Here are some
more details then....
I'd been flying above the ridge for about 40mins and was getting pretty high. Suddenly the
wind picked up and I was flying backwards. I had no speed bar system fitted
so I tried pulling down o. The a risers. But was still going backwards.
Next I tried big ears but by now I was behind the ridge in rotar and coming down
all I could do was try to stay out of the bad rotar and get on the ground
but there was only one small patch to land in and it had 3 trees in the middle of it
I managed to land on the ground but the wing got tangled in the trees.
After About 40 mins of tryo g to get it out a local guy turned up with achainsaw
Friday, 30 October 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Trees
Had great 40 min soaring flight this morning
However..... Wind then got up and I was dragged over the back of the hill
In the end I managed to land on the only patch of flat land but unforynately my wing had other ideas...
An hour later, and 3 less trees in the world -thanks to the land owner and his chainsaw and I have survived another adventure
However..... Wind then got up and I was dragged over the back of the hill
In the end I managed to land on the only patch of flat land but unforynately my wing had other ideas...
An hour later, and 3 less trees in the world -thanks to the land owner and his chainsaw and I have survived another adventure
Tuesday
Tuesday was flyable, but the wind was moving around all over the place.
We went to a site called 'sedgefield' for the morning. Awesome views from the top of the hill of the bay in front then the indian ocean.
Got 2 flights in there, but not much soaring - the wind just wasn't strong enough coming up the hill most of the time, though a few people did manage a top landing.
We then grabbed some lunch and headed back the the Map of Africa site but it wasn't great conditions either, however I did manage to get one quick top to bottom flight in.
More cool was the 7 Southern Right whales we saw. They were all playing with each other near the beach for at least 30 mins.
We then decided to hit the town for cocktail hour... which sort of extended into a pissup...
I woke up lying in a field at 6.30am....
When I got back to the house, I went straight to my bed and slept for the next 24 hours.. missing wednesday completely... thankfully I didn't miss anything as it wasn't flyable.
Monday, 26 October 2009
Tests
Pissing down rain and blowing a gale today - so a day for the theory.
Today I learned stuff like what can fly:
- birds
- planes
- paragliders
- witches
- little stones
I believe I am well on the way to my south african pilot license.
I also hired a quality ching Deathmaster car for the 2 weeks - bargain at 10 quid a day. It has seats and everything.
First videoed flight and landing - Map of Africa
Hill launch followed by 15-20 mins of soaring the cliff wall above the road, then landing on the beach. sweet. This was my second flight of the day (and second free flight in nearly 10 years). Also the first 2 flights on my Ozone Geo light weight mountain glider which flew really nicely too. Hill is 'Map of Africa'. Landed on the beach ok right next to car to go back up again!
How not to launch a paraglider
Ok, here's the video.
Basically a reverse inflation, but when I turned round I screwed it up and didn't get on the left brake quick enough. The result was that the glider started moving to the right. Not usually a problem... however more of a problem when there is a bloke in front of you to the right also about to launch his glider....
My muppet like brain decided that the best thing to do under the circumstances was not to abort the launch.. oh no... I decided that the best thing to do was to continue, leap over the bloke's lines trying to launch, then try to straighten out the wing and take off....
Somehow I actually did manage to jump over all his lines, much to his surprise.. however by the time I landed the wing had collapsed.
Moral of this story: god knows - my brain makes these decisions with no active input from me... so if it happens again, so be it !
Basically a reverse inflation, but when I turned round I screwed it up and didn't get on the left brake quick enough. The result was that the glider started moving to the right. Not usually a problem... however more of a problem when there is a bloke in front of you to the right also about to launch his glider....
My muppet like brain decided that the best thing to do under the circumstances was not to abort the launch.. oh no... I decided that the best thing to do was to continue, leap over the bloke's lines trying to launch, then try to straighten out the wing and take off....
Somehow I actually did manage to jump over all his lines, much to his surprise.. however by the time I landed the wing had collapsed.
Moral of this story: god knows - my brain makes these decisions with no active input from me... so if it happens again, so be it !
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Serf Africa - oct 2009 the return!
