Category Archives: Aviation

…and first flight for 2013

A strong sou’westerly dropping to moderate in the late afternoon had me take a chance and walk up Lion’s Head with my paraglider.  The Gradient XC3 is quick, and can thus tolerate a bit more wind than the average glider, but until I saw some tandem pilots sitting at the lower launch I wasn’t sure if I was going to be completely alone or not.  Fortunately, Stephan on his very quick Ozone Enzo launched just after I arrived, and showed the wind strength was acceptable…

…just 😉

Table Mountain looks inviting, but the clouds tell a story of a tricky southerlyTable Mountain looks inviting, but the clouds tell a story of a tricky southerly
Table Mountain looks inviting, but the clouds tell a story of a tricky southerly.

I launched the XC3 ahead of some tandems getting ready and climbed immediately.  Stephan on the Enzo had flown far out to the south, almost over the sea, losing very little height and penetrating slowly into the wind.  I cut into the smooth fast lift on the SW face and rocket up to the top of Lion’s Head, where I found my ground speed into wind was less than a walking pace.  The XC3 has a great response to speed-bar, however, so I was safe to climb steadily above the peak.  The air was cold and beautifully smooth.  Judging from the clouds and wind direction at this level (around 650m ASL) it looked too southerly to fly Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles, but I always get itchy wings when over Lion’s Head, so I gave it a try.  The sink was potent in the last section of the crossing, and I arrived at the bottom of the cliffs near Kloof Corner.  I could see the Enzo back at Lion’s Head; Stephan was biding his time and seeing if I got thrashed.  It was certainly turbulent, with southerly flow wrapping around the cliffs from Fountain Ravine, but I worked the lifting patches and played the little flows until just below the top.  There I found some southerly coming over the mountain, which made Sexy Lexi (the XC) very unhappy… she tried a few times to climb back into her bag.  Deciding that the moment was not optimal, I flew out parallel to the Apostles to see if there was a band of lift to be found.  Far below, the Enzo had made the jump, arriving with no more height but perhaps slightly further into the ravine than I did.  Stephan also climbed steadily, but soon also made the decision to skedaddle back to Lion’s Head and the razor-thin Enzo writhed unhappily above his head.

Watching the sun set over the Atlantic from the air
Watching the sun set over the Atlantic from the air

My efforts to find a lift band along the Apostles failed miserably, so I tucked into a south-facing ravine to try scratch back up.  Nothing!  With the contour path approaching fast I turned and went on glide towards Camp’s Bay, thinking it was soon to be over.  The great glide of the XC3 still surprises me, however, and turning downwind with some speed-bar added soon had me back at Lion’s Head, albeit below takeoff.  Here the crisp handling and speed of the glider came into use, and I scratched back up again.  I spent the next hour in cycles of climbing high, enjoying long periods of smooth hands-off contemplation flying out and practicing spirals and wingovers – I’m still getting used to this on an EN D glider!  Finally, it was time to watch the sunset from the air, crank a spiral and land at the Glen for a well-earned libation.  Here’s to 2013!

Final glide out over the sea before heading to landing at the Glen Country Club
Final glide out over the sea before heading to landing at the Glen Country Club

 

Last flight for 2012

Cape Albatros Hang-Glider Club mate Adam and I decided on a whim to head to Porterville on 30 December despite the so-so forecast.  He had a brand new Wills Wing T2 to get to know, having done only one flight on it at the training hill.  I was keen to try some more XC on my trusty Moyes Sonic.  Conditions at Dasklip Pass were good for a launch, with climbs up to about 1500m ASL predicted: not high at all for Porterville in summer.  Deciding that any flight is better than no flight we quickly rigged and took off.  Adam immediately hooked a good climb and spent most of the flight high above the ridge; I struggled low down and fighting hard for the first 20km before getting a good climb to 1400m.  By that stage the topless T2 was well ahead, so I carried on at my own pace and crossed over into the Citrusdal valley at the N7 pass.  I had forgotten to take my hydration pack, and the rough thermals and heat low on the ridge made me dehydrate fast.  Past Citrusdal town the headache and nausea overtook the fun and I took a long last glide from 1700m ASL to land just short of 50km at Constriction – my new personal best.  Adam, in the meantime, was having an awesome flight despite being very new on the glider.  He worked hard most of the way to Clanwilliam and then found a sweet spot in the sky, flying from there nearly all the way to Vanrhynsdorp with very little stopping to thermal along the way, for a total distance of 140km.  A long retrieve followed, but worth every moment!

