Category: News

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!

Saturday dawned with what looked like a too strong NE…….Watty and Martin however had other ideas and were rewarded with a couple of hours on Slui Lewaige.  Later joined by Bill and Jamie. A little strong but very smooth.

Sunday saw Myself,Jamie, Noel, Goldie, Phillip, Keith, Simon and Watty on Slui Curn.  Later to be joined by Dave O. It was a little light and gusty with thermals coming through but not really enough to get above take off. Some of the gusts were quite severe, one gave me a nice dragging.  Everyone flew and everyone went down eventually.  Martin opted to fly the FRegain bowl……..

So a busy weekend, tonight has possibilities.  Weatherjack is getting excited about tomorrow….

The wind when Tony and I arrived (2:30 ish)was averaging 12 to 16 mph at the trig point on top of Sth Barrule, with it dropping to 8 and gusting strongly to 22 to 25 mph. We decided to sit it out and wait for the thermal activity to reduce a little. In the meantime, Martin and his HG arrived by which time some of the ferocity of the thermals had subsided, I was first off on my Brontes and straight into good lift with a six hundred FPM thermal hoisting me to 700 ato over the hill top. I pushed forward a little and found some more lift taking me to just over 1000′ ato. I pushed out from the hill and towards the left to try and find some more lift, didn’t so flew back to the hill and landed on the hillside to advise on conditions for Tony and Mike Swales. In the meantime Martin (HG) had took off and was skying out.

Conditions continued to moderate and my next flight saw me landing 250 below take off. Martin (HG) meanwhile had top landed his HG and Tony and Mike had taken off and flown down towards the cars with Mike finding some lift just after t/o and down near the cars. Martin (HG) took off again in marginal conditions and also flew down to the road. After my climb back up the slope I discovered Watty on t/o preparing to fly. I took off again and found some thermal activity, enough to let me land back on top, did a touch and go and did the same again. Watty then took of on the Nova Mambo(I think that’s what its called) and found good lift out in front of t/o. I followed but didn’t manage to get as high as Watty in what we think was restitution lift off the wood in front of the hill. After floating around for about 10 minutes the lift died out and we both landed down near the cars. In the meantime, Tony seeing us flying around at about 300 ato decided to walk up for another flight and some how or other persuaded a passer by to carry his glider up the hill for him, what a smooth talker he must be!

This, the last flight of day sprang no surprises and Tony had a pleasant top to bottom.

An interesting afternoons flying had by all.

Wonderful looking day yesterday (weatherjack 5 at one point), some of us had to work however. Later myself, Watty , Bill and Tony met up on Snaifell. Wind was thermic gusty from the N-NE. I had a quick flight and ended up slope landing lower down for an easy walk back up. Watty then took off on the new Mambo wing and stayed up, easily…great looking wing. As Watty was making it look very easy, myself and Bill launched into strong sink that had us searching for some lift at the southern end. Found something but not enough to get up and away and we both ended up landing on the slope, unable to make the landing field, which Watty seemed to make very easily on his new (very impressive) glider. Tony then took off, demonstrating big ears on the way down. We then hiked up again to find the wind blowing pure NE, Which is a nightmare on Snaifell……………and very difficult to get off on………..

So how good a day was it? Well Martin flew his Hang glider on Ballaugh. Taking off into an 8-12 mph NW breeze that would have been perfect for Paragliding he got to 3400 foot above take off! landing just north of Snaifell. Well done Martin, you lucky burger.

More of the same tonight, fingers crossed.

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.

After a long break I got the call from Tony that Slui Roy was on.  Raced from work and straight up the hill,  put my bag down at the top, turned round and was greeted by complete white out……….then it started to rain!   Decided to wait it out,  even though there was no cover.  Tony then arrived and as if by magic the clouds parted to reveal brilliant sunshine and a light 8mph SSE.  Then Keith arrived.  We all took off and found weak zero’s that extended a very nice top to bottom.  So nice in fact that we yomped back up again for another go in very smooth air.  It was a little bit more lifty but we all eventually went down for a spot comp that Keith won – again.

Lovely evening,  it was raining within 2 hours….April eh!

Saturday is looking very good according to weatherjack and the new look xcweather 5day forcast.

