Sunday 24 February 2013

Carrot and Dodd Hill

I was heading off for the weekend at lunchtime on Friday so I was out early in the morning to check out a couple of low hills not far from home. There was a barely detectable northerly wind so my Extreme stayed in the car and my Longshot was taken for a short walk to the Carrot Hill trig point. The Longshot is now fitted with 2.4 gHz gear and a quick check and hand launch showed all was well and I had fun trying to use the very light lift to maintain height. There is a NW facing slope here although very gentle.

View west from Carrot Hill. Craigowl masts in the centre and Kilspindie in the far distance on the left.


Longshot and the view south from Dodd Hill to Dundee and Fife.


I walked about 500m south to check-out the old quarry at Dodd Hill and a promising SW slope. Looks like it should work although a very gentle slope. Being and old quarry means a lot of rocks to land on so hand catches were the preferred way to land. The landing on Carrot Hill is nice springy heather and when I got back there a very light north westerly had picked up and I was able to fly the Longshot in the nice, gentle slope lift. Excellent!

Back to Carrot Hill for some sloping in very light NW breeze. That trench in the background may indicate some ancient (Iron-Age?) use for this hill. Dodd Hill trig point in the distance and The Lomonds top left.

Great views to Strathmore to the north, the Sidlaws and Kilspindie in the distance to the west and Dundee and the Lomond Hills to the far south and I intend trying flying there again soon.

Saturday 16 February 2013

Winter League 4 cancelled

F3F Winter League event 4.

Windmap promised us a great day but East Lomond had other ideas. Low cloud on the top and yet clear down at the car park.
No flying. Orographic cloud apparently ;-)