A couple of GoPro frame grabs:

Airborne on the Sonic, heading north from Dasklip
Airborne on the Sonic, heading north from Dasklip
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Banking in a tight thermal
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Low down on the ridge and not loving it
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Nearing the top of the inversion while climbing over the ridge towards Citrusdal

Unfortunately, I don’t have a tracklog, as my GPS was stolen the day before and the ThermGeek iPhone app crashed just after takeoff (just the app, not me).  However, Adam’s log is here and is far more impressive than mine would have been.  Next time 😉

Speedster Explorations

There’s been plenty of pressure and activity on the work front recently, which always results in an immediate decrease in flying opportunities.  Consequently, over the last few months I’ve grabbed any chance to get airborne and do my favourite type of aviation: exploration.  To discover new wild places from the air is a distinct thrill; changing seasons and the marks of man create new vistas in previously visited spots; even well-known areas release new secrets to a pair of curious aerial eyes.  My new Ozone Speedster paramotor glider has rewarded me with some fantastic flights so far, including the maiden PPG flight in the Witteberg.  While I’d love to write a dissertation on every one, the time escapes me, so as a compromise here are some quick vignettes with flight track logs and a few photos.  I’ll provide links to the longer stories if and when I write them…

Explorations 1 – Witteberg Private Nature Reserve

A flight of discovery in the remote Karoo replete with solitude, wildlife and tense fuel calculations becomes my best FAI triangle to date…

Flight track from Leonardo – click on the image to link to the story and track

Explorations 2 – Zandvlei

No firm plans, a whole big sky, and lots of familiar places to explore from a new perspective: I fly Muizenberg, the beach, mountain and wetlands, meet up with a flying friend for an aerial photo shoot, and end up with a 40km FAI triangle.

Click on the image to see the flight track log on Leonardo

 

Explorations 3 – Dolphin Beach to Atlantis Dunes

Any given Sunday with a westerly you can find PPG’s flying at Dolphin Beach near Blouberg.  After enjoying the coastal dunes I head inland to Atlantis to play in it’s weird white-sand desert.  It was an odd juxtaposition:  sand-boarders, quad- and motorbikers, 4WD enthusiasts, a microlight and my PPG all weaving through the dunes.

Crankin’ & bankin’ in the Atlantis dunes
Click on the image to see the flight track log on Leonardo

Speedster Explorations 1 – Witteberg Private Nature Reserve

We were camping at the Khaya in  the reserve with friends over a long weekend, and I grabbed the maiden flight for the area on the first evening just before sunset.  The wind was very strong the next day, so we went on a 4WD trail instead, but our last morning dawned with a favourable forecast:  Light southerly winds turning south-west later in the morning.  I had planned a few routes to take advantage of all wind directions, flying into wind on my outgoing leg and then using a tailwind to return.  The area is remote, with alternating mountain ridges and flatland valleys leading up to the Witteberge themselves.  True to the Karoo, it’s a whole lot of desolation scattered with a handful of isolated farms; the mountains themselves have many hidden, trackless valleys.  Not the sort of place you’d like to be stranded… but the rewards are great.  Many of the old farms have been converted over the years to game farms and nature reserves; the WPNR and my planned flight path adjoin the Anysberg National Park.  I packed spare water, energy bars, flares and survival kit and filled my tank to the brim.  Launching at 3000ft above sea level with a heavily loaded and fully-fueled paramotor is not for the faint of heart, but the Ozone Speedster lifted off without difficult and carried me off into the unknown.

Departing the Witterberg Private Nature Reserve under my trusty Ozone Speedster

My first leg took me out through the southern end of the central valley of the WPNR into a beautiful flatland area.  A few kilometers east I could see the boundary of the Anysberg National Park, and the land unrolling beneath me was soon dotted with curious springbok, twitching their tails in uncertainty as to whether I was a threat.  I was flying into the gentle southerly, but with trims wide open maintained a comfortable 40 km/h ground speed.  Although it was early, the sun breaking through patchy clouds was generating small thermals.  This called for constant throttle adjustments; I tried flying at various levels but eventually settled for cruising at 300ft above ground and riding out the blips and dips.  After 20 minutes of progression to the south I turned west along a valley, and was rewarded with views of some ruined native stone farmhouses and dilapidated kraals.  As I crested a small neck and dropped into the lower section of the valley, a hefty eland bull regarded me with contempt while his two cows batted their ears.

