IHPA
FreeFlight Official magazine of the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
IN THIS
ISSUE
AUTUMN 2013
The Rossbeigh Run Flying some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland • State of the Origin Competition Kath Jones shares her experiences of this amazing Australian event • Site Guide Lough Bray • RASP Understanding the IHPA’s powerful forecasting tool • Irish Open 2013 Report • Fly SAFE John Welch looks at paragliding boots with surprizing results Swift Glider Ken Hickey tells us about this remarkable aircraft • Safety Officer’s Report Philip Lardner’s Report for 2013 AGM
Content Log Book
6
The Rossbeigh Run
7
Flying some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland
Site Guide
11
Lough Bray, great views and excellent flying for experienced and novice pilots.
State of the Origin Competition
12
Kath Jones shares her experiences of this amazing Australian event.
Understanding RASP
20
A guide to the IHPA’s powerful forecasting tool
Learning to Hang Glide
22
Bobby Gillham tells us about his two week Hang Gliding Training Course
IHPA Pilot
24
Q&A with Pearse Cafferky
Flying Lanzarote
25
Ruth Meech finds Lanzarote a wonderful winter playground for sports enthusiasts
Fly Safe
27
John Welch looks at paragliding boots with surprizing results
Irish Open 2013 Report
30
Irish Open 2013 Results
32
`IHPA News
34
Swift Glider
36
Ken Hickey tells us about this remarkable aircraft.
Safety Officer’s Report
38
Philip Lardner’s Report for 2013 AGM THE EDITOR David May E-mail: freeflight@ihpa.ie DESIGN & PRODUCTION Design Focus, The Warehouse, 26A Mount Eden Road, Dublin 4. www.designfocus.ie Free Flight Magazine is published by the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Ltd to inform, educate and entertain those in the sports of Paragliding and Hang Gliding. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, their Council, Officers or Editor. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions.
Contact Send your articles, jokes, comments, sketches, suggestions etc to:
freeflight@ihpa.ie
FROM THE
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
editor
Hello again... We’re already half way through the year, my how time flies (not that my time has been spent flying). Like most years, we’ve seen some highs and some lows. Spring weather was below average all over with mean temperature and sunshine hours down and windspeed up. And yet, sitting here in August with the sun already streaming through the window on what promises to be another beautiful day, it’s easy to forget. Personally I haven’t clocked up much airtime this year so far (there’s always hope) but not because of the weather, not really. We all have to manage the various draws on our time and it’s been availability, rather than weather, that has been the biggest factor in my not flying. There have been a few site issues: we have been contacted about an incident where a pilot was discovered to be flying at Killiney without having first contacted Dublin ATC. This is a serious matter as Killiney is inside the Dublin Air Traffic Control Zone and pilots wishing to fly there MUST contact Dublin ATC on 01-8144601 and ask for the Data Assistant BEFORE and AFTER flying. This site may ONLY be flown by current members of the IHPA or by visitors and guests flying in the company of an IHPA member. Please note that this specific condition was stipulated by Dublin ATC when permission was first granted to fly sites inside Dublin airspace and infringement of this agreement can risk prosecution, confiscation of equipment and the loss of the site to all. So please, honour the agreement that was made on your behalf so we can continue to fly at this site. Sadly we have lost access to a beautiful, coastal site in the SW - Inch Beach. Details have been discussed on the list and the hope is that it will be a temporary set-back. But it shows how easy it is to lose a site and how much we depend on the generosity of the land owners who allow us access. But enough of the downers, let’s get back to what we all enjoy - flying. And what a great year of flying it’s been, both the UHPC Open and the Irish Open have been staged successfully and the annual pilgrimage to Achill was a great success with reports of some of the best conditions for a long time. We have seen an increase in the number of tandem flights which is a great way to raise the awareness of the sport here in Ireland. YouTube and Vimeo have also played their part and with the improvement in camera technology and editing skills of our members, there are some great videos now available of free-flying in the Emerald Isle. But surely the pinnacle of the year must be Rafal Obora’s flight during the Irish Open when he smashed the Irish Record, crossing the fabled 100km mark and pushing it out to 112km. Wow. More on that flight later in the magazine. And finally, and most importantly, there have been no reports of accidents this year so let’s keep it that way. Fly safe and fly free...
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IHPA
H T Mount Leinster, Westerly Car Park Philip Lardner SHOT
LogBook Congrats to Melanie Heather A hearty congratulations to Melanie Heather for winning the Overall Individual Prize at the State of Origin 2013 Competition in Manilla, Australia. Formally of the Emerald Isle, Melanie was a member of the New Zealand Team the ‘Flying Kiwis’ and is the first female pilot to bag the top spot in the event’s 17 year history. This years competition was the largest event of its type held in the world with over 200 pilots taking to the skies over Manilla which makes Melanine’s win all the more amazing. For a full description of the event see Kath Jone’s article on page 22.
Lough Bray - Site Notice The IHPA have received reports of paragliders launching from the Upper (South) Lake at Lough Bray, which is inside the Wicklow National Park. It is important to remind all pilots that the National Parks Authority have made it clear to us that we are NOT PERMITTED to launch from any lands inside the National Park and that any infraction of this by-law risks the closure of the entire of the Lough Bray flying site. Please DO NOT launch from the upper lake which is fully inside the National Park (marked in RED.) The Lower (North) Lake, where PGs launch from, is just outside the National Park, as is the LZ. Click Here to view in Google Maps
Killiney Hill The importance of contacting Dublin ATC before and after flying. The IHPA would like to remind all pilots, and impress on them, the absolute necessity of contacting Dublin ATC before and after flying this site. Killiney Hill is inside Dublin airport’s (Class C) controlled airspace and requires the permission of Dublin ATC before you fly there. We do not have ‘carte blanch’ to fly there without their permission, and the site was very nearly closed by Dublin ATC when they recently received a report from Rescue Helicopter R116 that people were flying at Killiney and Dublin ATC knew that they had not given permission. Indeed it is important to realise that pilots flying Killiney can be observed from Dublin ATC. If you arrive and see that somebody is airborne, it’s no harm to make a quick call to make sure that its been done don’t assume the person in the air is responsible. We are extremely lucky to be able to fly a site like Killiney within the Dublin control zone and it must not be taken for granted by anyone and hence it is essential that every pilot follows the very simple site rules about contacting Dublin ATC, and makes sure that every other pilot (member or non-member) on the hill understands the situation. The IHPA may have negotiated access to the site, but it is YOU, the members of the IHPA, who have to take responsibility for seeing that the rules are adhered to if you want to keep flying at Killiney in the future. So, please take the time to educate new pilots to Killiney, and invite them to join the Association which is working for their benefit even if they aren’t members yet! Click Here for contact details and contact protocol on the IHPA website for your guidance
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IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
The Rossbeigh Run Rossbeigh 2
Rossbeigh Hill
Kells Bay
5 4
7
Knocknadobar Mountain 9
1
Seefin
3
Drung Mountain
6
8
Castlequin Hill
Coonana Harbour
10
11
Gilbert Glennon takes us through a flight over some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland, the south side of Dingle bay.
O
ne of the great flights in the south west of Ireland is the “Rossbeigh Run” as it is affectionately known by us Munster Kestrels. Rossbeigh is one of our favourite and best loved sites.
flight if the pilot opts for an out and return to Seefin first. This would add 10k to the distance from Rossbeigh. The run will take between 1½ to 2½ hrs. in a paraglider depending on the wind direction and thermal activity of the day.
This is a really spectacular flight covering some 27 km from Seefin, above the Caragh River to Ballycarbery castle, just North West of the town of Cahersiveen.
Hang glider pilots should consult Richard Hudson, a veteran of this run for hang gliding details.
The route takes the flyer over some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ireland, the south side of Dingle bay.
The best wind for the run is North or North with max 25° West or North with max 20 ° east. North is best because it allows an out and return to the end of Knocknadobar, about 40km if desired.
I have completed the run more than 10 times and each time I enjoy it as much as the first. I land with mind and body refreshed. To complete the full run of 27km the flyer should take off from Seefin (V697, 913). The take-off is from the shoulder of Seefin at a height 270m facing north east. There is a road to the top, so it is suitable for hang gliders. See O.S. D Series Map 78. A shortened run is available from Rossbeigh Hill at 260m (V642, 903). The Rossbeigh Hill take off may result in an even longer
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
Too much East is bad as the ridge turns to face the North West at Knocknadobar resulting in loss of lift in an inhospitable spot. I once had to make an emergency landing in Coonanna (west of Knocknadobar) on account of this. The fields are small in this area so hang gliders beware; also there is a possibility of landing in rotor at Coonanna if the wind is too far to the East. Now for the run in detail...
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FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Assuming a north wind and some thermal activity (no one has ever completed this run in winter i.e. in pure ridge lift)
Approaching Rossbeigh from Glenbeigh View from Seefin take off After a take off from the nose of Seefin (1) at 270m it is usually possible to climb to about 600m on one of the thermals that break away from the nose. This will allow a glide to Rossbeigh Hill (2) following the main road and flying over the picturesque village of Glenbeigh and on to the Eastern part of the hill, just after Glenbeigh village. A distance of about 5 km.