Well, I'm here! Arrived late sat night in joburg feeling pretty much worse for wear after taking advantage of the free BA booze a bit too much... well 6 miniatures, 5 bottles of wine and a beer.
I think it was a bad beer.
Arrived in George at 2pm, got to Wilderness at 3pm, and was airborne at 4pm!!
Didn't video first flight, but did the second and will post some video tomorrow from a faster connection.
Managed to persuade Jan and Kobi that I could control my glider and they were happy for me to go for a flight.
Ozone Geo flew well - got a decent amount of life and ridge soared for a while before landing on the beach.
Then went up for another flight.
Had a wee mishap that time, as there were a few folk on the hill and I had to jump over one of them... cough... video to follow.
For now, here is a picture from the top of the hill.
I think it was a bad beer.
Arrived in George at 2pm, got to Wilderness at 3pm, and was airborne at 4pm!!
Didn't video first flight, but did the second and will post some video tomorrow from a faster connection.
Managed to persuade Jan and Kobi that I could control my glider and they were happy for me to go for a flight.
Ozone Geo flew well - got a decent amount of life and ridge soared for a while before landing on the beach.
Then went up for another flight.
Had a wee mishap that time, as there were a few folk on the hill and I had to jump over one of them... cough... video to follow.
For now, here is a picture from the top of the hill.
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Airvault, France
I was just over at Airvault in France weekend before last - first time flying my new PAP paramotor, and fiirst flight since my knee op back in April.
Great flights, and one perfect one flying in/round/through clouds which was awesome.
here's a pic
Great flights, and one perfect one flying in/round/through clouds which was awesome.
here's a pic
Sunday, 19 July 2009
2nd holiday in sharm
So, day one of the 2nd time I've been in Sharm in 4 weeks.
A day by the beach. Excellent snorkelling in the house reef just outside the hotel (which is very very nice, but a wee bit expensive for food and stuff). Lunch with a few beers cost us 50 quid.
Here is eugene being attacked by a little parrot fish that later bit him on the ear.
A day by the beach. Excellent snorkelling in the house reef just outside the hotel (which is very very nice, but a wee bit expensive for food and stuff). Lunch with a few beers cost us 50 quid.
Here is eugene being attacked by a little parrot fish that later bit him on the ear.
Friday, 19 June 2009
last post of the night ... probably
Well, I'd have to say, overall Sharm ain't a bad place. It's certainly not Egypt - its very similar to Cancun in Mexico in terms of it's western centre in the middle of a foreign country.
But is does it better than Cancun. Perhaps because of the lack of americans, there isn't the chain mentality of cancun (no Outback, no Hooters, etc). There is still a genuine blend of egyptian with 'english' and it sort of works I think.
If yer a bit of a 'sit at the bar and watch the folk go by' kind of person, then it is hard to beat. Everything from yer working class family from 'oop north' struggling to cope with the singular choice of mcDonalds, KFC or Rock Cafe... to the middle ground folk for holiday.. perhaps the first time in egypt, trying some new things, to the russians - still wearing mickey mouse t-shirts and clothes that wouldn't look out of place on liberachy. (it is a constant mystery to me, how they can invert the globe and not notice that the rest of earth's population has moveed on from gold tops and leg warmers...)
But is does it better than Cancun. Perhaps because of the lack of americans, there isn't the chain mentality of cancun (no Outback, no Hooters, etc). There is still a genuine blend of egyptian with 'english' and it sort of works I think.
If yer a bit of a 'sit at the bar and watch the folk go by' kind of person, then it is hard to beat. Everything from yer working class family from 'oop north' struggling to cope with the singular choice of mcDonalds, KFC or Rock Cafe... to the middle ground folk for holiday.. perhaps the first time in egypt, trying some new things, to the russians - still wearing mickey mouse t-shirts and clothes that wouldn't look out of place on liberachy. (it is a constant mystery to me, how they can invert the globe and not notice that the rest of earth's population has moveed on from gold tops and leg warmers...)
last camel bar post
it is good to see that the camel bar is still full of the same hardcore dive folk (i.e. blokes and fat munters) that is was 8 years ago... some things never change.
time to move to somewhere else now that I've done the 'reminiscing' blog...
the music ain't changed either... commitments has just finished, and we nw have love shack... it's like frecking Chicagos!!!! (sorry ipswich in-joke).
time to move to somewhere else now that I've done the 'reminiscing' blog...
the music ain't changed either... commitments has just finished, and we nw have love shack... it's like frecking Chicagos!!!! (sorry ipswich in-joke).
