Gower 2016

[barry h]

Anybody who knows me knows that I am non to keen on climbing dirty great hills with arms full of models. This is a bit of a drawback for slope soaring as you may guess. I like to park on the top with very little uphill walking. Sort of Throw and Go.
A friend and myself are planning to take Caravan and have a few days on the Gower Peninsular early June just before my annual pilgrimage to St Aggys.

Would anybody be able to recommend a touring site with 5 star amenities as near to the slope as possible please .

Regards

Barry h

[jimbo]

There is no throw n go at rhossili. And for someone who prefers coastguards to tubbies because the walks shorter youll hate the walk up. However I'm sure you're big 7m would be worth carting up!
Piton cross is close but not sure its 5 star. For 5 star you may be further out.
What's dates are you going? I hope to fit in a couple of trips this year. Hopefully be room for a small model or two.

[terry white]

Hi Barry,Jimbo,

I will echo Jimbo's advise of the Gower,There defiantly is no go and throw at the Gower.
Last time and the only time I was there on an invite from Jimbo I literately nearly died.
Not even Jimbo knows of the outcome of my time with him at the Gower. But first I must stress what a superb flying site it is with such incredible lift that it is worth the walk up if your health allows.
We had a week end there and because I was feeling unwell my good friends came to the rescue and carried my planes and goodies to the top.The rest of the day flying was superb.
When I returned home I shortly was taken to bed with just a feeling of unwell.
Two days later when I wasn't feeling any better my wife insisted on phoning for the doctor."What have you been doing" he asked me
"Have you ever tried climbing the Gower" I asked him,as he reached for his stethoscope.
"No and its Hospital for you my boy" he said,"something is wrong".
After lots of pulling about in hospital they said you've got a deep vein thrombosis in your leg. Scan for you my boy. Scan over they said Its a large blood clot which has broken away into embolisms and blocked both lungs. Lots of Rest and drugs for you and take warfarin the blood thinner for life.
Doc said don't like the sound your hearts making, MRI scan for you my boy. Results showed that I had an arrhythmia in the right ventricle of my ticker. Doc broke the news that I would require a lot of intrusive tests to see what was causing the trouble. I said I new, it was the Gower!! After exhausting number of tests the specialist said its a pace maker for you my boy,but first we need to see if you have ever had a heart attack,so we need to take some more scans sorry. When the results were examined it became clear that all was not well with the ticker and they needed to do an angiogram to check for a blockage in the heart arteries.
Ah said the doc results show your really blocked up,close to a stroke or heart attack I would say. Off to hospital for a fitting of a stent in the heart,for you my boy. At the pr-op nurse said I'll just take a little blood to see if your well enough to pull through the operation. Two days later doc phones, "don't like the look of you" he said. I don't like the look of you either I replied. No he said we have analized your blood and found you have severe diabetes. Most normal people run at a sugar level of 5.6 yours is 27 we can't operate on you like that,so off to the diabetes clinic for you my boy.The clinic gave me a machine to analize my blood and insulin to inject myself. My blood sugars fell dramatically to single figure numbers so the first of my heart operations began two days ago with the angiogram which requires a thin catheter slid up the artery into my heart from a cut in my wrist. As it approached my elbow the catheter decided to break through the artery and go into the flesh of my arm.It didn't arf hurt.The operation was then aborted.So after all that time in hospital waiting for the op I am now at home waiting for a doctor's call to say there's a bed for you there now so "off to hospital for you my boy"

See yer, Regards Terry.

[barry h]

Hi Terry

Since you have done such a great job advertising Gower I am now definitely going. All booked up for the weekend ish 12/13/14 Sun thro Tuesday June 2016 just before I go to St Aggys for the week beginning 17th June. Got my Defib all charged up , oxygen tanks filled, and raring to go. And actually I am quite partial to the odd nurse or two. Not wishing to be sexist but I prefer the ones with boobies, so good news all round.

I will be taking with me amongst other models one of your ASW 27s that I picked up the other week.

Do you know if its National trust land or not by the way. As I have a cunning plan, the ASW has an electric motor up front. Thought I would launch it from the bottom and follow it up the hill, well it saves carrying it.

Hope you are now well again.

Regards
Barry

[barry h]

Hi Terry

Is your nickname " Lucky " by any chance.

I have now read all your message I hope all goes well for you.

Kind Regards

Barry

[terry white]

Hi Barry,and Cliff,

Thanks for your kind words.

Barry the Gower is a National Trust site so I would expect electric power to be a no-no. Our Jimbo is the guy to talk to about anything Gower related,he lives there more than he lives at home In any case I am not sure you would be able to fly electric and follow it up as you proposed in your cunning plan as it is a mighty long way with the path taking you away from the lifting slope at times.
But don't let anything I say put you off, I have been lucky enough to fly many slopes throughout Europe and believe me the Gower is one of the best.
Your newly acquired Purbeck ASW27 is just the model to take. It is what I flew when I was up there. Landing is a dodle because the plateau on top of the 'mountain' goes far enough back to be out of the lift and the air is super smooth.
What ever you must tell us how you got on and what the flying was like.
I have enclosed a few photos to whet your appetite. (most of them were sent to me by Simon Cocker as a reminder of our trip) thanks Simon.
Regards Terry.

[jimbo]

Surprised to hear about your I'll effects from gower. Hope you recover soon.
Problem with the motor is there are lots of paras flyuong there whom im pretty sure know the no fly power rule. If you did launch from the path as terry suggests that would take you right up past the paras if they were there. And its about a mile to the top. Plus the viewvis much better from the top. I don't think you'd have a problem walking up with the blade. Not too far and there is a lower slope you could use however this is the paras launch site so if they are in attendance best to move on.

[barry h]

Hi Jimbo/Terry

Looks like I am going to need a bigger motor then as I was hoping to get my sarnies/ flask/ comfy chair/ and Rosie my little dog up the easy way. Never mind the wife looks like a possibility, I am going to have to get her in training, I think after a few weeks in the gym she should be ok. Not to sure she could carry me as well though, might need to go to B&Q for a wheelbarrow that I could lend her for the job!

Regards
Barry

[barry h]

Hi Terry/Jim

Think ive cracked it. As we all know animals are much stronger than humans pound for pound.
So this is the plan. Hopefully out there somebody may have a dog sized backpack they could lend me , or may be someone could design one, I would want the rights to the design cos its my idea though I would be happy to share any profits on a 99 to 1 basis.

See attached pic of dog that I am planning to use for size reference. about 10" high and 7 kilos in weight though she is quite strong for her size!.

The back pack would need fittings for at least 4x 1/4 scale gliders 1 x Blade 2.5mtr, tranny in case and toolbox. plus the usual chairs etc and just in case 6pack of beers ( assorted ).
I think it would work best if there was an attachment out the front with lump of chicken attached so as to make sure she kept her mind on the job. Bit like Donkey and Carrot sort of thing.

Any ideas welcome ??

Regards
Barry

Roll on April 1st

[jimbo]

Perhaps you could mod something like this with a roof rack?