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Dear Friend,
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Hey, it's June 2013 and Flybubble has kicked into high gear! We've been out on the hills a lot, training students and sharing the joy of flight on the tandems.
But never fear, we haven't forgotten our subscribers! Here's something we put together just for you, to help you go further: How to Use Ridge Lines
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FLYBABBLE
It's been wonderful to be out on the South Downs so often, with such a great bunch of committed students. It's certainly true that booking in regularly accelerates the learning curve.
Congratulations to Malcolm Earle, David Toscano, Michael Fowler and Jess Fletcher for their first high soaring flights and top landings.
And BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Francisco Nascimento and Nick Withey for completing the BHPA Club Pilot rating. Very well done! |
 ^ Malcolm Earle perfecting his
control in windy conditions |
We've been having great results with our Gin Nano wings, which we bought specifically for our students to give them the advantage of learning ground control without being overpowered on windy days.
^ The world's first biomechanical
paramotor ... Simon Steel! |
We welcomed many first-timers this month. Sam Cutts and Tor Goldfield did so well with their ground training that they did a high flight at the end of day one!
This is rare, but we were delighted to see such progress.
Wondering what goes on?
See our photos from a typical Day One and Tandem training session with Flybubble Paragliding. |
We have been enjoying some long training days and have used our tandem wings for the more challenging instructing in strong conditions, traffic and thermals.
A tandem flight with us usually lasts 15-20 minutes, and we aim to get as high as we can (unless you're especially nervous about altitude!)
We offer aerobatic experience flights for newcomers and special skills-sessions for pilots, where we work on thermaling technique, traffic management, timing and control.
So if you'd like to improve your flying, come and join us by booking a tandem flight. |
^ Marg enjoying a cracking
day for tandem flying at Firle |
Beyond the School
The UK Paragliding XC League is stuffed. Full. Of flights.
The sun is out (to lunch) the birds are singing (of better days), but because of the cold airmass, good lapse rate, and strong basewinds, XC pilots are having a (distant) field day.
UK Declared Goal Records are falling left, right and over in Shropshire. The worm to the right is the latest in a string of claims. |
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First the monster 170km task was set during the North South Cup and 13 pilots made goal! Incredible.
Then Barney Woodhead and friends smashed it the next day with this 176km flight, and now it belongs to the south again, thanks to this amazing 208km declared flight by Hugh Miller on the Niviuk Peak 3, Kirsty Cameron (Ozone Enzo) and Mark Watts (Ozone R12).
XC Team Pilot Action
Greg Hamerton went to Combe Gibbet to attempt a tandem distance record flight with Ruth Kelly, but never got above the trees. Simon Steel escaped from the sink monster to fly 44km towards Petersfield.
A few weeks later Lauren Martins flew 38km on a similar line. Combe is a fantastic TVHGC site near Hungerford, perfectly situated for downwind XC in a N-NW. |
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Shaun Bolton went to the Gin Wide Open and made goal in 6th place, but then lost his points due to missing the turnpoint cylinder by a few metres! Having acquired the competition mindset, he returned home to complete a 34km flight to goal from the Dyke, and two smaller triangles from Firle. Keep going, Shaun!
Emile van Wyke wrote in: "It is now confirmed that I have been selected to represent Britain for the Paragliding Worlds in Sopot Bulgaria and I just wanted to say thank you for your sponsorship and support over the last couple of years, everything adds up and it is great to know there is someone looking out for you!"
Foot or Flybubble
Carlo still has the longest single flight on the course, but he's been passed by the persistent (David Nickels), the determined (John Tipper) and the downright obsessed (Greg Hamerton).
There is less than a month remaining. You can just do one leg (some are less than 4km), so get that bag on your back and do a leg before flying. Get in on the action (and the prizes)!
Read the full report on all the ups and downs during May. |
^ James Hope-Lang on his
way to Truleigh, by air! |
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XC Secrets: Using Outer Brake
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When climbing in thermals, you often see pilots using the outer brake to optimise the turn.