Southwards into the wilderness
Southwards into the wilderness

The valley widened out, and in the distance I could see a large farm replete with actual dirt road, in use.  This was my first accessible bail-out point – after flying 50 minutes – and I checked my fuel carefully.  I had been observing that the wind, forecast to be south or south-west, was very westerly for the section I had been flying, which was limiting my ground speed and increasing fuel burn.  I wasn’t sure whether this was due to the topography or if the forecast was wrong, but my fuel situation was just acceptable:  more than one-third into my planned route I had used 5 of my 14 litres supply.  To be a little safer, I decided to shorten the route, and instead of flying all the way around the western end of the Witteberg range I’d climb through a valley 10km closer.  Turning north, I ran low-level thorough a beautiful vlakte devoid of any sign of human influence.  A startled group of rribbok cantered off on a tangent; a single massive but elegant gemsbok shook its long horns at me; I began to climb into the mountains.

Remote valleys filled with game underneath a cloud-dappled sky...
Remote valleys filled with game underneath a cloud-dappled sky…

The westerly wind was blocked in the valley I entered, and in its absence the thermals had been building.  Feeling the familiar lag of the wing dropping back as we entered a strong thermal, I throttled back in anticipation of the exit, but after a few seconds was still climbing.  A brain-switch flipped; suddenly I wasn’t a paramotor pilot but an XC paraglider.  Leaving the throttle I threw my weight over, pulled in the trims and was soon lazily circling at 1.8m/sec upwards in a beautiful morning thermal.  What a pleasure…and good for fuel consumption!  The bliss was prematurely terminated; reaching ridge-height the thermal rapidly became turbulent and then broke up.  I checked my drift and realised the cause:  the westerly wind was in fact a north-westerly that had been channeled along the valley, 90 degrees off the forecast direction.  This was not good news:  I was now 1h15 into my flight, had burned 9 litres, and still needed to fly across a head-wind for part of the route.  Opening the trims again, I settled on the best course, angling to the only access road leading back to the reserve and then following it for the rest of the journey.  A small herd of zebra ran along my path for half a minute as I overtook them, almost as if to offer encouragement.  Reaching the road, I turned east along the valley and kept low, using the hills to funnel the wind into a tailwind.  My fuel was receding into the last well at the bottom of the tank, but now I could see the mouth of Elandskloof and the WPNR ahead.  I gave up on checking fuel and ticked off landing fields one by one as they passed below.  Turning into the valley, I made a quick radio call: “Witteberg International, WMX approaching the field low-level from the north, requesting expedited landing runway 01.”  I could hear the laughter in the background as my wife answered from the “tower” (a camp chair next to our tent): “WMX, land at your own discretion!”  The Speedster deposited me gently through the turbulence, and I took a few minutes to enjoy the silence and smell of mountain fynbos before checking the fuel one last time.  Just over a liter remained… but my tank of experiences was full to the brim.

Rock folds demonstrate the forces that formed the Witteberg Mountains
Rock folds demonstrate the forces that formed the Witteberg Mountains as I cross over onto the northern end of the range.

Despite the shortened route (which proved, retrospectively, to be a very good decision) the flight track generated a 58km FAI triangle – my best yet.

The track log on Leonardo and plenty of interesting statistics can be found here.

Flight track from Leonardo – click on the image see the detail

 

Western Cape PG XC League – Task 2

Here are some details regarding this weekend’s WCPGXCL event.  This month’s task will be held in Porterville, to coincide with the yearly Gatskop fun competition (which is on the weekend of 19-21 October).   Two tasks have been set, to allow for winds that are north or south of west.  Looking at the Saturday 14:00 weather forecast, it will probably be the Northbound task this weekend.

Northbound Task:

  • Take Off/start: PL1080 – Pampoenfontein (Radius 400m) – 32°55.630’S 19°02.189’E
  • Turnpoint 01: P17010 – Eendekuil Silos (Radius 400m) – 32°41.125’S 18°53.002’E
  • Turnpoint 02: PG6020 – Renosterhoek  (Radius 400m) – 32°32.287’S 18°50.231’E
  • Goal/ES: P17010 – Eendekuil Silos (Radius 1000m) – 32°41.125’S 18°53.002’E