Bugger me, I was in the right place afterall
Tings ave go a big bigger in the last 9 years....
but the old camel bar is still in the middle of it like an old kernel.
I am sitting in the same spot as I was 8 years ago. Sort of rubbishly, 8 years ago I was also sitting at the bar with a laptop around the same size as the one I am writing this one now ( now: acer aspire one, then: sony vaio picturebook). So.. not a lot of progress in some ways tech wise either!
Last time I was here with 3 mates from Pixelpark where I was working at the time: 1 diver, and the 3 of us learning. It was a good week.
I'm looking at the wall, covered in notes from around the world and flags, wishing I contributed something that I could see now, but I didn't unfortunately.
Here.s a piccie of how it is today
but the old camel bar is still in the middle of it like an old kernel.
I am sitting in the same spot as I was 8 years ago. Sort of rubbishly, 8 years ago I was also sitting at the bar with a laptop around the same size as the one I am writing this one now ( now: acer aspire one, then: sony vaio picturebook). So.. not a lot of progress in some ways tech wise either!
Last time I was here with 3 mates from Pixelpark where I was working at the time: 1 diver, and the 3 of us learning. It was a good week.
I'm looking at the wall, covered in notes from around the world and flags, wishing I contributed something that I could see now, but I didn't unfortunately.
Here.s a piccie of how it is today
Mother and Daughter week ?
I dunno if this is unusual or sharm is always like this, but there is a weird high number of mother and daughter combos wandering about... I mean 20% or so...
I never even knew 'holidays for yer mother and daughter' was even a thing.. but apparently it is.
Christ Knows what they do all week, 'cause they don't seem to be divers.
I never even knew 'holidays for yer mother and daughter' was even a thing.. but apparently it is.
Christ Knows what they do all week, 'cause they don't seem to be divers.
The Camel Bar
How things change!!!
9 years ago, the camel bar was the place to be for all the divers.
It was upstairs off the main street, sort of englishy with postcards from round the world posted on the walls.
All the dive instructors and students hung out there at the end of the day - mainly cause it was one of the few bars that existed.
Now we move on 10 years.... it's now like freckin vegas... more pubs, clubs and restuarants than you can shake a stick at.
I'd been warned it was very 'seedy' with russian hookers everywhere and folk offering you drugs every 10 yards.
That I have to say, is mince!!! it's a family place - lots of families wandering around. It's changed from being a dive only resort to a family resort, and I have to say I reckon it's done a pretty good job of it (ian if yer listening - wtf is the problem with sharm??)
Anyhoo, the upstairs corner bar, is now one of the biggest bars on the front.. so much so that I missed it when I tried to find it after 10 years...oops actually i've just realised that Im still sitting in some other bar and not the camel.. so will move on my next drink!!
All in all quite pleasant.
9 years ago, the camel bar was the place to be for all the divers.
It was upstairs off the main street, sort of englishy with postcards from round the world posted on the walls.
All the dive instructors and students hung out there at the end of the day - mainly cause it was one of the few bars that existed.
Now we move on 10 years.... it's now like freckin vegas... more pubs, clubs and restuarants than you can shake a stick at.
I'd been warned it was very 'seedy' with russian hookers everywhere and folk offering you drugs every 10 yards.
That I have to say, is mince!!! it's a family place - lots of families wandering around. It's changed from being a dive only resort to a family resort, and I have to say I reckon it's done a pretty good job of it (ian if yer listening - wtf is the problem with sharm??)
Anyhoo, the upstairs corner bar, is now one of the biggest bars on the front.. so much so that I missed it when I tried to find it after 10 years...oops actually i've just realised that Im still sitting in some other bar and not the camel.. so will move on my next drink!!
