18/05/2008 by admin.

Pie and Peas and Mr Grumpy at the helm, Lord Stones Cafe and the possibility of a huge amount of cash through sales of beer…but the owner decides to go home cause hes got a runny nose……ahh. Hello wake up ! so we all sat round a camp fire which belonged to two lads and there dads.

 Anyway what a great weekend, not much flying due to the weather but plenty of pictures. We decided to travel up Friday night and got there at 9pm two paramotors were just coming into land and we could just make there strobes out as we were 900′ below and beginning to climb up with the caravan in tow……oh cant say too much as my edited report will be featured in issue 7 of the International Paramotor Magazine including some pictures.

Where was I….oh, Gabe was there who got a nice early flight in and Fraser tapping on our window at 5.30am Monday morning, not that we needed waking seen as Paul Haxby flew over the site at about 50ft waking everyone up.

So I had an early start Monday but didn’t start getting my gear ready because i wanted the wind to switch to a southerly so I could take off down the valley. At about 10.30am it was perfect and had a good bumpy 50 minute flight, doing circuits and practicing landing then throttling on and climbing out, all good fun and worth alot.Since the Pie and Peas no flights since but I have been up-to Mark Inghams site today 18/05/2008 but the wind is just too strong and very gusty. Tomorrow is a good forecast so I may pop over in the morning and catch up with work when I get back.

Gabe if your reading this All the best mate hope we are flying soon, maybe they can adapt that wheelchair or even fit skids on the bottom.

 Come on where is this weather, nice evenings, light winds, am I asking too much. Just one week a flight a night, down the prom buzz the ship. We will have to take the flymo down the field soon, ill be lost in ther soon.

Safe flying and lets have some happy days……..

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13/01/2008 by admin.

Friday night emails started rolling in from posts written on the forum about a Manchester flyin, so I posted on the forum and asked am I missing a party, shortly afterwards I received an email from Mark Ingham saying he had tried to call me. An invite to Paul Kilburn and Paul Nations flying field, fab don’t want to let this invite down.

Packed my van Friday night for a good early start and its off to Manchester for a Party….sorted

Took a wrong turning into a quarry, but i knew i was close because Mark Ingham had just taken off and was flying by the side of the East Lancs Rd, I asked a couple of guys directions and found out I just missed a turning through an old gate, picked up some work whilst I was there which was a result.

The wind early on was quite strong and gusty so only the brave ventured out, a good chance to take some photos and help Paul with his motor. Gabe arrived at about 1pm complete with a full buffet, what a man fantastic. Gabe showed us his latest film of the Northumberland trip so with sausage roll in hand enjoyed the film, soon to be uploaded on youtube and im on it 3 times, what an impact and contribution I have made to this sport and the forums over the last few months LOL.

So after mulling around most of the day it was time to go, I can always get the hint because whilst Im there watching everything going on Mark always comes and stands next to me to give a gentle shove to get my gear out……good man.

Well its my turn Gabe has just took off, and Im lined up on the 5ft wide runway ready for blast off, 3mph forward launch, but im not going for the Paul Smith launch technique Im going for the text book run of the mill risers over the forearm set up.

Somone sent me an email last week asking if I have speeded up the video of me taking off in Northumberland as they had never seen anyones legs go that fast before.

Anyway Im off down the runway little legs going, I suppose you dont get much choice when you give it full throttle its like a kick up the arse, wings up and im off…..perfect first launch again just like Northumberland.

So im up 500ft the wind gradient must of been quite high because 500ft I was nearly stood still, I started flapping abit because this is the roughest ive been up in, I calmed down a bit and went with the flow. Its quite unnerveing when you are looking relative to the ground and you seem to be flying sideways and not making any forward progression, the conditions were quite blustery and the wing required alot of active piloting. I had a 30 mins flight which i thought was ample, another notch on my flying belt and different conditions that i have never flown in before. Don’t laugh Gabe but I think its the first time I have thought I want to get down.

Landing was fantastic again, I love the feeling as soon as you cut your engine, getting out of my harness just seems nautral now. It was about 100ft engine off and out of my seat seat at 60ft…perfect on my feet and turned to face the wing and brought it down. I would love a day of jumping off a hill face and just gliding down all day, as long as there was a lift.

Thanks to Paul Kilburn, Paul Nation, Mark Ingham for the invite and Gabe for the sausage rolls…….the bouncing bomb lands again on his feet.

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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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16/11/2007 by admin.

Great find mate, the field is perfect we just need to have a word with the test pilot who goes in the Millers Arms to keep clear with his Tornado.

Once again a great flight for me and it was great for us both to be up together, its been a long time coming. The helmet cam worked perfect and some great footage of Fraser flying next to me and above. The one thing that takes the time to get used to is the bumps dips and forward motion of the wing it just feels like its surging forward…..anyway settled in, straight in my seat again on the flight out, when I was flying over Fraser I felt as though I was lob sided in my seat but,  I don’t know whether its to do with my parachute under my seat…. will check it out last thing i wont is that popping out. I was second for landing and filmed the whole thing from downwind to setting up for my approach, just as i was on coming over a wood people were walking into the field next to ours with guns……oh shit its the local shoot and I’m 500′ above the wood, come into land nailed it again, how many more times can i say i nailed it but i did and I’m quite pleased another successful flight, but the difference with this one is we were both up having a play in the sky. 

