At
last, the days are getting longer and the sun is starting
to shine. Don't forget we are open all year round and so
is our B&B.
If
you and your friends fancy a trip somewhere in the world,
give us a ring and Butterfly will be your personal guide.
Well
what an amazing week. No flying but we have been skiing
every day and only able to get anywhere by 4x4. Check out
our photos.
Our
gift vouchers are selling like hot cakes. Still not too
late to buy one in time for Christmas.
Smattering
of snow today but not enough to ski. Very pretty though
and good chance for some pretty aerial shots.
We
have just returned from our annual family holiday at Center
Parcs and had a great time. The kids are swimming and cycling
better than ever.
Don't
forget to order your gift vouchers now for a perfect Christmas
present.
We
have had some amazing flying this month. October and April
very often are good for us. Some very happy EP and CP qualified
pilots.
Butterfly
is off to Turkey within the next week or so. If you would
like to join him for some thermal tuition and/or SIV, please
give us a call on 01983 731 611 for further details.
We
have just purchased a fabulous gopro camera and can now
offer stills and video footage on tandem flights. Why not
buy someone a special present of a luxury tandem gift voucher
which includes a 15-20min flight and a photo for £75
or a 15-20min flight and DVD for £115. Both these
vouchers include day membership of the BHPA.
WIGHT
DIAMOND The bar has been raised considerably for the Wight
Diamond task. Dean Barker, on his beautifully built 4 stroke
Bailey motor and Dudek Synthesis reflex wing went right
round in under two hours. Unfortunately their was a problem
with the track logging so it is not possible to ratify and
the finish gate was in cloud. None the less, a remarkable
achievement by a very focused and thoughtful pilot. Well
Done Dean! Staring at Chale football field, Dean and Francis
flew via the start gate at St Catherine's (Pepperpot), in
sector round Culver Monument, Osborne House and Tennyson's
monument at Freshwater. Dean then flew on to Chale Rec and
completed the first documented circumnavigation
of the Isle of Wight by paramotor before landing
at Butterfly's Atherfield paraport. It was not quite the
Wight Diamond task, (he needed to get the finish gate at
St Cat's again for that) but a terrific achievement.and
sets a high standard for future challengers. The met was
very favourable early in the day and the average speed over
the ground was about twenty knots.More details later. Its
flyable here again!
Style
points aplenty. Well done Dean. Francis on the Parajret
and non reflex Independence were not far behind. Details
follow after downloading tracklogs etc
The
Solstice Cup is nearly upon us and there are just a few
places left. Give Miranda a ring on 01983 731 611 to secure
your place on this fabulous, fun filled comp with a great
party atmosphere.
Butterfly
Paragliding's special 10% reduction on all RED FUNNEL
FERRY tickets booked through us!
We
have an ADVANCE EPSILON 6 26 and a Success 2+ M Harness
demonstration set up arriving here any day now!
Advance
are a Swiss company with a very good pedigree and a solid
reputation for quality and performance.Not cheap, they occupy
the Mercedes/Bentley market niche! Of particular interest
to us at the moment, Ramon Morillas (paramotor champ) is
flying Advance. The Epsilon 6 is the most recent version
of their best selling wing; I am really looking forward
to trying it out.
Call
01983731611 to book your test flight with this up-market
kit.
This
video from Filip soaring off our garden on his Ozone Viper.
Great day!
Some
notable pilots are already booking their places for the
Solstice Cup weekend, 21st June.
We
set it on the longest day to give less experienced pilots
the best chance of getting in some good airtime. One of
the tasks is just that; how much time can you spend in the
air, up to five flights are totalled so there is every incentive
to take off and rack up the time. For the more accomplished
entrants the 'cats cradle' task provides challenge and stimulus.
Turnpoints are set along the cliffs, about every kilometre
or so. Each point can be used only once in each flight.
Distances are accumulated over your best five flights each
day. This can become quite technical and tactical, as the
conditions change, usually the sea breeeze veers westward
by the late afternoon. We usually have a fun task to do
with ground handling or precision flying as well. More
information here.
The
Independence Day Paramotor rally on 4th July is already
getting booked up as the Wight Diamond Challenge is taken
up. Join the record attempt to fly around the Isle of Wight.
More info here.