Your goal is to arrive at the east shoulder of Drung hill at 200m The shoulder is the best bet. If you go directly for the bowl or the west side, most likely you will have to go back to the shoulder of worse you may go down. Drung is a bad place to go down, huge boulders everywhere and very wet. Once on the shoulder of Drung it is a relatively easy climb to the summit at 640m. There are some really marvellous views looking east and west from the summit of Drung. There are some good photo opportunities from this lovely place. A skilful paraglider pilot may land here and soak up the scenery. The view west is towards Kells bay and the view east is towards Rossbeigh beach. For some reason, probably because it is too close to the sea, no one has ever got any real height over Drung.
Glenbeigh Village Alternatively if the nose thermals are not obliging, work back from the nose and climb Seefin in the North East facing bowl. This should achieve the same result, a height of about 600m. Once on Rossbeigh Hill, ridge lift will keep you there until you get a good thermal, usually over “Hurricane Cottage” just east of the village of Rossbeigh, about the middle of the Hill. Climb as high as possible here as you may not get any more lift until you reach the shoulder of Drung (3), the next hill west on the run. 600m will be enough if the day is any good at all. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to leave Rossbeigh, take your time and savour the marvellous views of the Rossbeigh spit, the Cromane peninsula, Glenbeigh village and view west along Dingle bay. When you at last bid farewell to Rossbeigh (at 600m) fly south west over Knockatinna at 206m and on to the centre of Knockboy at 159m. There turn south with a minimum height of 250m
PAGE 8
View east from Drung Hill Get the best you can here, but be over Drung. I have a “magic number” for Drung. That is the departure height that will allow a glide over Kells bay to the eastern shoulder of Knocknadobar. This is the longest glide on the run, about 5 km. That number is 710m (Drung is 640m) From Drung it depends on the day as to which strategy is best. If the day is good i.e. good thermic lift head straight for the northern side of Mt. Foley 355m keeping just south of the N70 Rd. If the day is not so good it may be better to fly North West from Drung for as long as you are in level flight. When you start to lose IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
View West at Drung (Mt. Foley in the middle)
Kells harbour from 500m.
it turn West for Mt. Foley (4).
There are good views of Kells village and pier from east Knocknadobar.
Between Drung Hill and Mt. Foley is the Gleensk River spanned by the Gleensk viaduct (5). This was part of the old Cahersiveen railway which ran along the south side of the bay to Cahersiveen. The railway is long closed but the viaduct is still standing and in reasonable repair. I have walked over it as well as flown over it.
The North side Knocknadobar runs hard on dingle bay with the Western end running steeply down to the sea. The flyer is totally spoiled here with a host of goodies such as Kells Lough (7), the Glenalough Lakes (8), vertical faces, large and small gullies, grassy slopes and much more. Having flown over the Killurly Commons (9), really delightful terrain, one comes to the western end of Knocknadobar. Directly south is the summit O.S. mark 690m and to the southwest is Cahersiveen. Emergency landing by paraglider is possible here but not desirable. Hang glider landing is close to impossible.
The Gleensk viaduct Once past the viaduct it is over to Mt. Foley taking any lift there. Again there is never much lift here but if there is a few metres, take it. There are some good views of Kells from here. If you are losing height don’t waste time go straight for Knocknadobar. After Mt. Foley go for the Eastern shoulder of Knocknadobar (6), flying over Kells harbour and further along over Kells Lake. You should arrive at the shoulder at least 200m. That is about 50m over the shoulder. If you arrive below the shoulder you may be in trouble and have to land near the lake, ending the run. The trick is to make sure you arrive high by taking all lift offered to you on the way from Drung until you are sure you will make it. Pilots have arrived below the shoulder and recovered. It depends on the day. You now have a rare treat in store. Mighty Knocknadobar, 690m high and 8000m long from Kells to Coonanna in some really wild terrain. Flying over lakes, gullies, bowls, shear sides and breathtaking views of Dingle bay.
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
Cahersiveen in view (Castlequin hill right) Decision time now, fly directly to Cahersiveen behind Castlequin Hill (10) 361m or keep north of Castlequin and head for the ring forts and Ballycarbery castle. Before Castlequin is Coonanna harbour and Carriggower quay. A delightful spot just under the Western end of Knocknadobber. If going down at the end of Knocknadobar paragliders may land here. Friendly natives may even drive you to Cahersiveen. (it has happened).
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FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Carriggower Pier Keep north of Castlequin is the best decision as some lift can be got at Castlequin albeit very rough at times. I have climbed out here on a rough thermal gaining about 200m until I could no longer put up with the turbulence. Anyway there is no point of any more height here as there is nowhere to go. There is only the sea to the West. There are some interesting ring forts past Castlequin. Cahergal and Leacanabuaile. Cahergal is quite large and a tourist attraction in the area. Worth a visit.
Ballycarbery Castle (note wires) At this stage your destination Ballycabery Castle (11) will clearly be visible in the distance. The castle sits on a large field, although not flat it is no trouble to paragliders. There are adjacent fields for hangliders. There are a few electric wires in the area to be careful of. Once on the ground you will be filled with a great sense of wellbeing, achievement and privilege together with the knowledge that you have been where very few people have been and have seen sights known only to the few. You will also feel that there is more to be seen and that you should have spent more time in some of the very special places you have flown over. I feel it each and every time. â– I hope you enjoyed this literary flight on the Rossbeigh run and I look forward to flying the actual run with any visitors who are interested. My number is 087 2595724. Good flying... Gilbert Mc Glennon, IHPA
Castlequin Hill 361 m.
PAGE 10
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
SiteGuide
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Lough Bray Glencree, Co. Wicklow Great views and excellent flying for experienced and novice pilots. Situated above Glencree and overlooked by the Kippure TV Mast, in an easterly wind Lough Bray is an excellent site to fly from. Although a bit of a hike the spectacular views looking out over the Lough and down to the coast is well worth it. Indeed Lough Bray is a wonderful site to drag family and friends to, they can enjoy the views and fresh air while you enjoy the flying.
Wind Direction:
Half way between the road (A) and take off is the landing area (B). It is a wide open, soft and safe landing zone and is a very good spot for novice pilots to practice ground handling. From here to take off (C) is a tougher hike but well worth it. From take off pilots turn right and fly into the bowl and lift band. If you do not gain sufficient height to move above the ridge when in the bowl its advisable to turn back and head to landing zone (A) if unable to gain any height on SE ridge. Also if wind veers to southerly, rotor from the spur between the two corrie lake bowls will be experienced. In certain wind conditions it is possible to fly over to Upper Lough (D) which takes a SE wind direction. Unfortunately this area is inside the Wicklow Mountains National Park which is a No-Foot Launching-Area, due to nesting grounds, so no take off or landing (if possible) is allowed here.
N
W
E
S
General Information: GOOGLE MAPS CLICK HERE Select satellite view and spot the paragliders! GPS COORDINATES: Take off: 53°11’19" (53.1888)N; 6°18’34" (6.3097)W Landing:
Parking
C
B
D
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
A
53°11’20" (53.1891)N; 6°17’57" (6.2992)W
ELEVATION: Take off:
534m.
Landing:
427m.
TAKE OFF:
You can take off right on top at the hill.
LANDING:
You can land in the flat area mid way between take off and the road.
GETTING THERE:
Drive from Bray to Enniskerry and take the L1011 to Glencree, turn onto Old Military Road (towards Sally Gap) and drive for about 1km.
WEATHER HAZARDS:
Avoid take-off with SE wind take-off site will experience rotor from the spur between the two corrie lake bowls. PAGE 11
Australia’s 2013 State Of Origin: A Novice’s View
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Kath Jones, along with Melanie Heather, both competed in the 2013 ‘State Of Origin’ Competition, held in Manilla, Australia in which Melanie bagged first place. Kath kindly agreed to share her article on her experiences of the event which she wrote for publication in the NZHGPA magazine.
M
y name is Kath and I’ve been paragliding for a couple of years. I’m still very much in novice territory and only really started to give XC a bash about six months ago. Like a lot of pilots I was chasing the 20km benchmark this Summer and frustratingly getting nowhere near it! I entered the Nationals in Wanaka in February hoping to learn something by flying with some of the country’s best pilots and to do a decent distance. Although I improved as a pilot as a result of this experience, most of it came from making mistakes on my own and trying to work out what the hell went wrong afterwards. The 20km goal was still out of reach for me. It was whilst I was at the Nationals that I heard a fellow Queenstown pilot – Melanie Heather – talk about organising teams from New Zealand to go to a place in Australia called Manilla (I’d never heard of it) and enter into a competition called ‘State Of Origin’ (I’d never heard of that either). Jen Corbett and Mark Hardman had successfully applied to the NZHGPA for a $1,000 grant to cover minibus hire at the competition and Mel did a great job of whipping up enthusiasm at the Nationals. Within a couple of weeks I’d decided to enter this ‘State of Origin’ competition. The competition has been running for 17 years but had never had a full team from New Zealand enter before this year. A single crew consists of five pilots – one advanced, at least two novices and two others. To be eligible for the ‘State’ title you would need at least three crews of five pilots, so fifteen in total. Mel’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on the bulk of organisation duties resulted in twenty nine pilots and a retrieve driver signing up – and lo ‘The Flying Kiwis’ team was created! The idea of the contest is quite simple – each pilot is scored on how far he or she flies in terms of straight line distance from launch. Each crew works together with the advanced pilots mentoring intermediate and novice pilots by radio to PAGE 13
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
help them achieve the best possible distance. The contest operates a handicapping system whereby an intermediate pilot is awarded double the points an advanced pilot would receive for the same distance and a novice three times the amount of points. Effectively meaning that a novice flying 30km would be awarded as many points as an advanced pilot who flies 90km. To be honest, all I was interested in was getting better at XC and getting nearer to that 20km mark! The competition was set to run for three days over the Easter weekend beginning on Good Friday. I arrived a couple of days beforehand and headed straight to the NZ HQ, which wasn’t hard to spot. Fellow novice pilots Johnny Hopper and Kyla MacDonald had decorated the outside of their accommodation cabin with a team banner and NZ bunting flapping away merrily in the breeze. Within minutes I was in ‘the basher’ transport up the hill and flying the evening air of this world famous (it turns out!) site called Manilla. Later that evening Johnny Hopper acted as Master of the BBQ and the team bonded over sausages, beer and a bottle of whiskey that someone mistakenly left in our vicinity...
