In contrast to last Sunday, today was at the other end of the spectrum in terms of wind speed with periods of absolute calm.
So it was Zens and CR sails. I was flying the CR with 3 wrap most of the time but finally changed to Race Rods which allowed the kite to float on the rising air when the directional flow died away. Sometimes a little extra weight allows for the sail to be thrown around but somehow it did not feel like that today.
It was T-shirt temperatures and as is often the case at t
The Canada Geese have certainly made an impact on our pitch at Blackheath this year. No sight of them in the air today, they were down by the pond, but the evidence was underfoot...
The forecast today was for 15mph plus and although it was not quite that at 10:45am we set up Xtra Vents with green race and enjoyed a relaxed fly as the variable breezes strengthened up to and, in the gusts, well above 15mph.
Long arm technique and treacle flying were very much in evidence. No gripping muscle fati
The rain started just before leaving Hackney and was steady during the c15 minute drive to Blackheath. Didn't expect much flying today given the weather forecasts leading up to the weekend.
Out on the field the Canada Geese had made their presence felt after a couple of years when they did not impact the site. I wonder what changed?
Some good free flying with standard 1.5s with three wrap/green race and extra brake in the steady easterly breeze. Some treacle flying was in evidence which I alwa
The Olympic restrictions are over so it was off to Blackheath in the car with the full kit today; not that we used it all of course, just the opportunity to get spars and kites in the right places in the bags!
Full sails 1.5 with 3wrap/green race worked today with the occasional gusts highlighting the need for a little bit more sail tension on the vertical spars. The difference this makes is just so dramatic. <grins>
Free flying today was good with only the occasional touch. At some poin
Next week everything will be back to normal after the Olympics. <grins>
For today it was a very low key fly; everyone is away! However, Maggie was there and did take some time out to show a young lad how to fly a Revolution. Impressive result; they took photos as well on his 'phone', so mum who works in Blackheath village on Sundays will see the evidence.
My thoughts go back to the extraordinary success of the Monday morning Super 16 fly at Portsmouth. I wonder if it would be possible to
After the excitement of the super-16 windmill counter rotations and the arms of the windmill rotating last Monday it was back to the more relaxed, positively lazy flying on Blackheath today.
However, under mostly complete low grey cloud coverage we did look at some configuration issues in respect of the Rev1 and the CR version. We know that reducing the billow in the 1.5 sails by tightening the bungees 'just so' (thanks to Lee Sedgwick many years ago) freshens up the response of the sail. I hav
Conditions on Saturday were much better than forecast so while there was rain at the beginning and the end of the day the winds did not get too high.
Vented kites with 4 wrap were good for much of the day but we switched to 3 wrap later. The kites were packed wet at the end of the day but quickly dried on Sunday morning when we stayed with the same configuration but in sunny conditions for most of the day.
Sunday's arena mega-fly was particularly successful with Jacob calling a 25 person team
The train from Lewisham to Blackheath was not due for another 25 minutes so we walked up the hill to the heath from Lewisham accompanied by unexpected light rainfall from high clouds.
Arriving on the heath we found from other fliers that what had been a good breeze for standard 1.5 sails (race rods) had faded some time before we arrived. A mix of CR1s and Zens were put up under the increasingly unusual cloud formations. It was not long before it was evident that the next approaching cloud would
The journeys to and from Blackheath were the same as last weekend apart from slight details. (277 not D6 on the return leg)
The weather on the heath was much more settled today with no thundery shower concerns.
1.5 vented with race to start but soon full sail race. Later almost back to vented.
A clear 90 degree shift from East to South took place and we saw the A2 Shooters Hill Olympic bridge in use as spectators arrived for the Modern Pentathlon (I think).
Thoughts turning to Portsmouth whe
Bus, Docklands Light Railway and Train delivered us to Blackheath today but it was raining as we arrived c11:00am and it proceeded to get heavier with peals of thunder over the following hour.
Soon after 1:00pm there was a gap in the clouds and in slightly steamy conditions we broke out a mix of Rev1, Zen and Robertshaw sails and assorted spar sets.
Another storm appeared to be drifting in from the SW some 45 minutes later so we packed up and headed for home only to see the dark clouds dissipa
By way of the D6 (bus), the DLR (docklands light railway) and a 20 minute walk up Royal Hill and Hyde Vale we did get to our usual site. It is currently protected by some military hardware as well as police with automatic devices. A bit surreal really given how quiet the roads were in East London on the way over and how little traffic was passing on the A2 up on Blackheath.
Vented kite with race rods was the choice on arrival at c11:00am. It soon became apparent that there were some heavy showe
It was a perfect summers day on Blackheath.
The wind was light but variable swinging through 90 degrees.
It was just right for putting up the JMH Roc.
Good for the Robertshaw kites as well.
Felix
A bright start today but the clouds gradually thickened.
Full 1.5 sails with race rods were fine with the changing NW to SW breeze.
Drachen Foundation will be putting out a message soon regarding JMH.
So sad.
