Task 2. Portugal - British Nationals

Witness to a pilot incident today just before launching, I decided to offer my assistance and support, rather than fly.

An incident some moments after take off, watching with disbelief an Enzo glider perilously helicoptering and then flat spinning, all the way to the rocky ground some 40m below.

The harness, helmet and glider was that of Kirsty Cameron.

Struggling to get out of my harness, and leaving my glider on launch, I scrambled down the slope to where she was lying - the rescue people were already on site and noisily, but efficiently, evaluating the situation. Stabilising her was crucial whilst only being able to move parts of her body that could be move without pain.

Holding her hand, talking to her, reassuring her of every move the rescue people were doing, wiping her dirt-covered face, helping to free her squashed limbs from her harness, holding her head as the emergency services put on her neck brace and slid the stretcher under her body and then helping to carry her down the rugged terrain and scree slope to the mountain rescue ambulance where Mane, the Safety Director, was waiting. The A & E ambulance from Guarda hospital was already waiting on the tarmac road to transport her.
Collecting her flying equipment and glider from the rescue vehicle, I was given a ride to our house where I swapped it for some personal belongings and essentials to take with me to the hospital.  I did not know how long she would be in there.

Waiting in A & E for what seemed an eternity, where hours later,
where thorough examinations revealed she was an extremely lucky girl, with nothing broken and no damage aside from severe bruising.
The afternoon waiting at the hospital for the news, either good or bad, gave rise to questions about my own flying ability and the risk I encountered every time my feet left the ground.
The hospital finally gave me the OK for her release at 19h30 - it had been a long, worrying day.
We both drove home, emotionally battered

DAY 4. Task 1. Portugal, Serra da Estrella, Manteigas BRITISH OPEN

Monday 1 July

White Rabbits !

Up to take off at 10h00 and briefing onsite. Distribution of live trackers and a task set.

Conditions looked good with convergence setting up nicely. A 97km task was set with turnpoints above the valley before heading out into the plains and the remote goal.

Sadly but a wise decision, the task had to be stopped, before the overcast skies turned to rumbling thunder in the distance.

Although no one made it to goal, minimum distance (45km) was achieved so the task will score.

I had an pleasing start, spiralling 3x360°’s just before the start-gate opened to avoid unnecessary lift. Once the gate had opened, I was hence able to fly along the course line directly to clock the first turnpoint ahead, whilst the main gaggle lost time having to skirt round the cloud suck.

Conditions switched off at TP3, cirrus came in the clouds beyond that grew. We could see a wall of rain and my guess was that the lead gaggle at that point called a Level 3.  Those who hadn’t already landed by then soon did, swiftly as a wall of rain could be seen in the distance followed after the stopped task. Retrieves were swift and efficient with a main drop-off point at one of the village bars where we were able to sample cool beer from the bottle at a mere 0,70c !

The mood is positive and pilots and happy with the « call ».

Downloads are still in progress but this evening, we have a BBQ organised of grilled Sardines. J

DAY 3 Practice Day - Portugal, Serra da Estrella BRITISH OPEN

Sunday 30th June

Practice task day. With the last few registrations completed w

e headed up the hill to the smaller take off. Light North Easterlies forecast the day looked good. A few pilots got away in the first group in the stable air whilst the majority of the field waited on take off for the conditions to improve. I was in the second group.

Taking one climb in front of take off that took us to cloudbase, at the time 3600m, the task was completed in 1 ½ - 2hrs. A 67km with three turnpoints and no time restriction.

The conditions were strong, climbs averaging at 4-5m/s and clouds formed later in the afternoon, giving us the opportunity to sample cloud-suck at it’s best. Emile got hoofed up at 9m/s and barred to the edged before disappearing. I only managed 7m/s and that was enough. They say St Andrei s strong, but conditions there are a playground in comparison to what we experienced today.

Cruising into goal with a ridiculous altitude like the rest of the pilots, we ran for shade, packing up under the trees. Shuttle busses waited to return us to HQ. Beer, swimming, dinner and an early night. The organisation team is second to none. Friendly, efficient, organised. With all the pilots having arrived by the time night fell, tomorrow the race begins

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Day 2 - Portugal, Serra da Estrella, Manteigas BRITISH OPEN

Saturday 29th June

As the northerly was forecast strong, breakfast became a lazy affair. Meeting up with fellow team-mates Emile Van Wyk and Adrian Thomas, we drove to HQ and met with the organisation, then to the main take off to check out the conditions and what the site had to offer. We were not disappointed.

Taking in the far-reaching views of the national park’s plateau, rolling hills leading to the flatter plain, and also witnessing the largest dust -devil I had ever seen the size of a watchtower.

The afternoon was spent in the shade of the cherry trees on the lawn with intermittent swims in the river.

Registrations and uploads completed by 7pm, followed by dinner. The weather is hot, very hot. 33°C and rising as the week progresses.

Day 1 - Portugal - Serra da Estrella, Manteigas BRITISH OPEN

Friday 28th June

All packed and ready to go. Destination : Serra da Estrella National Park, Portugal.

My point of departure, Geneva, Switzerland airport.

Easyjet successfully shamed airport security by their efficient check-in, when we spent 40 minutes shuffling round the snake tape,  only to be held on the runway for half an hour whilst Easyjet tried to locate the flight’s Food and Drink wagon ! Holiday makers’ spirits were lifted, when finally the capitain announced that we were ready, and without further ado, we were skyborn. Due praise to Easyjet for making up the lost time, so with a generous tailwind, we arrived on schedule at 14h25 local time.  

