Wednesday, January 4, 2012

2012 - Hang gliding training report

Paradise Ridge Paradise Ridge! It has been rocking for two days solid now. Warm, sunny weather, endless white sandy beaches, blue ocean and a ridge that runs until it disappears! (well when it is a little misty anyway! ;) But this is the kind of training conditions any student dreams of and Jeremy has made good use of it. Of course I always have the privilege of flying the glider down first flight but not before I go for a quick sortie down the ridge. It is always a challenge to scratch up from the 60ft sand dune, gliding along it like a sea gull, eking out the light lift before getting onto the steeper and taller sections. Here the dependable Paradise lift rockets one up in even the lightest of winds. It is just so cool.

Jeremy has been making steady progress the last few days and as luck would have it the conditions just turned on right. An extra bit of a breeze and on only his 5th day of training he pops up onto Paradise ridge for a half an hour soaring flight. It was not that easy. He flew like a star in the beginning, just at the right speed to make it onto the steeper part of the ridge before climbing to about 500ft for a relaxing first soaring flight. Well done Jeremy! We will do some more tomorrow.

:)

this is Jeremy over the training dunes with the Paradise ridge disappearing into the distance in the back ground.

PS: Dirk just called. He did 140km in Porterville today landing other side of Klawer. Apparently it was a very difficult day with many pilots landing because it was too rough or they just didnot want to saty up. This is his first 100km straight line flight. Good one Dirk! It would be great to hear your story! :))))

We love summer! Wish you were here!

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