Tried
out a couple of lovely wings this week, the Nova Ibex 17
is lovely! Quick and light, very manoeverable and just makes
me laugh. I want one!
Advance
know a thing or two about gliders, been making them a long
time and their large tandems are the number one choice world-wide
for mountain dual pilots. The smaller 38 meter wing was
very nimble and had a huge speed range tucked away in the
trimmers. Great choice for the Breezy Britain. I hope there
will be one here for the Solstice cup and the Independence
day rally. Let me know if you are interested in test flying
any wings.The island is a perfect environment to check them
out back to back, in smooth laminar air.
Exciting
news regarding our accommodation. We can now offer Tipis
for hire. They come in various sizes with matting and for
a little bit extra, they can come fully furnished. Give
us a call if you would like more information.
Well
what a great Bank Holiday. We had lots of people staying
the weekend, including Francis' lovely new wife and her
family.
We
also somehow managed to get good weather over this Bank
Holiday and give lots of people lots of tandem flights.
So much fun was had in fact, that quite a few people have
decided to now learn the sport. Dave and Francis were all
flown out by the the end of the holiday.
First
pix of the Training frame and the Phaedrus tandem cargo
nacelle.
Good
first days training for Frank and Cedric on Thursday.
A
very frustrating Easter here with masses of tandem clients
queued up and no chance to fly any of them... Ho Hum. Nice
sunshine though.
Francis
off to do the Round London Paramotor rally. Socked in so
he couldn't fly in to Guildford as planned, looks like a
headwind for the first leg but better forecast on Sunday.
Hope it goes well for all of them. Michel has done a good
job organising as usual.
Sublime
gig at the White Mouse last night: Kerouac, Cross Town Traffic,
Koma Reunion, Sam Rich, the Dads and some other great line
ups I didn't even get the name of. Wow!
Francis
is marrying Nasreen today and tomorrow, then off to Spain
for a week around Granada and the sites in that area. Super.
We all join their families and friends in wishing them all
the best for their new futures and look forward to great
days to come.
Wight
Diamond Paramotor Record Attempt press release
On Tuesday 31st, Dave Botha (58) CFI of Butterfly Paragliding
School in Chale, attempted a new paramotoring record flight
around the Island. The Wight Diamond Challenge is to fly
right around the Island, via St Catherine’s oratory
(pepperpot), Culver Monument, Osborne House, the Tennyson
monument and back to Chale.
A paramotor is a foot launched ultralight aircraft, consisting
of a paraglider wing, like those which fly the cliffs near
Blackgang, with a small motor attached to the pilot's harness.
Paramotoring is an increasingly popular airsport as the
aircraft is inexpensive, easy to fly, does not need an airfield
and can be carried in a family car.
A strong headwind at 3000 feet on the day caused some problems
with fuel consumption but once he was past the aerodrome
traffic zones at Sandown and Bembridge, he was able to descend
to easier air and make better progress northwest over Fishbourne.
The northeast breeze helped as he slipped along under the
class D airway west of Cowes and climbed out toward the
Needles. After clearing the third turn-point and heading
along the White cliffs for home, the fuel finally ran out.
A safe landing was made near the thatched church in Freshwater
Bay at dusk.
More details and pictures on www.butterflyparagliding.co.uk
After
an eventful week with Neil and Neil, we had a stonking day's
flying on the 29th with co-pilots from South Carolina, Lymington,
St Helens and Ryde! photos
here
Lovely
day out on the training hill in light winds today, it really
feels like spring is here. Andrea and her sister Hannah
were outstanding, check these video clips.
The
Solstice Cup Paragliding Rally
is due to take place here on 21st June.
There
will be limited numbers, fun tasks to suit all levels (including
especially those who are recently CP rated), music, barbeque
and camping.
It
is a fun event on the longest day, intended to broaden your
soaring experience and increase your airtime in a supportive
but challenging peer group environment. There will be ground
handling, duration and cat's cradle tasks with a bonus for
simply having a go. It will be held along the south coast
cliffs on the Isle of Wight as usual.
Prizes
and trophys,.sunshine, dancing girls, beer, organic food,
british currency, beaches, no need for a passport. There
may be guest appearances by pilots from as far away as Raglan,
Canada, Goa and even Gurnard!
