Chateau bagging

[Firebottle]

As the Prissac site is still overgrown (due to be cut next week) I went over to Wanafly (http://www.wanafly.co.uk/site1/) as an alternative place to fly from.

Always a good welcome from Dave and Mandy thought the wind direction is sometimes challenging. All the land had just been cut and baled so this time there was plenty of space.

Took off easily with a circuit of the farm to give the microlight pilots a look at what real flying is like :eyebrows: Thought I would take some pictures of the local Chateau's to share on here.

First one is at Bourg-Archambault:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050558.jpg

'tother side of it:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050561.jpg

The obligatory 'boot shot':

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050563.jpg



Next flew to the south of Wanafly to bag this beauty at Ris Chauveron:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050566.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050568.jpg



Lastly a shut up Chateau at Azat-le-Ris:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Chateau-s/P1050571.jpg



It was a cracking flight with lots of low level over the farm before landing on the taxiway :D

[Zoidburg]

Great photos indeed! How do you manage to fly and take the pictures at the same time?

[Firebottle]

Powered paragliding is a stable and slow method of flight, once at a safe height you can take your hands off the controls. Makes for taking photos a lot easier.
This is what the flying machine looks like:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Take%20off_1.jpg

That's me taking off from Wolverhampton Halfpenny green airport.

This is me coming in to land, just crossed in front of the Police helicopter hangar:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/Landing.jpg

:):):)

[struth]

Plenty bottle Alan ;). I will remain on terra firma thanks :D

[Ali Tait]

Great shots Alan, love to give that a go sometime.

[Macca]

Do families still live in the chateux or are they like some sort of national trust thing?

[Firebottle]

From Wikipedia on the first:
Bourg-Archambault has a privately owned chateau of special architectural interest: consisting of a four turreted 'keep' style building which was renovated during 2003: surrounded by a moat and having an entrance bridge and what appears to be a drawbridge tower.

The second one has two brothers living in it, one in the chateau and one in the entrance 'lodge'.

[Zoidburg]

Top quality thread this! I bet the sense of freedom flying one of those is amazing.

[RichB]

Oh yes, looks fun....

At Glastonbury last year a guy came into the festival on one of those. Swooped over the stage and crowd to land in a field right at the climax of Mavis Staples set. Was brilliant and got an enormous cheer from the crowd. I recall thinking I had to give that a go.

[Firebottle]

I bet the sense of freedom flying one of those is amazing.

It is fantastic. Once you've got the skill and experience it is just brilliant that you can turn up at the field and be airbourne in about twenty minutes.

It is the closest to flying like a bird with a completely open viewpoint.


If anyone is thinking of taking this up please get proper training ;)

[Jonboy]

Great pics Alan , I do miss Being in France

[CageyH]

Nice pictures from what looks to have been a superb day for flying.
Very jealous that you were able to do this while I was at work. ;)

[hifinutt]

wow alan ! i flew a little helicopter over coventry airport supervised and i was bricking it

you sure have some balls !!!

fab photos . hate to think what your life insurance premium is !!

[Firebottle]

Unusual for me to fly in the morning because it is a little more challenging to take off. Sometimes the wind direction keeps changing, due to the thermal effects of different fields heating up at different rates, and has had me chasing the direction around the compass before :mental:

Got off OK at 9:10 (8:10 UK time) and flew at 1500 feet where the air was smooth, it was a bit bumpy under 1000 feet. A couple of shots:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050579.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050584.jpg

Boy it gives you a brilliant feeling for the rest of the day :yay:

[WESTLOWER]

Amazing photos! Great clarity…
Do you feel no fear Alan?

[Firebottle]

Umm.....fear no, a little apprehension yes. That's a good thing in my book as it makes you aware of what you are doing.

Flying defensively is always my mantra, making sure there is somewhere to land if necessary. I have had the engine stop a few times with the old two stroke, then it's just a question of gliding down and landing :)

[archiesdad]

How do you learn to fly one of theses ? most other forms of aircraft? have two seats so an instruction can accompany the pupil, doesn't seem likely in your type of craft.

[Firebottle]

Hi Martin, PPG (powered paragliding) is somewhat different. You have to learn to control the wing on the ground in different wind conditions before you even go near the motor.

This is called 'ground handling' and you can't do too much of it. Then you are introduced to the motor with some ground runs, it is generally a bit of a shock to have the added weight on your back.
Then for a lot of pupils the first flight is the first solo flight, under instruction from the FI on the radio. This is how it was for me, you do need a bit of courage to go for it.

There are a couple of schools that do tandem flights but the instruction value is questionable. Once trained it is all down to technique and can be made to look easy :)

BTW The weight of the motor is not felt during flight once you have taken off.

[theabbot]

Hi Alan

How long can you stay airborne for and are there any restrictions over where you can fly? Would I like to do it yes, could I do it, not a hope!!

Respect to you

Mike

[Firebottle]

Mike, you can stay airbourne for quite some time, usually limited by bladder or fuel, or weather. Some pilots that like to go cross country fit extra fuel tanks and have flown for 6 hours or more.

With my economical 4 stroke motor I could stay airbourne for nearly 5 hours if I brimmed the tank. My longest flight though is 1 and 1/2 hours.
You have to obey all the rules of the air (Air Navigation Order) so usually can't fly in restricted airspace, and fly VFR (Visual Flight Rules) so that's no night flying.

I have flown from Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green airport, that needs permission and preferably an airband radio so you can at least hear the calls from other traffic.
__________________________

Had another early flight this morning, taking off at 8:04. Bagged 3 more local chateau's.

First one at La Motte:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050586.jpg

Second one took a little time to get to as there was a 10mph head wind, this is at Chazelet:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050588.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050590.jpg

Third one is quite local to the airfield, Chateau de la Garde:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050591.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt97/Paramotorpilot/P1050593.jpg

:):yay:

[struth]

They like having muddy ponds beside them. How many you bagged now?

[Jimbo]

I expect quite a few of these may never have been photographed from the air. I am sure if you approached the owners with a nice large photo of their property taken from the air they will either hand over a reasonably amount of Euros or shout some loud angry French phrases at you.:)