BABU

Lots of huggin and a kissin at take off

Great to see Kike in the air under his Sigma7 . One of the local chaps you can trust with his comments on the conditions. Same as Bartual yesterday, a longtime local pilot who didn't like conditions and told us it was tricky. Funny, low airtime pilots told me it was ok.

I always trust on my buddies who I have been flying with for years. They know the sites very well, and know what we are after. Not a rollercoaster flight, but rather some real flying, instead of dealing with it.

Dave and Julian, one of them only has 4 hours of airtime, but couldn't tell. Nice technique at take off, good decision making once in the air, and not at all hooky turns in the sometimes rougher thermals. Nice one guys.

Palomaret

Palomaret worked till late. Scott as well, with his birds, training them to get ready for the parahawking season.
My son Paco had the honour to have hawk landing on his arm, it made his day,week, .... .

Flew quite a few tandems, bit rough at times, but definetely worth it as an unforgetable event.

Smooth day

A smooth day at the cliffs. Winds nicely coming on the hill by early midday. Excellent to try the alternative take off and soar.

Summer arrived, beaches full, lots of cycling, running. All want to look fit for their summer bikini wear. I think I keep my shirt on.

parahawking

There is a new world opening up for me.
Since Scott, Anita, little Talo, Yvan and Jess arrived, it has been lots about things getting sorted for the parahawking, logistics and publicity.

Most interesting however, and by far, is the world of parahawking that is opening up for me. When I watched them training the birds this afternoon, I felt like a child, privileged watching it, and listening to what is important. Why they do it, the passion, the love for birds, the drive since decades keeping the birds, doing this. And by all means, trying to protect birds of prey all over. And for those who doubt, far beyond the idea of making money out of it.
Lots more of this soon. This is just the beginning, and I hope you will be part of it this summer.

pc crashed

My good old PC crashed. So I am doing this on a extremely slowly old laptop. I probably lost all email addresses etc... .
So if you please in the near future, send me an email if in any doubt about your booking, your bought equipment, or just to say hello and please me !
Thanks, my phonenumber is still 0034 606 781 180

(Marcus call me, Remi flight details ? thanks ...... )

No flights

Ay, no flying today. We saw it coming, a couple of days of too much wind. That's the way it is, es lo que hay.

A pitty for those who are visiting us, I know, but what can we do. You come for flying, big expectations. Knowing Alicante, it is gonna work well, and shit, it ain't happening.

Damn, that's all there is, nothing else. We choose this sport because of its beauty. And one good flight can delete memories of all previous bad weather days. We all know.

A bit of a horrible day

We gotto fly all we can, and definetely inland as upcoming days will be windy, with norhteasterly winds. So only chance will be cliffs at the coast.

So off we went to fly La Solana in Villena. A nice southeasterly ridge, huge landings, even if winds pick up no sweat.

After Glenn took off and dissapeared behind the hill, I said on the radio, all was ok. Seconds after that, a spanish voice, donde estais, bajas por tu amigo, tenia un golpe fuerte. Meaning, where are you guys, are you coming down for your friend, he was hit hard. I just wondered and asked Glenn again if all was ok. Yes sure, no problem.

I got down and what the fuck, firebrigade, the civil servants, two ambulances, one ready with the stretcher out, guardia civil and more town police cars. Hey Glenn, are you sure you are allright ? Yeah man, what are all these folks doing here, is this spanish ?

I asked the nearest policeman, what they were doing. Well someone called us, and said there was an accident.

Yeah I called, a dodgy skinny gypsy boy told me. Nice one, what did you see ? He came down here with a parachute ! Oh.....

Glenn landed fine, and his glider fell over a 3 meter pine tree, that was it.

After shaking everyone's hand (about 20 people), and telling them we were amazed by the rapidness they arrived, we left for Palomaret.

In Palomaret winds were on, not too strong. Untill we got in the air. Under my Skywalk C3 I had hardly any forward speed and was heading out way in the valley. Beep, beep, beep, beep, consantly and no forward speed. Hm, not very reassuring with the canyons below me, power lines, old houses. It got pretty to very rough out high, and didn't want to push it kicking speedbar. So I started spiralling down to get in lower air, where surely it wasn't that windy. Aggressive gusts made it hardly possible to exit the spiral nicely. What the hell was this today. The sky all of a sudden looked very angry to me.

Finally landed safe and called for retrieve. No sweat.

