carlton bank 11/11/2017

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gary stenhouse
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carlton bank 11/11/2017

Post by gary stenhouse »

as people will be aware there was a bit of a discussion about the conditions at carlton regarding wind speed.

the main point i would like to make is the people that took off on the should were all very experienced pilots, and to be fair this is not supposed to be done.
secondly it is not a good place for a low airtime pilot to try the same as if you get dragged back through bad groundhandling very dangerous.

i would only advice taken off from the top even if this requires a small push forward through the compression.

i would not advice walking down on this hill as it is very steep and also has rocks either side, so if you get dragged sideways then it will be very nasty.

also the other danger is that if the wing has a line over or cravatted then you will be airborne whether you like it or not.

this was seen on Saturday when this exact thing happened to a pilot and had to make a landing out front for safety.

however the conditions on Saturday were perfect for low airtime, the thermals yes were awesome for November as you don't normally get them.
the flying however was in the main very smooth indeed and plenty of smooth lift, in phase wave i think. taken off has got to be your own decision, though if you watch all the pliots flying and getting forward no problem then it means it is safe to fly.

the problem is taken off and as Carlton is a good safe flat top with no rocks it is a good safe place too try strong compression take offs. the reason i say strong compression is because the true wind was not strong only on the lip of take off.

remember flying is a personal choice and staying on the ground if your not happy is the right choice for you, however when you have more experience you may feel more happy with certain conditions where before you were not.

this is a better place to read and reply on a discussion as what sap get lossed off.

cheers Gary
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ron freeman
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good reply

Post by ron freeman »

Good reply Gary, when I first heard about Carlton I thought hear we go again
flying in fresh condition.. as we all know the paragliders of today can fly pretty fast and they will continue to improve, more speed better control in the rough stuff :) but at the moment I think its being used for all the wrong reasons.

Pilots in general are flying in stronger wind condition now, I see it all the time and that is not what all this extra performance is for.. its for better glides and much safer control in the rough stuff.

When the wind is topend and it feels nice a smooth fine but what happens when the wind picks up just that little bit more and your stuck or even worse going backwards... I think you always have to leave yourself good margins in this sport for longevity and happy flights
Maximise your time & dosh do both Hanggliding & Paragliding :)
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