Microlights and Paragliding!

[Peter Waller]

Hi and I am relatively new to this site so thought I would list my hobbies in case anyone should have similar interests...far too many! I have my own plane, a motorglider in the sub 450kg class and am an avid paraglider flyer for the last 20 years. Also a fisherman, artist, play guitar and Uilleann Pipes! And now a motorhome owner....jeez far to many hobbies.

 

[Nasher]

Started hang gliding in 1979, paragliding in 1991. Still paraglide, motorcycle, unicycle, mountain bike, snowboard, skateboard, chase women & drink beer (amongst other things - you can never have too many hobbies)

Welcome

 

[Chris]

I am a dreamer with my head in the clouds.

Does that count?

 

[Deleted34567]

a motorglider in the sub 450kg class

Not a chevron 232 by any chance?

Also fly, 3500+ hours in lots of types, A class, microlights 3 axis, 2 axis and flex, autogyros, helis and PPG......

 

[TinaLes]

Come on lads, stop flexing you muscles and post some pics, so we can make out what the hell you are talking about
Its OK we have our boarding passes ready, some even may have their bus passes
Les

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[Peter Waller]

Yes Chevvron 232c only 6 left flying I think Helicopters were my dream but out of reach unfortunately.

 

[Deleted34567]

Flew the 232 back in the early 90’s.... that little Konig 4 cyl 2 stroke radial screaming it’s nuts off, flew it to the PFA rally when it was in Cranfield in Bedfordshire.
Happy times and great memories.

 

[TinaLes]

Thanks for posting @Peter Waller really enjoyed that view over Exmoor, beautiful weather that day. Great external camera work also.
Les

 

[airwave]

I've been flying hang gliders since i gained my cp in 2003 , and a powered hang glider since 2011 . I don't fly as much as i would like , as i actually got involved with training a few years ago , and pretty much the reason i came into motorhome ownership . I'm not an instructor as such or even a trainee , though the cfi (and several other people) have hinted on several occasions i could easily become one . A good proportion of my flying is grabbing a few basic up and down flights , normally on school gliders , off a winch . Sometimes as a result of my repairing said glider , after a student had a mishap . It helps to build the students confidence to see someone else , fly a bird they manage to bend , and anyway i wouldn't expect someone to fly a glider , i'm not happy to fly first . Sometimes though it can be the result of conditions becoming too boisterous for students to learn in .
I've had a few comical flights , including soaring a hedge at 450ft on finals , directly above 4 or 5 student's , and another where a student lent me his glider and i locked into a 400ft a minute thermal , and climbed to 1100ft , before spending the next 20 minutes trying to get the bird , back on the ground for the student to be able fly . I've gale hung , which is close to hovering in a strong wind , launched from a trolly and this year flown dual . This year i was involved with helping an old friend return to flying after suffering a serious stroke last year . Though still having a few issues , and launching from a trolly , he managed several flights in a single and dual glider . I've recently discovered he has since , also flown his paraglider .
Myself , i've got 2 gliders , a calypso i use for free gliding , and a target that combines with my doodlebug . Classed as a sphg or self propelled hang glider , the doodlebug is a flpa (foot launched powered aircraft) , for some reason students love to see it in flight . Actually so does the cfi , it's got a retractable undercarriage , but i've still yet to fit my go-pro . Despite having it a couple of years now , i've still not got into the habit of fitting it everytime i fly , so the net result is i don't have many videos that are any good .

This was filmed by a student a couple of years ago . He was also power training , and this was actually my second flight of the day ,



One of few on board recordings i have got , is this winch launch . Again a few year's ago i was flying my target , but as a glider ,

 

[G-RMPS]

I built this in 2010-11 and keep it at Perth. Flown every week, weather permitting, though I have to abandon it when travellling in the motorhome.

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[The Wino]

I just rent a motorglider at the gliding club I fly at G-HBOS is the reg Broken Link Removed:

 

[G-RMPS]

Halifax/Bank of Scotland. I was going to buy the RBSG registration, because I worked for RBS before it blew up, but it was already assigned to an executive jet!

