Autumn Fest in the Trossachs

[David Thomson]

HI Folks,

 

Well, if thats the last the flight of this season, wot a beauty to finish with !   Bob, Stephen, Sean, Kenny, Khaled and I went to Aberfoyle and were surprised by the reasonable thermic breeze in the hill when we got up around 1 oclock - I guess the steep rock face was warm enough to stir up the ground inversion quicker than elsewhere ?    Our flirst climbout took us up for a bounce around at the solid subsidence inversion at 3000 ft, so I set off along towards Ben Venue which needed a climb every 500 m or so all along.  I intended to go along the ridge a few times but it was really slow going so when I got a climb up to 3500 and just through the inversion it was time to let the glider go where it wanted and concentrate on photography.

 

The views across the Trossachs were stunning with a sea of small Cu popping into the clear air above, and one formed above me just as I got up.    A glide past Ben Venue to the Loch Ard pier when SS Sir Walter Scott was docking, then along the huge broad leaf woods above the Trossachs Hotel, and I was almost down. 

 

However there were loads of weak thermals in the S side of the valley past Kinglass Dam and Brig o Turk, and along the side of Loch Venacher (where it was still surprisingly lifty ) to land on the beach.      Another excellent day to end a fantastic period of top quality flying conditions !

 

See ya

 

David

[Brendan Reid]

nice pics david
balquidder was equally scenic with loads of thermals from midday but none of us got through the inversion - i never got over about 800m.   wind was almost due west so we pottered back towards lochearn head spur jumping and landing to fox the sink cycles and walking up if needed.    thermic/dynamic flying high in the west facing bowls of braes of balquidder was lively even after 3:30pm but i didnt stay too long as my km long beats were causing havoc with the hundred strong herds of hinds below and a landing at the rob roy to find my car already retrieved ended a very nice day...bob even bought a drink.   shock horror!
no camera!
cheers
bren

[Gerard]

Hi David,

Great pictures, it must have been amazing flying there !
Where did you launch from excatly ? Is it an easy access from
Aberfoyle ?

I really like the area, and would love to fly there one day !

Cheers

Gerard

>  Brig o' Turk .JPG
> 128KViewDownload
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>  Ben Lomond.JPG
> 65KViewDownload
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>  Ben More summit above the inversion.JPG
> 68KViewDownload
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>  Stephen and Kenny.JPG
> 49KViewDownload
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>  Kinglass Dam.JPG
> 96KViewDownload
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>  Loch Lomond below the inversion.JPG
> 50KViewDownload
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>  Loch Venacher.JPG
> 92KViewDownload
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>  SS Sir WalterScott.JPG
> 166KViewDownload

[David Thomson]

Hi Gerard

We launched at the top of Craigmore (NN509021 ) - Its quite an easy walk
up the path from the road at the top of the Dukes Pass. Park in the Layby
on the right at the top of the hill and walk a hundred m or so back down to
the path. Its really a purely thermic site, I cant imagine you'd want to
fly there with any significant wind.

Its a bit sensitive in the spring cos there are Peregrins nesting on the
crag and the Rangers at David Marshall Lodge have a camera on the nest - I
cant remember who the Site Rep is ?

In fact, that reminds me - Does anyone have contact details for HG pilot
David Greenlee ?

Here;s a couple more photos (of the dozens I took that day !)

See ya

David