It was announced that around 180 pilots were due to fly in the competition and that made it the biggest competition in Australian history! At the safety briefing we were advised by a Russian pilot called Ivan that “Eet vill be miracle if zer ees not a mid-air. If zer ees mid-air, it vill probably kill you.” Wise words and maybe the fact we all had that running through our heads is the reason that the whole competition ran without incident or injury. After we’d digested the safety briefing we headed up the hill for day one.
The wind was reasonably strong on launch, which instantly filled me with trepidation
On Friday morning ‘The Flying Kiwis’ rocked up to the Fly Manilla clubhouse en masse and dressed to impress. Our team shirts had been custom designed for the competition and the distinctive flying kiwi logo on a black t-shirt made a striking presence at the briefing. PAGE 14
The wind was reasonably strong on launch, which instantly filled me with trepidation since I am a self-confessed ground-handling dodger and I know that my launches can be hit and miss. However, it wasn’t time to launch yet as the thermals hadn’t really started pumping so when an Australian news crew asked for an interview with a couple of kiwi pilots, Kyla MacDonald and I agreed. This is where Kyla became a legend for saying on national TV that we were going to ‘stick it to the Aussies’! This prediction held more truth than any of us could
have dreamed. A couple of hours of parawaiting later a good few pilots had managed to launch and find thermals so my crew also judged it was time to launch. A couple of the other NZ crews had managed to get away in a gaggle and we were hoping to do the same. Inevitably everyone then tried to launch at the same time so there was a bit of IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
a backlog but thankfully everyone was patient with the novices on launch (my ever-calm crew leader Xen Zambas especially!) and after a few attempts I was finally airborne with the other members of my crew. Unfortunately we’d missed the better part of the day but so had the other sixty or so pilots ridge soaring with us. Day one is where I learned two important lessons: Patience and radio communication. Within minutes of being airborne it became evident that no-one could hear me on radio. I could hear other members of our crews but had no way of communicating with them. As I flew up and down and up and down the same ridge I could hear Mel, who is also a novice pilot, and one of our advanced pilots Evan Lamberton reporting their joint position as being further and further away from launch. Mentally imagining the kind of flight I wanted to be doing, and after about 90 minutes of ridge soaring, frustration trumped patience and I made a break for it. My hope of finding a thermal away from the ridge didn’t come good and I was on the ground within minutes. At that point I heard Xen call our other crew members over to him as he had found a good thermal over launch and was climbing in it. I turned back to see a multitude of gliders at least 100 or 200 feet higher than any of us had been in over an hour. A few minutes later two members of my crew (Jan Passion and Xen Zambas) flew directly over me at a decent
height whilst I taught the cows some unsavoury language and started an hour long stomp back to camp. On my way back I reflected upon how just 10 minutes more patience could have had me flying with Jan and Xen, who went over 13km that day; I had gone less than 5km. When I got back to camp I heard the amazing news that Mel had flown 37km and had blown all other pilots out of the water in terms of points! Somehow The Flying Kiwis were in the lead and we celebrated with a cautious few beers, bearing in mind that we had to prove ourselves in the air the next day too. Our intrepid retrieve driver drove for hours to locate and deliver Mel, Evan and others back to NZHQ.
Within minutes of being airborne it became evident that no-one could hear me on radio
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
Day two’s briefing started with Mel being awarded the Day Winner’s jacket, which comes with a marker pen and an invitation to leave a message on the jacket itself. The words “I stuck it to the Ozzies! Love Melanie Heather, NZ x” were a beautiful sight to
behold. Day two’s flying held another lesson for me: The importance of launch windows. Once again, my poor launch skills had me holding back from the best of the cycles and I subsequently launched into sink. I sank further and further towards the bomb out area but held off the inevitable for a few minutes whilst I tried desperately to work
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FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
a weak thermal into a low save but alas I was in the bomb out with about thirty other pilots shortly afterward. At the same time, Louis Tapper (one of our intermediate pilots) who had been one of the first to launch as soon as conditions were ‘on’ was well on his way to completing the 107km flight that would make him The Flying Kiwis’ next Day Winner and give him the longest of flight of the competition by any pilot. Sandy Yong was hot on his heels and landed after a 31km flight that made her the top female pilot that day. Meanwhile, after a hot and dusty wait at the bomb out paddock I went back to base and ground handled for an hour. Again, Ellen …..... our valiant minibus driver went off to retrieve our far-reaching pilots and bring them back for a proper celebration. That night there was entertainment laid on at base - a delicious Thai buffet and an award winning singer who seemed to appreciate the enthusiastic dance stylings of The Flying Kiwis. As the other teams gradually drifted off to bed the kiwi team was just getting warmed up. We danced our socks off, even more so when the retrieve van returned at 10pm.
Strong winds scuppered my chance of a perfect launch but I wasn’t the only one suffering the indignity of being plucked up and blown around a bit. My crew, along with many others, decided to sit things out for a while. Once the wind dropped a little we all managed to launch but by then it was getting late in the day. We ridge soared around for a while but it was nearly 6pm and there were no more thermals to be had. We made a decision as a crew to head back to base and land. So, I’d done my best for The Flying Kiwis but all I could contribute was three days’ worth of bomb out points. Frustrating for me but I knew I had definitely learned some lessons along the way and had a great time with the team parachatting, parawaiting and even paragliding at times! Now it was time to don the team t-shirt, slap a NZ fern transfer on my face and head to the pub for the prize giving.
Day three’s briefing started with a special mention for the NZ team’s dancing prowess when even one of the event organisers said we’d put the aussies to shame. Louis was presented with the Day Winner’s jacket and pen (“Proof that kiwis can fly! Louis Tapper”) and Sandy Yong collected the prize for best female pilot from the previous day before we made our way up the hill again.
Before the official prizes were announced we had our own prize giving to make. Due to Mel’s tenacity at raising awareness for the NZ team and the generosity of two NZ companies we had some great prizes to hand out. We wanted to recognise outstanding flying performance, so Louis Tapper was a clear winner for the Cactus Equipment radio harness with his 107km flight. We also wanted to reward someone who had brought enthusiasm and spirit to the kiwi team and there was one clear reprobate (I mean winner!) Johnny Hopper, who was stoked to win a Silkbody top.
I was determined on two points for the final day – I would have a good launch and I would NOT break away from my crew this time.
Soon it was time for the State of Origin prize giving. We knew we’d done well but I don’t think any of us expected the following results:
Place
Winner
Pilot/Glider
1st Place Pilot Overall
Melanie Heather
UP Makalu Light
2nd Place Pilot Overall
Louis Tapper
Gradient Nevada
1st Place Female Pilot
Melanie Heather
UP Makalu Light
2nd Place Female Pilot
Sandy Yong
Nova Mentor 2
The Black Sheep
Pete Taylor (Nova Mentor 2) Sandy Yong (Nova Mentor 2) Gareth Gore (Ozone Swift) Mark Rutledge (Skywalk Chili) Rob Kennedy (Skywalk Chili)
2nd Place Crew
Team Ribena
Evan Lamberton (Gin Boom X) Louis Tapper (Gradient Nevada) Kyla MacDonald (Nova Ion 2) Johnny Hopper (Nova Ion 2) Brenden Duffy (Ozone Electron)
2nd Place State Team
The Flying Kiwis
Everyone!
Best Dressed Team
The Flying Kiwis
Thanks to Josie Blackshaw for designing our logo and ‘Pub on Wharf’ and ‘Fetch’ (Queenstown) for sponsoring them!
Best Partyers
The Flying Kiwis
(self-awarded!)
1st Place Crew
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IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Paragliding State of Origin 2013 Results: NSW Wins in a close fight with the Kiwi Team.
The State of Origin is an entry level competition aimed at the novice or intermediate XC pilot wishing to experience a competition in a safe and friendly atmosphere. It is assumed that the pilot is already thermalling, however, pilots with low XC hours will still gain valuable experience and insights into competition flying. Handicapping is used in scoring.
This years Paragliding State of Origin Competition was the largest event of its type held in the world. Over 200 pilots took to the skies over Manilla to compete for their teams with 189 registered for the scoring. The Kiwi’s came with a solid team and a week of preparation on site expecting to win. They held the lead going into the last day only to be pipped at the post by a resurgent NSW Team who grabbed the trophy for the first time in 5 years! 1. NSW Cockroaches (6238 points) 2. Flying Kiwi’s (6207 points) 3. Queensland Canetoads (5670 points) 4. Riot ACT (4543 points) 5. World Barbarians (3630 points) The individual handicapped results have Kiwi’s in the top 2 places. For the first time in the events 17 year history a female pilot took top spot! 1. Melanie Heather (NZL) (1378 points) 2. Louis Tapper (NZL) (1318 points) 3. Cam Lawrence (VIC) (1194 points) For an event of this size it was credible to note that there were no accidents. The event also fully booked out all available accommodation in Manilla adding a welcome boost to the districts tourism turnover.