Touchdown Oporto, Portugal. Slow baggage reclaim and even slower Budget carhire staff, my driver comrade and I finally left the airport at 6pm ; the time in which we had hoped to arrive at our destination ! However,  we were thankful ; no luggage had been lost and more importantly our flying gear was all in tact.

Our route took us out of the city on the main southern highway, then on to secondary roads that became ever smaller as we approached our destination. The highlight was watching the sun set whilst climbing from the searing 36°C valley villages to the 1420m high plateau in the National Park at 1420m, where we turned off the car’s aircon and wound down the windows to feel the 17°C altitude chill and inhale dizzy perfumes of wild thyme, gorse and lush grass. Memories of childhood landscapes flickered before my eyes and I smiled.

Arriving at Sameiro, we were warmly greeted by our hosting Club, were fed a hearty dinner accompanied by full-bodied ruby red wine from the local vinehard (and indeed one of the competition’s sponsors), before turning out the light way past midnight.

Life was not so bad : friends, sunshine and paragliding.

2 March - PWC Porterville Task 7- LAST DAY

A 90 or so km task set again into the Constriction valley to goal in ClenWilliams.
My narrative will be brief - it was not my most shining performance!
After a meagre 26km, landing before crossing the ridge, I had had yet another bad start this week. The 7th and worst start of the week.
Getting stuck on the ridge before take off, leaving my thermal at the wrong moment and dropping out of the sky, I had to frantically find lift on the windy take off ridge or out in the flats. Together with a handful of other pilots equally stumped for options, after almost 20 mins of no out the front activity, I surfed the take off ridge for the last time before heading out to the flats.
Realising that the race was over for me, with little choice but to fly my own flight for the rest of the afternoon, I "dolphined" my way some 26km through the start gate, to the first and second TP and to the Pass.
Landing right there, it was "game over" for me.
The leaders had made it in 2.5hrs, first man in today was the Frenchman, Julien Wurtz, first woman was the unbeatable Nicole Fedele.
Overall winner: André Rainsford from South Africa, an over all Female winner Nicole Fedele.
First Team was the Ozone Team.

Having reached goal twice in the three good tasks we had been set, my overall position was not too bad for the start of the season and I settled for a satisfactory 5th Place Overall Female Podium and 3rd Place Team event with ABAC/Niviuk.

Onto Cape Town now for a few days of relaxing before heading back to Europe, home and my family.
A special thank you to Steve Senior for his continued love and support, to my son for looking after my dog, Gin'T in my absence, and to my daughter who recently passed her riving test theory exam.

South Africa has been an eye opening experience and a "tick" in the book of worldwide paragliding sites to fly.

1st March - PWC Porterville Task 6

Similar conditions to the previous day had been forecast but with with slightler stronger valley winds in the flats as the day went on, lower cloudbase and no clouds at all! Apart from that, conditions were similar enough in that the wind direction was the same!

An 88m task again to Constriction in the next valley, with a zigzag in the Porterville flats before heading east over ridge and the vineyards into the valley of Citrusdal.

Getting a slow start by 10 mins, and only catching up the gaggle 16km further downwind by taking a booting 5m/s thermal which I took until it eased off at 0.6. Keeping a constant eye on the gaggles and watching them flying low and battling with weak climbs and a strong valley wind, the first part of the task on the flats had been reasonably slow for some.

Strong conditions meant that climbs were forgiving and I was back with the group for the next 20 or so kilometres. Taking a battered 2.5m/s climb infront of Porterville ridge to 100m above ridge height, I left the thermal alone, looking over my shoulder 2 Icepeaks, an Enzo and a Swing followed. The other half of the gaggle had decided to take a more southerly option, later they were to crab their way up to take the turnpoint, having been drifted down the Citrusdal valley past the TP.

 Following my C-Pilot I took a direct line, clipped the TP and this time, decided to fly a more direct line.
Staying fairly central-east to the valley floor, drifiting with the wind in a gentle 1.2m/s thermal half way down the valley past Citrusdal, all the while using bar and B's, I had a much more gentle ride than the previous day.
There are water reservoirs most of the way down which activate some thermal activity, so blipping my way down was certainly faster than heading into the mountains which would have given perhaps stronger climbs, but more km's were needed to reach goal.

A moment's hesitation at my decision and thinking my race was over when the climb became weaker than the lift, I was at 500m and I had -90m to goal.
Knowing that my polar curve is not quite right, I would give myself a 50m margin before barring it.
Taking a climb above a reservoir until my GPS said 150m to goal, I full barred to the Constriction Rugby field and the line. End of Speed section in the bag, I just had the physical line to cope with.

I was over the of acres of citrus tree farms now, they were rising, I knew I had no landing options should my plan fail.
Skimming over a couple of Eucalyptus trees, wondering whether I had been just a little bit too clever for my own good, more orchards, some telephone lines, a quick look at my GPS screen,  my speed over ground, my height, the distance to the line.
I flew between the rugby goal posts, over the line, turned into wind to land. THAT was how close it was.

Yan Martail came to congratulate me on the calculation of my arrival. He had filmed my finish and afterwards commented on my approach, although I very low, I had kept a cool head and not panicked. "Une arrivée digne d'un champion" were his words. That made me shine with pride - indeed congratulations from a PWC and Superfinal World Champion is a great boost.

So goal again it was and a relaxed drive home via 2 pick up from landed-out pilots on the way.

Photos to come.....