Click here to link to Livetrack24 Northbound task

Southbound Task

  • Take Off/Start: PL2070 – Dasklip (Radius 400m ) – 32°54.302’S 19°02.294’E
  • Turnpoint 01: PG1024 – Flyers Lodge (Radius 400m) –  33°00.299’S 18°59.569’E
  • Turnpoint 02: P80006 – Misverstand T-junction (Radius 400m) –  33°02.907’S 18°50.135’E
  • Turnpoint 03: P62008 – Halkmanshof Silos (Radius 400m) –  33°08.828’S 18°57.631’E
  • Goal/ES: PG1024 – Flyers Lodge (Radius 1000m) – 33°00.299’S 18°59.569’E

Click here to link to Livetrack24 Sounthbound task

Porterville Turnpoints

Click the link above for all the GPS files compatible with any GPS (in the Porterville Turnpoints .zip file) as well as the Google Earth file for both tasks.  Please let Eugene Claase know if yo need any help either loading the TP files onto your GPS or programming your device manually.  He will be at the Glen Club tomorrow afternoon from 17:30 until 18:30 to help anyone setting up their devices.

A few important notes about this weekend’s flying:

1. Pilots are all meeting at 36 on Main (Coffee shop in Porterville) at 10:00 Saturday morning. There will be time for a quick tea/coffee and to sort out the recovery & site fees for the day.  Note: Yearly site subscribers to Pampoenfontein and/or Dasklip do not have to pay any site fees.  The Recovery vehicles will leave from 36 on Main taking everyone up the mountain at 10:45.

2. There is a possibility of a lift to Porterville from Cape Town (courtesy of Ant Allen and the Aerial perspective Vito bus) on Saturday morning leaving Cape Town at 08:00, coming back either Saturday afternoon, or Sunday afternoon, depending on everyone that wants join the group.  Please call me Eugene and let him know if you would like to take up the offer – cost will depend on numbers.

3. There will be a possible 3 Turkey recoveries, driving back up the mountain during the day. The exact times will be decided on the mountain.

4. There will be a site and flight/task briefing on take off (most probably Pampoenfontein) at 11:30 by local site guru Paul Penning.

There are 8 pilots confirmed for the weekend so far… I’m committed elsewhere but wish them all good luck!

WCPGXCL Score Update – 7 October 2012

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The first task of the Western Cape Paragliding Cross-Country League has almost run out it’s month – less than 5 days remain to complete the task.  I was blessed with brilliant conditions on Saturday, launching from Llandudno and completing the task with spectacular soaring conditions.  I had to scuttle away from the Table Mountain turn-point in order to get out of the lift before I violated airspace, and arrived over the goal field at the Glen with almost 900m altitude above sea level.  I decided to try fly back to Llandudno to fetch my car, met Ant Allen piloting a tandem on the way, secured a lift with them, turned around at Llandudno and did the task for a second time in the same flight wing-tip to wing-tip with Ant’s Gradient BiGolden.  Tracklog is here on Leonardo.  The final pass down the Apostles had much less dynamic lift as the wind dropped off, but we began to have fantastic thermal climbs, cranking several 3+m/sec’s along the way.  At Table Mountain I rocked up past startled abseilers in a sustained 4+m/sec with the XC3 turning on a tip, and I’m sure I heard a startled gasp as we popped up over the top right in front of the viewing decks.  What a special day, and a spectacular flight. More photos:

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Current league scores are as follows:

Special final mention to Ant, who has done the task on both a solo and now a tandem glider 😉

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Ozone XXLite

Single-surface ultralight (<1.4kg) paraglider in development launched in the last week by Ozone.   Sounds like a very special animal – official information is here on the FlyOzone site.  One has already top-landed on Mont Blanc during testing.  Need I say more?

UPDATE:  Found this launch video, too.  Sureal location, too.

Are you listening, Ozone?  This is all I want for Christmas.

Witteberg – Maiden Flight

Some photographs from the first PPG flight in the Witteberg Private Nature Reserve.  I sneaked in the flight at sunset as the gusty daytime winds died off.  By the time it came to launch, there was not a breath of wind.  This was a serious test for my new Ozone Speedster – zero wind reverse launch at 3000ft ASL.  The pictures tell the story.  Credit to John Roos for the shots of me flying:

The old farmhouse, where a PPG-suitable take-off area is located
The old farmhouse, where a PPG-suitable take-off area is located
Preparing the paramotor in the evening light
Preparing the paramotor in the evening light
Dressed for flight
Dressed for flight
Helmet and comms on
Helmet and comms on

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