NSW won the state team trophy but they were only 31 points ahead of us with more than 6000 points scored so it was close run thing. To be honest we would have felt bad to walk away with ALL the prizes! We had won caseloads of beer and since a lot of our pilots had to fly back to NZ the next day we wasted no time getting back to camp and getting stuck in. There was a huge bonfire that night courtesy of Godfrey at Fly Manilla and we made a dent in the liquid winnings beside firelight and under a stunning moonlit sky. Spirits were high, the alcohol was free flowing and the fun was plentiful. I went to bed at 3.30am but others were up until dawn. As for the details: what happens at the bonfire party, stays at the bonfire party... Congratulations to NSW for winning the state trophy and thank you so much to Ellen for giving up her time to retrieve drive for us. The Australian teams were without fault good natured about us coming along and taking away most of the prizes and we certainly had a great time with them as hosts. I’m sure we’d all like to thank them for their part in making this such a fun competition. Most of us are super keen to come back for State of Origin 2014 and I would strongly encourage any other novice and intermediate pilots wanting to step up to the next level of flying to come too. Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the time, patience and knowledge that our advanced pilots Xen Zambas, Mark Hardman, Evan Lamberton, Reuben Muir, Steve O’Shaughnessy and Pete Taylor were willing to offer to us less experienced pilots. They absolutely could have achieved more points for themselves by flying to the best of their personal abilities but that wasn’t the reason we were there. They all sacrificed personal glory for team gain and the proof of their success was in our strong novice and intermediate results so thank you. IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
If you’re interested in entering next year I would recommend the following: • Get a decent radio – it makes a massive difference to have two way communication with your crew in the air. • Make sure your launch technique is solid to avoid missing those all important launch windows. • Come for a week before the competition if you can so you’re familiar with the site. • Wear gators over your socks unless you want to spend at least an hour every night pulling sharp little seed pods out of your socks!
A final note: Although I didn’t score much during the competition I stayed on in Manilla a few days after it had finished. One day, after finally picking a good launch window and thermalling as effectively as possible, I struck out downwind and went for it. In the course of the flight I clawed my way back from a low save, used lift from ridges, tasted cloud base and tried my hand at the efficient gliding I’d heard our crew leaders talk about. All of this combined resulted in a 76.3km flight. A few days later I went 99.7km (some more innocent cows were exposed to the colourful language that day as I landed 300 pesky metres short of 100km!). Most importantly though, I’d finally broken the magic 20km mark and smashed it in the process! I have no doubt that my piloting skills and awareness increased as a result of the learning environment State of Origin provided and I can’t wait for next Spring to get stuck into XC and chase some more long flights. I might even get that bloody 20km in NZ! ■ © Article by Kath Jones 2013
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IHPA
H T Mount Leinster, Nine Stones Miloslav Strecansky SHOT
UNDERSTANDING
FreeFlight outlines the IHPA’s powerful forecasting tool, RASP, that helps pilots effectively plan their day-to-day flying he IHPA’s RASP (Regional Atmospheric Soaring Prediction) program produces high-resolution (4-12km) meteorological forecasts to help soaring pilots plan their flights. It was originally developed by Dr John W. Glendening (Dr Jack), an American atmospheric scientist and glider pilot.
T
RASP generates BLIPMAP (Boundary Layer Information Prediction Maps) forecast maps, which display parameters specifically tailored for soaring pilots such as thermal strength, maximum thermalling height, etc. This is accomplished by performing a “sounding analysis” at every grid point location.
High resolution is particularly useful for those locations where soaring conditions can vary dramatically over short distances, as in or near complex terrain. Forecasting terrain-forced phenomena, such as terrain-channelled winds and terrain-induced convergence, requires that the terrain to be resolved and RASP is capable of providing finer-scale resolution than can be obtained from government-run models, which must cover a much larger area.
Considerable computer power is required and a single run typically takes 3-4 hours, starting at 3am when current days data becomes available so forecast is complete by circa 8am. The size of the region which can be covered and the obtainable resolution depends upon the computer power available.
Map Title
The IHPA version of RASP is run and maintained by Fergal O’Mahony, a computer whiz and paraglider pilot, and can be found
Select Forecast Date
Select Forecast Time
Map View Zoom in on map by turning mouse wheel. Scroll map by click, hold and dragging mouse
Map Grid Note that the north-south lines do not run vertically on the page
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Select Parameter Set Map Scale Scale will state if its fixed or not. Itʼs fixed for most important items such a W* and wind etc.The scale can change from one map to another, so it is not always enough to just look at the colours.
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
on the IHPA website at http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/weather. There are more than thirty RASP models around the world, which can be beneficial on flying trips abroad – the full list can be found here: http://www.drjack.info/RASP/index.html. The IHPA RASP website presents data in the form of so-called BLIPMAPs (standing for Boundary Layer Information Prediction Maps). Forecast soundings are also available – these are vertical plots through the atmosphere at one point at a given time and can be useful for gauging the vertical extent of clouds and how wind changes with height, among other things. One of the advantages of RASP over the standard global models that power many other forecast websites (such as XCWeather) is its increased resolution. This is particularly noticeable when the local conditions are highly dependent on the terrain below (for example, in the mountains or around coasts). RASP’s higher resolution allows it to model topography better than the global models do, thus taking more account of local effects. Additionally, and valuably, RASP predicts parameters that are not traditionally
forecast, such as the thermal updraft velocity or the potential for over-development, saving the user the need to work these out for himself.
RASP at first glance When you first look at the RASP table viewer, you will be presented with a screen looking like the diagram on the previous page. On the left is a map of Ireland showing, initially, the Thermal Updraft Velocity at midday on day 1, that is, today. Clicking on the map advances it by half an hour, but clicking on any particular location while holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key gives you an exact value at that point. To the right of the map are a number of boxes, the topmost of which allows you to change the time and date you are looking at. Below this is a box with the available weather parameters, divided helpfully into categories. At first, this just shows the most commonly used parameters but others can be found by clicking where it says ‘Press for Full Parameter Set’. Finally, at the bottom of the page, there is a box giving some information about each parameter. ■
RASP can be daunting for new users with the amount of info available but the main parameters to start with are outlined below: Thermal Updraft Velocity (W*) The average dry thermal updraft strength near mid-BL height. Subtract glider descent rate to get average vario reading for cloudless thermals. Updraft strengths will be stronger than this forecast if convective clouds are present, since cloud condensation adds buoyancy aloft (i.e. this neglects cloudsuck). W* depends upon both the surface heating and the BL depth
Surface Wind - Sfc.Wind (2m) The speed and direction of the wind 2m above the ground. Speed is depicted by different colours and direction by streamlines. This parameter is obtained directly from WRF model output and not from a BLIPMAP computation.
Boundary Layer Average Wind - BL Avg. Wind The speed and direction of the vector-averaged wind in the Bounder Layer. The atmospheric Boundary Layer (BL) is the vertical region above the surface within which air has been mixed by thermal or wind shear eddies, i.e. the region where glider pilots normally fly. This prediction can be misleading if there is a large change in wind direction through the BL (for a complex wind profile, no single number is an adequate descriptor!).
Soundings Forecast soundings are useful for gauging the vertical structure of the atmosphere, in particular the detail of clouds and how wind and temperature change with height, both in and above the boundary layer. On the IHPA RASP site, a list of five standard sites is given in the Parameters box but other points can be seen by clicking first where it says ‘Press for SkewT PopUp’, then holding down the ‘Shift’ key while clicking on the map.
Other useful guides: Webcasts by Judith Mole on using RASP and Soundings: http://www.judithmole.net/blog/?page_id=3205 A paper by Jean Oberson on Practical interpretation of RASP charts: http://www.soaringmeteo.ch/blipmap.pdf Flybubble’s Greg Hamerton explains how to find good flying weather using the best weather forecasting sites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02_iSWsQWRk&feature=share&list=PL375B997789EDE0E9 IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
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Learning to Hang Glide...
...in two weeks!
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Bobby Gillham tells us about his two week Hang Gliding Training Course at St.Hilaire, France.
H
aving recently just returned from a two week trip to France to learn how to fly with Pre Vol Delta Hang Gliding School in St.Hilaire, I would certainly recommend the trip to anyone who is interested. I made my decision at the start of the year that hang gliding was something I wanted to do and once I began looking around as to where would be the best place to learn, Pre Vol Delta School in the Alps of France immediately stood out. Not only for its all-around great value compared to other schools in France and the UK, but the location of St.Hilaire also seemed perfect! I began my training on a Saturday morning on the training slope. We usually started early in the morning around 8.30/9 and spent 2-3 hours each morning with the beginner gliders on the slope practicing take-offs, landings and a few seconds of flying in between! Some afternoons were spent doing one of the three tandems you were given with an instructor to prepare for your first solo flight. Other afternoons were left free for whatever you wanted to do.