All in all quite pleasant.
relaxin'
Just relaxing the last few days by the pool.
Might go down to central sharm tomorrow (last day)... or might not :-)
Still about 100 degrees here, so easier to just bum around.
Reading 'Bad Science' by Ben Goldacre. Can recommend it - good read if only to confirm all I knew (and hopefully u did too!!)
Worth a read if only for some ammo to fling back at folk who think that the latest pomegranate juice or whatever fad is current has any scientific basis... (hint: it doesn't)
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Another drift dive
Another drift dive in the afternoon - basically you jump off the back of the boat and let the current take you around the reef. When you ave used all your air, you wave the ship to come and pick you back up.
This is a sandfish. It sort of sits on top of bits of corral, not moving. If you are careful, you can sneak up to it like this. It spends most of the time burrowing in the sand for stuff.
Trumpet fish... dunno why on earth they are called that...
more of the brass section.
Some nice corral formation around 15m. Usually look a bit green./blue at this depth, but the light rays just caught it nice.
This is a sandfish. It sort of sits on top of bits of corral, not moving. If you are careful, you can sneak up to it like this. It spends most of the time burrowing in the sand for stuff.
Trumpet fish... dunno why on earth they are called that...
more of the brass section.
Some nice corral formation around 15m. Usually look a bit green./blue at this depth, but the light rays just caught it nice.
Ras Mohammed
Earlier start today as we were going to Ras Mahammed - one of the national parks. About 1 1/2 hours away in the boat.
Morning dive was one I did 9 years ago over the wreck of a ship which scattered its cargo of bog seats all over the reef.
There are also some pretty strong currents around here, so you can really find yourself fighting against getting dragged into the reef on one hand, and on the other you get to a bit where the current sucks through the reef to the ocean floor... 300m deep...so you need to keep yer wits about you!
Ideal if you forgot to go on the surface.
These look cool the way the light catches then ad they sort of move as one mass.
kind of flourescent fish, dunno what its called.
A few of your intrepid camera man.
Morning dive was one I did 9 years ago over the wreck of a ship which scattered its cargo of bog seats all over the reef.
There are also some pretty strong currents around here, so you can really find yourself fighting against getting dragged into the reef on one hand, and on the other you get to a bit where the current sucks through the reef to the ocean floor... 300m deep...so you need to keep yer wits about you!
Ideal if you forgot to go on the surface.
These look cool the way the light catches then ad they sort of move as one mass.
kind of flourescent fish, dunno what its called.
A few of your intrepid camera man.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Manta
On the way back from the last dive, the captain spotted a manta ray. First time I've seen one of these so dived in with scuba gear to swim with it. It was around 15-20 feet deep though, so I had to dive down to get the video - hence not very much of it.
Here's a piccy of another fish.
Here's a piccy of another fish.
Tuesday - first big dives at Raz El Sid
First day on board ship tuesday. 2 dives over a Ras El Sid. Saw some cool stuff including a big moray eel about 7 feet long, with a mouth big enough to bit yer head off in one gulp.
I'm a bit heavy on my air... out of practice. So my dives are lasting about 10 mins less than some others on the boat.
A big puffer fish. These seem to be under the impression that they are invisible. You can more or less poke yer camera up there arse and they'll just sit there looking at you with a sort of 'silly man... he hasn't even seen me here' kind of look to their face.
About 20m deep this one. Just following the coral.
more from the brass section.
These are called trigger fish. Dunno why. They crunch through coral a bit like parrot fish (sometimes you can hear the crunching). They are about 2-3 feet long.
Jumping in off the boat to start a drift dive.
I'm a bit heavy on my air... out of practice. So my dives are lasting about 10 mins less than some others on the boat.
A big puffer fish. These seem to be under the impression that they are invisible. You can more or less poke yer camera up there arse and they'll just sit there looking at you with a sort of 'silly man... he hasn't even seen me here' kind of look to their face.
About 20m deep this one. Just following the coral.
more from the brass section.
These are called trigger fish. Dunno why. They crunch through coral a bit like parrot fish (sometimes you can hear the crunching). They are about 2-3 feet long.
Jumping in off the boat to start a drift dive.
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