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5 pilots in a camper van drive to the
southern skies of France
It was a bit late in the year to go flying
in France but it took ages to get this trip organised and
it was October by the time we got everyone together for 9
days in the south of France.
Graeme Blakemore had offered the use of
his 21ft camper for the journey and we hooked up a trailer
for the all the kit on the back. I suggested that we make
for Annecy first of all as I knew the area pretty well and
there was also scope for hill flying as well as powered flight.
After an overnight journey we arrived in
Annecy feeling a bit worse for wear and the weather didn't
look too good. It was cloudy and grey. We pitched the tents
and as we got down to a nights sleep the rain started. It
continued all night and in the morning we decided that it
was best to keep going south. We headed down to the Perpignan
area just over the border from Spain. This was the only corner
of France that had the sun shining on it. We drove down there
with 100 km winds thrashing the side of the van all the way.
Pyrenees...
When we got to Perpignan we found a HG site
nearby where Benet could fly, he was unpowered and needed
a hill. He launched from the mountain behind the campsite
in the town of Cerets and had a short but pleasant flight
to the valley below.
Next morning we woke to clear sunny skies
and nil wind. Bliss. We set a task to fly to Mt. Canigou and
back. We programmed the turnpoints into the GPS and set off
from a field that we had negotiated the use of from a local
farmer. Alan Mortimer was away first on his Mosquito powered
Rumour 1 and soon disappeared from view. Keith O'Sullivan
was next after a couple of disastrous attempts at takeoff.
His third run was a success. He lifted off into the clear
blue sky on his Doodlebug powered Amour 159. Graeme Blakemore
was next to go on his Booster powered Discovery 195, only
just clearing the trees at the end of the field. I was next
but the wind had shifted and I had to wait about 3/4
hour for conditions to improve enough to takeoff.
Graeme and Keith were circling the field
and local area at about 1,000 ft - just low enough for the
noise of their engines to be annoying. They both came in to
land complaining of badly running engines. They hadn't attempted
the task. I took off into a very light wind and when I climbed
out over the end of the field I realised that what I thought
was a big golf course at the other end was actually a big
lake with a path around it. This was not a good bomb-out field.
I quickly cleared it and circled back over the takeoff field
to gain height and then set off on the task. After about 5
miles I decided that the terrain below wasn't really landable
in the event of a bomb-out. The whole landscape was covered
in either trees or vineyards and nowhere was there a place
to land if the engine cut out.
I decided to turn back and forget the task.
I headed south instead and climbed up over the mountains into
Spain, reaching 5,500 ft maximum in the process. There were
some off the clock thermals kicking off the rocks on the south
side so I didn't stay around too long as it was pretty
tiring hanging onto them. I was surprised that there was such
strong lift there so late in the year. I turned back over
the border and flew back to the area where I took off. I spent
some time just site-seeing over the little towns and then
flew back to land at the takeoff field.
Alan came in to land just after me. He had
managed to complete some of the task and had flown over to
Mt. Canigou and got to 10,000 ft. whilst doing it. He has
an interesting photo of an airliner too... but the less said
the better I think.
Moving on.....To Millau
The wind picked up during the night to gale
force so we packed up in the morning and drove north again,
this time to Millau. It was still blowing a gale when we got
there but by next morning it was nil wind and time for us
to fly. The valley was shrouded in mist as we drove up the
hill to the top of the plateau and the sky was clear blue
above. The view was great and the massive supports of the
new bridge stuck up out of the mist.
Alan was first off the hill without saying
where he was going. We watched him fly over to the bridge
and out of sight. The rest of us continued to rig up and after
setting a task to a town about 18 miles north of us I took
to the air. The mist had cleared by this time and I flew over
the construction site that would eventually become a massive
bridge over the gorge. Giant cranes clung to the concrete
supports and looked really spindly as they stuck up out of
the ground. It was strange to fly over such high structures.
It was like flying over skyscrapers and I could see the construction
workers on the top of them. I wondered if they could see me
above them.
Graeme was in the air by now and had headed
over towards the bridge and as I circled the gorge at about
2,000 ft I watched Keith having more trouble with his takeoffs.
He had written off an upright on his first attempt. It turns
out that because he was wearing a full face helmet he had
chosen to hold the mouth throttle in his right hand. This
meant of course that he couldn't hold the a-frame properly
to launch the glider.
