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Hi Slopers,

Ok I'm seriously interested now ! I've got the model all sorted but just need a steer on the nearest flying site. I'm just in the process of moving out from London to the Henley area and there seems to be a few bumpy bits around there.
Can any of you good fellows recommend any slopes around that area ? Have car so can travel.

Any recommendations apprecaited.


Thanks
Fraser

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  • 2 weeks later...

Flying today at Fochriw with Mark & Chris I decided to maiden my Speedy.

Wind was 30 ish mph and flaming freezing in the wind-chill.

After a disastrous maiden of my park fly Mustang crying 2 yesterday I was a little nervous to say the least.

Mark launched it for me and wow what a surprise, it flew out straight and level and penetrated well.

I gained height quickly to check trim and carry out a dive test, all ok there.

I carried out a few circuits with nice big loops and rolls# and to be honest was surprised how well it flew for a cheap model.

Now for the landing, Mark suggested I carried out a trial approach at height to see how it handled at lower speed, this was followed by a perfect 'greaser' of a landing. smiley

I had a second flight a little later on which went the same way.

Much better than the P51 yesterday crook

Phil

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, no flying done this weekend, with all the mountains covered in snow and air temperatures around freezing, and without the wind chill factor, so I decided that my nice warm home was the place to be and hoping that the Easter weekend may get some flying done. However, the Countryfile weather is forcasting "significant" snow for the end of the week. sad

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been out flying my WT and Whisper today on a slope I've not flown from before, but after today I certainly know where to fly from on an easterly when I don't want to drive up to The Bwlch.

The mountain is The Garth, at the bottom of the A470 just north of Cardiff. Bags of lift and no turbulance. Only stayed for an hour as my fingers kept freezing up.

Steve

A470Soaring.blogspot.com

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Posted by Steve Houghton 1 on 01/04/2013 22:04:06:

Been out flying my WT and Whisper today on a slope I've not flown from before, but after today I certainly know where to fly from on an easterly when I don't want to drive up to The Bwlch.

The mountain is The Garth, at the bottom of the A470 just north of Cardiff. Bags of lift and no turbulance. Only stayed for an hour as my fingers kept freezing up.

Steve

A470Soaring.blogspot.com

Flown that slope many a time when I was in Uni in the 80's, I believe a model I had was named after it - Sailplanes International Garth 100S R & E model with GRP fus and foam wings.

Went flying an Easterly ridge near our holiday house, did nt fly long due to wind chill, also noticed some nice person has planted a load of wind turbines on one of my local NW sites.

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Steve Houghton & I had a couple of hours this morning flying the S. Easterlies above Cwmbran on the bowl.
First time I've flown here and I think Steve's second, not a bad slope at all and oh so local  smiley
 
 
Wind was a little light to start of with so we sent out the 'sniffers' (Weasel and W.T)  first of all. We soon found some nice lift.
Next up went my Speedo and Steve his X Models Whisper mouldie.
 
 
I've just acquired my first mouldie...Steve's old Baudis Banana....and today was my first chance to fly it.
 
.........NICE.........
 
I was surprised how fast it came around to land, but even more surprised how much it slowed down with spoilerons up 
 
 
All in all a good morning.
 
Heres a few pics
 
dscf3695.jpg
 
dscf3697.jpg
 
 
dscf3698.jpg
 
 
Ok, so I was a bit slow with the camera crook
 
Phil
 
 
 
 
 

 

Edited By Big Phil on 07/04/2013 17:04:48

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Hi

My first love of flying is sport scale biplanes and FS power. BUT!...

I have always though been a great fan of gliders and have a number to my name. I have an ancient Kiel Kraft Ivory Gull that still turns heads, our club uses a flat field site so any gliding is via power or a bungee.

I get my "fix" (sounds like a drug!) 5 days, twice a year slope soaring on the Dune du Pyla south of Bordeaux.

It is the largest sand dune on the continent and the home of a paragliding club and a french model club. Not only is the scenery beautiful but the lift and weather in summer is something to be believed.

I even think it may equal or even surpass the Great Orme.

