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About this blog

My personal observations

Entries in this blog

27/01/2019 Blackheath

Blustery, chilly NW breeze, probably 15 gusting 30mph.  Mostly cloudy, just the occasional burst of sunshine. RSS kites handled well, not too much of a struggle and of course dealt with the lulls.  We noticed some pinching of the sails around the vertical spars which may have been due to the ‘springs’ being set on the inner of the spar rather than the outer side.  Probably not of any importance but worth remembering if we decide not to use the springs… Further work on the web site this

Felix

Felix

27/01/2013 Blackheath

I did not notice that the cable car across the Thames was not operating this morning on the way to Blackheath. This, apart from flags along the way, would be an indicator that the close isobars on the weather map were an accurate forecast. So it was Xtra Vent with 4 wrap that kept things sane as Jacob called some close moves in what would have been very challenging conditions for any other sail/spar combination. Counter rotations were the flavour of the day in linear format or paired. Curiou

Felix

Felix

27-28/03/2010 Blackheath

We arrived mid afternoon on Saturday to kick off our pre-season warm-up for the 'complete' team. Rev1s were the order of the day until the breeze dropped off almost completely ahead of a squally downpour. There was time to fly David's Zen before the storm broke. We then retired to 'The Tolly' on Royal Hill. Most of us coped with the clock change overnight reasonably well and we were on site Sunday at c10:00am for a 5 hour session blowing out the cobwebs and getting the winter absentees up to sp

Felix

Felix

26th July 2009 Blackheath

After Dunstable last weekend, yet another windy Blackheath. Ashley and Jade followed into some slo-mo flying without issue. I will have to figure out how to loosen up after the concentrated effort in order to avoid fatigue. It is a bit like remembering to breathe in the mega fly... Felix

Felix

Felix

26/12/2016 Blackheath

Mostly clear sky apart from con-trails with a brisk westerly breeze today.  Full vented sails with race rods were mostly manageable except in the stronger gusts.   Rowan set up 15 inch clip less handles and tied off at the right leader knot first time of trying.  He did of course have the advantage of using a set of close tied knots of my making at about ¼ inch intervals <grins>   We will probably head out for a New Year’s fly next Monday if we do not get out before. 

Felix

Felix

26/12/2014 Blackheath

Thick high cloud was not quite completely obscuring the sun. The SW breeze was minimal so full 1.5 sail and diamond rods today. It was ‘fingertip flying’ with the handles most definitely horizontal for the long ‘pull backs’. Wet underfoot with a lot of worm casts. Not too much evidence of the geese on the ground but four of them headed towards us in the air before veering off to the east. Felix

Felix

Felix

26/12/2013 Boxing Day on Blackheath

Headed towards the Blackwall Tunnel it looked as if fog was burning off Canary Wharf and the buildings were emerging into the sunshine. It turned out that this was the reverse of what was actually happening and the field at Blackheath gradually became enveloped in the fog. It was a mostly steady breeze by way of consolation so the full vented kites with green race worked just fine although mid vents might have been exactly right. Jacob called some moves and we went through some slow variation

Felix

Felix

26/12/2012 Blackheath

It was bright on the way c10:45am to Blackheath but the high level cloud was approaching from the west. A brisk breeze so xtra vented with green race provided a relaxed configuration. No physical stress beyond dealing with the occasional lulls. Most of the time LE up was fine for holding the hover. Plenty of close improvisation with varaible speeds today. We are just going to have to set about writing a routine including all these interesting serial moves. I'll just have to figure out just

Felix

Felix

26/12/2011 Blackheath

A quiet last fly in 2011. Full vented with green race rods handled the occasional stronger gusts just fine. In the lulls moving on the ground was not too energetic. One year we rotated face to face pairs in the arena at Berck. Not something to be taken lightly in a formal demonstration. Today we tried the 'not touching' version rolling across the window. Sliding transitions are 'a state of mind' rather than explicit control. The flier has to see the picture and demand that the kite complies! &l

Felix

Felix

26/12/2010 Blackheath

On the Blackwall Tunnel approach the flags were static, as if frozen. There was a slight air movement on the heath, even at 'c1 degrees Celcius below' hard to discern but at least it was mostly consistent. Although the bright sun did have a warming effect prior to high cloud filtering the effect there was little or no rising thermal circulation. I guessed that the air movement was between 1 and 2 miles per hour... Who knows? Anyway the Zens with Race frames and 3 wrap centre worked fine and a

Felix

Felix

26/11/2017 Blackheath

Mostly clear blue sky with a reasonably steady westerly breeze today.   Mid vents with race rods were used but the one full vent was only occasionally underpowered. The fillers between the Decs tracks were supposed to have been edited out but somehow that hadn’t happened. Another try required but we put up with the drums today! Just the occasional call today and we finished when the tracks ran out and the occasional clouds began to become more frequent. Accidents at the Black

Felix

Felix

26/10/2014 Blackheath

A slightly lighter SW breeze than last week but it was still 1.5 full vented with green race today. Free flying felt more comfortable with the more optimal configuration/windspeed. The cloud cover only broke slightly on a couple of occasions before we left the site at about 1:00pm. The approach to Blackwall Tunnel was backed up to the ‘Sun in the Sands’ roundabout so we diverted to the Rotherhithe route to get home… Felix

Felix

Felix

26/09/2021 Blackheath

Happy to have a proper southerly breeze today on Blackheath.  It might have been in double figures some of the time so plenty to try the new bridles on the 1992 Roakkakus but not too much for the Zen sails on 150ft/45m lines. I was somewhat surprised when preparing a launch for the first re-bridled kite as it seemed that I had hit the right spot in the configuration.  Only a slight adjustment was needed after a settled period of flight.  The second kite was good too, a slightly different sm