On his second attempt he got off the hill
and performed an extraordinary display of stuffing the bar
out to get his legs over it, stalling and diving in alarming
fashion in the process. Incredible stuff from a spectators
point of view. Especially with an engine at full throttle
on the back. l flew over to meet him. We turned north and
looked for Graeme but he was gone and we didn't see him again
till we landed. I should say that the Doodlebug is unique
in the way that the pilot has to get both feet over the basebar.
The transition from takeoff in the upright position to getting
both legs over the bar in flight is always a bit tricky and
involves some strange looking antics.
Keith and I headed towards the turnpoint
about 18 miles away but about a quarter of the way along the
route he turned back again with a grumpy engine. I carried
on alone, working my way through lots of lumpy air in the
process. I took a photo of the town at the turnpoint and on
my way back climbed to 5,300 ft to get into some smoother
air. It was much more pleasant up here above the inversion
layer and I could relax and enjoy the view of the great scenery.
The land is cut by deep gorges all around here and they resemble
small versions of the grand canyon from this height.
I flew passed Millau passing over the river
and headed towards the bridge again for another look before
making my way back to the takeoff field. When I landed everyone
else was back. Graeme had completed the task but we never
saw each other enroute. He got back with next to nothing in
the tank. I was impressed that he completed the task on the
Discovery, given that it's quite a slow wing. I think he'll
do much better once he upgrades his wing.
Once we were all back on the hill Benet
jumped off the top and had a few minutes glide to the bottom
in a very light breeze that provided no lift. Get a powered
harness Benet. You'll be glad you did. (Benet flies helicopters
in his spare time)
Moving on again....To Puy de Dome.
The next morning we headed north for Clermont
Ferrand. I had some decent info on the weather from an internet
cafe and so armed with the knowledge that it would be very
light winds there we knew that the next day would be good
for powered flight.
We left early in the morning and drove to
the foot of Puy de Dome above the city of Clermont Ferrand.
This is a 2,000 ft cone which is one of the many extinct volcanoes
of the Auvergne. We found the hang glider landing field at
the bottom of it and then drove around looking for somewhere
to fly the power units from. We found a nice flat field near
the paragliding landing area and then Graeme took Benet up
the to the top for his flight. There was no lift so it was
just another top to bottom. The weather hasn't been good to
Benet on this trip.
By this time it was getting late in the
day and the sun was getting lower all the time. I knew that
the chances of getting airborne were decreasing all the time
and I urged the others to get a move on. I was first to takeoff
and found it pretty difficult to get a climb. We were over
2,500 ft above sea level here and this was making it hard
to get into the air. I climbed slowly up to the top of the
Puy de Dome and watched as Keith got up off the ground and
clawed his way up into the sky. It was too late for Alan and
Graeme. They didn't get airborne despite trying very hard
and making several takeoff attempts. I was willing them off
the ground but it just wasn't to be. Next time.
The view above the volcanoes was spectacular.
The sun was shining through the mist which hung around them
and illuminated the whole area in white light. Clermont Ferrand
was plainly visible about 4,000 ft below in the valley. Since
it was late in the day I couldn't really explore the region
as much as I would have liked so I just flew around within
a mile or so of the Dome taking photos.
I had a very nice flight, took some great
shots and landed when it was almost dark. The only things
that marred a great flight was the fact that Alan and Graeme
didn't get airborne and then an irate French farmer started
shouting at us to get off his grass. At least, I think that's
what he was saying judging by his general demenour and hand
gestures.
Finale...
This was the last day of the trip and we
had only had 3 days of flying but they were really good flights
with fantastic views. The bad weather had really inadvertantly
done us a favour by forcing us to go to places that I'd not
flown before. I flew in three really great areas - the Pyrenees,
Millau and the Auvergne which I probably wouldn't have gone
to if we hadn't had such bad weather in other more familiar
parts of France.
Pilots:
Benet Allen
- Amour 159 (unpowered)
Graeme Blakemore - Booster
/ Discovery 195
Alan Mortimer - Mosquito
/ Rumour 1
Keith O'Sullivan - Doodlebug
/ Amour 159
John O'Neill - Wasp /
K4
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| ALAN |
BENET |
GRAEME |
KEITH |
JOHN |
These are just a small selection of nearly
300 photos which I took on the trip.
Alan and Graeme took plenty too.
Keith took 15 !!?
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Thanks to everyone for coming on this
trip especially Graeme for his excellent driving and
the use of his supersized camper. Also, to Benet for
his French translation skills.
I look forward to the next one.
click the pic to enlarge. (sorry Graeme)
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