Wot's cold weather gear??

dune du pyla ,nr arcachon a.jpg

Cheers

Roger

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Grrrrr. I don't know of any easterly slopes here in Dorset - and the weather and windspeed would have been perfect so could have done with one today. 30 years ago I used to fly from Chalbury Hill Fort just outside Weymouth but haven't seen anyone flying there since returning to the hobby. Must check out the landowner and ask.

Does anyone know of an East slope hereabouts?

Ian

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Posted by Big Phil on 09/06/2013 20:25:37:
By far my best day on the slopes this year, glorious sunshine and our lush Welsh mountains.
Fantastic wind and thermals. What more can I say

Both yesterday and this morning were amazing flying. My two mouldies were going like the preverbial bats out of hell. When conditions are as good as that, who needs an engine up front!

The video of Ron Broughtons EPP Hawk came out ok, I'll post it later this week once I've done some editing. That was amazing watching the Red Kite harrassing it

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I know the powered boy's are not happy with this weather, but by god it's brill on the slopes.
Just came back after 4 hours on the Meio, one of our local slopes.
30 -40 mph smack on face....lift was awesome, you could of flown a kitchen sink.
I'm loving it.
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At work we are on short time :'(
So no work today ... again, but there is one advantage ...I can go flying
I flew one of my favourite slopes, the Meio, but this time on the easterly side, my first time.
Winds varied between single figures and I guess 15 mph but with big thermals coming through.
First flight send the sniffer up (Speedo) a few flights with this and I was joined by Steve with his Whisper & Signal mouldies.
I have a Phase 3 Phoenix II elec foamie so I decided to give this the old heave ho, it found a thermal and went up and up and up, this thing is brill for gentle, relazed flying.
Next up my Baudis Banana, a great little model.
I left after a few hours leaving Steve to enjoy the late afternoon air.
Happy days
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  • 1 month later...

Hardly done any sloping this year and I hadn't ever been on a nice warm day.

So, with all this nice weather I resolved that yesterday I would do something about it and headed off to the L&MMGA exclusive site "Top Edge" a south facing slope in the Peak District. On arrival the wind was lighter than expected and the forecast southerly was more of an easterly. Fortunately I had taken a range of models with me including my ST DG1000 which has a pop up motor behind the canopy.

The first flight was mostly climb and descend but towards the end there was some thermal lift creeping in. The overcast clouds were lifting a little and sunshine was forecast for later on. Well the clouds did lift and eventually cleared away completely and thermal activity at higher altitudes became quite reasonable - on my last flight with this model I hardly used the motor at all.

It had become quite breezy and though at times the wind threatened to come around onto the slope it didn't really happen. On one such occasion I waved my SAS Fusion at the wind but that's all it was - wind but no slope lift.

I should mention that I met some other L&MMGA members there and found them very friendly which is always good because I that meant I had no reservations in asking questions about the slope & local practices. Local knowledge is good. Thanks to those concerned. thumbs up

After that it was a drive a few miles down the road to Longnor and a cream tea followed by a gorgeous drive home in the sunshine.

Not the day I had hoped for but I enjoyed immensely all the same.

Ian

Edited By Ian Jones on 02/08/2013 11:18:20

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I really don't understand why more people don't do it. Went up to my clubs flying site today, nobody there of course, as I thought as it was blowing 20mph. But I'd come prepared with a Zagi, and made the short walk accros the next field that puts me on the edge of Devils' Punchbowl on the ridgeway. The newly recovered Zagi flew great, cruising back and forth along the slope, doing loops, rolls and climbing up to play with the red kites that seemd to be there just enjoying the lift too. With this small but perfectly usable slope right next to our club site I just can't understand why more members don't use it when it is too windy* to fly.

*there's never too much wind, just the wrong model!

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The Crest, Bwlch South Wales gives stunning views and produces so much lift its unbelievable

dscf3988.jpg

But, the rotor can be a model killer

dscf3987.jpg

This was only my second time to fly this slope and it caught me out...All fixed now though.

And then we have Fochrew, another stunning site..park and fly at its best.

20121026_143836.jpg

Steve and Chris waiting for the wind to come back on face

dscf3989.jpg

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