a year ago!

One year ago this happened.....

A jolly day out on Chester's Hill

Spring has sprung!

This looks suspiciously like Thurnham...

and this looks suspiciously like our national launch guru!

He strikes again!

The mighty Fox

down safely

and going home safely

launch maestro no. 2

boooootiful!

a good day all round!

It's warming up out there....

a cracking session...

top tosser

This month's RCME-

Mark demonstrates the highest calibre of launch technique to the nation!

+1

We've made it past the equinox, so before too long there'll be balmy evenings

with lush grass and a smooth breeze. Something like this.....

Eric and his Storm enjoying the longest day +1 last year

These are the evenings that dreams are made of.

a superb selection of low passes from Eric......

...expertly undertaken despite the distraction of our

resident septuagenarian slopeside philosopher!

the breast clouds ever!

Mammatus clouds forming over Thurnham a couple of weeks ago

(please excuse the gratuitous use of brightness/contrast settings)

Rather more impressive is Mark's capture from

last July- a wider formation bubbling out from beneath

a thundercloud just to the east of Thurnham.

last of the high

Thursday evening sees the last of the high pressure and its

associated glorious weather drifting away from the South East of England.

Nipping up the hill for a pre-sundown quickie and what's this we find?

An early spring wild camper trying to get erect? 

No!.... in fact it's the rare sight of a hang glider up on the hallowed turf!

And this evening's quiz.... guess the subsequent chain of events. 

Did the pilot-

a)   rig his machine, assess the conditions for an hour or so and then pack up?

b)   rig his machine, consider flying for an hour or so and then pack up?

or

c)   rig his machine, do a pre-flight check for an hour or so and then pack up?

First correct answer to arrive via postcard at the Goodwind hangar
will receive a slightly swollen 3s lipo pack.

slopes on the screen

Anyone remember the mid-eighties?

Back in the day TVS produced its answer to Charlie's Angels. This slightly

ropy spin-off from LWT's 'The Gentle Touch' focused on three tasty lasses sorting

out underground crime in the South East. Those of you who (I'm astounded to discover)

have read this far are by now asking 'WTF has this got to do with slope soaring?'

All tastes catered for-

Leslie Ash aimed at the 'I'm easy' hand relievers

Jill Gascoine dishing out the dom for submissive bishop bashers

and the posh bird for the more sophisticated five knuckle shufflers

Well, in answer to your question, the entire series was produced and edited at the Maidstone Studios,

so they used local spots when out-and-about filming.

And the tenuous link needed to weave this into the sloping world?...let's see if

any of our favourite soaring sites featured as a setting for the action shall we?

(the blue text will link you to the footage)

posh bird gets kidnapped- white smudge top right is Blue Bell Hill

posh bird gets chatted up- Holly Hill distant background by bloke's head

whooh! look out!....

quick exit from Volvo man, he's over-run his allotted

sloping time and is rushing home to avoid

a bollocking from the missus!

it's the Pilgrim's Way at Hollingbourne!

out for an afternoon pootle round the lanes...

well we're on Common Road, but we've missed

the turning into the car park for Blue Bell Hill..... 

one glance up at the sky to look at the retro gliders

and we're rolling off into the ditch!

oh bugger!

lost and found

Have you lost it?

We have found it!

If this is missing from you next pre-flight, please

send a message and hopefully we can reunite

it with its rightful wing tip!