We have bben flying our tits off and you know that.  We haven't stopped this week, every day we had superb flights, good fun. 
French pilots, british and belgian pilots.    All eager to leave early, beat the heat, and get in the air.   I was so knackered by the end of the day that I only blogged on FB, so get FB doyouwanna and you get a more detailled blog from now on.

I just read the new Cross Country magazine, man Bruce Goldsmith is my man.  What he says about the speed of a glider, I can only agree.  I always said that comps are fantastic but are in struggle with the real mean of a paraglider flight.
There is no need to fly that fast, if you want pleeeeaaaaaaase go ahead, but it is for lots of pilots absolutely not necessary.
We can live with a slow flying glider, lots lower stall speed, enjoying high flights still, but also fly low over the hills, smelling herbs, touching treetops, kissing slopes etc... .

Talk to you soon, a new DVD Jocky please, speed to fly is outdated now, and you're the boss !  Excellent words from Jocky as well in the latest XC magazine.

Midsummer feeling

 Midsummer feelings.   Flights, beachtime, a drink,  siesta, flying again, and late home.

Lately I haven't been blogging daily.  Because lots of days got home late because of the flying.  But also because the blogging goes better through facebook.  So if you like this blog,and you want to know what is going on in Alicante with us Doyouwanna, just check facebook and look for Doyouwanna.   Daily updates of what we do.

Tuesday Toix

 First time always impressive to fly at Toix.   Bullet proof take off, nudist beach landing, flightwith splendid views, and here and there a puff of lavendel scent.

Cracking day.

Cabo de Santa Pola,

The soap continues.

Lately we had some very serieus accidents at our famous soaring home site Cabo de Santa Pola.    English pilot and spanish pilot both broke their back and both were in the fault flying the site at this time.

Those accidents made so much noise, it was all over in the press.   Politicians of the town Santa Pola, were ordering an urgent meeting.  Police chiefs were invited at the reunion to tell them their story about the accidents etc… .   A big mess.

Now this week we had a reunion with several authorities, politicians, police chiefs etc…

They listened to us and understood we have been neglected for years as an important part of the tourism industry, the sport industry in the region.   But they made us clear that this couldn’t go on forever, that some steps had to be made.

In short, pilots need to be member of the federacion.  Local pilots can stop visiting pilots when meteo conditions are not optimal, or technique of visiting pilot is not adequate to fly our site.   And, believe me that happens as well, when visiting pilots appear with not certified equipment, no reserve etc… .

Information boards will be put on different places near the take off, so nobody can neglect them anymore.   You will be asked to check the conditons through local pilots, school, clubs, us Doyouwanna.

So please, for the love of the sport, please respect this little rules.   They could have been worse.

I read the Skywings article from Steve Walsh, Attitude may 2012.   If you are british, read last alinea, and you will understand how I feel sometimes.  

For three years already we ask you to fly with a 5 euro helmet sticker.   This 5 euro goes to a special account, to maintain the sites clean and hassle free.   You only pay 5 euros for a whole year and this for flying all the sites near Alicante.

Flying with this sticker doesn’t mean though, that you can do whatever you want on our sites. 

For a very affordable democratic price, you can be guided, fly more than anyone else, and safer.   Andmaybe most important, fly together with the local pilots.

If you don’t agree with all this above, maybe you shoud choose another destination to play.

Hope to see you all guys,

Nick, Kath y Paco

Ps: I read the Skywings article from Steve Walsh, Attitude - may 2012.   If you are british, read last alinea, and you will understand how I feel sometimes.   

El Cid

 I saw a werewolf with a chinese menu in his hand
he was walking in the streets of Soho in the rain
he was looking for a place called Lee Hu Fooks,
he was gonna get a big dish of beef chow Mein

Woke up with this song and was till humming it when we were at the beauty and the beast, El Cid,
loved by some, hated by others,
I love El Cid,
and I hope all our pilots did as well,
talk to you mañana

 Adriaan, FrankA, Birgit, Hesther, Marcel, FrankB, all ready to jump off the hill like lemmings.

This time at Reconco, first day of strong easterlies, my favourite hill.  And bingo, it was right on.  1550 m ASL, just not good enough to go XC towards Villena, Caudete etc...   Only when 1600 is reached we go.
But still memorable as most of the pilots flew this one first time.

May day flights

Inland flights, late afternoon as we have to cope with a heatwave.   Thermals too strong, winds at take off too gusty.  So we leave late in the afternoon after enjoyng the heat near the beachfront.  Nothing wrong with that, when we still fly for hours later in the day.

Flights cancelled for the competition at Caudete.  Always tricky organising flights in Caudete.  Lots of times it is too cross, southwest.  The forecast hast be followed days before in that area, and once there be sure you take off soon, before the breeze kicks in.  Cause that breeze can kick in very very strong at times, and above all kill all the thermals.   And thats just why we drove the extra kilometers to get high cloudbase and those famous Caudete thermals.

But no sweat,, Hondon, Carrasquete flights no worries for the non competitors.   Much respect for the youngsters who took over organising the comps nowadays.

Hot air in Alicante

With 30 degrees hot air, there was hardly any wind at take off.   It was overall hot hot hot.   Lovely to jump in the pools, great to bathe in the sea, but for flying it was hard work. 

Ok, nothing wrong with hard work.   Thermals were weak, olyu 1.5 m/s, but big, so we had to boat around for ages to get above the hills.   Which was very relaxing, but doing several tandems in these conditions it tires you out a lot.  

So, I am sitting down near my pool, puffing.

Aweome weather down here

A friend of mine, posted me my blog was not updated.  Well here we are, we have been flying our tits off.  Almost every day we come home late, bit tired after the flying, after the being our all day in this awesome weather.  Really a great time to be here and enjoy the sport.
But not only that, the beaches, the sun, the tapas, the company, makes it all so nice.

Hope to see you all !

Rough as fuck

Little champ Thomas groundhandling.

As rough as fuck it was in Cabo de Santa Pola, never was that rough before.  Was glad to be safe down.  Winds were on, but once in the air, I was very much surprised by the horrible conditions.  So we just chilled and parawaited .... until now...

Flying thermals, again and again

Palomaret, splendid flying late afternoon.   Story has been told several times.  This site works 465 days a year, thermals are present 26 hours a day.

Early morning foto of Penon d Ifach en Calpe, an tablecloth, orographic over the rock.

Later on of course blue sky, and high temperatures upper twenties.   Southwesterly winds on our hill, giving us all what wante, needed and loved.

Exact right timing at take off, not too early as too much west, not too late as 45 min later white horse were appearing.  But once in the air, you could fill your booths was you pleased.

Lenticulares in the back, inland I don't think it was the best place so.
  

4 m/s thermals, not bad today

 Late starts today.  At night it is still only 12 degrees, during the day temp rises up to 26 degrees.  Big difference, thermals present.   4 m/s thermals, lovely ones, not punchy, nice to play around with.

 Amin sleeps, Gaby and Elisabeth read, Michael is preparing to go.

Surprised Ariel, grinning Manolo.

 Never seen this before, a Go Pro hanging on a line behind the glider.  To me it looked a bit dodgy, what if a collapse makes you turn and the camera get stuck in the lines.  Camera good be fucked couldn't it .... .

 Gay photographer

Windy and cloudy

We haven't flown.  Too windy, gusty.   Cold bags of cold air, passing over Spain.  Spain that was hot already.  Result is cloudy skies, gusty winds, westernwinds.  That's the way it is.  Unfortunately for Chris Will who went home yesterday, his last two days weren't flyable.

Flying with the moon

Flying with the sun, flying with the moon.   Glorious eve flight inland.