Call
or mail butterfly@paraglide.uk.com to be included in the
event. Numbers are limited so do it now!
Paramotor
training is well and truly up and running here
now with two different marques to try. This is our Mantis,
radical design, light and weight shifty; a quality machine
from cz.
INDEPENDENCE
DAY we are planning an Independence
Day Paramotor Rally for a select group of
suitably qualified and experienced paramotor pilots to fly
right round the Island. BHPA rating required of course.
If you would like to be considered for taking part in the
first run of what looks set to become an annual highlight,
please get in touch. There
will be a rating assessment weekend here in early June for
those of you who are skilled and experienced but not yet
BHPA rated. Numbers are restricted so call asap pdq! Mail
us at butterfly@paraglide.uk.com Do it now!
On
Sunday we had Neil and Sarah (and the lovely family) down
here for a paragliding treat. Sarah excelled herself by
flying the big cliffs at The Terrace, twice! She is stoked!
Ben
Stanton got his EP this week, well done mate!
Darren
also got something to smile about with his Elementary Pilot
certificate, and Georgie was fabulous as ever. Well done
everybody, we look forward to seeing you soaring and getting
your CPs very soon.
The
big news recently has been ROMANCE.
Francis has been brought to his knees (really, check the
pic) by the lovely Nasreen.
We
are expecting an announcement soon.
Recently
married Evan and Mrs Richard-Smith joined with Geoff, Claire
and many others of us in celebrating Steve and Emma's happy
day recently. The children officiated in church and then
upstaged the band at the party.Cool dudes. Evan and Geoff
insist they are just good friends!
On
top of all that, Graham rang from New Zealand where he and
his new bride Paula had ceremoniously flown from our take
off at Wainui reserve in Raglan. It's a small world we live
in and love makes it go round!
CHEAP
FERRY FARES for 2009
Check this out.....
Fab
news - at last Wightlink have seen sense and published some
cheap fares. £1.00 each way as a foot passenger or
£15.00 each way for car and driver.
However, there is of course a catch. You must book at least
24hrs in advance and you have to travel between midnight
and 4.30am. Still at those prices it's worth it.
Well
what a laugh, no bookings over half term so I decided to
take Roly to France - St Malo to be exact. We left on Monday
night and returned on Friday night. Only to discover that
from the moment we had left, Dave and Jack were inundated
with B&B and pilots all week. Must go away more often!
Another
good day today, light westerly. Luke Travis had a lovely
air experience flight over St Catherine's hill with Francis
on the Independence Speed tandem glider.
.
An
astonishingly good day on Thursday. We had Blake
and Stine here for a taster day.
It
was all perfect...site, weather,
students...we ended up with a new record. I had to give
them both their EP at the end of ONE DAY as they had much
more than done all the tasks and they definitely satisfied
all the conditions.
By
the evening they were both pretty much soaring, forward
and reverse launching unaided and spot landing. Sometimes
it just all comes together, We like February. Super day!
Wishing
you all a Happy and Prosperous 2009. Not much flying over
the Christmas period but a very relaxed time with the family.
Dave
and Richard went to the Pyrennees
in November and visited Udo and Jen. Lovely sites, great
people but rather too much of the Tremontane wind some days.
Popped over into Spain and flew with the Niveuk guys at
their local site. That ice peak is quite a hotship!
We
are now a fully operational BHPA paramotoring school; Francis
got the final ticket this summer.
Francis
has written up his flight to Wiltshire, it is compelling
reading, click
here ... Long flights like that one are definitely not
paragliding, it is something else. Strangely attractive...
I think for the moment I am more interested in the idea
of power launch and then playing in the sky with the rig
set up as a weight-shift paraglider. Like a sailing dinghy
with an outboard rather than a motor boat. Airgate are sending
over their full monty articulated harnessshortly. Hope we
get a nice mellow autumn...
Phil
is now a trainee instructor when he is able to be here,
Evan Ginette, Volker
and Anna all got married on the same day in different
countries. Congratulations and happy wishes to you lovely
folks....
The
new lightweight
reseves from Independence are now available....much
lighter but still Annular, the best you can get and with
all the LTF EN test certification.
Francis
is right out there on the leading edge of paramotoring.
Not content with flying the only tandem paramotor
rig at the nationals this year, he is now involved in the
long distance adventure flight from Lands end to John o
Groats.