Once the instructors feel you are ready, mornings on the training slope come to an end In total, I personally took six mornings on the training slope before I was ready to fly solo for the first time. However, it depends on each individual. Some other students there at the time only needed 3-4 mornings on the slope before being ready to fly solo. So, everyone progresses at their own pace. But once the instructors feel you are ready, mornings on the training slope come to an end, and the next morning it is off to the take-off ramp to make your first solo flight! The instructors will make sure that you only fly if the conditions are calm and will also provide you with radio guidance all the way through the flight, with someone helping you at takeoff and at landing. Once your first flight is complete, you have finished the ‘first flight package’ and any remaining time/days you have left can be spent making as many more solo flights as you can with the school. In the end, I finished with 4 solos to my name which I was happy with, although I could have made many more if the weather was better during my second week there. If you are someone who is thinking about learning to fly a hang glider, I would definitely recommend the Pre Vol Delta school in France. It is a great location with all the facilities you need while you’re there. Travel and accommodation is also fairly easy to sort out. So, if you are interested in making the trip over, go ahead and do it! And if you have any questions about anything to do with the trip, get in contact with me and I’d be happy to help you if I can.■
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IHPA PILOT What’s Your Q&A Bump Tolerance*...
In each issue of FreeFlight we invite a IHPA Pilot to answer some questions about themselves and their flying. Pearse kindly volunteered to be our first victim.
Bump Tolerance: An aquired ability to fly in and withstand rough thermic air.
*
more responsive and flys noticeably faster. My flying has improved greatly since I got it.
How long have you been flying? I’ve been flying for 6 years but unfortunately my training started in 2007, which was the beginning of the rotten summers, and so I feel I’m not as far on as I should be.
Have you experienced any other types of Flying? No, other than being a passenger on a commercial aircraft. Although since taking up paragliding I no longer sit in a passenger seat dreamingly wondering what it must be like to be a pilot and fly an aircraft.
What made you decide to take up flying? I’d always wanted to fly and tried to make it a career but due to a medical condition had to abandon those hopes. For many years I toyed with taking up some form of flying but never got around to it. In 2007 I decided to give paragliding a go. I liked the idea of the freedom and accessibly of the sport and when I looked into it it seem perfect for what I wanted to do. Mind you at that stage I had now idea of the principle of Parawaiting which was a major shock to the system.
Do you see yourself continuing to fly in the future?
Name:
Pearse Cafferky
What is your best memory?
Type of Pilot:
Paragliding
It would have to be my first soaring flight. It was in Lacken, quite early on in my training and I had had a rough day groundhanding without much success. I was to do a downer to the landing field and when I took off Fred told me to turn right to see if I got any lift and ended up flying for the next hour. Got to see amazing views, went through a spectrum of emotions from elation to sheer terror and everything in-between. Fred had joined me along with a load of other pilots and at the end we came in to land together at the car park, perfect. It would be nearly two years before I got a similar flight again.
Rating:
PP3
What is your worse memory? Parawaiting, midgies and drives home without having had any flying, of which I’ve had many. What’s your current glider? I changed my glider to an Independence Garuda last year and have been delighted with it. The glider before was a Skywalk Mescal and was my first. It was a great glider to start with and I always felt safe and comfortable. The Garuda is DHV 1-2 but has the solid steady feel of the Mescal while being much
PAGE 24
Started Flying: June 2007 Airtime:
100 hours
Glider:
Independence Garuda
Harness:
Independence Compact
Yes. As I said at the beginning I’ve still have a good bit to master with paragliding. At the moment I’m trying to perfect my thermaling skills, which is proving quite challenging, before moving on to XC. That’ll be the big challenge and reward, to fly away from the hill and see where it takes me (and see how I get home). I think I’ll stick with paragliding as it such a easy way to fly, see some wonderful parts of the country and make great friends. What is your favourite Irish flying site? Lacken. I’ve flown most of the sites in the south east but Lacken is my favourite because its the one I learned to fly on. It caters for all levels, great to read the weather, not a hard climb, excellent for ground handling and only 40 mins from home. If I’m feeling a bit rusty or have gotten spooked on a previous flight it’s the site I return to get my mojo back. It’s the site I know and feel safe at. What’s your bump tolerance? I suppose like everyone else rough turbulence is what frightens me most. Mind you this year I’ve noticed I’m getting much more tolerant of it and haven’t gotten as spooked (famous last words). Going backwards, that’s another one I don’t like, which there’s been a few, or getting caught in mist and low cloud, which thankfully hasn’t happened to me yet. ■ IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
Flying Lanzarote
Ruth Meech finds Lanzarote is not all beered-up and hen-partied but a wonderful winter playground for sports enthusiasts
T
here is another side to Lanzarote that is a world away from the beered-up, hen-partied Lanzagrotty image unfortunately welded to this stunning volcanic island.
Head north from the capital Arrecife, away from the Costas and you enter a world of sugarcube villages and arid moonscape farmlands chessboarded by black gritty fields, pockmarked by the cones of long-dead volcanoes. This is the ‘real’ Lanzarote, a place of dry beauty that has become a winter playground for sports enthusiasts. Paragliders and hang gliders, surfers and cyclists all make the pilgrimage south to indulge their sport and grab a bit of winter Vitamin D.
The ‘real’ Lanzarote, a place of dry beauty that has become a winter playground for sports enthusiasts
John Welch has been running paragliding trips to Lanzarote for the past two decades with his Dorset-based flying school Flight Culture.
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
As well as flying the island’s best sites, John and his team know the island intimately and offer the best alternative entertainment on non-flyable days, from go-karting to caving, swimming, cliff walking and visits to Lanzarote’s cultural sites. The flying is suitable for those with a basic knowledge as well as more experienced pilots looking to push themselves and their gliders. The island works on micro-climates that swirl and eddy over and around the cliffs, so when not flying you can expect to be driving fast along dusty desert tracks, chasing the breeze.
Thanks to our abysmal English summers I hadn’t flown for the best part of two years, but with the winds fair and the sun shining on Lanza there was no excuse. Our first site was Mala, where the air is maritime and smooth and
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FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
the take-off area affords spectacular views over the village of Arrieta to the Cerulean sea beyond. The best flying came on my final day. It began hesitantly, the capricious wind initially either too weak, too strong or in the wrong direction at the sites we visited, so we ended up on a beach at Caleta, tucked under the looming shoulder of the imposing Famara Ridge, which is every pilot’s dream site. As we sweated through glider handling on the sand in the baking sun under a cloudless blue sky, a text pinged through from home: “Lots of snow, school closed.” Famara remained unflyable that day, so we headed inland to El Cuchilla, an imposing inland thermic cauldron that is wonderful for landing beneath but a bit of a trickster when it comes to landing back on top. It also contains a peak nicknamed Cape Canaveral for
PAGE 26
its tendency to get you very high, very fast. My first flight was a textbook ‘top to bottom’, but the second was the stuff of dreams. As I hugged the ridge, scooted alongside Cape Canaveral and, exhilarated, flew back over the take-off, hundreds of feet in the air, Johnny and our cars looked impossibly tiny. The clouds were gathering as we came into land and it was dark and chilly by the time we packed up and headed back into Caletta for tapas and beers followed by industrial-sized gins at the Bar la Cueva in the village of Lagomar. Sitting on a delayed flight the next morning, nursing an aching head, I looked back at the past week and what I’d learned: that with the correct teaching and conditions, paragliding is the most magical and liberating of activities and that Lanzarote really is an island for all seasons. ■
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FlySAFE
John Welch, CFI Flight Culture, decided to see how effective paragliding boots are at reducing injury and whether they offer good value for money and found some surprizing results.
I
was asked to write a piece on paragliding boots; about how effective they are at reducing injury and whether they offer good value for money. It seemed pretty straightforward and also I suspected that the answer would be yes, they did help and were essential kit. Well, after hours of research and reading I have come up with some surprises. Let’s start with what we think we know; paraglider boots work because they offer good grip, protection to your foot from abrasion, no hooks for lines to catch on, provide impact resistance and give support to your ankle to help prevent sprains and of course, comfort. The grip that boots offer is very important and good hi grip soles such as Vibram are definitely a big benefit. I think we’re all happy with this idea and most of us prioritize this when looking for flying footwear. Protection from abrasion is also a good idea, especially in a rocky environment. If you do knock up against something you want protection from bruising and abrasion. You’ll have to consider where you’re likely to be flying and the nature of the ground. I can see that hooks on boots are just one more thing to snag lines however, there are so many other things that will also snag lines such as vario IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
mounts, flight decks, reserve handles, radios, wrist watches… and the list goes on. Definitely, given the choice, I would prefer boots without hooks however I don’t think they make a boot unsuitable, it is just something that you need to be aware of and is easily dealt with by covering with a little tape.
The evidence of two maj a or studies shows that actually the incidence of ankle injury is less with low-top boots Impact resistance is a little more difficult to get accurate information on, however, there have been a few studies and the most notable was by the American military. Their conclusion was after extensive testing that footwear that had been corrected for pronation or supination by including shaped inner soles actually resulted in a
higher incidence of injury. It further went on to say that the benefit of impact absorption materials was questionable; when they are first used there may be some benefit but in a short space of time they become useless. More recently, these findings have been verified in two articles appearing in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, the first in 2008 and the second in June 2010. I suppose that the biggest surprise for me was the question of ankle support. Many of us (including myself ) believed that high and fairly firm boots offered the best level of support but the evidence of two major studies shows that actually the incidence of ankle injury is less with low-top boots (and for those with week or damaged ankles, the addition of lace up ankle supports). This is explained because the ankle is designed to articulate (move in lots of different directions). High, rigid and heavy boots are probably the worst possible choice as they will simply raise the height of the injury site and the additional weight/rigidity of the boots alter our foot strike pattern, which alters balance and the position of areas of stress. In fairness, these studies haven’t been done on paragliding boots but I have looked for ones where we might experience similar stress and there were several good studies PAGE 27
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine that were conducted on American football players. I contacted The North Face, a major manufacturer of Sports Gear and their European head of footwear said that most of the manufacturers of premium hiking boots have now reduced the rigidity on the ankle that traditional hiking boots used to have which makes them more comfortable to wear and more comfortable to manoeuvre. Study further goes on to show that comfort is extremely important and that for running shoes at least, if you try several pairs on (and have a short run in them if possible), the most comfortable ones are likely to be those that result in least injury.
