Not disimilar to yesterday, but stronger winds though a little less chance of Cus

1pm

1500

x section to NE

Situation

The depression is slowy creeping across from the Atlantic, though being held at bay a little by the high pressure to the  East.   Winds once again quite strong at altitude so things maybe similar to yesterday but with increased Cu development and more cirrus.

1pm

1500

x section to NE

Situation

The slow approach of the low in the Atlantic is beginning to get the upper level winds a bit higher from the SW.  Today more Cu and thicker.  As the week advances these Cu will be more Congestus and Cbs by Friday.  Saturday we will get frontal rain, however, we may get some reasonable flying over the next 4 days, though the settled weather we have enjoyed for most of September seems to coming to an end.

What Happened

Two trips to lastra, but now flying as very windy.

1pm surface chart

1500

X secton to NE

Situation

We are still under the influence of high pressure but a low slowly approaching from the West whichy thursday will complicate the flying a lot.

Light SW winds today at most levels, though should come onto our launch at PN.   High base at around 12.000ft and supposedly blue thermals, though I would suspect we will see some cloud in the mountains and convergence areas.

Very good for  xc flights beyond Avila so we will look at the airspace in the briefing.

If you dont know how to use a Skew T chart  such as that below, then look at this link

https://www.meted.ucar.edu

What Happened

Lots of shadow on the hill and we had difficulty getting up as you needed to go out to the sunshine which was a long way out.  I did get there and was rewarded with a 4.5m/sec climb to 3000m.  The others were not so lucky, thoug h3 flights for most.

1pm

1500

approximate track

Cross section of above track

Ridge of high pressure giving us further good flying weather with an inversion around the 3100m  level.  Light NE, with a tendency to move more SE towards the end of the day.  This maybe a day to venture out to the NW flatlands to avoid Barco and the Cherry tree valley pass.

What Happened

Another remarkable day with a few Cus around 3200m.  A fast journey to Barco, though only Tomas  went down the Cherry Tree valley and even managed to find a reasonable field to land in.!

1pm

1500

route

Cross section of route above

Situation

The  Azores high and lighter winds today with possible climbs to near 3000m.  Barco or the Cherry Tree Valley!  Looks like a later start nearer 2pm will be in our favour.

What Happened

Very good strong thermal conditions with hardly any wind drift from around 1.30pm.  The Swedes in Barco and Hans a little further towards Tornavacas Pass.   Andy had a good run to near Barco on the second attempt.

1pm

1500

X section to Plasencia over time

The Azores anticyclone is keeping most of the frontal systems far to our north.  Today there seems to be more NE wind and inversions not far above take off.  This may give us some quite strong winds by mid afternoon.   Not much more than a flight to Barco can be expected.

What Happened

Perhaps we went a littlel early to miss the possible E winds strengthening.  Most landed near Santiago de Collado.

1pm

1500

1800

Situation

Still influenced by high pressure with fronts well to the N of the Peninsula.  Nice flying weather once again and quite similar to yesterday, though a little warmer with the promise of going above the inversion around 2600m.  Once again we could go either way, but should perhaps wait for conditions to be a little stronger than yesterday before going to ensure more success for more of us.

What Happened

Hans and myself first over the Pass, followed by Sebastian and Tomas who both reached Avila.  Another excellent strong thermal light wind day.

1pm

1500

x section to the Tornavacas Pass

Coupe Icare Poster

I am very happy to have my film selected for the  Offical Selection at the Coupe Icare which starts this Thursday.

From what I can see there are only two Brits who made the selection.  The other is  Philippe Dalton (who sounds suspiciously French, but lives in Bristol (so maybe a fellow Bristolian), but whose film is also a bit froggy sounding (Sur les Ailes Des Oiseaux).  His stuff is distributed by the BBC and Discovery.  Err, mine is sort of just out there!.

Mine is the very last of the official selection to be shown on Friday night, so if you are there, please give a clap and shout of something suitably Bristolian such as ¨Gert Lush or Wa¨. (//www.coupe-icare.org/GB_projections.html).

I made my film in a frenzy of activity just before the season started for us when I had time to do such things.  I imagine mine is the only film where I did not have to do Acro, infinity tumbles, fly in a wing suit  or do or other such dangerous things.  Lots and lots of hours drawing though, so tough on my arm and neck.

Mine is about the evolution of foot launched flight.  It starts with Darwin´s first sketch, then leads us through the evolution of flying creatures from insects, reptiles, birds and mammals. For humans I started with Elmer of Malmesbury leaping from his tower then quickly through some early pioneers of the 19th Century.

The Key piece is the development of the flex wing hang glider which I show morphing through its various generations from Rogallo´s original Rogallo wing.  If you are interested in HG history you will probably love that bit, but if you are not, then it might not mean too much at all.  The PG evolution is covered quickly including harness morphs.  There is a touch highlighting the latest ¨Shark Nose¨ illustrated by a shark leaping after a flying fish as the last PG morph flies over it.

The final image is of the glider flying off the moving page and over the landscape of Wiltshire (Westbury).  After the credits is a too fast growth of an evolution tree which happens in only about 2 seconds.

I made plenty of mistakes in this animation as the ideas kept coming but were ahead of my understanding of the medium and materials and I ran out of time.  Lots of things I´d like to correct which I now know how to do.  However, even with that I am very proud to have it in the Festival, an event which I have followed and read about for over 30 years.

If you are going I hope you get some nice flying weather and enjoy the festival.

A slighly cooler day and themals probably not going above 2600m.  Light N winds, which will allow us to go either E or W (or both).

What Happened

Pretty light conditions put most down by La Aldehuela, though Tomas marked a thermal there for me to escape and get to my lunch in Barco.  Seb got to Barco then back to La Aldehuela.  Nice evening conditions.

1pm

1500

X section to Avila over time