Flight Logs

Carsphairn 4th December 2016

The weather forecast was seen to be very light in most areas, but to be slightly stronger in SW of Scotland and having SE influence on the Day. It was too good a day to miss so I decided to give an old haunt being Carsphairn another shot as it’s only a one hour drive from where I am.

So I’m on site for about 12:15 parking the motor at Garryhorn’s Old Lead Mine (It’s handy if you have a 4 x 4, but my front wheel drive with a bit of ground clearance got up no trouble at all, it would have been a different issue if it had full snow cover) to make the 20 minute walk up onto Knockower hill. Reaching take off the wind strength was a little more than the expected 5/6 mph, but doable.

Ettrick Pen 4th December

After a few phone calls and a head scratch over the wind strength, the decision was made to head for Ettrick Pen.

I picked up Dave who was all ready to go, apart from not being allowed out the house until he’d finished doing the washing up. 21^st Century Man at his finest. We collected Tommy (late 19^th Century Man at his finest) and headed into the hills.

Fastheugh Fly-Hike Sun 20th Nov

Five fearless Wingbeat souls put on their michelin padding, braced up the balaclavas and put one leg in front of the other towards our first fly hike of the winter season. It all started innocently enough: First, an urge to get outdoors again; then, THE IDEA, followed swiftly by a plan and a call to action, duly answered by the infamous five: Barry, DaveH, Derek, Jamie, Tommy.

HALLOWEEN AT WITCHIE KNOWE

Another good afternoons flying at witchie. Wingbeat gargoyles turned up in there droves swapping brooms for para gliders 10 in total. With Rob and Dave being there 1st and myself they where just heading off to the SW bowl conditions where a lot lighter than the day before and you had a less likely chance of having pellet perforation holes in your glider flying at the bowl end of witchie. Myself waited a bit to see if the wind would pick up and I was introduced to New Zealand IAN by Selkirk Chris which he decided to do a bit of ground handling, While chatting to Ian D2R2 and CP3O turned up from the Dumfries way.

TINTO 25/10/06

Tinto South was the venue for today. Setting of from Ettrick in low cloud I decided to go over to Tinto via Talla, it was socked in until Meggat Stane, then totally blue.

Arrived at Tinto at 11.30 and waited a few minutes for Fred and Neil to arrive. Clouds were beginning to develop as we walked a third of the way up Greenhill.

Bridgend 7/8/9th October 16

A little run of Easterly winds gives us the opportunity to go to one of the more picturesque sites round at St Mary's Loch. Its a fairly easy walk up. I was working on the Friday so I cant comment but folk flew.

I arrived on the top on the Saturday and launched at midday into a wind that was picking up, over the first 20 min flight I watched the wind speed pick up from 15mph to 21 on my skytrax so I decided to top land whilst I still could.