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04/11/2007 by admin.

Well I waited 2 weeks now for my second flight, watched the weather Saturday night with my dad and all was looking good for Sunday!

 Woke up pretty early, text Fraser at a reasonable time but he was just about setting out with the family for a day out.

Got all my gear out and checked everything over and then loaded the car, and set off for the beach.

I’ve always wanted to take off from the beach since starting my training.

So we have arrived ,all set up on a dry sand bank, just near Norbreck Castle.

Whilst i was setting up Aidan was chasing Antonia with the wind sock connected to the end of a fishing rod PMSL.

The sun was quite warm and the wind sock was altering by about 20-30 degrees.

1st Launch failed due to me taking too much time staring at the wing as it came up.

2nd Launch failed due to not enough effort (I could hear Mark Ingham in my mind saying Run Run!)

3rd Launch, a reverse launch due to the wind picking up - PERFECT!!!!

I just love reverse launches, up came the wing, Mel said i just spun on my heels and flat out running, 6 strides and i was up! Straight into my seat and off i went.

I flew straight circuits from Norbreck to Cleveleys Pizza hut, I have never seen so many people waving, it was just great.

I stayed up for approx 45 mins as the clouds seemed to be closing in, I did some low flights so Mel could take some pictures and film me.

Time for landing …. i made one pass and all looked good, did a circuit and came into land, except i thought im too fast, ill go round again, so i gave it some throttle, then i thought no i’m ok, so i shut the engine off.

I seemed like i had too much to do and not enough height, tightened my leg straps, throttle off watch the wind sock get out of my seat.

Did i nail it??? ……. oh yeah, and i landed on my feet then sat down and sat and watched my wing fall in front of me and i’m thinking it does not get much better than this!!!

Well it would of been if I had recorded the flight, bought myself an early Xmas pressie a Archos AV600 wi-fi plus helmet cam, I spent an hour in the morning trying to fit the camera to my helmet. I got back to the car to watch the flight all excited, nothing absolutly blank I must of hit a button during the flight or upset the hard drive.

Next Time ill get it right………Paul

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20/10/2007 by admin.

Wow! What a day

Absolutely fantastic, I cannot describe the day I have had………well ill try.

Friday night got all my kit either loaded in my van or in the front room….house now stinks of 2 stroke fuel, and all ready to go for a seven o’clock start.

Got a morning wake up call at 6.15 from the Boss and packed the rest of my gear, drove down the M65 and got a call from Fraser who was on the A59, I think we were both buzzing because we both knew what lay ahead for the day.

We both met Mark Ingham and he took us to his new training site for Pendle PPG, as we climbed up and came to a parking spot the views were unbelievable, we had Pendle Hill two miles in front of us, the launch site looked great.

Everyone got thier gear out, just after Mark did some very talented dancing in the road with a dairy cow its not very easy to barn dance with a pair of HanWags on.

Now the exciting bit after 3 launches I got away and climbed out and did a full circuit of the field but I had trouble getting in my seat for some reason I had hold of my brake lines and did not want to let go. The second flight around the circuit I go in my seat and started to climb out just as Fraser was beginning to launch under me.

Then on the radio Mark told us both to go and fly round Pendle Hill, the air was so smooth what a perfect day…Fraser was now out to the right of me and climbing out, I flew to about 1400 ft and then after about a mile a half then flew under Fraser and took a right turn away from the hill and flew over some small lakes.

I tried calling Fraser a few times on the radio…..Fraser how goods this mate……Fraser…….Mark ……….Hello………No answer from anyone.

I got the radio out of my pocket and the batteries flat………panic……..ok ok calm down everything’s ok……now I’m flying at 1500ft no radio and just made a turn into the wind to head back to the DZ.

I managed to sit back cross my legs and enjoy the views, fantastic scenery, my engine was just purring I think it was enjoying it as much as me, I looked up had a quick look of my wing…………this is just ace how lucky am I, below me was a field full of geese and an old farm yard just full of old machinery.

As I flew back to the DZ, Mark flew above and I tried to get some contact to tell him my radios gone………but just he just waved. With the DZ in sight I made a right turn and dropped some height, as soon as I got to about 500ft I started to get bumped about so made a left turn and into the wind for my final approach.

I can see Fraser just packing his wing after landing and watching me coming in, I presume the funny hand signals meant cut the engine………so I did……It all went silent just air rushing past my face…………I was thinking I hope I’ve got this right because I was heading straight for my van.

So picture this my First flight……..flew to 1500ft and lost all radio contact with both my mate and instructor and I’m coming into land at 25mph into the side of a hill……..not something that can be practiced………all I can remember Mark saying was you will know when to brake, how will I know its all down to me can I nail it…

 The answer is yes I nailed it, the only mistake was I didn’t get out of my seat and land on my legs, I stayed sat down and landed on the seat but I had a very safe and controlled landing.

The day was fantastic, Im glad Fraser did come with me because I think it was important to me.

Details

1. Flight time          56 mins

2. Flight length        no gps data

3. Place                  Mark Ingham, Fraser Smith at Pendle Hill

4. Fuel                    Just under 2 litres

5. Weather             Very still, 3mph NW wind no cloud cover

6. Comments          Fantastic first flight

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21/08/2007 by admin.

Welcome to our Blogg

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