I did come across additional information on preventing ankle injuries and there are several suggestions. • There are a number of exercises (including balancing exercises) that will allow you to strengthen your ankles and anyone who has suffered from an ankle injury in the past should take these seriously. • Stretching, particularly calf muscles before exercise is very helpful. • Finally, weight is an important factor; if you can reduce your body weight and the weight of your equipment you will greatly reduce the risk/severity of injury. To summaries, my personal view is that
spending €215 on a pair of boots that weigh nearly a kilo each is unnecessary and there are many alternatives at less than half this price (and weight) that are better. Apart from rings instead of hooks, paragliding boots seem to offer little extra except a hefty price tag. If you do fly in boots, assuming you don’t have a predisposition to ankle injury, then lighter and softer boots offer greater comfort, manoeuvrability and security on mixed ground. However if you do have inherent ankle issues you are going need boots that are much more firm and offer more support. ■ John Welch, CFI Flight Culture, www.flightculture.co.uk
Sources: http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/ankle-injuries-pt2.php http://ajs.sagepub.com/content/16/3/228.short http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD000018/abstract.html http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/phys-ed-do-certaintypes-of-sneakers-preventinjuries/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18424485
IHPA
H T Achill Island Sebastiaan VanDerMeijden SHOT
IrishOpen 2013
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
David May, IHPA Secretary, tells us about the record breaking 2013 Irish Open held on the Weekend of the 8th and 9th June
T
he Irish Open 2013 was a record breaking event that almost didn't happen at all. Originally set for the May Bank Holiday weekend (4th - 6th) everything was in place: venue organised, T-Shirts printed, retrieve drivers ready, prizes on hand, thanks to our very generous sponsors, and with over 30 pilots signed up and more expected to arrive on the day, it promised to be a great weekend of free flying. But the weather deteriorated in the week leading up to the event and, despite the power of wishful thinking and voodoo chicken spells, the Open had to be cancelled. With the window of opportunity closing rapidly - the holiday season was almost upon us and pilots would have all manner of other competing draws on their time, the decision was made to monitor the forecast and reschedule the Open at short notice the first weekend that appeared 'promising'.
when the dynamic element of lift had all but vanished and still managed to climb away from the hill and have a very respectable XC - which on any other year may well have placed the pilot in the running for a podium place. But not this year. Rafal Obora's marathon 7 hour flight eclipsed them all - breaking through the long sought after 100km mark and setting a new All Ireland Open Distance Paragliding record of 112km. You can see his flight on Leonardo here: http://www.paraglidingforum.com/leonardo/flight/763448
he Irish Open 2013 was a record breaking event that almost didn't happen
That turned out to be June 8/9. With Ireland enjoying a rare period of relatively 'predictable' weather and a NE wind forecast for Saturday, Knockanaffrin in the Comeragh range was the site chosen and word went out. Due to the short notice, the turnout was not as big as it might have been but nobody could have predicted the outcome. It was a 9am meet in Clonmel and onto the hill quickly as it looked like an early start would provide the best opportunity on the day. The forecast was as predicted with conditions growing steadily lighter and with the high pressure and inversion already setup, getting away from the hill wasn't easy. With patience a number of pilots managed to climb out and reach base and head NE in the general direction of Cahir and the Galtee range. Much credit must be given to the small group of pilots who arrived in the afternoon
It turned out that this flight alone would have been enough to secure first place in the Open.
On Sunday, with an SSE wind we moved to Mount Leinster - one of the prime flying sites in Ireland. Conditions were more stable, effectively removing any opportunity for a challenge from the other competitors. And in true style, as if to remove any doubt as to the outcome, Rafal had the longest flight on this day also - 38.7km - bringing his overall tally for the competition to just over 150km. Many thanks to the IHPA PG Competitions Officer Dorin Borodescu and his team on staging such a historic event. A big thanks also to all our Sponsors who supported the event and to all the pilots who took part. Finally a huge congratulations to Rafal Obora on such a remarkable achievement - he has set the bar higher than ever before and we look forward to seeing what the chasing pack of xc hounds can do next. â–
See next page for Results and sponsor details PAGE 31
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
IrishOpen 2013 Results 1. Rafal Obora Total 150.7km (Sat 112km , Sun 38.7km)
2. Jacek Chodanowski Total 65.5km (Sat 42.8km , Sun 22.7km)
1st Prize: Dublin Gliding Club
2nd Prize: Flytaly
Sailplane orientation flights and tuition with the Dublin Gliding Club including three month's DGC membership.
Buy One Get One Free and any subsequent Pilot travelling in the group will get €100 off.
Congratulations to Rafal Obora on winning this prize and our thanks to Dublin Gliding Club for their support
Congratulations to Jacek Chodanowski who won this prize and our thanks to Kevin Begley and Flytaly for their support.
3. Mariusz Jachimowicz Total 34.7km (Sat 27.8 km , Sun 6.9km)
3rd Prize: Burkhard Martens DVD ‘Guide To The Best Flying Sites Of The Central And Eastern Alps’ Congratulations to Mariusz Jachimowicz who won this prize and our thanks to Burkhard Martens for his support
www.flytaly.com/
www.dublinglidingclub.ie/
Irish100km XC Challenge Win a new U-Turn Rescue System by becoming the first IHPA member to fly 100km in Ireland! The Irish 100 U-TURNs XC Challenge is a new initiative, founded to encourage more pilots to improve their flying skills in Ireland – we Challenge you to fly further! By becoming the first IHPA paraglider pilot to log a 100km flight on one of the International XC contest websites (XContest, Leonardo) you will win a U-Turn new rescue System . The challenge is sponsored and monitored by U-Turn. Have fun going XC!
For further details contact Dorin at: borodescud@gmail.com PAGE 32
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
IHPA
H T Mount Leinster, Nine Stones Fred Lahiff SHOT
IHPA NEWS
SPONSORS 2013 IIHPA HPA P would like to thank our many sponsors. sponsors Apart from the wonderful prizes for the Irish Open 22013, we have also received merchandise from a number of other manufacturers and what’s more, we have secured discounts on certain items of equipment. m FFinally together with Up and U-Turn we have instituted 2 amazing XC Challenges. All available to IHPA members only. So read on... A
Merchandise Gifts Good news for those of you who might be looking for some new equipment. Thanks to the efforts of our Competition Officer Dorin Borodescu, we have managed to secure some great items from the following:
World Leaders in the Design and Manufacture of Paragliders, Harnesses, Parachute Reserve Systems, Power Wings and Accessories for the Pilot
Flying Holiday Discount
Allez Up
HIC:BJGIHC> I=<>A; LARAGNE, FRANCE 15% Discount to IHPA Pilotsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Group Bookings Allez Up is run by Dave and Rachel who have a long track record of running flying holidays in the area. They know how to get you into the air and grade the trip to your flying limits. The accommodation itself is comfortable and clean and able to accommodate up to 12 easily. The surroundings are calm and relaxing and included a pool to ease the aches after a day flying. The views from the veranda included a fantastic old castle, Le Mison. Lovely to sit out with a cool drink, chat about the days flying and watch the shadows flicker across the castle as the sun set. Nearby sites were easy access and included the locally famous Le Chabre, Aspres and other regulars like Bergies, Buc and Sederon. www.allez-up.com
For further details contact Dorin Borodescu at: borodescud@gmail.com PAGE 34
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
The 150km
XC Challenge Win an UP Harness of your choice* by becoming the first person to fly 150km** in Ireland The Irish UP XC Challenge is a new initiative, founded to encourage more pilots to fly further in Ireland - the potential is there, now we just need the pilots to step up to the task! By becoming the first IHPA paraglider pilot to log a 150km+** flight on one of the International XC contest websites (XContest, Leonardo) you will win a UP harness of your own choice*. The challenge is sponsored by UP International (www.up-paragliders.com) in conjunction with UP UK/Green Dragons, and monitored by Green Dragons. (www.greendragons.co.uk) Have fun going XC! *Harness must be from the UP range current at the time of flight completion, and in stock at the UP HQ in Germany. **With the Irish XC rules this amounts to 150km on A and B wings, 165km on C wings, and 180km on D wings. No limitations in regards to brand.
For further details contact Dorin Borodescu at: borodescud@gmail.com
Flying in Umbria The heart of Italy.
Flytaly is a dedicated paragliding company based in the beautiful mountains of Umbria in central Italy. A stunning 18th century manor house will be your home for the duration of your trip and they provide all transport so there is no need for the added cost of a hire car. Every effort is made to ensure that you get the most airtime out of your holiday and each day ends with a 4-course meal, prepared by talented chefs using the finest locally sourced ingredients.
Accommodation and catering included in your stay â&#x20AC;˘ Family holidays for flyers and non-flyers alike
Is it a glider? Is it a sailplane?
No, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Swift!
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Ken Hickey spent two weeks in Laragne familiarising himself with his new Swift Glider. Here he tells us about this remarkable aircraft.