Felix

Felix in Decs Sunday

26/08/2018 Blackheath

There was only going to be a narrow window of opportunity today before the rain arrived. The southerly breeze was reasonably consistent probably 8-10mph so mid-vents with race rods felt comfortable most of the time.  Still getting to know the 15 inch handles on a new set of leaders but there were no issues today. At the end of July Blackheath was brown underfoot.  It is now mostly back to a new growth of green. The rain started soon after 11:00am and is still steady in Hackney at

Felix

Felix

26/08/2013 After Portsmouth

The Decs arrived on site on Saturday morning at about 9:00am. The ‘Rev arena/two line preparation area’ was nominally in place and lasted until the lunchtime mega fly on Sunday at which point it was over-run by visitors to the event. There were plenty of arena spots for the Rev teams including 3 Mega Team performances. Stephen Hoath did a great job in calling the grid. Monday morning was bright and sunny. The wind still from the north and lighter again so we were not able to attempt ‘large

Felix

Felix

26/07/2020 Blackheath

The forecast suggested 11mph gusting 25 but we probably did not get that most of the time.  We did get blue sky, sunshine and impressive cumulus with only one light shower actually crossing the Heath.  There was one torrential shower that passed north of the river and it did hit Hackney. Full vented 1.5s today so less wind than my expectations.  We did a couple of free flying sessions today as well as a brief fly before finally packing up and leaving at about 3:30pm.  Chris Beel had joined

Felix

Felix

26/06/2016 Blackheath

Another promising forecast but not a full summer’s day. NW breeze so if it wasn’t for the cloud cover we would have been facing the sun most of the time… Full vent with race rods almost coped with the regular lulls. Nothing called today as we discussed the parlous state of political discourse. Next weekend there is an event on Blackheath so we may have to use an alternative flying site! Felix

Felix

Felix

26/06/2011 Blackheath

The forecast came good and shortly after 10:00am I arrived on Blackheath to find a 'full on' UK Summer's Day. Not much wind, that is, and the slight breezes shifting quickly through 180 degrees and more. It was great to get the Zens out and lock in to the 'treacle interval' some of the time. 'Flailing' in slow motion to accommodate the size of the kite is just so 'cool'. I was conscious of the 'three finger tips' on the handles 'no grip' with the thumb nail and small finger nail occasionally

Felix

Felix

26/05/2013 Blackheath

It really was a sunny Sunday despite worries about climate changes and the dismal cold weather during the week. Another light wind, wrong sail day. Mostly full vented with race spars, kites occasionally falling out of the sky only to get snagged on the dandylion heads on the recently mown field. Some fluent interaction without calls and plenty of attention from passers by! Felix

Felix

Felix

26/04/2020

So, that is the sixth week with no flying.  Berck would have completed and Cervia would be well underway! Further work on the website through the week so there are now 29 event pages and 25 kite and banner pages.  I have set up an entry page with a copy of the introduction page from about 1992 along with the storyboard I prepared in February 2020.  The index has been reduced to five headings, some of them toggling with context. The good news this week is that JC has located the Blue (U

Felix

Felix

26/04/2015 Olympic Park/QE Park

Blackheath was unavailable today because of the London Marathon so we met at the north end of the park just to the west end of the cycle circuit. There is a small area of ‘lawn grass’ rather than the plantain infested area that we had used previously and as line preparation was on the agenda this was the better site. It just happened that the NE breeze meant that the limited space between the rows of saplings was just viable. I ran out a new set of lines and topped them with a new set of le

Felix

Felix

26/04/2014 Third Day Cervia

The clouds did not clear until about 12:30 today so the onshore breeze did not cut in until about 1:00pm. We spent some time in the arena this morning and Lupo put ‘Take Five’ out on the PA. Occasionally the breeze was very light and we resorted to free flying. Late afternoon was very crowded and we moved back to the arena ahead of the allotted time but were quite quickly involved. Alternate performances followed and we ended flying with Team-4-Fun in a ‘mini mega-team’. Felix

Felix

Felix

26/03/2017 Blackheath

Easterly breeze today, not quite as strong as last weekend so full vented with a mix of spars.  The white ‘race’ type did feel a bit stressed, 4 wrap would have been better. Free flying to begin and then a final called session as a warm up to the Berck event. We did a shuffle of kites into an extra bag for ‘logistical’ considerations.  A cabin on the beach is booked, we just need to make sure that we have enough chairs…  It will be interesting to see how many fliers do actually tu

Felix

Felix

26/02/2017 Blackheath

Windy today, from the South so for the first time in a long time we were on Xtra Vents.  Jade was on the line today so we have ‘borrowed’ from him the sixth kite from our set for Berck just in case we do not meet up in the meantime.   The details for Portsmouth came through today so that should be finalized in the next week or so pretty much wrapping up arrangements for 2017. I will not be flying next weekend as I have to ‘work’ on tidying up a server room in the ‘handover’ to the

Felix

Felix

26/02/2012 Blackheath

Not many isobars on the map and the projected 4mph did not materialise in a consistent direction for more than a few minutes during the time we were on Blackheath today. Mostly it was a shifting 1mph perceptible only as a directional cooling effect in the warming sunshine. It was occasionally possible to get the Zen/CR1 to the top of the window and hang on the rising air but the cumulus effect only became fully evident later in the day. I am looking forward to hearing reports from Spain next

Felix

Felix

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