Well I had a good couple of days in the Lakes, saturday night me, Rich, Matt and Dennis had a good curry and plenty of drinks and slept well that night.

Sunday arrived very foggy but it started to clear as we made breakfast. Drove up to Blease car park which was above the mist in bright sunlight, and walked to the top of Blease. It became soarable just after midday and we all got a bit of flying. I got about 2 hours with the wind picking up later on. The inversion must have been just under takeoff as it was a but turbulent down there, and also the pilots at the lower takeoff on blease were reporting little or no wind. It was about 20mph at times where we were on top.

Monday dawned bright and sunny with no fog so me and Matt went straight to Blease. I took off from the lower takeoff and went vertical up to 150m ATO where I was facing into wind and not going anywhere fast. So after about 15mins I went down to land.

We then went to Bewaldeth were the wind was a bit off and flew about for an hour before jumping to the higher, more into-wind part of Bewaldeth were Steve was flying and had another hours smooth soaring.

That night I discovered my car tax had run out on 31st Jan! (Got no reminder letter.) I checked my documents and discovered that so had my MOT! Oops!
Drove home that night and got my car MOT’d yesterday. £260 (for two tyres and a suspension wishbone) and £140 (for tax) later and I am now very skint but legal again! And hoping to fly tommorrow. Not sure where yet.

Piccys:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/stevefly1958/BleaseFell?authkey=CT0sjdWFb9s
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/stevefly1958/Bewaldeth?authkey=Q2aFJJhVo0A

Alex.

Went to the Lakes on Christmas day with option for a hill walk if unflyable. Up Jenkin hill with little wind and fog in the valley with a strong inversion (-3C in valley +5 at altitude). There was some orographic at 2,500ft. Took off at top of Jenkin in orographic fog and soared up. There was good lift well forward with bits of wavy stuff, and clouds forming below me! Had a good “glory” when the sun shone. Magic! After an hour was joined by a Gin Bonanza and we both explored the front of Skiddaw. Reached then flew above base. Very cold. Good couple of hours before my hands got too cold.

I didn’t miss the turkey.

HH

Me and James went to Nonts today only to find it clagged in and the wind ESE not SE. We decided to go to Lobden, a lower site which takes all wind directions.
We hit horrendous traffic and roadworks on the way but on arrival there was bright sunshine and a nice breeze. After trashing the bottom of my car getting 2/3 of the way along the track to takeoff, we set off on foot and arrived at the the top with a nice SE’ly breeze. We then had a good hour and a bit of flying, nice and smooth reaching 100m ATO max. Got some footage too which I will edit.

Hoping Nonts won’t be clagged in tommorrow.

Alex.

Well it turned out be a pretty good day today. After a night out on the town with Sam (during which we saw Mr.Archer on his work do! And Matt gave us a lift home in his Taxi!) we woke up to an increasingly foggy day. The synopics were showing the high pressure at 1045mb! The higest I’ve ever seen. We eventually decided to go to Mam Tor but it wasn’t looking good. Halfway down the M1 we decided to give up as the fog didn’t seem to be clearing. Just as we parted, Andy rang and said Nonts was on, so off I went.

Nice breeze on arrival and Steve Etherington was there to collect his Icepeak XP from Andy (the first in the country!) and was boating around on it. Had a few nice flights in the SE bowl, not much height but lifty and good fun. As I had some lunch and whilst Andy and Steve were flying, Jim arrived and the wind suddenly picked up from a nice 8-15mph to 35mph+ in about 30secs. Andy and Steve had a rough and unpleasant ride behind the road but landed safely.

Alex.

Had a good flight this morning before work today. Got there unfashionably early to find pretty good winds at Reighton. The top TO was cordoned off by the park because of the bonfire debris, so I took off from the pill box above the campsite. It was nice smooth and lifty all the way to Bempton visitor centre, but I did not venture further because of helicopter activity at Flamborough head. Did a 23 K ridge run to kick off the new XC season…..Had to pack up at 11am to get to work….
How did you get on Tim?
HH

With light late autumn conditions forecast, going out was a bit of a punt. Richard Carter and I went to Hawkswick to find nil winds. But the clouds seem to be moving westerly so we went to Great Whernside and found perfect soaring conditions, it was always light but soarable and as it is such a friendly site and smooth flying, it was good Wagga fun.

There were even a few light thermals when the sun shone. Then at about 2 pm I noticed that wave was forming and radioed Rich to hook onto it. The wave bar was established well into the valley and it was possible to soar it and climb above the clouds! Got 1200ft ATO at the max. This was very good wave riding and a good tour of GW. The best flights are often the most unexpected.

Very good conditions at the coast today, went to Filey at 2pm to find Tim already there in light but soarable conditions picking up nicely and got 300ft ATO conditions. Got a little strong later so after an couple of hours decamped to Brid where Jez was already up, for another hours flying before darkness descended.

I was expecting Matt and Rookie Pete who seem to have disappeared. You should have waited just another hour or move to Filey if Brid is too light.

HH

Another High at Hawkswick today 21-10-07
Richard Carter and I went to Hawkswick today and had an excellent flight. It was sunny and hazy with little wind to start but by 11:45, thermals picked up and winds were spot on. Flew to the summit ridge a couple of times and out to the pretty glen over the village of Arncliff. Good thermals to a lowish base of 2500ft ASL (1200ft ATO). Eventually got one good enough to drift with and went over the back to Buckden to record a 26K XC. Not bad for end of October! See: http://www.pgcomps.org.uk/xcleague/xc/viewFlight.php?year=2007&leagueView=10&showView=0&xcFlightId=3623&clubId=24&ids=3623-3279-3584-2631-3620-2548-2828-3585-2553

Went up to the Lakes on Friday with Rich.S. The forecast was for some broken cloud which was due to clear with light winds. We went into S&W in the morning and decided to go up Jenkin. We went up and there was very little wind and it wasn’t soarable. We also seemed to be on the edge of the clouds and it was drizzling. We waited for a good hour or so before just flying down.

On Sat, it was bright with some cloud which cleared later. We went up Jenkin again and the wind was slightly too light to soar and off to the East a bit. To add to our annoyance, we saw paragliders start soaring on Blease. But at about 12.30, suddenly the wind and thermals kicked in. The was my first proper inland flight on the Artik and Impress combo. The Artik was a handful at first and I had to be on the ball. Especially in conditions which were very, very, very strong and punchy! Felt like spring! Had a few short flights and started to get a feel for it. Then on my last flight I got up to base at 500m ATO and managed to push into wind to Keswick, arriving at 500m ATO! Then set off for Dodd trying to do a triangle. This was when I realised the massivley better glide and it was a lot smoother and enjoyable out there. Did complete it but it was only 11km. Back on Jenkin it was impossible to land without spiralling it was so lifty!

A few other speckouters had an awesome if a bit of a fiesty day and were seen flying around at base under the nice clouds that formed throughout the day!

See Google Earth tracklog: http://www.paragliderpilot.co.uk/stuff/jenkin22007-10-20.kmz

I went to Hawkwick more in hope than expectation to find a clearing sky and good winds today. Slightly off to West but not a problem. Only John Ellison was there but later were joined by 3 other gliders. There were nice if sketchy thermals kicking off the scree when the sun made its brief appearances. Rather rough at times. Made several attempts at ridge runs but very slow into wind (I was on my Ibex, thinking it would be a triffle strong). 3+ hours it took to make a 19k run…..

http://www.pgcomps.org.uk/xcleague/xc/viewFlight.php?year=2007&leagueView=10&showView=0&xcFlightId=3620&clubId=24&ids=3279-3584-2631-3620-2548-2828-3585-2553