Off to Cabo, that would be more relaxing. And it was, I sat it out ... no more for today. Glenn topped up his airtime with a good hour and that was it.

Later on, I lost my house keys. What ? Yes, indeed beer o'clock it is now.

M people

See you later guys.

Paragliding Spain

It was very very cloudy this morning. So little hope for flying today. Until we arrived at Orito, where clouds started to burn off. A slow drive towards Palomaret, a lazy prepare at take off, and off we went.
In the air untill it got too rough. Rough means 10 m/second climb, and that for our region is too much.
So we wisely had a tapa and drink, before we aimed for the coast. Where we had another couple of hours flying the cliffs.

Those who leave tomorrow will have had a 7 out of 8 days flying. If any guide, club, school could guarantee that amount of flying on a trip, everybody would sign up. Alicante, it doesn't get much better.
See you again guys.

Till late

Flying till late today. Cliffs of Santa Pola. A lazy sunday, and a brilliant end of it.

Benidorm paragliding

Long day.

At midday we were already flying overlooking Benidorm. I think it is the better view of Benidorm that you can get, looking at it from above. You can see the skyline, and squeezed in between the highrise the old part of the 'village'. Benidorm has something. Or you love it or you hate it. But definetely worth a visit when you are around. The old part still has its spanish style, bars and tapas. Around it, you see a mix of young tourists and older people, who look like they have been washed ashore in the 60's and haven't been out of the sun yet.

Later on we met Pedro, Julian and Oliver for a flight at Toix, Calpe.

Two new sites - with a view - for our guests, and all loved it.

Here an article published in the french top magazine for paragliding, parapente-mag about the site Toix, Calpe

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Paragliding Spain

Paragliding in Spain involves some knowledge about weather systems, local info about the flying site, etc... especially this time of the year. Because it is so easy to be caught out with crosswinds, gust fronts, overdevelopment etc... .
Today we had to rely on forecasts, and what we saw and felt in the air.
Midday flying was superb, with a days' best for Hoppy under his Sky-glider.

Later in the afternoon, it got all too much, with development in the back, crosswind on top of it. So we shot off to the coast where we had a little bit of more relaxed flying.

I enjoyed it at the most today. I am sure my guests learned a lot about our sites, the weather, and litlle tricks that can mean big differences in flying.

Spain paragliding

Spain paragliding. At Palomaret today untill it got too overcast.

Hunza Pakistan

Hunza Pakistan, mountains we only can dream of flying on. One of my friends is leaving for them next week, for a month. Good luck, this is a life 's dream.

Biplaza parapente

The long tall grass is burning away slowly, it is waving in the sun, a light golden glow in the evening.
Only a week ago, all was still green, but summer is here, and the sun is unforgiven.

Soon we will have that summer small, the smell of burnt pines. And we will see pink tourists, sweating out all the creams they have smearred on their skins to sooth the burning of the midday sun.

Meanwhile today we flew Cabo in the morning, had a break at lunch because too strong, and flew a tandem late afternoon.

We can see it coming, the houses built quickly as a shelter from the sun, a patio and white bare square walled rooms, will be filled up with tourists from the north, looking for a break.

But it will also be the time for fiestas, afternoons paella in the shade, siestas, dives in the sea. Great times coming up.

If interested give us a shout, we still have places for you and family.

krik krik krik

No flying for us today. Easterlies too strong.

Speedflying yes, but not into that actually. Tried it, but for me it is a bit far from the flying I like. I still want to do it now and again, but if feels all too stressfull, too fast. I am talking about soaring with those speedwinds. I miss the views I guess, life is speedy enough for me. Mañana ... thats what I prefer.

Hen the 3rd

Hen the 3rd, from Holland, see orange shirt. Friend of the family, holding my other orange one, Paco. On the left, Théo, our french exchange student for a week.
Thanks being here again Hendrie, hope you'll enjoy your new Sigma8.

Lucentum - paragliding at the coast

Bright weather.

Do you know that Alicante was called Lucentum in the old days. Meaning city of light, city of bright sunshine, light bright skies. It hasn't stolen its name, shades all year round.

We flew at the coast today and it felt superb. The sea had its blue-green colour, the sky as if luminated Reflecting that bright light blue, then some contrast with the fluffy, incoming clouds. Sorry, you got me going again. Ease down Nick. Well, I just loved it. Those spring colours, true colours. I smell summer. and I can't wait.