You
can track their progress, live, and read the pilot daily
logs here http://www.tiptotip.co.uk/
We are all wishing them good luck and a fair wind. BHPA
Paramotor training starts here when he gets back. We will
be using the winch to accustom new and conversion pilots
to the sensation of being powered off the deck and flying
circuits.
We
support it; at last, a backlash against the ambulance chaser
culture!
Francis
motors to wiltshire!
Francis flew the big Parajet to Wiltshire
on a planned xc pathfinder flight yesterday.
It went without a hitch and included a crossing
of the solent from cowes at 6000 feet in a tailwind.
The glide from cowes would have put him
north of the M27, but still a moment to be savoured as the
point of no return came and went and the Solent passed beneath
him! It is the first long distance flight in preparation
for the lands end/ john o groats paramotor trek later this
year.
We are pleased to report that the reliability
problems have been sorted. A leaky manifold gasket had been
affecting the mixture, causing overheating.All fixed now
power
launch paragliding
The Airgate Mantis is here! First one in
the UK, it is a lovely piece of kit. Unique patented articulation
system allows for a much improved pilot position. It is
light too, and very comfortable, both in the air and on
the ground. Come check it over....
We think of the Mantis as the airborne equivalent
of a sailing dinghy with an outboard motor on the back.
Motor launched and self sustaining it is, none the less,
still proper paragliding at heart, pretty much as we know
it. We have the factory team coming over from the Czech
Republic later this year for a presentation and test flying
session, they will be bringing their latest developments
with them.
Ordinary paramotors with close coupled motor/harness
geometry are more like a motor boat in comparison, they
dont feel like paragliders, the position is different.!
lovely
cliff run from the terrace by tandem
Wayne had a great flight last week, we were
on the tandem and flew about 35 km from our cliff take off
at the Terrace. Over Blackgang and around the point at St
Catherines we must have been better than a thousand feet
up, then we went to Freshwater bay and back via the very
low bit of cliff at Brook. At the lowest point of the flight
we held our feet up and cleared the beach by a few inches!
Adrian was there with us for much of the flight , riding
shotgun on his bike and trailer combo, making sure we were
ok for a ride back if we needed one. As it turned out, we
landed back at the terrace to much jubilation. Its the first
time I have made that version of the Blackgang run.
Gosh it has been busy recently, I have not
been able to get to edit the site for ages. Sorry!
more
lovely flying days, and more to come as the summer kicks
in. We are pretty busy now and it looks like a good summmer
despite the Euro and all. Have you filled in your support
tibet email yet?
Lovely day on the Terrace, perfect all day
(after snow here a couple of days ago)! Amy and Vikkie had
hours on the tandem over the cliffs and Kenny
was the first of the Ventnor crew to overcome his natural
reticence and fly, well done Kenny, great flight!!!!!.
Czech
this out AirGate.
It should be here very soon and looks like a quantum step
for paramotoring.
Back
now and very excited about the new paramotor in the hangar.
Did you see the channel 4 programme about Gilo and the attempt
to fly higher than everest on a Parajet.
Awesome footage.
Dave
has been busy in Devon over the last few days, because his
mum broke her leg. However she is making a good recovery
and hopes to be up and about soon.
The
season is kicking off very nicely with two weekends fully
booked already and its only February. Great people too,
it looks to be a great year in the making!
There
are a couple of very exciting technical developments with
paramotoring coming up. Francis is now a BHPA senior instructor,
and he has joined the Wessex club. As soon as the FLPA licence
is sorted we will be up and running on the fast track as
a BHPA paramotoring school. We are looking forward to a
big season.
Next
overseas jaunt is proposed for Italy. Two centres, Feltre
(near Bassano) and Castelluccio half time in each, two consecutive
groups. Paramotors and paragliders. There is a possibility
of a SIV set if enought pilots want it at lake Garda. Fabulous
site, cable car from hotel to smooth grassy launch straight
out over the water, fairly small landing zone at lakeside.
Practice spot landings every chance you get, its always
a usefull skill! Dates to be agreed.
Smiffy
has got the Swift flying again in NZ.
What
a great result! check this beautiful picture and rejoice!
