Situation

Heat Low still predominates with high pressure above.  However, the trough to the NW of Spain will start to enter.  This will give us some cirrus cover as the afternoon progresses which may calm things and finish the thermal day a little earlier.  In general another excellent XC day.  The winds will end up at the end of the day SW, so a push towards the NE for open distance could be on, or another circuit.

What Happened

Fantastic conditions, but the sky filling in with spread out rapidly from the West.  Tony, Bryan, James, Noel and myself kept ahead and spend the day turning little and racing along fantastic cloud streets which enabled us to get a good distance with what was for much of the day a quatering headwind from the NE, though W to NW at some levels.  Nigel was a little behind and not able to race quite so much but made nearly 100km as well.  The others got stuck in the murk and had another flight but just boating around the Piedrahita valley.

A really classic day with all the best ingredients for XC paragliding.  light winds, perfect Cumulus, strong climbs and a great retrieve from Jorge.

Tracks

1pm

skew 1500

1200

Situation

Similar to yesterday with the Azores high and heat low.  Winds variable but perhaps more westerly at 2000 to 3500m, which will be our main flying level.  We could go for the Pass and Avila today and perhaps a return for those with stamina.  High quality day with good thermals and perfect for a big circuit flight.  Once again a slow start, but perhaps a little earlier than yesterday.  c1.30 rather than 2pm.

What Happened.

excellent day and conditions with Bryan, Nigel, James and myself going to near the Y junction short of Avila and then back to Piedrahita.  Tony and Gareth towards Avila at 44km and Claire a bit further on.  Graham also went over the Pass, then back beyond Piedrahita then landed at home.

Tracks of O and Rs

James at the home Goal after 5hrs out and returning

Tomorrow looking very very good again, then Thursday and Friday rubbish!

1,pm

1500

X section to Avila over time

Another excellent thermal soaring day (Yesterday the airport day was also very good with reported climbs to 3300m).  An Azores Hight set up with a heat low forming over Spain giving us settled weather for the early part of the week.  Very light winds forcast, though probably locally breezy in Barco due to valley wind effects.  A very good day for a circuit flight.  Trigger temp around 26ºC with the day getting going around 1pm.

What Happened.

A bit of a  monster thermal day.  Gavin and Tony made the most of it by going to the Pass, then onto Barco and Back in Gavin’s case.   I flew to the near the Pass on tandem with Peter, returning to land at the HG field nr Piedrahita.  As a first day most of the others followed my example and landed near Piedrahita, it being quite a booming day and 1 and a half hours being quite an ordeal for some!

Gavin Red, Tony Green

1pm

1500

x section to Plasencia

Situation

Anticyclone well installed giving us nice weather through to Tuesday with a bit of a heat low forming over the Peninsula.  Generally light NE today.  A bit more stable with a lower inversion to start with at around 2600m, with blue  thermal tops reaching 3000m later in the afternoon.

What Happened

Super condiitons, but a bit weak early on.  We passed Barco to the antenna hill then came back.  Pete, Rob, Nick and myslef getting back to Piedrahita and James about 5km back at Santiago.  Jill also downed about 5km back from Barco on return.  Clair was first to arrive at the Antenna hill but bombed there.

All in all 2 weeks for the Wessex club with flying every day-  I am hoping it will be the same for the Malvern club next week.

1pm

skew T 1200

1500

X section to Plasencia over time

The  trough moves further to the Med and a ridge of high pressure setting up over Cantabria.   Blue thermal tops over 3000m.  Should be a good day!

What Happened

Once again excellent conditions and a flight to the Tornavacas Pass (30km)  and back (part way for some).  Just love these end of August and into September conditions!

some tracks

Tracks at the turnaround

Rising up

1pm

1500

X section to Plasencia

Situation

Thankfully the greater instability aloft remains to our south so we may get away with another day without large build ups in our flying area.  The protagonist maybe the  Easterly wind.  There is a SE blowing since early this morning, though it should come on to the main site.  We can consider going to Chia if it does not.  Moderate Easterlies are typically quite turbulent and can also give us a few surprises when we think they are light at take off.  See the video below if you have not already.

What Happened

A decent day as we got of early and had some very nice thermalling out front.  Scott , James and I landed when it started to get a bit  strong. Pete flew on to around 30kms.

1pm

1500

X section to Barco

An upper level cold front moved through overnight and has bought marked instability aloft which is going to cause us a few problems for decent XC paragliding.  This morning we have extended Cirrus which is cutting out the heating of the Valley and hillside, giving us a gentle SE catabatic at Peña Negra.

Trigger temperature for Cu development is around 21ºC and the instability will lead to a quick build up of Congestus and likely storms.  A quick dash to Barco may be possible, but we must evaluate the rate of growth of the clouds as otherwise even such a modest XC may become somewhat terrifying!

What Happened

A  nice day with 2 trips to Barco, the second in the evening with a large CB on the other side of the Gredos.

Claire and James half way to Barco

Peter and Rb climbing before glide to Barco with Cb other side of the Gredos

Last night

Mid day

6am

1200

1500

Situation

High pressure to our West with a heat low centralised further south.  A ridge of high pressure over the NW of the Peninsula.  Slow arrival of upper level instability.  There is an inversion around 3000m in the flatlands so that should keep the build up down.  Generally a day similar to yesterday with the same headwind frustrations.

What Happened

Really nice conditions with little wind and climbs to over 3000m and nice Cu.  Most at or near Avila except Martin who became a little ill and had to land.  2nd PB for his stay for Nick with 52km to Avila.

tracks over   bend in  road

tracks  to Avila

tracks over Pass

 

Tracks over Big Spine

Clair over Avila Valley near Pass

James near Piedrahita

james

1500 at over high temp to show congestus point

James, Pete and Nick

Situation

High pressure to the west and low pressure to our south.  Over the next few days we will have low pressure in altitude moving in which will make things more unstable aloft and could lead to some bigger cloud build ups.  Today looks pretty good with a thermal top well above 3000m, though the changing winds will make open XC a difficult option.

What Happened

Excellent conditions to the Pass with a climb of 3300 to cloud base there and a good tailwind towards Avila, However, below 2300m the wind was N to NE, stopping us before Muñogalindo.  Only Pete went past and made it back to Amavida.

1pm

1500

See https://www.meted.ucar.edu/ for a good skew T tutorial

Pass to Pass mid afternoon xc section

High pressure giving us nice weather for the weekend with generally  NE flow at flying levels though more W at the boundry layer.  Inverted around 2600m, but likely to go  +3000m with the chance of some sparce Cu.  I nice day for out and returns or an out to the W.

1pm

1200

1500

x section to Avila/time

Tornavacas Pass to avila at 2pm . section

3 day forecast Piedrahita