Felix
I set off for Blackheath this morning in a deluge and did not expect to get much flying today.
On arrival the rain was settled but there did appear to be some brightness to the north and west. Half an hour later wandering across to look at the temporary 'footbridge' at the entrance to the now closed Greenwich Park the rain eased. A quick fly seemed in order; standard 1.5 sails with race rods and full brake worked today.
It wasn't long before the rain started again and it became evident that
"Race for Life" dominated Blackheath today with 10:30 and 14:30 events. The very limited parking usually available was obviously off limits so we resorted to pay and display in Greenwich Park given that parking restrictions are already in place around Victoria Park near the Olympic site, our usual fall-back site if Blackheath is not available.
It is obvious that during the Olympics we will have to find a different venue for our weekly fly. The TFL site is suggesting that a 15 minute journey, fr
The temporary footbridge over Shooters Hill Road (the A2) now spans onto the north edge of our usual field.
After heavy overnight rain conditions were blustery on the heath this morning. The 1.5 Xtra vents proved to be just right for some informal flying.
I set up the CR Rev1 again this week with additional brake settings and was very interested to find how viable it was in the relatively extreme conditions. Not something to set a novice loose on but an interesting pointer to situations where
We are wondering how much the Olympic events will impact on our usual routine. The Blackheath site is covered in tents and has expanded to the south side of the A2.
Today was vented 1.5s with race rods for most of us. I set up the CR Rev1 as well with four wrap and it did not feel over powered but I do want to extend the brake options for this sail. The wind speed was sufficient to fully engage the top line to LE attachment point line with the resulting LE curve. I'm wondering if the bridle ex
Gentle breezes from the South East on Blackheath today. The light rain forecast held off until later in the afternoon but while we were on the site the cloudscape looked increasingly inclement.
I flew the Carl Robertshaw Rev1 with 4 wrap centre and 3 wrap the rest switching to the JB 1.5 with Green Race rods when the CR was 'borrowed' by other fliers.
We learned during the week that the event at Margate will not go ahead in 2012. Our schedule is somewhat reduced as a result of this and the dem
The holiday weekend in the UK, steady light drizzle with a cold (12C/54F) NE 9mph breeze.
With a wet 1.5 kite with green race this is just fine for a while. And then, solo flying today, I become aware that the foam on one of my handles is rotating on the handle. This would have been bad news at a team event but a simple fix would be available using 'brown parcel tape'. I will now have to figure out a more elegant solution and decide which adhesive would be best and how to apply it!
The Canary
We had to re-arrange plans for this event rather late in the day but everything came together finally and we had two very different days in terms of flying conditions on this very scenic site.
Saturday was clear blue skies with a strong blustery easterly breeze. Initially we used the JMH vented sails with four wrap spars but then switched to race rods. Later in the day we ventured out onto the estuary sands for some 'relaxed' flying. Geoff Strangeway had joined the five regular team fliers afte
A dull grey day with an unseasonal chilly north easterly breeze but finally the weather forecasts are mentioning warmer prospects.
The tents in the fenced Olympic encampment on Blackheath are nearing completion.
Mid vented with shiny white spars today felt smooth in the forecast c8-11 mph breeze. I'll try a definitive comparison of all the Race Rods, sometime/never, but...
Exmouth next weekend is a new event for some of the team, me included. I get the Friday evening train ride to catch up wi
Back to the home site today after four weekends away. The Olympic preparations are well under way here on Blackheath but no sign of those 'pointy' things today.
A typical early summer breeze accompanied by swifts today. Standard 1.5 sails with race rods were only slightly stressed as the thermal gusts blew through. There were a few moments when the breeze dropped away completely before or after 90 degree, or more, shifts in direction.
We did not quite match those moments to getting the team ki
I left the laptop at home for both events...
Cervia was great in the special way of that event. I certainly hope that we will be able to get back next year. The c160ft circular arena with a hard barrier perimeter was interesting and occasionally challenging.
Weymouth was very good as well, not least because of onshore breezes on Saturday and some of Sunday. On Monday we had the usual prevailing winds over Nothe Gardens and the town but the rain on Monday morning cleared by 11am followed by a g
The team flew Thursday 12th and Friday 13th April prior to my arrival on Friday evening. They had been flying the Rev1s but on Saturday morning it was evident that conditions had changed and Rev1.5s in various configurations were used through the rest of the weekend and on Monday when the four remaining fliers were on Xtra-Vents for most of the day concluding with a final arena spot before the close of the event at 4:00pm. (Just as well we took delivery of some more of the Xtra-Vents kites a few
Another late start but there is no point in making kite flying a chore.
A light wind day with lowering dark grey clouds and occasional drizzle lifted by lighter spells and the greening of the trees in Greenwich Park.
I'm still puzzling over the white spars. They certainly seem to work for me in terms of flex and weight in the standard 1.5 sail.
Later today I pulled a spar from a bag with a view to marking it ahead of Berck. When rolled across a flat surface it was obviously curved. With a bam
