Hi All

for the club and this message board to be successful it would be great
to have more idea about who is participating

could LLSC members and others introduce themselves?
this is mandatory for LLSC committee members!

looking at the membership list on googlegroups there about 60 of us now
but a lot of lurkers and a few usual suspects who make all the noise.

It would be especially good for those with indecipherable email
addresses to do an intro and log onto the googlegroups site and give
yourselves a name - when you post your name then comes up

an introduction format is up to you but might be info about you/where
you are based/what kind of flying you like doing/what kind of flying
you are actually doing/how long you've been flying etc/where youve been
etc...

It would also be good for the message board to have a bit less of me!

So please post if only to dilute!

Brendan
(LLSC Chair 2006)

PS My intro.   Living in Stirling (hmmnn there's a story there
but...its a fluid situation), into PG xc flying and comps (range from
unremarkable to mediocre results), spent 6 months in the alps last yr
which was excellent >200hrs/lots of xc/flew off mont blanc, been flying
since 99, flying a Dragon (1-2) which is starting to feel distinctly
aged but having trouble making mind up about new wing./helping with BPC
Borders comp which is happening at end of may/am club coach but havent
done much coaching/full time employed unfortunately but some
flexibility for midweek/will drive to wherever there is flying most
weekends

Setting a visible nickname wasn't very obvious, one should go to
MyGroups -> ManageMySubscriptions and there will be a field for the
nickname you'd like to have on each group you're subscribe to. I was
wondring why it didn't pick the name from my profile until figured out.

Anyway, my intro now.

Hangglider pilot, started in 1992, got russian version of EP and flew
in a club, if 20-second top-to-bottoms from 100-200ft can be called
flying. Tried paragliding as well, and that was scarier than
hanggliding! Moved to Scotland, wow-ed at the hills around, made it
through the schools in 2004, now pilot rated with 45 hours. If you see
a grey top and red undersurface hangglider with Aeros/Discus written on
it - thats most probably me dangling under it.

Live in Renfrew, fly weekends when weather looks good, and weekdays
sometimes when weather is exceptionally good. Up to three hours drive
to definitely good weather doesn't stop me!

Not quite good at flying XC yet, I participate in XC flying by
retrieving those who know how to do it properly.

As of 2006, I maintain club web site (www.llsclub.org.uk) and do the
Newsletter, so feel free to send me pictures and stories to publish.

Sergey

Hi All,

I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Marcus and I have flown with a
few of you

 I live in Pencaitland been flying PG for a year, flown in Shetland ,
Bulgaria and Nepal, have a house or 2 in Bulgaria, next to a
chairlift....Ah perfect!!

I'm a fulltime mother to my twin 4 year olds ( yes I am a man so maybe
I mean father) I fly a big Bolero plus and can get over 50kph out of it
as I'm solid muscle!!!

I'm investing in a light weight set up just now and looking for
advice.....I'm over confident to the point of suicide so don't hesitate
to stop me if you spot me doing something wrong.
I need intensive coaching, and will listen if slapped at regular
intevals .
I can fly on Mondays and Tuesdays and every second weekend....ie not
this one.
I'm available to help at the comp.....

OK, I'll go next.

I have been flying hang gliders regularly since 1985, although I first got
my feet of the ground in 1981. I have over 700 hours, and well over 100
XC's. I have a Senior Coach rating. I live in Hamilton.

 Most my logged hours were in the first 12 years of my flying career. Since
having kids it has been a bit harder to get out mid-week or travel to comps
or fly abroad like I used to. I must also admit to not having the enthusiasm
to go hang-driving like we used to!.

I now fly an intermediate (lower performance) glider, a Sting 2 made in Oz,
weighing in at only 26kg. Lovely handling. piss-poor glide at speed, but I
can jump on it even after a long lay-off without any worries.

 You will recognise me on the hill as I will be standing in the bottom field
de-rigging while Mike and Sergey sky out......

Steve

Let's have a new branch of the club
BLOG
Bimbling in Lanarkshire, Occasionally Gliding
Members would of course be called Bloggers

Hi, here's my introduction.
My name is David Hutchison and I am a new LLSC member this year. This
is also my first season as a CP (thanks Peter for all your efforts and
patience) so you can recognise me on the hill as I still have my red
ribbon and hang around proper pilots asking lots of questions.
Still got plenty to learn so for the time being I am just looking
forward to clocking up my hours and ditching the ribbon. After that
we'll see but as I live in Edinburgh and work in Stirling (mostly) I
would love to fly Hillend/Ochils some time. I am also keen to explore
lots of new sites (only flown Tinto/Abington).
I tend to fly weekends when I can arrange time off (young kids) but
have good flexitime at work so hoping to get some midweek/evening
flying in as well this year.
I have already met quite a few of the LLSC members - hope to meet more
of you on the hill or at the upcoming Borders BPC.

I am Alistair Bowman. I live in Edinburgh, and have been flying for 8
years. My hours are not all that high at about 140 ( slow learner)  but
I am a Club coach. I have done some small XC  flights, but am just
scratching the surface of that.  I would like to increase my XC flying
which is the main aim at the moment.( after staying in one piece, that
is ). I’ve flown abroad (in Spain) but not extensively. I'm mainly a
weekend warrior, but trying hard to find ways to catch good midweek
days sometimes.

