Greg, this is an outstanding video. How many of us rock-up to fly somewhere new and assess from the drive, walk up, launch site and an OS map? A majority I would suggest. Please keep these pearls of wisdom coming.
Good on you for putting your grinning mug in your films - keep it up. Great training vid too, good work. edit: sharp edges on obstacles should be noted. Old building ruins _ideal_ groundhandling practice area!
It's a stunning flying site! Until you land and remember you have to walk back up, zig-zagging through the trees. Nonetheless, standing at the launch site and feeling the breeze gives me the chills.
Great video! I'd say the pub is also a hazard because it must be tempting to have some beer before flying! At my local site we have a pleasant 20km XC to a golf course with a great pub. Many pilots find it difficult to get past 20km. 😆
Meeting the sea-breeze convergence over the bottom landing field not only changes the surface wind direction but also often has associated turbulence which has been known to cause a low-level collapse and serious injuries.
Great site assessment but only a very brief mention of the main hazard - it's easily the most overcrowded site in the UK. If it's even vaguely flyable, even on a weekday, then it will be absolutely packed. Any chance of thermic activity and it's a magnet for XC pilots, and the local club is home to some of the best and most talented HG and PG pilots in the country. It's also home to most of the busiest paragliding schools in the country - hence lots of students and newly qualified CP's all trying to ridge soar in very close, crowded and mixed company (PG and HG). Which history has shown, is never a good combination! I loved flying there, but only if I felt I could quickly climb out and bugger off, definitely not a site to be ridge soaring, far too many mid air collisions.
I have just purchased the Insta360 One X and it looks like money well spent. Just need the weather to play fair, though attempting to do Bullet Time might be tricky 500 feet above takeoff!
Kevin Short I haven’t flow DD but it looks a very busy site. How often are there near misses? OK for experienced pilots but throw in a few red ribbons and there could be an incident. If Greg could make a video of a hectic day at DD that would be good.
Do you see any hazards on launch? There may be P/Gs about to inflate, out of sight down the front of the hill; they even do that down the front of the hill in the paddock, where they are not supposed to take off at all. We often have to send a spotter forwards to keep a lookout down the front.
@@greghamerton4422 Don't you mean Terror? Maybe you could do a guide on how to get the number 77 bus from the pier to DD? PS Very brave of you to enter the "tramps toilet" , especially with the ants.
not higher above ground level than the obstacle. the rotor is downwind of the obstacle. in soaring winds (20km/h+) I'd stay away from 10:1 angle off the top, so for 30 ft high tree line, 300ft back. You get sinking air just downwind of it. I'll do another video, but check out the 'avoid the rotor' one linked in this video.
Time of year and air stability are factors too. A leafy treeline in summer, compared to the same one with no leaves in winter with laminar air can be quite (horribly) different. I've found in ballooning that generally the tree line in winter often has smaller choppier air with a more pronounced and predictable swell, and it's more gentle -for balloons. Also, is the tree line perpendicular to the sun? That can produce turbulence associated with the rotor.Another is lenticular/rotor clouds which, in mountainous areas can form in many layers, one above the next.10 times the height is a good number but remember that you can also get resonance with other smaller objects.
