Alicante paragliding - friday 5th november

I saw birds. Birds with curly hair, bold birds, birds that could talk. When I chased them, trying to get near them, I heard them talking. One was called Pepe, the others Claudia, Volker, Raul, Marc and Ulli, Gary, Ron, Neill. They managed to climb in a 0.5 m/sec very smoothly, perseverence. Loved it watching it, me behind steering wheel, being sure they were gonna bum out but didn't.

In the morning we had our little flying at the cliffs, untill winds began to howl. In the afternoon we took our chances inland and had some flying in. Against all weather forecasts... .

Alicante paragliding

Rik above, Luc below

As you can see on the XC Trainer. Thermals up to 5.7 m/s, altitude max 1930 m with take off at 1150 m, date 04 november 2010, flight timne 1 hour 50 minutes.

Candy store, thats what Alicante has been the last couple of months. A huge candy store for all paragliding pilots wanting to top up airtime, wanting to thermal, soar or go XC.

Autumn paragliding in Alicante

Anxious to know how your buddies have flewn, curious about your lovers' day out ? Well I can tell you it was a brilliant day. Thermals up to 6 m/s, and it is november.

There was the BBBB task again, B bridge, B bar, B bowl, B back. A bottle of doyouwanna wine was the price for the first one who succeeded. Volker (other league ....) had to do the task twice. Guess who won ? Of course you know, otherwise I wouldn't have asked this question. Bloody Volker did.

All others were looking up, glider still in their hands, wandering what went wrong.

It is the first B that does it, the bridge. You have to get there with lots of height, come back half speedbar and use every lift you encounter. Also it is flying downwind, from bridge to take off again, so don't wait untill you have passed the lift. Downwind you have to turn immediately in the lift, different when flying upwind, then you count for instance, measuring lift. Anyway, come down and try it yourself. It's all about giving your flights a value. Nothing else, every flight should have a value. Boaring is soaring ? Do wing-overs, topland. Only top to bottom, but a beercan at landing and try to kick it. Anything. It is fun, it gives a value to your flight, and you always learn something from it.

Foto is pretty special, after all those years, after all those visits, I finally got a foto of Volker down at landing field, while others were still flying. Volker you are a star, oh god, I wished I hadn't said that. Ah, what the heck.

From Belgium to Spain

From grey Belgium, where everybody hides under his grey coats and hats, to sunny Spain today. Immediately in the 25 degrees celsius air, calling around where we could have a flight. And right on, afternoon flying with the new guests, germans and belgians. We kicked off another good week again of paragliding.

Thermals were pure and smooth, lovely to pilote into them.

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.