T
he Swift, a hybrid hang glider/sailplane shares many of the best attributes of both glider types. Nimble, precise and intimate to fly like a hang-glider, with performances approaching those of a sailplane. Performance is something which is difficult to measure. For gliders its not all about glide ratio and sink rate. Many factors are at play. Turning circles radius, sink in turns and inter-thermal glide speeds are also important. As are safety and pleasure of flight. Here’s were the Swift excels. The glider climbs well in lift thanks a sink rate of a sailplane and its light wing loading and small turning circle, similar to that of a hang gliders, yet it handles turbulence with ease. Designed and produced in 1990 and with little modification over the years, the Swift is still one of the best all time hang gliders. With an enviable safety record, matched by no other aircraft. A design concept which has stood the test of time, and a build quality to match. Flying the Swift is similar to a sailplane due to its 3-axis control, and a hang glider due to its slow flight performance. Pitch control is very responsive, like no other glider I’ve flown. Roll and yaw are smooth and intuitive.
Before flying a Swift, its best to get some sailplane experience first. With air-spoilers and tip rudder brakes, the landing glide approach is similar or indeed better than that of an Atos/Class 5 hang gliderthe best there is. Great for small field landing possibilities on xc’s. Before flying a Swift, its best to get some sailplane experience first. Although the Swift is more akin to a hang glider than a sailplane, with its side-stick actuated control some sailplane experience would be advisable before attempting to fly the Swift for the first time. I’ve been flying hang gliders for the last 13 years, and recently took up sailplane flying with only basic experience - one solo flight. I’ve been training to fly sailplanes in both Ireland and France, with the Dublin Gliding Club and Quo Vadis respectively. Quo Vadis is an airfield north of Laragne in the hearth of the French Alps. A perfect place to both learn to fly and start long cross country flights. Run by record breaking sailplane pilot Klaus Ohlmann, the airfield has a nice relaxed atmosphere, and friendly people. Not to mention the excellent weather forecasts and briefings. Aero towing hang gliders is also possible and welcomed here thanks to well known French hang glider pilot Jac Bott, who along with his tug pilot Michel and others, kindly gave me lots of help and advice for my first several flights on the Swift for which I’m forever great full. ■ PAGE 37
IHPA Info
Training & Flight Safety Officer’s Report Philip Lardner, IHPA Safety Officer, presented his report for 2012-2013 at the IHPA AGM on 6th April 2013 and FreeFlight has included in this issue for all those who missed it (or weren’t listening).
Spring Thermals: Good News, Spring is here! The weather is improving, the flying season has started and the thermals are strong and punchy. But let’s face it, most of us are well out of practice after the long winter and crappy weather we had last summer. There have already been a number of serious incidents (north and south) directly related to spring thermals. Please take extra care when flying in these strong Spring Thermal conditions and stay out of trouble. Don’t take risks near the ground trying to hook a thermal. Fly conservatively. Fly safely.
Lambing Season: Cute fluffy lambs are flopping out of evil smelling ewes all over the country right now - yes, lambing season is upon us, and it is a very sensitive time for sheep farmers. If ewes (lady sheep, to ye townies!) are disturbed within a day or two of giving birth they can abandon the lambs, leaving the farmer to hand-rear the lambs or bury them if they die before being discovered. Please be super sensitive at this time of year. Do not PAGE 38
fly low or land anywhere near sheep until lambing season is well and truly over. Please don’t do anything to frighten them. Always check your LZ before you launch - you should be putting a wind-sock in it any way, as a matter of course.
working well after three years of extreme conditions! Martin Sweeney has offered us a number of spare parts including anemometers and solar panels, which we’ll gratefully put to good use! Many thanks Martin!
Silage Crops:
Regional Area Soaring Predictions (RASP):
On a related note, a little later in the year farmers take a crop of green grass off the fields for making silage (winter feed for livestock) and generally ask us to avoid landing in any fields with long grass to avoid flattening this important crop. There are a number of fields around Mt. Leinster that are affected (the cross-roads field being one) that should be avoided until the grass has been cut and baled. Watch the mailing list for further details.
Weather Station: Many thanks to Gerry Kennedy for his continuing dedication in maintaining the IHPA weather station. The wind speed sensor (anemometer) has died and we will be replacing that part as soon as we can. The rest of the weather station sensors are still
Thanks to the hard work and efforts of Fergal O’Mahony, we are delighted to be able to continue to provide a RASP weather forecasting service to our members for the foreseeable future. The IHPA recently reimbursed Fergal for the cost of the server hardware necessary to run this intensely computational heavy weather modelling package, which has proved to be very accurate. A detailed, and easy to read set of RASP weather pages will appear on the new IHPA website very shortly. Again, many thanks Fergal.
Flying at Killiney: All pilots are reminded that the Killiney Hill flying site is inside Dublin Airport controlled airspace and REQUIRES IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
PERMISSION from Dublin ATC before it may be flown. Killiney is a very sensitive site, and our licence to fly there is strictly based on all pilots being current members of the Association; being fully insured and having signed the waiver. Contact Dublin ATC (ask for the Data Assistant) on 01 8144601 and follow the script on the website at: http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/understandi ng-airspace/61 Killiney Hill is NOT an open flying site, and the activities of non-member pilots flying there is likely to lead to the closure of the site by the authorities. It is up to you, the members of the IHPA to protect your interests and ensure that all pilots are aware of the situation. This is an appeal to all members, if you see non-member pilots flying at Killiney, please make every effort to talk to them in a friendly manner and explain the site rules to them, and why they need to join the IHPA before flying there again. If there is any doubt or difficulty getting the message across, then please refer them to me at training@ihpa.ie or get their email/mobile contact details and I will follow it up. Full details of the rules governing Killiney are available on the IHPA website at: http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/restrictedflying-sites and http://www.ihpa.ie/index.php/understand ing-airspace/61
Flying at Lacken There have been a number of instances of helicopters flying low over paragliders and hang gliders at Lacken. Such encounters could prove fatal to both paraglider/hang glider and helicopter pilots alike. Following discussions between Casement Aerodrome and Alan de Tourtoulon it has been agreed that anyone planning to fly at Lacken should contact Casement ATC on 01 403 7514 and advise them that paragliders and/or hang gliders are active in the area, and ask them to alert all powered aircraft not to approach within at least 1km of the area. For further details of flying sites affected by airspace in Ireland, please read the Understanding Airspace section on the Flight Safety pages.
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
Ground Handling in the Phoenix Park: The park authority have declined our request for permission to ground handle paragliders in the park. They appear unwilling to permit any new activities other than the ones already permitted under their By-Laws and I get the feeling that they only suffer those activities because they have no choice. The only possible avenue of appeal is to read through their published By-Laws and try to find a loophole or precedents which we can quote back to them. If anyone would like to take this on then please be my guest.
Glider Maintenance: Before the flying season really kicks off, now is the time to read through the section of your wing’s Owner’s Manual that deals with mandatory maintenance and replacement of risers(PG), side-wires(HG) and other “consumable” items. Get the work done by a reputable fitter or business and be ready for the coming year. Your life depends on these relatively cheap components and they should be replaced regularly as a matter of course just as you would replace the ink cartridge in your printer. Do it now - and fly safely.
Red Ribbons: All novice pilots MUST fly with a length of red ribbon attached to their harnesses (PG) or king-posts (HG) until they have *at least* ParaPro3/SafePro3 + 10 hours. This is to help identify you to other pilots as an inexperienced pilot and that you need assistance to judge the weather conditions and the site, and to give you plenty of clearance in the air. The Red Ribbon is intended to increase everyone’s level of safety in the air and on the ground. Please use it and please respect it.
Wind Socks: You’re never too experienced to benefit from having a wind sock on launch as well as in the LZ. Hang gliding and paragliding are dangerous sports - please give yourselves every advantage you can to ensure a safe landing, whether it be a top-landing or a bomb-out! Novice hangies - take particular note.
Pilot Ratings: We remind all pilots that they must hold a minimum pilot rating of Para Pro 3 or Safe Pro 3 before they may free-fly without direct supervision outside the school environment. Please do not be tempted to fly without supervision and instruction until you have passed your PP3/SP3 exam and completed ALL the exercises and experience requirements set down in the training syllabus. Any ‘extra curricular’ flights not signed off by your instructor will not count towards the experience requirements you need for the PP3/SP3 rating. I would encourage all PP3/SP3 pilots to continue studying and working towards their Para Pro 4/Safe Pro 4 pilot rating. Achieving PP4/SP4 demonstrates to everyone that you take the safety and knowledge requirements that this sport demands seriously and that you are a safe and conscientious pilot. A Para Pro 4/Safe Pro 4 pilot rating is a significant achievement and a feather in your cap.
Beginner’s Theory Sessions: This year I hope to organise a number of evening theory sessions for new pilots entering the sport. These sessions will be based around the world renowned Michael Roberts’ Charts of Reliability, and will cover various topics including The Wondrous Wind, The Wing and The Windividual! These DVD based theory lectures are extensively used, and form part of the basic training courses in Canada, the USA and Australia. If anyone would like to order their own copies of these lectures then you can find them at http://www.flyhigh.com/reliability.html.
