550 feet above Robin Young's Hill

I wasn't sure there was much point in trying to go flying this evening but sometimes plans do come together. There are few places as pretty as the Ulster countryside when the sun is shining and I spent the whole of the drive to Robin Young's Hill near Cairncastle being reminded of this fact.

I arrived to find an empty hill... not usually a good sign. The wind at the car park was almost non-existent... not a good sign either. I was expecting Bertie and after a short while he and Mark arrived. It seems Mark has read this very blog and it had helped motivate him to get back into paragliding after a few years break from the sport.

When we arrived at take off I still wasn't convinced that it was flyable, there was more wind and the wind meter was registering 10 mph. By the time I was ready to fly Bertie was calling out the wind at 11 mph and I still wasn't convinced despite his enthusiasm. I stood (shuffled about) with the wing above my head for a short while trying to get a feel for the air but soon dropped the wing back down to wait for stronger wind. Eventually after several up/downs with the wing I thought I would wait for the next noticeable puff of air and launch. If it was just a top to bottom then so be it, it wasn't like I haven't done the walk back up before. So I launched, turned right and stayed aloft for about 80 minutes, at times 550 feet above take off and ended with a top landing just as the wind was switching and dying.

In the video below you can see The Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, Slemish, the Belfast hills and in the far distance the Mountains of Mourne. This site is also be the location used to film Ned Stark beheading a deserter at the beginning of Game Of Thrones.

Halloween at Dungiven

I hadn't even been looking at the weather today when I glanced out of the window and thought to myself it must be flyable somewhere. I checked the club mailing list and sure enough a couple of members were making their way to Dungiven. So I quickly got kit and myself together and drove the 50 odd miles (who am I kidding I know it is exactly 52 miles). I arrived in time to see Colin take off and by the time I had driven to the top of the hill it looked like Dave was about to take off. Dave is the UHPC Chief coach and so is in the know. I ran down the hill to see what he thought of the conditions and as far as he was concerned there was nothing to worry about except it might be a wee bit light.

I was a wee bit worried about the lack of wind as I don't like landing at the bottom simply because someone has to stop what they are doing to drive down and collect you. First couple of flights were easy enough and resulted in top landings. Third flight was a disappointing top to bottom, followed by a top landing, and then another top to bottom.

I had five flights today and managed to clock up over an hours airtime. Not too bad considering I woke this morning without the faintest hope of flying.

The return to White mountain (2012)

I saw a message to the UHPC mailing list that several members were heading to Dungiven this morning. I didn't think the wind directions would suit Dungiven, but there are several sites not too far way that would suit the wind direction. After a quick phone call to my boss I was able to secure the rest of the day off. I then jumped into the car and headed out.

Just after getting onto the motorway I realised that Bertie (the guy that was my instructor) was behind me. So after he had passed me I tucked myself in behind his car and travelled in convoy safe in the knowledge that he would probably have the latest information on which site in the Sperrin mountains would be best suited for flying.

Photographic evidence of me flying above my instructor (briefly).

We arrived and to find there were already four pilots willing the wind strength and direction to improve. It was not to be, so they suggested we change site to White mountain. I have only flown at White mountain a couple of times and it hasn't yet had what I can call a good flying day there. With this in mind I followed the crowd but didn't have any real hope that things were going to be any good.

We arrived and everyone enthusiastically got changed into their kit, so I followed suit. Climbed the small bit of a hill and set about my daily checks. Previously I would have been slow to set-up because I would want to see others flying before I got my wing out but I have now released that getting the daily checks out of the way is a good way to spend the time waiting for everyone else getting airborne and you can't over check your flying kit.
Others took off and gained height, so I got myself ready and was third into the air (I think). I got about 8 minutes flying and then came in for a top landing.

Mark and Dave

I took a breather and and calmed myself as things were really looking up. I took off again, this time for over 40 minutes (my longest yet) I was up so long that I had time to try and sit back in my harness and try an relax. Along with trying to slow down while I fly by applying more brake than I usually would, I also started to really try to think about areas of lift when I encountered them. Then I top landed because my phone had been ringing only to find it was nothing important enough to stop me flying.

After a sandwich I took off again, I tried more concentrating on what the wing was telling me, which side of the wing was getting more lift than the other and which way I should be turning (at times this was only a mental exercise as the hill was beside me). I actually spent some time flying out from the hill trying to keep where there was lift. I got another 20 odd minutes air time eventually landing by the cars.

