Gallow Hill and the Angus transmitter

After a lacklustre performance on my part at yesterday’s F3F Winter League competition I was keen to get out for a fly and more practice. I certainly need it!

 

The forecast was showing a light north-westerly swinging south by lunchtime so the chances of me getting any flying on West Lomond after a 50 minute drive followed by a 50 minute walk were not high! Unless I set out in the dark that was never going to happen. My alternative was to go to my local north-west slope up at the Angus transmitter. Gallow Hill or Extreme End as I call it. The last time I flew there I totalled (almost) my Extreme! Took months of repairs. So, somewhat cautious I dug out my trusty Spark and headed for the hill. Any thoughts of F3F practice forgotten.

View south to the 750ft Angus Transmitter with Dundee and the Tay Estuary

 



View south over Dundee and the River Tay to distant East and West Lomond



There was a nice breeze when I loaded the car which still felt ok when I got to the parking area near the huge tv mast although the direction seemed well round to the north. A 20 minute yomp over the moor saw me standing on the nw slope with the wind well crossed to the right and dropped to less than 5mph. A bit more yomping and an inelegant crossing of a barbed wire fence saw me considering the north end of the slope as a launch point. Not much of a slope width-wise although it is certainly high enough. A big heave saw the out-of-trim Spark struggle round a shaky circuit before I landed just down the slope a little. I chickened out from pushing way out from the hill.



View north over Strathmore to the Glens and distant snow covered Cairngorms



Back to the launch point and the very light wind had swung to just west of north and a big heave saw it gently soar away towards the horizon and into some light lift. A few more areas of liftyness were found and the Spark was comfortably high and looking a picture in the cloudless sky. It may be a bit tattered and gained a little weight but it still flies very well. No slouch either. After about 45 minutes the wind ceased altogether but the Spark was happy soaring along finding lift at a good height. A few low passes and back up again looking for more thermals. Grand!! I landed the Spark after just over an hour and headed back home for lunch. Well happyJ



Wind power

New slope. East Haven and Weasel Evo

With no Northern F3F League event and a dodgy forecast I decided against heading for Kilspindie to fly in what would have been a well crossed south-south east with rain approaching by lunchtime and headed instead for a very low coastal slope at East Haven near where I live. 

Weasel Evo over the beach

East Haven

The slope is barely 2-3 m high and looks most unlikely however I arrived to find a 15-20 mph wind blowing straight onto the beach. Dozens of gulls were showing where the lift was so my trusty Weasel Evo was chucked into the air and it was off! A very narrow band of lift and surprisingly bumpy but good fun as the model scooted along back and forward. Too far out from the slope and the model headed for the waves and too far back from the edge and it was heading for the long grass. It will be worth trying an F3F model because it could be good and I would like to try pumping to gain some speed. My lightweight Weasel doesn't pump very well at all with no inertia to exploit.

The launch point is from the edge in front of where two people can be seen walking along the coastal path.

Oncoming rain drove me back to the car but a successful experiment.