How to be totally insane.....

[AlastairW]

I have been to Olu Deniz a few times... doing SIV courses, and free flying there, and the last couple of occasions I have booked my holidays via Thomas Cook, who's website allows you to "tailor make" your trip.

So you are not restricted to a 7 day package.... you can extend it to 10 days if you want, or any combination that springs to mind.....

Sooooo...... whilst booking previous holidays I have always had a little voice in the back of my head saying...."flights out on Friday.... flights back on Monday.... You COULD do a weekend in OD if you wanted to...."

A bit like those Tom and Jerry cartoons where he has a devil on one shoulder and an Angel on the other.....

Last Friday 18th May was the pits. Three rounds of BCC entered.... three rounds cancelled. Three weekends planning and expectations dashed on the rocks of miserable weather..... So I got onto Travel Republic.com, and sure enough there were flights out Friday Morning , and flights back on Monday afternoon..... from Newcastle.

Look at accommodation.... I could have stayed in the Majestic in od for £3 a night... YES you read it right... £3
Instead I stayed in the Karbel at 3x the price.....!

In total the cost was under £200 for flights taxes and accommodation.

The little devil on my left shoulder was very much in the ascendancy... "Go on... book it... you know you want to... JUST DO IT!!"

And it was done.

Left Newcastle at 7am, arrived at the Karbel Hotel at 2:55 (12:55 UK), checked in by 3:05 and out looking for transport by 3:15.

It was pretty overcast, but I still had a fun flight, arriving over the sea with 4000ft to burn of.

Spiral ( 4 revolutions)

into SAT (which I had promised myself I was NOT going to do whilst on the glide out) 8 revolutions, until the brake line threatened to sever the little finger on my right hand,

then some BIG wingovers.

Onto the beach to meet up with Jocky Chris and Mary who had just finished a weeks SIV.

Pleasant night out.... then up bright and early for a days flying Saturday....
Only to find the sky had fallen in, and was only about 2000ft above us. As the day progressed the sky got lower and lower, until bits of it started to fall onto us at about 4pm, in the shape of huge rain drops.

Sunday, the sky was at about 5000ft, still to low to allow the top t.o to be used so we went to 900m t/o. Had a great technical flight soaring the cliffs above Lykia world.... spent ages scratching there, playing with the lift, until a few drops of rain started to fall. Head to the beach and land.

Monday.. up early, to the top of the mountain, and a nice glide down, with more wingovers and general messing about, things that you NEVER get a chance to do in the UK, or pretty much anywhere else in the world.

And then the flight home..... but that is another story...

SOOOOOOO.... it can be done..... the weather is normally loads better at this time of year, and it is probably easier to organise than a weekend to Annecy, if you are travelling alone.

Was it worth it? Definitely!! Would I do it again? Probably..... but given I could have stayed until friday for less, it might be better to arrange some more time of work,,.....

Forestry has gone down immensely.... now only 10TL (£4) and transport £6 to the top. In other words £10 for 6000ft vertical descent....

[Neil]

Ill cary ur bags if i can come next time mister.

[Misk]

Booked today and headin out tomorrow from Edi to Olu with Steve, we'll be flying Sat through to Fri.....

Flight, accom (B&B beachside hotel how romantic) and taxes 180 each

Airport transfers 29 each

Solo XC and tandem SIV

That should fix the weather here for you........

[John Wallis]

Bastards............

[Neil]

I think u meen
Lucky Bastardsssssssssss
I prefer small inshore fish
Twattssssssss

There are two things that smell like fish and one of them is fish.

[paramaniac]

Just got back from Olu. Saw Misk and Steve at one of the cafes. Had a great time, well worth a visit if you haven't been.

[Misk]

Good trip - lots of sun

Reasonable flying a couple of good days with attempted XC and out landings. Interesting valley winds...... Landing out is cool - the locals drag you into their farms for food and chai, very friendly people. XC was limited as we worked together for safety getting back is easy as busses run everywhere.

We did 4 solo flights they are on the league, two of the days were inverted and just thermalling was good SIV practace. Banged in full stalls,
B line, wingover and deep spirals on the way down over the sea. B line on the ice is really nice.

In the evenings it was tandem training and SIV - I did 4 as captain and Steve 1. Amazingly solid glider - two of us hanging on the B's just brought in a stall. Steve hanging of one set of As just about cause a tremour in the LE. Tandeming is fine although we did have a big moment on one light wind launch from the top and that makes you look like this!

Good local food once you get away from the tourist tackyness.


Olu has the roughest air I have flown in on PG - you will enjoy!


A very rough and ready video here…….

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zsysycnHWKA