At this point I was feeling a bit tired but I thought I should make good of my opportunities. I took off and again tried to tune into the wing and the lift I was flying through. This last flight was another 20 minutes and I slope landed just a little way down the slope from the cars.

In total I have clocked another hour and a half airtime today and I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out especially because I thought initially there might not be any flying at all today. It just goes to show that you can't tell and you just have to put the time and effort in to get these days. Improvements for the future will be:

• Try to get a continuous hour in the air.
• Get more in tune with the lift I am in (device that will work as a vario/GPS is on order)
• Try to use today's gained confidence to get ready a bit quicker
• Get back in the air a bit quicker between flights to maximise my airtime.

Flying with others

Training today was at probably the most used site in Northern Ireland, Dungiven. Bertie and I headed out fairly early to be greeted at the windy, cloud covered hill by two glum paragliders pilots and a hang glider pilot. After an hour or so,  more pilots had arrived, the wind had dropped and the cloud was starting to lift.

This low cloud was an improvement over the earlier conditions

I was quite looking forward to seeing a hang glider in flight as I have never seen one before and I think it is important to at least see how aircraft you are sharing the sky with behave.

I tried to take a picture of a hang glider but it had shot off into the distance by the time I got the phone out.

I was surprised at the number of pilots arriving, and that I knew so many of them to talk to. By the time the flying got into full swing there were probably ten aircraft in the air at any one time and up to three of those could be hang gliders. One of the 'Hangies' made low pass at speed over the take off area (no-one was taking off at the time otherwise he wouldn't have done it), the noise of the thing cutting through the air is quite impressive.

I only managed to snap four gliders airborne but there were plenty more out of shot

All told I only got one flight of about 10 mins but I can add pitch osculations (damping out when the glider starts to rock you back and forth), flying with others and another top landing to the tasks completed.

All I believe I have left now are a couple of slope landings and one more top landing and I have finished my club pilot tasks. The weather this coming week is looking good so hopefully not long until I nail it.

Another milestone, top landings

Took a trip to Dungiven today, there were already paragliders flying when we got there. I was intrigued to see a hang glider sat out on the hill. I am interested to see one flying to understand how they move and behave in the air, and to see just how much faster they are than paragliders. Also I am aware that I will likely have to share the sky with one at some point in the future. Unfortunately it sat unused on the hill until it was packed away.

We started out with some more ground handling. My instructor wanted me to try to get the wing to stay above my head for as long as possible without moving. I found this very difficult and I am not sure if it was because the wind was too weak or I wasn't able to process the feedback the wing gives me by pulling the harness. I would happily blame the lack of wind except my instructor had a go on the same kit I was using and was able to do it without a problem. Just when I started thinking I was getting the hang of it I would notice some head shaking and look up to see the wing over to one side or the other and not happily flying above my head where I thought it was .


After this the wind died down and most people packed up and went home, then it picked up a wee bit (pretty much perfect for me). We went through a flight plan that included trying for a top landing (landing on top of the hill you started from) and possibly slope landings if I got enough height. If I didn't get enough height then I would go for a trusty bottom landing in my thistle field. So off I set, wing above me and staying there ( it seems I can do it al-right if I am moving forward). Up I went and turned into wind, I got a 10 minute soaring flight with bags of height and with radio assistance top landed. Unfortunately lost control of the wing after touch down where I tripped and fell for the first time in ages but got back up quick before anyone noticed.


I gathered up the glider and walked 100 or so meters back to the take off aera. The next flight plan included Big Ears. This is where you reach up and grab the lines that attach to the outside front parts of the wing and pull down until you fold the wing tips in. It is used to reduce height (or to slow ascent in lift) it works because a smaller part of the wing is now flying and therefore generating less lift. We only planned to do this if I had plenty of height. So again up I went, got another flight of 15 minutes, successfully tried Big Ears, I tried for a slope landing, but aborted about 20 feet up as it looked to me like I was running out of field before a fence, headed out off the cliff again, and got a load of lift which put me back where I started. I landed with a perfect (well it felt like it) top landing and controlled canopy collapse.



Signed off on Big Ears task for CP rating, and put down two of my four required top landings.
Top landings are great because with any luck it means I will be doing less of the knackering hill climbing back up to take off you need to do on some sites so I grinned like a maniac all the way home.