| Flying microlights | Paragliding | Parascending | Diving | R/C modelling | The Quartermaster | Last updated 13/10/02 |
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All info correct at time of editing. Check for current prices/conditions.
Flying microlights |
 My nephew at Barton Aerodrome, about to take to the air in
the aircraft I started in. This is the type of aircraft I used to fly, although the weather and
money considerations made it hard to get up as often as I would have liked. A bit like my social
life, really. What! Who said that???
Thousands of pounds later.... Update: Had to give it up due to lack of funds. I gave up when they were charging £69/hour, too much for too many regulations. Can't fly over there, or here, or anywhere it seems! All you can do is fly all over the country drinking (what amounts to) very expensive cups of tea. Without doubt, my aircraft of choice. 6 good numbers on Saturday......... |
Paragliding |
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  I spent a day with Tony Delaney of Airborne. This is what they got up to on Anglesey. To paraglide, or not to paraglide..... |
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Well, I'm into it now, and it is fun. Good fun. The weather keeps killing the training, though. Talking to one of the lads, and he's still on his 5-day course, from last year! Still, look at the running costs, zero, or next to it! Aaaaaaaaaaargh! Three (almost complete) days of tuition later, and BAM! Foot and mouth! I've bought a wing from Tony, an Astral - L (DHV2), and have fun scaring people on a local park. Well, from a floppy rag on the floor to a 13 metre span wing over my head in two seconds does shock some dogs on the lead at times, you know? "Honest Officer, I'm just flying my kite.......". Well, I suppose it had to happen eventually. 27th August. It all started like this........ Oooops!!!! NOT my fault! (Everybody says that, eh?) 'Course, it's only later that I find out that he's not insured :( I've learnt some lessons. Novices should only fly school canopies. If you buy one, do NOT buy anything more than a DHV-1! Ensure that the school is insured. Ensure that the instructors are regularly kept informed of new and updated methods of training. Try to ensure your instructors are competent. "But he seems a nice chap" doesn't cut it! My accident was unusual, and rare (you know, S.H.). Car journeys are fraught with more danger, so I'm saying if you fancy a slice, GO FOR IT! You won't regret it. |
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Parascending |
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I'm now with the Bollington
Paragliding Club, operating out at Barton
Aerodrome (foot and mouth immune!) Saturday and Sunday morning, 0700 - 0900.
Unusually, for an outdoor activity, it's fairly
weather proof. Most week-ends we will fly.
Too many photo's, I'm having to spread out a bit. |
Here's an old one. A wonderful shot. Please feel free to download. Greg tells me it's probably a Harley 288. No date yet, though. |
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£1.50 per flight (don't quote me), using club canopies. Membership of the club is £60pa, and a further £60pa for insurance (£2.31 per week!). This includes B.H.P.A. membership. What a cheap way to stop your feet from growing roots. A fun day will normally cost me a £4.50. Followed by the Barton Breakfast of course. An excellent introduction for potential hill flyers, I'm surprised more pilots don't start this way. |
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Diving |
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I do diving. Here's a shot taken in the Blue Planet Aquarium, in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It's a big fish tank, with sharks, rays etc. Ginger took this shot through the plexiglass tunnel. I'm the handsome one on the left, holding a shark's tooth. The other ugly is my mate, Dave C. Sand sharks and rays are your companions, here. Diving without either your fins or knife is strange.
Mail to: blueplanetaquarium@compuserve.com All for £30 (BS-AC member) or £40 others. Highly recommended, the friendliness and competence of the people there has to be experienced. Great! I'm a member of the British Sub-Aqua Club (Divernet), but if you want to start diving, I would try (good luck) to find any other option. An independent club (MDG in Chorlton, for example) would be a good idea, or try the Sub Aqua Association for a list of the 'opposition'. Joining a club means you get to meet good people, and to socialize with them (more beer.....!). The weather recently has kept us all indoors in the UK, but for some, that's not a problem, lucky bleeders! |
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Diving clubs: Mine, Hartford Sub-Aqua Club The web site is not allowed to carry any 'frivolous' material, so don't blame the Web Master for a boring site, it has to be "professional"!, blame the committee! Diving IS fun, but sometimes you have to remind some people of that. A kick up the ars* should do it.
A question... If you return from a deep dive to the pub, should you drink beer propelled by nitrogen?
Ahhhggggggghhhhh!
Radio control modelling. |
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I have a small electric car, an electric boat and I fly several model planes. Planes include the Multiplex Cargo (electric), Twin Jet (electric), Balsacraft Spitfire (electric), Easy Pigeon (electric glider), and a Crazy Sparrow . Quiet and peaceful. I am building a Bird Dog of about 83" span, with a Webra 61F. Highly recommended. No running costs for electric (or minimal, at least). Boats include a scale tug of Smit Duitsland, and a pond skimmer. Too much to put here, so I've linked to a separate page. |
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The Quartermaster |
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The sound clip that plays is a distress message transmitted by the
yacht "Quartermaster" during the 1994 Auckland to Tonga regatta. A violent storm
resulted in the largest search and rescue operation ever mounted in the South Pacific when
the crews of a large number of yachts were rescued by New Zealand, French and Fijian
ships, guided by aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The crew of
"Quartermaster" were not among those who survived the storm.
Click here for sound |
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