Author: Martin Webb

Grateful for a rest after 8 straight days flying in May. A record for me. Have also had my first take offs from 4 sites new to me, but despite being desparate to soar N Barrule and flying onto it 3 times still haven’t managed it!!

Tuesday 10th May
45 min flight from Ballaugh. A bit thermic and too busy to zip up harness before left hill at 200 foot above takeoff. Finally had time at 3000′! 3500′ ato centred on Sulby Reservoir pulled speed out of cloud base and went for my goal of N Barrule. 500’/min sink all way via Snaefell to Clagh Ouyr along ridge to N Barrule. But just too much sink and a NE headwind meant a Mountain Box landing. I may have stupidly left convergence down centre of Island.  It was all downhill from today.

Continue reading 8 days Hang-Gliding!

Finally made my first little X country here (fully out of ridge lift)

SW going SSW fresh and getting stronger plus strong thermals. I wouldn’t have risked it but for the cloud streets and Watty’s words ringing in my ears (Well
you’ve only got to get up a bit and the wind will do the rest)!!! So I thought I must at least go through the motions, get rigged and see how it ground handled.  Like a bloody see saw- couldn’t keep the wings level and wind switching around and even worse seagulls just to the right getting sunk out and having problems penetrating.  Should really put it in the bag but it is a long carry down.

This could hurt? T/off not bad, surprisingly little ridge lift for but loads of thermic sink and lift.  Surely I won’t go down! Took a long time, or it just
felt a long time, to get to a few hundred feet. Then had a nice little 10 down (1000ft/ min), But also as I got up the thermals became more useable and had a couple of nice useable (all the way round) 5 ups.

Eventually after about 20 mins got a good one and thought that would do. Drifted over the back at about 1000ft. Got to 1500ft by Sl Froghane and then looking down into the lee bowl thought I ought to divert right to the higher flatter ground on the way to Ballaugh.  Sinking fast all the way but got good, half in half out, thermal at Ballaugh Plantation to about 500ft AGL that made for a certain landing at top of Ballaugh, but not enough for getting past it. Anyway why on earth did I want to land in the top landing field, I would have been better landing on the road prior!!

If I could have just got a bit more lift I could have fallen over the edge of Ballaugh and got an extra couple of miles. Just on cue I got a 100ft/min couple of circles back up to about 500ftAGL. And fell over the edge. But couldnt find lift over wildlife carpark.  Maybe was there but over ridden by sink from the hill.

Then it was just a matter of looking for a route with a decent field, which was just before Sandygate at the Lhen Trench. It was a long walk back.

Slieau Curn

Usual forecast, usual place, different names. (Just thought in case your all getting too bored/depressed I’d liven up the title a bit).

Forecast looked just about OK (WSW 20mph) provided took off by 11am as wind eased but before wind switched SW and increased yet again. As last week, cloud well above the tops–Until I got rigged of course!! Base fell right down to way below me– and then it poured down. What fun, soaking wet glider, wind getting up.

After sheltering under glider (not so good in this department- too high aspect ratio), got half unrigged and dithered around. Base started to lift a bit got re-rigged and took off just under base around mid day mainly to save carrying down. Anybody know how much worse these rigid wings fly when soaking wet, I haven’t seen any reports??

Not too bad. In fact I didn’t notice any difference at all! Careful to stay out in front of the cloud as last week, then over onto Froggy, lovely smooth lift, throwing height away as I wallied around out front, veering in and out of front of the orographic cloud as it came and went. Again on top front edge of cloud mainly around 550m above sea level and up to 1350 ft ATO at best. Smooth but certainly not making fast progress out front.

Froggys OK. Not long but perfectly shaped. Could have flown much longer and could have got to coast but it wouldn’t have done me much good and days are short.
Nice 1.5 hours and wanted to try out a new landing field that I have had my eye on for some time at Cooil D Harry. Where to complete the title I was met by Bills Brother!!! Apparently he did a Para course.  Tried probably without sucess to talk him back into flying Paragliders or even the real thing– Rigid Wing Hang Gliding. Its just so easy.

Martin