12/06/2008 by admin.

Well… ive been thinking hard and about the mistake or misjudgment i made about flying that night. I just cannot rattle my brains and think about what i saw and why it was a misjudgment.

I have spoke to a BHPA instructor the last few days and hopefully within the next few months go and get my BHPA paramotoring rating. I explained the event to Paul at Paraventure and at first we both agreed cloud suck, until i mentioned our location……oh its not cloud suck its sea breeze convergence or also known as a sea breeze front.

All the things seem to add up for this type of front, 180 degrees change in wind direction, 300ft per minute lift and we are about 3 miles inland at Singleton so we must be in the zone for this type of convergence. Paul’s advised me to read about it because it will happen again and there are tell tale signs, a cumulus marks the front as the air rises and joins the inland air flow and where the offshore breeze meets, this is where the lift is as it flows upward to produce a cumulus cloud.

I also spoke to a paragliding pilot and when I explained what happened to me he  replied wow…..thats some good lift……yes right maybe for you tree huggers but not for us boys, the only lift i want is if i land out and need a lift home…..

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06/06/2008 by admin.

I have had a good day today to try and have a think about what was going on, I sent a few emails to Mike Brown a good friend and Commercial Pilot for numerous years. When I climbed out and got to 900ft and found I was entering low cloud, we both now think I could of been quite close to some roll cloud. Mike had a look at last nights radar and saw the small storm/downpour we had at about 7pm and said he could see it was quite active in this area. Problem is I didnt go to the field and think should I or shouldnt I, so what did I miss. How did the first ten minutes into the flight become so active, I think next time instead of locking my throttle off and taking pictures and climbing out i should have a better look around.

This picture was in front of me when I climbed out facing south…….At first I thought the lift was from a thermal, but if I was in the core I would of been roughly in the same postion in relation to the groud instead of traveling 3k in one direction going up, so judging by the photo this cloud was also forming and increasing in height and taking me up with it. So was it really cloud suck from a roll cloud, suppose ill never know but i did learn something that day i was f..king glad to be down.

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06/06/2008 by admin.

Fright number 8…….more like shite myself number 8. Went down to the field tonight Thursday 05/06/08, perfect 4mph NNE wind. So I began to setup my gear give Mel a ring and told here the cows had gone and it was safe to come down to the field. A bit of tinkering with the throttle idle and ready to go……now nil wind but still NNE take off. Perfect forward straight up and full throttle down the field, straight and kept climbing, got nice and compy in my seat and made a right turn and started to climb out now heading south westly. I locked the throttle off, hands of and took some photos, by the time i put the camera away I was at 1700 ft and felt the wind in my face as i turned more westly……erm strange made a turn to the east and felt the wind behind me and i was drifting. I was now moving quite fast and was on idle but wasnt making any desent. I looked to my left and right and i was at cloud base 1805 ft, going with the clouds and the same height…..cloud suck shit, i looked behind and between these two clouds was a gap. I was seriously scared, I just had an image of just going higher and higher, so i made a turn into the wind and clouds passed me no bump still with the throttle of and at idle I started to desend very slowly, i bet i was 2 miles from the field and i got back on idle and landed in the field. This has been the worst situation I have been in, im going to have a look at my gps data and see what was going on.

But perfect landing and perfect take off, I even walked my wing back to the car as it was still inflated as i landed.

Think I need to seriously have a look at what was going on, there were some quite cum nim about 15miles away but i think my cloud suck came form these two that were level with me. Bit of a bump when i was coming into land but that was nothing, it was the sight of the field getting bigger that was interesting me and what a great sight it was…..times like this im thinking what the fuck am i doing.

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06/06/2008 by admin.

UK National Paramotor Championships Group Photo

Wow wow and wow, this must be the best event I have ever been to. I don’t really know how to put the 3 days of tasks into words.

The organisation of the event the people it was just fantastic, eveyone was there for one reason to support paramotoring and for the love of the sport.

Traveled up Friday morning set off at 7.30am and arrived a little after 2pm, set up with the awning and went for a wonder, Gabe, PK, and Mark arrived later in the afternoon after taking one of Marks short cuts……glad I went my own way now. Friday night saw the first pilots and Marshal’s briefing, I was quite excited being so close to the action, pilots from around the world supporting there country were in there small groups talking over the tasks ahead.

Saturday morning saw the first of the early starts, up at 6am and ready for the Marshals meeting. I was on take offs, controling the pilots taking off with red and green flags, 41 pilots on the flight deck all in different stages of getting ready. The first task was a nav task with a spot landing at the end of the task. All pilots in the air safely and time for a brew and an hour or two to spare, as the pilots started to return I was on spot landing duty, and my task was to keep the centre spot which was about 9″ in diameter covered with flour to give that dusty effect upon landing…..(oh did I say, I landing 1 foot short of the centre spot when i landed after my free flight and even got flour on my gloves…..framed I think so).

These was various other tasks during the next few days, and my duties varied from controling the take offs from the flight deck to recording the scores for the spot landings.

Gabe attached a wing to his wheelchair, and PK pushed the chair to get the wing up and flying….and they did do it, it was so funny. Eveyone was in high spirts and we were all ther for one reason to support the game we play even if sometimes it can be a rough one.

I had a short and bumpy flight, perfect forward launch straight down the runway, insight of all the spectators and anyone else mulling around, felt great up again.

All in all a great time had by all, the drive was more than worth it. I hope Norman or Mike Brown do sort out smaller events during the year with similar tasks just to give that confidence a nice little boost.

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