We've made it past the shortest day.... let's remember 6 months ago

with one eye on 6 months in the future!

long grass and good company

Mr F. shows us how it's done!

the sun doesn't get much more northwards than that!

the sub 250g class

and even on the 21st of June, the light must eventually fade

so it's time to illuminate the sky!

whoooosh!

...until next time!

May... he reign

8th May was a Monday Fly Day courtesy of King Charles

good turnout on the patch

This rare beast is a 'Flying Special'

An early mouldie that boasted modular construction.

That same model (with the aid of various differing parts)

could serve as anything from a slope racer, to a large

F3J style model. Unfortunately, at this stage in moulded

slope model design, it had not yet been discovered that

he with most toys wins.... a formula that instantly

made the one model modular format redundant!

 

fettling another vintage beauty

followed by some modern-day fettling

you can tell by the grin that the fettling paid off

I think we decided that this was a Graupner LS3

a cheeky bit of PSS action

always good to see a Luna being set free...

guess they're now also considered vintage items!

Martin's beauty of a scratch built scalie!

under the bonnet

more vintage harkening with wing tips

reminiscent of an Avicraft Spider Glider.

thanks for a lovely day Chuck,

don't forget to pick up your

snot rag when you're done!

anyone on 2 point 4 ?

Did you know that (along with so many other of the simple pleasures in life) the frequency hopping technology

that has made our lives so much easier was invented by a woman?

Hedy Lamarr was a lass of many talents. Famous for her acting, she also filed the patent for 

FHSS in the early 40s as a means of deflecting torpedoes.

Back when women were just one of two known genders, and they didn't feel the need to cover themselves in tattoos, or fill themselves with gelatinous plastics, or cultivate eyebrows that look like they're made from shag pile carpet offcuts, her notoriety knew no bounds.

Along with being no stranger to onscreen nudity, she was also the first to depict the female orgasm in a non-pornographic movie.

I'm sure the seedier slopers out there would lustfully leer their wanton gratifications in Hedy's direction

(only to have their torpedoes deflected)

but I'd like to think that a new peal necklace delivered by hand would be thanks enough from me!

keep them peeled!

 

Last Monday

Grabbing those last days of warmth and sun before the wintry black pit

of cold and damp is upon us!

A nice selection in the pits

David prepares to flex his rudder elevator skills with the iconic Centi-Phase...

away she goes to enjoy a bit of paraglider slalom.

They got high!

Eric arrived for the afternoon shift, along with the ground handling school.

Southerly and sundown...

goodbye summer :(

equinox

Flying till sunset on the autumn equinox (Saturday just gone).

Prepare yourselves for the long hard slog of dark winter days!

Pagan ritual involves setting alight to the M25

 

Alan fraternising with the native raptors!

Warden Bay today!

Sometimes spontaneity is the key to a successful sortie. And so it was today

 when an ENE was offered up to the crumbling clay of Warden Bay.

can you see what I can see?

evidence of the infidels!

Smooth coastal air, autumn sun and upwards of 20deg C

why would you ever need to leave the British Isles on a

day like this?..... I suppose some might argue that we actually did!

 

 

meanwhile....

 On the way to the hill...

Tuesday bliss

Tuesday evening offered up one of those delightfully mellow sessions. Airborne harmony alongside our paragliding compatriots and everyone savouring the last of the summer as the unmistakeable dampness of autumn begins to creep in.

 

god save the king

Hopefully you're all out enjoying a bit of slope side action today courtesy of King Chuck... 

we also remember last September when (thanks to the late Liz)

we spent a scratchy afternoon at Firle...

whilst the farmer scratched out his

commemoration below!

south face

A gentle stroll along the Downs.... it may not be 'wind on' for the main hill, but guess what?

the gentle southerly is smack on the promontory. 

and we just happen to have packed the correct gear for the job!

hmmmm, something's afoot down there....

looks like landing out is no longer an option!

imagine what that'll do to your solarfilm!

let's just stick to the upper reaches shall we?!