Flight to remember

31/12/2007 by admin.

WOW what a weekend.

I set off to Alnwick in Northumberland Saturday dinner after getting a text from Mark Ingham and I arrived late afternoon, found the digs straight away. When I say digs I mean a 1760 old dairy farm which has now been restored and  resembles a mini castle complete with its own courtyard.

So it was off to the pub for some food, beer then next stop to Threashers and back to the communal room to sit and chat in front of the log fire……can it get any better.

Total of five pilots stayed the night where we had candle lit breakfast on a oak table in the morning and Paul Kilburn and Paul Nation traveled up and joined us for breakfast.

After breakfast we all headed to Seahouses which was going to be our take off and landing area on the beach, we met another 5 pilots in the lay-by and all scrambled up the sand dunes to look at the site, clean beach, clean water and seals playing out in the water, the North Sea just looks so clean and out in the distance was the Farne Isles and behind Bamburgh Castle was Pray Island (Lindisfarne).

By the time myself and Gabe were set up everyone had gone and was arriving back, so it gave me the chance to gets Marks attention and help me set up and find out exactly where I could fly. Gabe set off first as I set my wing up behind his, it was my turn just when all the crowds of people who were walking the beach decided to stop and watch, not to good for the confidence. Mark quoted on the radio when I was airborne “a text book take off”, fantastic, climbed out over the dunes to 500′ and circled the take off site and headed to Bamburgh Castle I flew around the castle a few times and then other pilots were refueling and taking off, soon I had Paul Kilburn right behind me with his video, so we ended up flying towards each other and breaking right as Paul took a video, then soaring above the dunes Mr Ingham is flying to my right taking pictures , so not one to give up on a oppotunity I put on my best smile.

The weather, scenery and company was fantastic, what a flight to remember. I had now been up for 90 mins and started to get cold so I decided its time to land have a brew and refuel.

So landing did a nail it, I had to circle a few times to loose height because I had climbed to 1300′ half way through my flight and there was quite a few people mingling around. My first nil wind landing, 200′ i was out of my harness, the sand was still wet in places and also had to watch out for any rotor coming off the dunes, as I was 50′ I thought wow I’m coming in fast and I was I had no head wind to help me, a last minute flare and skidded on my heels and landed sat down. Not a bad landing just next time ill know to flare more on landing, not a problem as they say every days a schools day.

I downloaded all my GPS data and flew for 90mins, I used 2 litres of fuel. My max speed was 24mph with an average speed of 14.6mph and in this time I covered 21 miles over some of the most fantastic scenery. The take off site for some reason even being on the beach was -22′ and I climbed to a max of 1274 which is the highest I have climbed out to.

After this flight its brought my confidence back and also I think my umbilical cord has been broken and I’m free to venture away from our site or anyone elses site.

 A big thank you to Mark Ingham for arranging everything and to all the other pilots which made the day one to remember…………..A yearly thing Mr Ingham………………I think so

Cheers Paul

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