Two magic spells served up by the Witchie

Two magic spells served up by the Witchie.

Witchie Knowe 19th and 27th March 2023.

I've been an invisible Wingbeater for almost a year. Baby Angus was born on 2nd December 2022 so much of my free time over the last year has been swallowed up either with general baby preparation or damage limitation in the nappy department. I'd pretty much filed paragliding in my mind under 'fun whilst it lasted'. But then early March saw a family wander up on Lauder common. A large gaggle (sorry flock) of herring gulls were thermalling over the moor. I felt like I was watching wonder of nature. Mesmerising. Every now and then one would point a beak at the horizon and break from the top of the circle heading off in a straight line with a beady eye fixed on oblivion. If there’s a better sight to stir a dormant paragliding passion in someone I’ve yet to see it. ‘It’s amazing that you could do that,’ says Steph. ‘Correct,’ I think. Back home and inspired I got the phone out and opened telegram to deluge of messages. People had been out. And there was one from Fred ‘Sunday is the next chance to fly I reckon.’ He's usually right about these things. I was free on Sunday with Angus and Steph out on a playdate. Game on!!

Tarmachan to nowhere and out into Glencoe, 4th June 2022

An adventure.... Fred and Rob

Did all the usual stuff as you do to go flying. Pondered it the day before, watched the changing forecast updates, and generally tried to second guess the fickle forces of the universe, a billion pounds of tech in use but still only had cheese in the fridge for sandwiches. On the drive north I kept looking up and saying to Rob ‘what do you think, where should we go’ and he kept saying ‘don’t know, you know the hills better’. Then at the critical decision time of ‘Coe or Tarmachan’ he was busy with his errant phone which is a short step from being in the gents at bill paying time. My instincts said Tarmachan and since I was driving, Tarmachan we went.

A hat trick of winter hike and fly adventures.

17 / 18 / 19 December 2021.

You could see the settled high pressure coming on the forecast from about a week before it arrived. Surely there would be some flying to do. With super light winds and an inversion coming with the high pressure, it looked like hike and flys might be the order of the day. Fine with me! I love hill walking and I love being in the air!

Plattenkogelspitze

Plattenkogelspitze 16^th December 2021

MOORFOOTS 5th December 2021

FOOTSTEPS IN THE SNOW

First and foremost Wingbeater's another grand bit of a do at the Gordon Arms thank you all for making it happen, As behavior goes maybe because we have new club pilots in the fold, Christmas is in motion.

There was talk of flying Moorfoots the next day, early forecast had it looking quite strong but on the morning review it looked doable i myself felt the need of a fly, A quick call to head coach to see if he was thinking of gaunoot a plan wis set tae meet up at Innerleithen 11am, A O K i thought and then received a call to say pick me up at the house and keep the engine running and be ready for a quick getaway. That was quite evident on arrival at Tommy's house he threw his kit in the back of my van and says go go with Fiona in hot pursuit which i can only describe with a box in her arms saying Christmas lights, The birth of a Outlaw for sure,

TOMMYSOWERTHEWITTER ( Tommy is no longer suspected )

Test page

Test page for logging flying activity

MOORFOOTS 5 / 12 / 21

Arrived at the Moorfoots courtesy of GED.

Other pilots were already there with a few other cars arriving. They all went for the face at the carpark.

GED , Michael and myself walked in to the usual face along the ridge.

We observed one glider launch from the east and it was clearly gale hanging.

By the time we were on launch the wind felt fine so I launched into nice smooth conditions from the NNW.

I stayed around for a few minutes to check it out then made my move along the ridge with Michael in hot pursuit .

I was doing fine and was almost at the far end when I felt the wind drop of so I top landed. I could see Michael had landed further back down the ridge so I waited for a bit more breeze before flying back to join him.

We waited looking back to the East and could see gliders flying at the cars. It looked like a long walk...

5 min later the wind was back and we launched and continued to the west end playing around.

I had a suspicious feeling things were going to drop off again so I blasted back passing a few doomed gliders that were in the bottom. But I was hanging on and without touching the brakes at all made it back to the car.

The last km was low and fast no brakes over the top of the quarry legs out ready in case the glider decided to land .

I was pretty chuffed to make it back.

Good day out.

Tommy.

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