Sky today, and bottom foto shows you how warm it was today, 25.9 degrees celsius. Fantastic, I still love it.
Lots of pilots ask me why did you choose Spain. Well climate has to do with it, but this becomes relative after a while. But when you are in december, flying and then having a drink on a terrace when it is 25 degrees, you feel you made the right choice, and part of this is the climate. It us just so damn nice to be in the sun all the time.

But lets talk about the flying today. Southwest, strong por la tarde, strong in the afternoon (which in spain starts at 3 pm !). So off to good old Toix.

And good we did.

At take off, ready to go, but hesitating, because I had the impression it could be better with some more wind. BUT there were 'jonathan livingston' seagulls in the air !

So Pedro, gaviotta of Calpe, told me to get going and start. You damn Pedro !

I soared all the way for about half hour, but had to fight to stay in the lifting band of air. Meanwhile surrounded by laughing seagulls, héhéhéhéhé´hé,,,,,

A flight with a view for all of us, foto's tell you what I mean. Top foto is for those who have been here before years ago. The can tell lots of building has been going on, all with proper swimming pools. Bottom foto for those who are under a blanket watching TV ...... turn head left .........

A good thing about a young democracy and/or a catholic country is that they have a lot to celebrate. Tomorrow again national FIESTA, tomorrow we party because it is the 'day of the constitution'. Vamenos !!

group : Ian Brit, Pia and Robert Sweeds, Egi half-legal Austrian/Italian living in Norway, Francoise and Charles French, Eric Californian USA. Landing beer.

I don't know how and why we deserve this. Amazing weather. Temperatures in their twenties. Two sites flewn today. Magnificient views.

We left early for Benidorm, and had some flights 'with a view', overlooking the high rise of our local 'Blackpool - Blankenberge - Le Touquet - Las Vegas'.

Sea was getting nerveus though, so we hoped for a seabreeze that would get us higher, playing. But no, half hour later all was too smooth again. No breeze.

Message from Dudo, inland was working. Yihaah !

Lets go, pack up, lets join them.

Once arrived we saw Dudo, Imre, Pepe, Alex and Cordian already in the air.
But the big time was over. We all had our flights in, soaring above the crest, but the best time to fly had passed.

Dudo enjoyed a 6 m/s thermal (december !!....) and got to 1600 m ASL, which is almost 800 m ATO. Fantastic.

NW-TM !

ASL = above sea level

ATO = above take off

NW-TM = no worries - tomorrow more

Western winds too strong today. Cristal blue skies, 20 degrees on the terrace, but 40 km wind offshore.

The group, the take off, the wind dummy, the flying, and the inevitable gaps in the mountain on our way to take off in Sierra del Carche.

A sunday treat for all visiting pilots. Doesn't get much better.

20 degrees a take off, and this was 1400 meter above sea level. Still nice weather, bit surprisingly to be honest but not exceptional.

Ok, maybe not interested, but I am.

Lately we have been meeting each other, us and local pilots, at the house of birth of Jorge Juan. Ok, it is not Hendrix, nor Rory Gallagher or Ronaldinho, but !

But a little bit more interesting than meeting each other at a gasstation, or a junction.

Here we go, look at the foto's. A fantastic mansion (finca...) where Jorge Juan was born. Inside the 'finca' full of old tools, several olive presses, carriages.

It just gives you an idea where we are situated. Lots of culture, history, tradition. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, left aside by the ignorant, beachcombers, only knowing our region because of the fish'n chips in Benidorm.

I love it.

Now who was Jorge Juan, well nowadays we have wikipedia no ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Juan_y_Santacilia

Down below one of the landing fields of Peña Rubia. Big, no stress on that one.

I didn't believe we were gonna have a good day of flying today. But we had. Again for Egi, more than three hours in the air.
Northwestern winds, spot on, all day.
Andreas, kom bald wieder ! or something...

Spelling is good, concert yesterday was great, maybe spelling bad tomorrow, gotto dive downtown tonight.

