SWSA Meeting

This is just to say that a successful meeting was held on Friday 12th May and that a new committee was formed to kick start life back into the old South Wales Soaring Association.

The club is already BMFA affiliated but I shall be contacting the BMFA in due course to update our details, and we shall also be using the BMFA to host our new web site.

There are exciting times ahead.

Steve

Weekend Flying Forecast 13th/14th May

Hi guys

Event wise I don't think there's anything happening this weekend, except for the SWSA meeting this evening, and I hope to see a lot of you there.

Next weekend, 20th/21st sees the PSSA Fly for Fun meet at the Bwlch, so please come along, even if you don't have a PSS model to fly, and pray for some good weather eh.

So here we go with the forecast.

Saturday - A bright day with a SSW - SW wind of 10 - 12 mph.

Sunday - Sunny intervals with possible rain showers and a SW wind of 12 - 14 mph.

Your slope choices will be Mickeys or Meio. I will be flying on Saturday, and most likely fly on Mickeys as there will be more wind up there than on Meio.

Have a great weekend all. Happy flying.

Steve.

SWSA Reminder

Hey guys, just a reminder that this Friday evening we have a meeting of the SWSA at the Rose & Crown, Eglwysilan, beginning promptly at 8 pm, so please arrive a little earlier to grab a drink and take your place in the conservatory at the back of the pub.

I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Steve

It's alright for some!

Our friend Robin posted on Facebook a few days ago. He was flying from Monte Cornetto in northern Italy, (I can hear the sniggers already, and no it isn't a Walls ice cream lol 😂).

And here is a picture of Robin with his X Models Swift 2.5m on the left and his Rotmilan (Red Kite) on the right.

I'm particularly looking forward to seeing Robin hopefully fly the Swift at Bwlchfest in June.

Manmoel Common flying

Hi guys

I met up with Nick Rees on Saturday at Manmoel Common for an afternoon session.

The wind was supposed to be coming from a ENE direction, however when I got there it was definitely slightly off face and a NE, so we would have been better going to Fochriw. However, we decided to stick it out at Manmoel.

I rigged up the 213 which now has its new livery.

After making  repairs from my landing out the previous weekend, the CoG had moved slightly and it was a little nose heavy, but the flight was fine until I discovered after landing that one of the flap servo mounts had come a little unstuck, so that needs sorting out this week.

Nick had brought along a NCFM M60 and a 3m Pilatus B4. However, I think the 30 mph wind was a little too much for the B4 and during the flight we could see the wings flexing quite a lot, and then suddenly they appeared to have an extraordinary amount of dihedral, so something had obviously gone wrong and Nick quite rightly decided to try for a landing.

Fortunately the ailerons and air brakes were still operative and amazingly he managed to land it safely, as you can see from the following photographs.

Nick had replaced the carbon wing joiner with an alloy one, and in that wind it just wasn't up to the job and it had bent. I think he will resume using the carbon joiner.

Weekend Flying Forecast 6th/7th May

Hello again fellow fliers, the weekend is upon us and there could be some good flying to be had on Saturday by the looks of it.

There was a PSS event planned to take place at Long Mynd on Sunday, but the slopes there only work on a westerly, and it is looking like we are going to have a northerly. As a result, this event has been CANCELLED.

So here is your forecast.

Saturday - A cloudy but dry day with a north easterly of about 13 - 15 mph. So your slope choices will be The Wrecker, Fochriw, and you may get away with trying Manmoel and Meio. So you're spoiled for choice.

Sunday - Another dry but cloudy day, but that forecast 5 mph wind looks like its going to be northerly or NNW. So your choices of slope will the VR98 or Hirwaun.

I will probably spend most of Saturday afternoon flying, and I will probably go to Fochriw. But if the para glider guys are there in force, and the wind isn't too strong for them, then I may move to the Bwlch and fly the Wrecker.

I won't be flying on Sunday as I'm racing in the Great Run Simply Health Bristol 10K. Take a look at my new running/training blog once I get it up and running.

I hope I'll see some of you on the slope on Saturday, if not, have a great weekend all.

Happy flying

Steve

South Wales Soaring Association (SWSA)

Calling all existing SWSA members, and those interested in a relaunching of the club.

There will be a meeting at the Rose & Crown, Eglwysilan (near Caerphilly, Pontypridd), beginning promptly at 8pm on Friday 12th May to discuss getting this club up and running again, so please arrive at least 10 minutes early to give yourselves time to purchase a beverage before the meeting begins.

There is a large car park to the side of the pub and we have been given access to the conservatory to hold this meeting.

For those of you who fly on Meio, you will know where this pub is, which is only a few hundred metres from the Meio slope. The postcode is CF37 5BJ if you want to look it up on Google maps.

I hope we will have a reasonable turnout as this could be beneficial to all who fly in SE Wales in particular, S Wales generally, and the F3F competition fliers who fly at the Bwlch.

Please contact me if you require any further info regarding the venue, but questions regarding the club will be dealt with at the meeting only.

Steve