Landing Direction

We all know which way to land, don’t we? Into wind, of course. I got a timely reminder recently of how important it is to keep monitoring the wind direction during a flight. The LCC was on Blease Fell, forecast was a light SSW. Very light at first, which had me and Jim thinking triangles as we weren’t in the comp, but after trying to penetrate into wind, that clearly wasn’t going to happen without switching to a Zeno. As the speed picked up, there were reports of pilots getting blown into awkward situations, and some elected to abort the task early and land in the football field.

I left the summit of Blencathra at base, well above any turbulence and there was a great looking cloudstreet over Carrock and on towards Carlisle, confirming the forecast direction veering to SW later. The blue sky showed a sea breeze pushing in from the west, over the Solway Firth, so I was dog-legging away from the coast, eventually turning east to follow the A69 Carlisle-Newcastle road, belting along at 60 km/hr. All good, and all so predictable.

Serious turbulence and a big change in the thermal consistency showed something had changed, and I opted to land at Low Row where I had a chance of hitching a lift. When I set up for a landing out, I build a picture in my head of the terrain, the wind direction and strength, trying to visualise what I might encounter and planning the best approach. Fortunately, I had plenty of height: after my first circle above my chosen field, I had to do another one as I couldn’t reconcile what I could see happening, and what my instruments told me, with my mental image. The wind was 180 degrees wrong – blowing from the East, and strong! No drama, plenty of room to adjust my approach, but I could have had a nasty surprise trying to land into the wind I thought was there. The presence of layers of wind in opposite directions also explains the violent turbulence earlier, but I saw nothing in any forecast predicting an easterly wind in that location. So the moral of the story is to always keep monitoring the conditions, especially when moving into different terrain.

Tight lines.

Brian

Over the last few months, the BHPA has been working with the CAA to try to educate those who fly Paramotors with no training. Together they have worked up the Paramotor Code.

I have just been contacted by the secretary of the Rivington Soaring Association (modellers) stating that some of their members were stopped recently by Arqiva TV Mast security staff as they went up the road past the Winter Hill transmitter.

The staff told them that the bottom gate on the access road will be locked Monday-Friday overnight (17:00 to 08:00) and all day at the weekends, this is to restrict public vehicular access since the moorland fires.

I don’t think it is a bad thing if it restricts the BBQ brigade from setting fire to the moor again.  This use to be the arrangement at Winter Hill a few years back with a combination lock on both gates.

I have tried to get in contact with the UU Land Agent but at this point in time I am not sure when the lock is going on the gate, but I understand that any organisation that has an agreement with UU will be given the code to the lock.

Keep me posted if you find the gate locked or are challenged by the Arqiva TV Mast staff.

Andy Archer

PSC Sites Officer

07824 321574

RSPB have announced that there has been successful fledging of several hen harrier chicks in the Bowland Forest area. They request people stick to marked tracks in the area to avoid stressing these birds during the breeding season. Please be aware of this when flying in the area, and think carefully about landing out where you could disturb them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-48607497#