the merry month of May

Approx 3 months ago, a covert evening sortie to check out a previously unsoared incline. No wind, but holy f##k the cowslips!!

off-piste

There are some hills that are utterly charming despite their diminutive stature, obligatory assent and compromised landing area. Today seemed like an ideal opportunity to have at it with one of them, and in the blustery pre-autumnal air a lovely bit of aviation was committed.

 

Edit-   Oh!.... and the Red Arrows did a flyover (too quick for the cameraman).

eagle eyes....

 

Real live eagle spotted over the Downs last Friday. Most likely part of the reintroduction programme on the Isle of Wight. Data tracker was just about visible on its back.... local avian population weren't too happy with their visitor though!

not much happening.....

 ...at the moment.

High pressure dominates, and when it's south westerly, the paragliders dominate!

goodwind vs. goodyear

Well there's not been much in the way of gloriously flyable weather recently.

However, to break the monotony, Saturday provided us with a fine example

of aeronautical oddity as the Goodyear blimp graced the skies of Kent for the day.

After a lengthy stake out on the Downs by Team Goodwind, it became apparent that

the scheduled flight path was being adhered to in the most vague of fashions.

Therefore it was back to base for refreshments and a revised plan of attack....

Lo and behold there it was cruising along the horizon at the end of the graden!

blimp vs. glider

blimp vs. hawthorn (elevated anxiety levels right here)

There then followed another hour's worth of unsuccessfully chasing it towards Brands Hatch

(imagine an episode of 'Stormchasers' without the storms but with extra geekiness).

It was then back to base again to spend the rest of the day getting on with

something a bit more productive.... that is until Flight Tracker indicated it

was heading home to Calais.

So back on the road again.... only to head back to chez Goodwind once

we realised it was on a direct intersect with the GW hangar!

....and for all but a quarter of a mile, she was!

She'll be taking to the air again late tomorrow morning

(Tuesday 29th June, weather permitting) and heading for London,

and again on Wednesday. Best of luck and have your 'Eye Spy

Book of the Sky' at the ready!

track the route here

Holly's bush

Good to see evidence of more clearance work up at Holly Hill.

A lot of the trees and scrub at the top of the slope have been cut back and laid up in the remaining strip of  woodland. Access via the official footpath only.... not sure if this'll reduce the littering issue though!

keep an eye out for nasties lurking in the LZ

soft landing

 

wits end

The end is in sight; we'll be returning to the hills soon!

Paul reports back with the sum total of his aeronautical exploits since November

Out on a local(ish) daily exercise session and

there on the high water line,

mother tide offers up a little gem of flotsam 

 

deffo tail heavy, but also in amongst the line of seaweed

and used sanitary products would you believe, is

a serviceable roll of parcel tape  

wind's about 90 deg to what little slope there is

nose heavy

success!

longest flight of the day

It's all about energy management

our time will come again

 

She's still there... silently waiting for our return. Hang on in there chaps!