I arrived at Slui Lewaigue at around 2pm and Martin with his HG rigged hadn’t flown as he was concerned that it maybe too light for him to stay airborne.  The wind measured around 8 to 12 mph at takeoff so I blew the cobwebs off my glider and prepared for take off.  Popping the glider up I held it at take off for a couple of minutes to help assess the conditions before launching and apart from the odd bit of turbulence rolling up the face decided that there was no reason to delay any longer and took off.  Once through the mild surface turbulence I was quickly climbing, but now in strong wind of around 20 mph (where did that come from?) and not making any forward progress, in fact at one point I was drifting back slightly so I employed the accelerator and pushed forward a couple of hundred yards.  It was now easy to stay forward of the hill and the glider continued to climb.   With the wind still light at the surface, Martin incredulously watching me climb out so easily soon followed on his hang glider and in glass smooth air we both topped out at just over 900 feet above take off.   The remains of an old cu-nimb had drifted over from England or maybe Scotland and in its death throws decided to dump some showers, seeing these approaching and as the wind was already strong I decided to head for the beach at Ramsey for a safe landing whilst Martin continued to soar the hill.  After landing on the beach by the rugby club I noticed that Martin had flown back onto North Barrule but from where I was didn’t seem to be much higher than when on Slui Lewaigue.  As the showers passed the hill Martin headed for a safe landing (he had an appointment to keep).  It turned out that Martin had only gained another 100 foot and got a rough ride to boot! I subsequently "enjoyed" the 90 minute walk back to take off! Flight time around 35 minutes.

All in all a great first proper flight on the island for me.

Flew the site with no name @ 9am.  8 to14 SW  but west on the face at take off. sky a little over cast but becoming more thermic, took off initially got lifted straight up but straight back down again, foot in the ditch on my arse, little bit of a drag which is always nice first thing in the morning.  Took off again, nice lift started to work the bowl getting up to max approx 400ft above getting 4 ups at sometimes, about 20-25 minute flight then side landed.  Nice site would fly there again but would watch the wind strength.

Martie and myself met up at Slieu Magile, Martie carried up first then me. Martie had a couple of flights one top landing, I got on video, one down the bottom, wind speed 15-24 miles per hour.  A little too gusty and rough for a first FRIGHT on a new glider.  Both decieded to go to Staarvey, wind when we arrived a little off to South of West 14-22 mile per hour.  At this point must fly must die comes into it – convinced myself its only strong on the ground it will be OK n the air – BIG WRONG.

Take off going backwards OH Shit is that the glider screaming or me, ITS ME speed bar on no not this close to the ground too scarey, hands up positive thinking AH going forwards think to myself "YOU PRICK" then Alton Towers ride of mega discomfort starts for the next 10 to 15 minutes struggle to get to the landing field into land rough as you like, feet touch the ground thats nice, OH SHIT back up into the air SUCKED. Martie reckons about 30 feet keeping the brakes on, keeping the brakes on back on the ground!!! PHEW

A lesson learnt for me and hopefully everyone else.  there are always better flying days.

Flew a second time, nice and smooth top to bottom, quite a nice glider

A perfect SE 9 knots from the weather station at the point of Ayre had Keith, Si and Jamie assembled on Shallag with high expectations. Unfortunately expectations proved higher than the quickly dying wind and they all went down swiftly followed by myself, Bill, Swalesey and Mike…….The next 2km walk to the Dogmills giving us plenty of time to figure out where to go next…….Martin then rang from the top of Slui Roy to say he was just about to take off into what he thought would be very rough conditions. Not a good sign as Martin is usually comfortable about flying alone……..20 minutes later he called to say – it was horrible, rough, not nice. That left the rest of us with one last possibility…….Mullagh Ouyr , which being lower than Slui Roy should have less wind/turbulence on it. I must confess I have not flown this hill in nearly 5 years, which is a shame as it is a great easterly site. So myself and Swalesey gave it a go and found it rough as expected, very lifty, and not much fun. Eventually Phil got it down on the front , whilst I opted for Windy Corner. Glad to get down I was then amazed to see Bill have a go……he soon gave it up though. Shame really as it is a great site and I for one will be giving it a try this summer in nicer conditions. So a rough old day where there was wind and thermals mixing it up around some sort of
inversion……maybe tomorrow?