On a 1100 meter of a peak of a mountain, standing in the wind on one leg on a topographic pole. Pieter our fire chaser from Belgium.
He said tonight he was gonna show more things that he can do on a pole, I just hope he is not gonna put a wig on ....

Hondon south. a pathless walk up, but worth if it is working.

Thermals up to 3.8 m/s and this for the end of november. Great climb, but had to get out of the thermals not to get in airspace. Egi flew for three hours, was all over the place. At first he was taking pictures of lots of trees, we were afraid he was gonna do it again..... winning the cup for tree landings......

It would have been easy to fly XC to El Cid I guess, as I said we had to get out of the climb to be hassle free of airspace. I am sure pilots like Rafa, wouldn't have cared and go all the way.

I hope the spelling will be as good tomorrow as we're all off to a flamenco night tonight.
Concha Buika and band.

Many many many guiris flying at Peña Rubia. All the way to Biar and back, even with the tandem it wasn't a challenge. Hours of november flying, loving it.

Today's shots.

Peña Rubia flying, but only for some of us. Winds strong and cross.
Left for La Zafra, but there again, winds too cross. Egi tree landed after struggling to get his glider flying, Pieter with his new Ozone Ultralight, sup'air light harnass and UP light reserve was testing his new toys today.

Windy northwest, gusts from north, forecasted up to 70 km pèr hour. Bigger alert than yesterday. Boats were not allowed to go out, so we were grounded as well. I think the most safe it was.

Hector under the yellow glider, who invited us, is nearly 75 years old.

You should wish you'd be that fit at that age. Respect.

Brilliant. Weather forecast was scary, gusts to 70 km per hour ! Jesus.

Isobarmap was looking nasty as well. And northern winds, usually gusty and strong.

But around midday, nothing came out. All these expensive computerprogrammes analyzing satelite info had it all wrong.

No strong northern winds at all.

Flew at Agres. Invited by Hector who had permission to drive up to take off.
I called Hector to see how the wind blew this morning in his valley. He asked if we wanted to use his special permissions to drive up the hill. Great Hector, thanks.

The view during flight on this hill is astonishing. You fly above the old village Agres, and like some of us did, you thermal and circle above the castle. The sun was doing the rest. A beautiful day.

Agres is protected nowadays by the ecologists of some kind. You are not allowed to drive up no more. It is a natural reserve.

Lots of wind, and temperature dropping, not so nice, just a lazy sunday afternoon.

Too much wind, northern winds, temperatures dropping. Not the best news eh

Planeo, plouf, top to bottom, nothing else. Windy, very windy this afternoon.

Oh well, had a rum, uploaded them twice, no worries eh ?

Were at Carrascoy, some good flying. Northwest, smooth later in the afternoon veering to east. Enjoyed the carpeted take off, and the huge landing field. What an effort these guys from Murcia make to look professional. We should learn from them, us Alicantinos - Illicitanos.

Chechu with his Niviuk Ice Peak left XC, have no idea where he landed.

Some personal best for Chris, and last flights for Paul. The lovely lady is Isa, Andy Mazarron's girlfriend.

The 'franco' pencil-moustaches are dissapearing,
the eau de cologne smell, hardly on the streets any more
but here and there still a 'Virgin' posted on a truck

calendars with those 'Virgins' on it, will soon be collectors items

Rainy, no flying.

The end of the year is near, so we are receiving lists of demo gliders sold at ridiculously cheap prices.
You don't need another glider, or just bought one ?
Get a second glider, go crazy !

Here we go, only some prices, we have more :

Ozone Mojo 2 M DHV1, 1450 euros
Skywalk Mescal2 M, DHV 1, 1450 euros

Ozone Rush Small DHV 1/2, 1450 euros

Ozone Addict M, DHV2, 1350 euros

Tell your buddies, as you know we sell ALL brands, gliders, harnasses, electronics, etc..., at spanish prices, it's Europe.