Carl Loses the red Ribbon
August 3, 2007 on 12:33 pm | In Paragliding |
Carl qualified with us last Autumn and back over to Arran for some soaring at Bennan. He passed his 10hrs and cut the red ribbon. You wear a red ribbon tied to your harness for the first 10hrs of flying after your club pilot license. It warns other pilots to keep clear!
Carl and David have a soaring competition at Cleats (a 20foot hill) The kids have a stop watch - David manages 2 minutes to Carls 28 seconds! You must turn the paraglider flat, use weight shift away from the hill.
31.7.07
Strong Southerly winds ground training and small flights at Cleats then soaring at Bennan.
Tom and Wil after their tandem flight at Bennan, they are from Australia visiting Uncle Kenny who owns one of our flying sites.
30.7.07
Northwesterly soaring at Thunderguy.
Zabdi and Kieth fly X-country to Catacol. Keith is just starting his Elementary pilot this week with his friend Angus who flew with Maurice.
Angus is 6ft 6 so a very tall passenger! 
It’s quite windy with good height in the wave from Kintyre. Visiting pilots Bill, Ian and Graham enjoy soaring way down the coast they qualified with us last year.
2nd August
Ian finished all his club pilot tasks and qualified CP in 8 days flying within the last two weeks. He will come back and fly with us to consolidate his knowledge and join the Aberdeen club and fly under the guidance of the club coaches whilst building up his airtime.
Graham a pilot who qualified with us last year soaring at Drumadoon before going to land on the beach by the golf course. He miss read the strength of the wind and on turning in to his final approach at the end of the beach found himself blown backwards and crossing powerlines (too low) went to land in somebodys garden.
When you are paragliding and expanding your knowledge you always need a large margin for error!
When its windy always check penetration by turning into wind early and choosing a large area to be blown back over without obstacles then you can reverse into your landing. When your feet touch the ground you want to collapse the glider using rear risers or c-risers so it doesn’t produce lift. Then run towards it and round the side , if you fall over collapse it by pulliing on one riser only and keep reeling it in.
We headed off to Ballygown to practise ground control and small flights with Angus, Keith, Josh and Ian.
Angus going for take off - good body position
Keith after getting a collapse from jumping on takeoff - DON’T JUMP - that’s why we practise low down. This is not how to carry a paraglider!
Rhiannon helping light a fire in the rain. The pilots walked back down at Catacol.
Kenny heads off on a west Coast tour with his paraglider, camping gear and climing kit in the paniers of his new motorbike. He is hoping to fly at least once on every Island - Good Luck!
Flying Fever is sponsoring Ulric Jessop and Aidean Toase in the Red Bull X-Alps challenge an 850km race that starts in Austria and finishes in Monaco. 30 international athletes compete by air and on foot follow the race on www.redbullxalps.com
Zabdi Keen
http://www.flyingfever.net
Paragliding instructor and tandem pilot. I run a paragliding school on the Isle of Arran and in Nepal.