Some gliders respond very well to this technique, giving a flat climbing turn with maximum climb rate.
Hang on a minute! We're trying to turn in a thermal, so we should turn tight. Why pull the other way? Doesn't this just mess up the turn?
Read more |
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Review: Swing Mistral 7
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A high-end B tuned for performance, with a small area. Fast, agile with direct handling. Watch our review video and read Carlo's report. |
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The Good Stuff
Because we stock such a wide range we are free to recommend the best!
If you need help choosing between all the latest products, give us a call or drop us an email. We are experts at matching your skills to the best equipment.
Sup'Air TOUCH Windstopper gloves for free-flying are now in stock. Warm, windproof but not bulky, they help you feel what the wing is doing.
Don't be misled by the name, they are not like the touch-enabled gloves from Gin with Conductive PU technology. Those are best suited for simple use of touch-screen devices if you use XCSoar or other phone apps while flying. |
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The Flytec Sensbox is a small, sophisticated data source for aeronautical applications on mobile devices, adding the functions often lacked by modern phones - an accurate acoustic variometer, pressure sensor, magnetic compass, gyro, GPS and an independent IGC file (flight track).
Burkhard Martens' amazing new book Cross-Country Flying now in stock.
The book for everyone who wants to learn how to fly cross-country flying, from beginner to pro.
It includes interviews from top pilots like Chrigel Maurer, Jocky Sanderson, Torsten Hahne, Mads Syndergaard, Karel Vejchodsky, Helmut Eichholzer and Ewa Wisnierska. |
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Is your bag uncomfortable? Niviuk have released a new rucksack called the Kargo, a large capacity rucksack ideal for packing your glider, harnesses and accessories (tandems included).
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Because we've been doing a lot of hike-and-fly during the Foot and Flybubble, we're obsessed about finding the best gear for the job, and we love the new Advance Comfortpack, which works with most modern pod harnesses.
It offers excellent carrying comfort and its trapezoid back design allows for good packing and easy closing.
> See the video |
Specials!
This month our demo wings are greatly reduced. As we are meticulous about looking after our equipment, these are absolute bargains! Wings like:
Advance Sigma 8 25 (75-95kg) Grey 20hrs
RETAIL: £3,450.00 PRICE: £2,100.00
Gin Gliders Sprint Evo M (90-110kg) Kimchi 20hrs
RETAIL: £2,799.00 PRICE: £1,850.00
Skywalk Tequila 3 S (75-95kg) Orange 45hrs
RETAIL: £2,700.00 PRICE: £1,300.00
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Training with Flybubble |
The Flybubble team offer professional coaching sessions for pilots of all levels. We offer tandem flights where you can get one-to-one advanced skills training. We will gladly take your friends into the air too. And we run a range of courses, year round, in South East England as well as training and flying trips in Southern Spain.
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For qualified pilots, we're running two weeks of Airtime and XC trips to one of the best flying areas of Southern Spain:
• Week 1: 12-19 October 2013
• Week 2: 19-27 October 2013
Those who book only one week often say they wished they had booked both weeks!
MORE INFO |
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After an unusually wet March in southern Spain, April came with a 30 degree C heat wave. Our group of low airtime pilots flew 6 of 6 days! Most days we flew at Algodonales. Happy faces in the bar during the last night... and quite a bit of sunburn too!
Trips run all year except July, when it's very hot!
MORE INFO |
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Parting shots
For some wow! watch the Something Between Trailer.
Everyone produces concertina bags, but none of them dance the way Advance's Tubebag does.
Looking for an easy intermediate wing with an unfair level of performance? Check out the Gin Atlas video.
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^ Ditchling, a site often overlooked: uncrowded and very scenic
Fly
The only sane response to all the flights being bragged about in the UK is ... to have some of your own! Then tell us about your success on our Facebook page, so we can celebrate with you. Even better if you've done something on the Foot or Flybubble course.
Right, to the hills!
Flybubble; we're out there.
Carlo, Nancy, Greg & Simon
The Flybubble Paragliding Team
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