Watching the weather especially last Saturday

[John Wallis]

In an attempt to get a decent discussion going the weather last Saturday was interesting to say the least. I keep banging on about keeping an eye on the sky/clouds/weather and Saturday was a perfect example of what can happen if you don't use your eyes and your senses.

The forecast was for light winds and some over development.

Turned up at Horden and the wind was just starting to pick up, it had been flat all morning. Things started to look good so I carried across. A few pilots who had been waiting for quite a while inflated their wings and took off. Within minutes of them taking off the wind picked up quickly and considerably, most of them decided to land because of the rough conditions. One guy flew across the gap to the left of take off onto the higher cliffs, he was visibly going up and then backwards. He decided to turn downwind and run he landed safely but may have had luck on his side as the rotary air runs right back over the fields and has dropped pilots in at the last 20 feet or so.

The guys that landed on the beach made their way up saying how horrible the air was.

The wind had disappeared again then it would come back then the windsock would go south, north, west, and even pointed up at one point. The reason for this ......Some quite large clouds were building as they hit the land mass, not full CBs as yet but further inland was very unstable. Then in the distance was was a clap of thunder!

So in short the down draught from the clouds was was sending the wind all over the place causing turbulent and windy conditions. Imagine what a full blown CB approaching would do.

Did anyone else see anything worth mentioning on the day.

[colin keightley]

It was weird down on the beach on saturday the wind felt like someone was blowing you with a pair of billows with a heavy blow then a sharp pause then a sharp blow wasnt like a normal gust it was difficult at first to tell what clouds were about due to a thick haze

[Kay]

On Saturday I opted for a RoadBike cycle, out with two non - flying friends who I proceeded to Bore the pants off for 60miles or so about the amazing skies developing above us..

We cycled westward from Wylam up and over the moors..I could'nt keep my eyes off the sky...There was a real Battle going on up there.
I put it down to an approaching Cold Front. The cloud developement was incredible.

Culminating in our nice sunny warm cycle (1st time out in summer wear! this year) ending up in Thunder Lightening and torrential rain.

So pleased I was on the ground

[paolo]

The same up in Scotland.
We went up Braemar near the Cairnwell, for a 2/3 hs gap of good condiions we spotted on the forecast. We took off, used them bombed out, and forgot about the forecats of he moenring and went for another go.. took off and the airmass was quite different, the feeling in the air after we all gather together was that the thing just didn't felt right.

I was at about 4500ft, when listenend to the inner voice and spiralled down to the ground, minutes afterwards saw Matt Church going to land too, and in the distance saw the other XC2 of Julian Robinson doing the same.

I landed with no problems as so did Matt, but Julian and a Tandem that went for a last climb to base, got a bit more rough conditions.

Always beter to be in the gorund wishing to be up there than the other way round, and if the air doesn't feel right, ust get the hell out of there and think on the possible causes from the ground.

Is good to hear the inner voice, is usually right.

See ya.

[GlennP]

Hi John,

After you left I stuck around and chattd with Chris about my lack of paragliding experience and general muppetry .

The condition went through the same cycle as before will nil wind then building in phases. A line of embedded large Cu clouds formed once again but this time they pushed further out over the coast with a few Alto Cu clouds.

Then the wind picked up just before a heavy localised shower began. It rained heavily all the way up the A19 as far as South Shields. Then I hit a bit more blue sky.


Glenn

[brian day]

There was also a bank of sea fog, low cloud, about a mile off shore in the morning. The sea beyond it was calm, the sea between it and the land had areas of stong wind on it and the area closest to land showed calm. As the cu formed the area of wind moved closer to land and the fog bank became less visible. The fog bank was also producing it's own wind energy, which was confusing the airmass even more.

[GlennP]

They are so inconsiderate these nasty fog banks. Fancy confusing that airmass even more than it already was.




Good to see this information getting out there for all to think about next time they go for an easy flight at the coast.

[colin keightley]

Just for the record no one had flown withing at least 30mins of the thunder clap