All posts by Ross

Aviation

Winter Flying – Kings of Llandudno

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One of the Cape’s least appreciated but most consistent winter flying sites sits above the up-market coastal ‘suburb’ of Llandudno, on the western seaboard.  Launch is from the slopes of Little Lion’s Head, and offers beautiful soaring and some interesting XC technical opportunities – I’ve flown 20km in either direction, which is a fun challenge.  It’s a place to go soar with the laminar per-frontal nor’westerly, smell the damp fynbos, and play with the orographic clouds.  Despite its raw beauty, most pilots shun Llandudno for the more convenient Signal Hill locked in the city, and so I’ve been campaigning for years to get more pilots to fly here.  My mate and fellow wanderer put together this great little video showing what Llandudno can deliver.  Enjoy 🙂

The Kings of Llandudno from MARX Films on Vimeo.

Fun

More poetry in motion

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I first learnt of Danny MacAskill while watching the Banff Mountain Film Festival a few years ago, and since then have kept a watchful eye on what he produces.  Similar to my prior comments on parkour, MacAskill creates a fluid interpretation of fixed structures and spaces that would have never occurred to most of us; like really great photography, he makes me look at the world with new eyes and new appreciation.  I could never hope to emulate this on a bicycle, but on a rainy morning it’s good enough just to watch: poetry in motion.


Watch in HD if you can.  The music is also a treat.

Fun

LiveBeyond. Success!

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Your support made it happen…

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I’ve just received the prize – will unpack and review soon. Thanks to you all for support, and thanks Garmin SA: I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. I already have some new adventures planned…

Aviation, Aviation Medicine, Photography

Quick snaps… Agusta 109 ZS-HMD

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Recently I was at the Red Cross Air Mercy Service hangars at Cape Town International Airport to work on a pilot study (pun intended) for my master’s research project.  I was lucky to catch (and use) the beautiful Agusta 109.  Here are a couple of hasty snaps:

Continue reading Quick snaps… Agusta 109 ZS-HMD →

Aviation, Fun, General

I need your vote…

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…in an initiative/competition run by Garmin. They are looking for stories of how people “Live Beyond” in various categories – outdoor, fitness, automotive, marine and aviation. I’ve entered our Cape Point paramotor flight in the aviation category, and now need votes. Click here to visit and vote for my entry at LiveBeyond.co.za

While you’re at it, why not add your own?

WildMedic on PPG over Cape Point
WildMedic on PPG over Cape Point - Photo copyright Ant Allen www.aerialphoto.co.za
Aviation

Cape Point PPG Flight – First Photos

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To date, only two people had ever done it: a powered paraglider flight around Cape Point, the “Fairest Cape of them all”, the Cape of Good Hope: the Cape of Storms. Today, that number was doubled. The Flying Ant (one of the original two) escorted Neil and I in a gentle, cold but perfectly smooth north-westernly on the flight down the peninsula to the very south-western tip of Africa. It’s a long way – the entire tip forms Cape Point National Park, meaning we have to launch north of the boundary and then fly at least 2500ft and offshore all the way – and the weather has to be perfect, but the incredible sights make it all worthwhile. A detailed story and many more photographs to follow, but here are some to whet your appetite:

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WhatAmIReadingToday?

Quick words on fear

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From a book I picked up today (which is proving to be a pleasant, thoughtful and humorous read):

I want to talk about fear. We let it hold us back too much. Fear is a funny thing. I always think of it as a disease: it is natural, evolves with society, it can affect us at any time, everyone has different tolerances and triggers, and it is infectious. Of course, you will get over it, and it is treatable. Sounds like a disease to me.
– Nathan Mullins, “How to Amputate a Leg”.

I think most people live with too much fear, and worse: they live with a great fear of fear itself. To paraphrase a friend: “Know your pathology”; know it and don’t let it rule you.

Aviation

PPG Dawn Patrol Video

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It’s been quite a while since the flying that generated this footage, but I finally set aside a rainy Saturday and cut together a rough montage.  The story can be found in the blog archive, so I won’t repeat it here.  In essence: some magic crack-of-doom flying in the middle of summer, when the sun rises early enough for me to get a flip in before I have to be at the hospital.  Not many better ways to start the day.  Watch it on high quality if you can or come round and see it in 1080p HD at my place over a cup of coffee!

Aviation, Fun

More speed-flying

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Stumbled across this video on a rainy Friday and had to share it.  Speed-flying Mont Blanc to beautiful piano music… lovely.

Watch it in HD if you can – it’s worth it.

Anaesthesia, Aviation, Aviation Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Wilderness medicine

New aeromedical presentations available

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I’ve uploaded another two talks onto the ‘Presentations’ page.  These are lectures I gave recently as part of the ILS Aviation Health Care Practitioner’s course at the Red Cross Air Mercy Service here in Cape Town.  The should be considered introductory, and there is a lot of (verbal) content not in the presentations, but the framework may be of interest.  I’m getting more familiar with using Prezi and liking it more every time.  Click the arrows to advance or rewind through my sequence.  FYI – You can click, drag and zoom freely at any time, and return to the sequence by clicking on the arrows again.  Enjoy!

 

Human Factors in Aeromedical Flight Operations on Prezi

ILS AHCP – Intro to Clinical Considerations in Aviation Medicine on Prezi