IHPA Website: Please visit the IHPA website regularly (www.ihpa.ie) for the latest news and announcements - It is updated on a frequent basis. Please note that although the website is in English, there is a GoogleTranslation tool at the top right of every page, so that foreign pilots can read it also. I know the translation provided by GoogleTranslate can be a bit rough, but it’s better than nothing. Please make all foreign pilots aware of this facility - and direct them especially to the Flight Safety pages. PAGE 39
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
Summary of Accidents & Incidents 2012-2013 Unfortunately the last twelve months has seen a spate of serious paragliding accidents resulting in very serious spinal injuries and neardeath experiences. Pilots should take a close look at their own skills, knowledge and personal experience levels and ask themselves if they are safe to fly in the given conditions and if they are flying with equipment that is appropriate to their skill level and to the site they are flying. Is it appropriate to fly a canopy that requires more than 50 feet to re-inflate if you are going to be flying at low altitude close to terrain? Only you can answer these questions. Please remember that it is important to report accidents and incidents (to training@ihpa.ie) so that we can all learn from them and hopefully avoid repeating them. I would remind all members that it is as much your job to report accidents and incidents, and to talk to pilots they see flying dangerously or taking risks as it is the Training & Flight Safety officer’s job to follow up these reports. It’s no use complaining that ‘a pilot or group of pilots was flying dangerously and you (the IHPA) did nothing about it’ unless you both report the incident promptly and give me the information I need (names/contact details) to follow it up. I follow up every incident report I receive, and do my best to investigate even the vaguest reports that filter through to me eventually but I am not psychic - I need your help. I want to thank the few pilots who had the self-honesty to own up to their mishaps and report them to me unprompted - hopefully we can all learn from these incidents and save ourselves from repeating them. Lastly the first three incidents were reported in last year’s Safety Report but are important enough to appear again this year.
Please learn the lessons. March 2012 Experienced PG notices a large twig snagging his A+B lines (upper gallery of lines) causing his canopy to be deformed. Unable to dislodge the snag, the pilot landed safely and cleared his lines. Although difficult to see when inflating and launching, the pilot said that he did not take the time to do a thorough check of his lines before letting his feet leave the ground... but now *makes* the time to perform a proper visual check of his lines before becoming airborne. Although not an accident, this very good report serves as a reminder to all to perform your pre-flight checks properly and thoroughly. March 2012 Intermediate PG flying at Annagh Hill failed to spot that the knot attaching the break line to its handle was coming undone. In flight, and during a turn, the knot comes undone leaving the pilot with only one break. Unable to reach the break line now trailing behind him, the pilot was able to turn away from the hill using weight shift and use big-ears to fly out towards a safe LZ where he landed ‘a little fast’ and untidily. After landing safely, the pilot remembered that he could have steered the wing with his ‘D’ lines, but forgot in the heat of the moment. To compound matters, he says that he wasn’t wearing a helmet or using a back protector or speed-bar system, which he had discarded in his rush to get up the hill!
PAGE 40
Lessons to be learned: ALWAYS perform a thorough DAILY INSPECTION. ALWAYS perform your PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS properly. ALWAYS fly with a helmet, back protector and speed-bar fitted. There are NO EXCUSES for not doing these things. March 2012 A PG pilot is observed to get dragged during a failed attempt to launch. Unaware that his reserve parachute has been pulled out of its container, the pilot attempts to relaunch but is stopped by another pilot before it is too late. Lesson to be learned: ALWAYS check your reserve parachute before each launch attempt. ALWAYS perform your PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS before EACH launch attempt. May 2012 Experienced HG pilot flying in the British Open Series in SE Wales is forced to land in strong and gusty conditions in a tight field surrounded by trees. Misjudging his final turn, his wing tip catches the grass and he is spun into the ground breaking both uprights and a carbon cross-boom. The pilot is totally unhurt! The pilot found himself at the junction of three valleys with strong wind
blowing up all of them, causing severe turbulence. He also suggests that he landed with too much VG on (sail too tight) because he was busy concentrating on ‘other things’. March 2012 Self-taught, PG pilot flying a 2006 Gradient Aspen 2 (EN C) canopy in very strong and gusty conditions on Monavullagh Mt. (Comeragh Range, Co. Waterford) impacts the ground and sustains a serious spinal injury and multiple compound fractures to his right leg, requiring the AirSea Rescue helicopter to evacuate him to hospital. Conditions on the day were very unstable with cumulonimbus cells developing right across the country. The pilot had flown successfully between squall and rain showers but was caught out in the air by a rapidly advancing squall. The pilot was blown backwards and suffered a 70% collapse of his canopy which sent him spiralling into the ground from around 15m. The pilot was then lifted back into the air and impacted a second time before being dragged. The full AAIU report will be published in the next few days following the IHPA AGM and will be made available on the website. Questions for pilots to consider: • Do I have a sufficient knowledge of macroand micro-meteorology to understand the weather? • Do I understand just how deadly
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
FREEFLIGHT AUTUMN 2013
cumulonimbus storm cells are and how far their influence reaches? • Do I have sufficient professional training to fly safely or am I trusting to luck? • Am I flying with suitable and appropriate equipment for my skill level and for the weather conditions? • Do I really want to risk ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life? What can I do to avoid that? July 2012 Experienced Austrian PG pilot on holiday with his family on Achill, following a successful flight off Minaun, is dragged while practicing ground handling on top of the mountain and sustained serious back injuries. He is dragged into an inaccessible location requiring mountain rescue to extract him to a safe location for helicopter evacuation to Castlebar Hospital. No further details are available. July 2012 Experienced PG pilot flying off Bray Head in what he reports as a 50km/h NNE wind flies too far along the ridge and into strong rotor sink in the lea of the ridge. He then finds himself unable to make it back to the area of lift near launch and is faced with landing on jagged rocks or ditching into the sea. The pilot, having unbuckled from his harness, was able to avoid getting tangled in his lines and dragged down with his equipment when he hit the water, and was in the sea for over 15 minutes before being rescued by fishermen in a boat. Some points for pilots to consider: • Bray Head takes a generally Easterly wind direction. The north end (near the cross) can be flown in an ENE to NE. It is not a safe site in a NNE for obvious reasons - if you get blown to either side of the small NNE-N face then you are immediately out of the lift, in strong sink and in serious trouble! • Is it really not advisable to fly a paraglider (or a hang glider for that matter) in a
50km/h (31+mph) wind? No matter how smooth and laminar the air is coming off the sea, 50km/h is firmly at the top of the speed range of a paraglider and leaves absolutely no margin for error or further increase in wind speed. • When flying a paraglider (or hang glider) over the sea, a readily accessible hook-knife would be a very good idea to have! 2012 Experienced PG pilot flying at Killiney is caught out by the increasing onshore wind, which forced him to fly over the back of the hill into a densely populated residential area after doing a steep 360deg turn too close to the ridge which placed him well inside the Venturi flowing over the hill. Fortunately the pilot was able to avoid the worst areas of rotor behind the hill and managed to land safely in a very confined space surrounded by houses, trees, fences and other obstructions. Lesson learned: As the pilot said “The margin for error is inversely proportional to the increasing strength of the wind”. Sept 2012 Experienced PG pilot landing in a field in Spain finds himself flying downwind at speed, close to the ground over a rocky area. After clearing the rock field he attempts to turn back into wind and slow down but is faced with a stand of trees and a stone wall forcing him to turn tighter, increasing his speed and G-force. The pilot narrowly clears the stone wall by lifting his legs and skids into the next field on his backside and unable to stop himself, slides along for some 10m before impacting a ridge of earth. The pilot suffers a serious back injury (a wedge fracture of the L1 vertebra) and is medevac’d to hospital and then home for further treatment nine days later. Possible causes: Changing airflow possibly caused by a strong thermal kicking off nearby - or - possible rotor or wave sink associated with the local terrain.
2012 Experienced PG pilot flying the Blackwater sea cliffs in the company of several other PGs has a mid-air collision with another pilot’s canopy causing his own canopy to collapse and spin the pilot into the ground before any corrective action could be taken. The pilot receives severe pelvic and spinal injuries. The other pilot landed safely. It is believed that the two pilots involved in the collision had agreed to fly in close proximity to each other and to use hand-held video cameras to record their flight. It is understood that one or both pilots may not have had full control of both break lines of their respective gliders when they found themselves on a collision course. With their hands otherwise occupied, one or both pilots were unable to take evasive action in time. It is further understood that the injured pilot was flying a Sol Torck 1 (LTF 2-3) or a Torck 2 (EN D) - both of which are top-end competition wings which require very precise pilot input and significant altitude to recover normal flight after a collapse or spin. The sea cliffs at Blackwater, and the average altitude pilots were observed flying at (video evidence examined) suggest that there was no room for error and no altitude in which to effect a recovery from a collapse before impacting the ground. This accident is still under investigation by both the AAIU and the IHPA. Some points for pilots to consider: • When flying a narrow lift band at low altitude - is it safe to take your hands off the controls for even a second? • The pilot must be in control AT ALL TIMES and FLY THE AIRCRAFT. • Is it wise to fly top-end wings on sites where altitude will always be an issue? If your glider cannot recover from a collapse or spin at low level then either don’t fly that site, or fly it with a more forgiving glider. Give yourself every chance to survive! • USE EQUIPMENT APPROPRIATE TO THE FLYING SITE. ■
Please try and make 2013 a safer year for yourself and everyone you fly with.
Fly safely - fly conservatively - fly considerately - fly vigilantly. Fly as if your life depended on it - IT DOES! Safe flying in 2013, Phil Lardner
IRISH HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
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IHPA
Online
Packed full of essential information for all free flying pilots in Ireland.
www.ihpa.ie