In
the middle of the January rain and gales, Francis has bullseyed
two soaring windows here at the Terrace and had a good couple
of hours fun on the Excalibur. It seems like so long ago
we were all flying.... still spring is just around the corner
now, it won't be long!
Miranda
and I were hit pretty hard by the flu over the New Year,
so if we missed your calls please bear with us.... normal
service resuming shortly.
Paramotoring
Jaunt: 08
We
are sounding out for interest for a paramotoring jaunt down
to the Pyreenes
The
idea is that the motors travel down in the magic bus with
Francis and the pilots take the plane. On arrival in the
south of France; let the aviation fun begin.
The
bus gives us the opportunity to make an exciting, challenging
but fully supported expedition round this remarkable area
and of course Udo and Jen are right on the spot with all
the paragliding side well under control.
Its
a completely new form of flying holiday and one we think
is going to catch on. Give us a call or drop us an email
if you would like to be in the picture.
Fantastic
new meteorological tutorial in stock now. A completely fresh
and in depth view of the air we fly. Direct from a flight
instructor of many years standing. Good presentation well
worth the £12. We will be giving expert tutorials
using this material from now on. More than a CP is required
to know but very useful for Pilot Club level
Weather
is howling this weekend, hope the house doesn't blow away!
We
are doing GIFT VOUCHERS this year. Just give Miranda a call
with the details and she will rush out a voucher to your
favourite pilot, with a message in it if you like. Easy,
and very acceptable gift. Plus it helps us a bit...They
went so well at Christmas we decided to run them all year!
Not
much flying so I am learning about web sites a bit more,
let me know if it works for you. Once this is sorted out
I may put up a forum type site, but I am always a bit cautious
about them, seems to me that they become very contentious
sometimes, and I never yet heard of an argument sorted out
by email. The lack of eye contact I guess. Anyway, Have
a very Happy Festive season. We have a solstice bash coming
up on Friday, friends, music and some mulled wine on the
neat new woodburner in the music room. Drop by if you can.
The
trip to Bassano was a resounding success, everybody improved
on their previous best flights by a huge margin.. Bob is
in process of making a dvd of the whole event.
We
went to Bassano, training from 22nd to 28th. A fine team
of pilots new and not so new was there with us. It is shaped
up to be a classic, can you come next time? Give us a call
on 01983 731 611. Check the updates on overseas trips page.
Smiffy
has been here, great to see him so well, it seems the bump
on the bonce left him just as daft and mercurial as ever!
We had fun with Johnny the Aces and his microlight. Flexwings
have evolved a long way; 100 mph and 10 up climbs! I am
sorely tempted to chase up some mates and get one flying
here. Best way to get to the mainland no doubt. We also
had the old Ducati out for an airing, Ted tinkered with
the carbs so it runs better than ever and it sailed throught
the mot.
Phil
and H got married in fine style, Paul and Kay are en route
for Oz
SKYWALK;
we really like the Mescal II, so does Scottie.
Winching
is going really well, quite a good flow building up and
all the kit functionimng perfectly. Wheeeee!
Dino
sent down the first Ibex 19 for you to try. It is very fast
on the bar but apart form being small and light it behaves
pretty much as a good paraglider should. Sink rate not quite
the best but it is loads of fun to fly and staysup in alll
but very scratchy conditions. You can also fly the cliffs
in stronger breezes; that is the main benefit, we are quite
often "blown out" by just a couple of mph and
the little Ibex takes care of that! It is DHV1-2 at 55 kg
going to DHV2 at 110kg! It feels a bit like getting off
a big Harley and having a laugh on a zippy little monkey
bike. It just makes me smile....
How
does it sound to you : Italy, either Bassano or my own preference,
Castalucio and the Dolomites. France, Udos place in the
south Pyreneees, Spain, the Costa Tropical or Alicante or
how about Majorca? In the end it depends on the weather
pattern. When we used to go on British team training camps
we would pile into a van and drive to where the weather
was best. Now, I guess, its more likely to be choose a flight
and hire a car.
We
are keen, where do YOU want to go? We will set it up for
you.
HAPPY
NEW YEAR from all of us here at Butterfly Paragliding
Smiffy
and Jean Luc are much better now and I am enjoying a little
break after about nine summer seasons back to back and migrating
every six months for years!
Bring
it on in the new year. Paramotors, Winches, Wenches and
all....
