well looks like i could be in line for the 50

[gary stenhouse]

well with a drive up through terantial rain to moneylaws we had optimisum in are sights when we got there even john. well no messing about wind light on the hill and sun out of sight but there infront. so the words of wisdom be waiting ready in your harness as its coming. well just in the harness and the first wave and i was off and up with brian moving in quickly, things picked up quick as brians gear was off on its way with out him. was not long untill he was walking down the hill to get off with john firmly behind him. straight away i got some height only to loose it as more west in the air, also a lot of wind in the air but smooth. then i got a couple of hundred metres where there was plenty of lift and a bit bumpy, though nothing wanting to take me to base. so pushforward and bing a nice drifting slow climb taken me above the clows at the seaward side. felt realy strange and always pushing to the sunny side as base was well bellow on the seaward side. things started looking better futher inland so headed that way to get in what i thought was a more promising clowd line. got a climb again that seemed to take me endlesly following the power lines but still stange the clowd was behind me and bellow me and then it got realy bumpy and sinky so moved on to get away from the bloody powerlines. and yet again week lift but just too week to stay high and keep away from them lines again so headed on a final glide to east hill and almost got lift and then soared the ne corner for a while and again got a few bites but never got high enough to climb out though did get away of the side. only to get another 1.5k

still a great flight a great company at the cafe, finding out i missed my retreive by minutes.

all that for 26k but by it was nice and a good start to the northumberland challenge.

cheers gary

[ron freeman]

Nice flight Gary, your write up sounds like a sea breeze front ? the wind was n.east on the coast all day and you say the wind was more westerly higher up with a very low cloud base to the east.

That sounds like the cold wedge advancing in from the north east coast line plus you mentioned it got quite bumpy (sheer line) then you were soaring the n.east bowl on East hill... classic convergence !

Great to see a new paragliding site record for Moneylaws

Did anyone else get away Gary ?

[Chris L]

Nice flight Gary, didn't think there was any chance today. RASP forecast gave poor thermal activity and looked like showers on and off in Northumberland

[brian day]

I spent the flight dodging the rain and cloud below me, which it was raining from. I found the flight a lot more bumpy and after Gary left the hill the large areas of lift were replaced by bullet thermals with massive WNW drift. Feeling uncomfortable on the hill I descided to take the next chance. I didn't really get the height I needed and the climb was weak. A second weak climb took me to within sight of the Bell and a rain shower at the cloud I was going to meant a depature towards the Bell. I found very strong lift, for 2 circuits, but then ????? where did it go? I was left in zeros, huge circles, but couldn't find it again, zeros changed to downs and it was dead from there, a downhill slide to Wooler.
The £50 ain't safe yet by a long chalk pall!!!

[RonDon]

Good flight Gary, you did well with what you had. Me to late to the hill.


In sport it’s not the money that counts? It’s the taking part.

[GlennP]

Nice write ups fellas. Great insight into what more experienced pilots are thinking in the air.

Cheers,

Glenn

[AlastairW]

Nice flight mate!

I have to agree with Chris, I thought there was no possibility of anything yesterday.

In any event I was on airport duty, so no chance to get out anyway.

Do you know that they have now removed the free 5 minutes parking at the airport, and even if you just drop someone of , stopping for 30 seconds, it costs a quid?

Bloody daylight robbery! at that rate, the charge would be £120 per hour for parking.

[GlennP]

You d only get half an hour with a Barrister for £120.

Makes the parking at Newcastle Airport look reasonable!

[/quote]

[bill-scott]

there is a free drop of point at the airport but its miles away and there are no trolleys

[brian day]

Useless for retrieves Bill, it's in airspace!

[Kay]

Have a word with me alistair..I know a secret 'Sweet Free Spot '