 

[nicholsong]

View attachment 268102 I built this in 2010-11 and keep it at Perth. Flown every week, weather permitting, though I have to abandon it when travellling in the motorhome.

I did my CPL at Perth(Scone) or 'Balbeggie International' as we named it. All grass then and a quagmire at times - we were grounded for weeks and had to suffer being taken on tours, such as whiskey distilleries! I do not know how we got through CPL on 200 hours in singles and I/R on 25 hours in Cessna 310s - well I do actually, it was down to some excellent instructors.

I had heard it was now an industrial estate, but maybe only part of it, if you are still flying from there.

Update please.

Geoff

 

[G-RMPS]

Balbeggie International is still very much alive. Three runways (two hard), more hangars than before. The huge hangar that was full of C150s and 310’s now run by the Scottish Aero Club is the largest toybox in Scotland by a huge margin and now houses 90 privately owned aircraft - legacy stuff, light aircraft, flexwing and fixedwing microlights, gyrocopters etc. The Scottish Charity Air Ambulance is based here.

So, alive and well! Come visit. Several of us also drive motorhomes...

 

[G-RMPS]

...as for Whisky Distilleries I have the dubious distinction of being the only soul who has ever photographed all the malt whisky distilleries in Scotland - from the air, in one day. 1200 nautical miles. Sore ears and sore bum afterwards.

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[G-RMPS]

Balbeggie International is still very much alive. Three runways (two hard), more hangars than before. The huge hangar that was full of C150s and 310’s now run by the Scottish Aero Club is the largest toybox in Scotland by a huge margin and now houses 90 privately owned aircraft - legacy stuff, light aircraft, flexwing and fixedwing microlights, gyrocopters etc. The Scottish Charity Air Ambulance is based here.

So, alive and well! Come visit. Several of us also drive motorhomes...

FLTs have in the past been given permission to “park” overnight outside the clubhouse. “Respectable” motorhomers can stay at the Scone CCC (or is it CMC) site a couple of miles down the road.

 

[nicholsong]

'Grumps' you have opened the 'Hangar doors' now.

Thanks for the update on Scone. I thought, wrongly, it had gone.

As for parking at airfields, I have found lots accomodating, maybe easier if one introduces oneself as an aviator. Best one I encountered was the gliding site at the Long Mynd - not only welcome but the club had members staying many days in MHs and caravans and an excellent cook in the evening, so much so we stayed an extra night just for the food and the comraderie, even if I did get ribbed for being a B737 Captain. But got let off because I had flown gliders at Booker(High Wycombe). I also joined in helping to rig some gliders.

Please give me the regs of the 310s. A co-student of mine bought many years later one of the C150 (G-ATEF?) and kept it in Cornwall.

Geoff

 

[airwave]

Cessna 310s

Ah the 310 , learjet with props . Beautiful looking bird , but a bit of a handful on one engine . Personally i liked the 310j with the short nose and tuna tank's , more reminiscent of a fighter , than a six seater , though one was used as a fighter bomber in the 1978 film "wild geese" ,



Still a twin engined aerial hotrod . Old joke , what do you do when an engine quits on a twin , start the other one .

Have to put my hand's up here , i've never flown a 310 . I do have a few logged on 150's , also the aerobat version while learning to fly the first time round , but that was back in the early 80's . Also flew the p38 tomahawk , and the fuji fa200-180 . I never did completed my ppl training , i couldn't justify the outlay and it was a fraction of what it is today . Actually , i don't even know the hourly rate today .

 

[G-RMPS]

Not many folk other than you and I who have flown a Fuji!

Geoff - C310s

G-ARBC model D
G-AROK model F
G-ARCI model D
G-AYGB model Q
G-AVUV model N
G-AVDB model L
G-BAIM model Q
G-BBHG model Q
G-BCKL model Q

 

[Puddleduck]

FLTs have in the past been given permission to “park” overnight outside the clubhouse. “Respectable” motorhomers can stay at the Scone CCC (or is it CMC) site a couple of miles down the road.

And it has one of the weirdest hotels I have ever stayed in - I imagine it was once the hostel for the flight crew

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[G-RMPS]

Aye, still there - Skylodge, cheap and cheerful