I’m more than happy to coach , but my experience from other sports is
that if the pilot is not in a receptive mood, I’m usually wasting my
time and/or  annoying them, so I prefer to wait  ‘til I’m asked about
something before offering any comments. I suspect many coaches are the
same; more than happy to help, but would rather you made the first
contact for advice.

I also fly with the SMPC, who also have some terrific pilots and
helpful people,  (if in a less structured way than LLSC), so make the
effort to meet other pilots inScotland; there aren’t that many of us
overall and we need to make the most of all our experiences.

HI, I'm Scott Rigg and have flown with a few of you from the Tinto and
Broughton.
I'm in my second year of flying and am completely addicted to the
sport. I learnt to fly from a number of different people
My main goal is to clock up the K's on XC flights. I took 4months off
work to fly in Australia and New Zealand with the main aim of getting
some memorable XC flights in, unfortunately the summer wasn't that
great there and I only managed a few decent XC flights. On coming back
I met up with David Thomson who showed me the way to go XC, and on my
best flight yet I flew to Lockerbie from  the Tinto.
I am now based in Aberdeen shoving my fingers up dogs (i'm a
vet....honest), struggling to come to terms with having to work for a
living again and not being able to fly through the week. My parents are
based in Biggar so I am quite often looking to fly in the area.
I have about 160 hours now and 100 on my Nova Mamboo (DHV 1-2), but
still feel like I'm a novice sometimes. I learnt to fly in a variety of
places ranging from Dundee, Essex (tow launching) and Greece (thermal
flying), and have since flown in Chamonix, aswell as Oz and NZ.

Alistair and others

I would suggest that Club Coaches could be more assertive in their advice
giving and in  being a member of the club tbere could be an agreement to
have coaching or be receptive to advice on the hill.
I feel very strongly that there is not a strong  communication link between
those who can really do it and those who are struggling or novices, so there
tends to be a small group of expertise and a larger group of people who need
help. I could be wrong about this but post club progression seems to depend
on who you fly with, your motivation, your willingess to get into XC and the
relationship you have with 'better' pilots. There could  be a stronger link
between schools and LLSC and flyers/bimblers, xc'ers/soarers.
This is not a demand that coaches do more its more of a suggestion to get
more formal and informal arrangements and for coaches and club members to
get more negotiations under way. For example I would love Alistair to come
up to me and say how are you doing, what'll your goals be today ? I might
say xyz then he would either advise and fly off or watch and comment etc.
Sorry to use your intro comments Al
Peter

Hi i am Colin Bamber.

Learned to fly with cloudbusters in 99 but have had a couple of years
away fromm the sport. Bought a nice crispy new dhv1 last summer to get
back into the swing of things this year. After qualifing did most of my
flying in Arran as spent a couple of summers working over there

Currenty living in Dunure so a bit out of the way. (dont know of any
pilots down this way ) but am moving to troon in a few months so would
be interested to hear from somebody who flys fairlie which guess would
be my clostest site, which i have yet to fly!!.

Currently flying a firebird Z-one after trading in my nova axon.

Hi I'm Stephen Pegler

Living in Livingston.
Been flying for nearly 10 years now but usually just on weekends and when
conditions are good.
Currently flying my 'windTalker' purple and white Aerodyne Jumbe.
Learnt to fly in South Africa, but have flown in Scotland now for 6 years.
Also flown in Crete, France and Austria (but not much)
Usually fly the Tinto group.
Club coach. Always happy to give advise on a site if I know it and have
flown there before.
Ex LLSC chairman.
For me, 20km is a good XC.
I prefer to go flying with a friend rather than driving on my own.
If you want to know anything about the Tinto or Broughton windTalkers I'm
the person to speak to.

Cheers
Stephen

Hello All

Gary Williamson from the Black Isle north of Inverness.

I have only recently joined the group. Was a member before but was removed
when it went strictly club only. Glad to see it has returned to a more open
format.
Started flying paragliders in 1997 and have dabbled with other aircraft
prior. I also am undergoing Microlight training which I started during the
winter months.

I am chairman of the Highland Hang-gliding and Paragliding Club and SMPC
club member. I am also web monkey for the SMPC website
(www.garywilliamson.co.uk/home/).

Have flown most of the main flying areas of the UK and competed in BPC and
other comps in the past. Flown in France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and
Brasil. Taken my glider to other countries and never got it out of it's bag
:-(. Scotland is still my favourite place to fly.

Bought a paramotor last year and now use this to get most of my airtime and
to get myself to first thermal. Not fussy about chalking up on the XC league
so prepared to switch motor back on after a while. Take my camera everywhere
and starting to build a library of shots and planning trips especially for
this purpose.

Good knowledge of the Highlands and very willing to share info, join in on
day's out and even house visiting pilots (if you can stand three noisy
kids).

Gary Williamson
Westwood
Glaickmore
North Kessock
Inverness
IV1 3UD
01463 811492

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