February 2016

The new year has followed the old year with gales and rain. In the middle of the month there was a short cold snap. As ever in these conditions, the best photos are taken! On 20 January a group of CSC pilots walked up Blease Fell on Blencathra. Geoff Moss reports "There wasn't much wind and a similar amount of thermal activity so it was just a fly down from the top of Blease". Fortunately Paul Kingston from North News and Pictures was there to take pictures, one of which made the Daily Telegraph. Here Jude Osborne launches for her flight. The view is looking to the south with the Helvellyn massif dominating the background. Clough Head has the cloud cap.

January 2016

December has followed November with lots of rain and strong winds - not ideal conditions for pulling up a large sheet of nylon! So it's back to the archives to remind us that you can have good flights in Winter. Tailbridge Hill is a Cumbrian site on the Yorkshire border just by Kirkby Stephen. Here 2 paragliders get the last of the afternoon sun with Wild Boar Fell in the background. Photo by Heather Stevenson

December 2015

With most of November being windy and wet, it's hard to remember that the beginning of the month was marked by fog and calm conditions. Foggy days can be magic if you can get above the inversion in flyable conditions. Malcolm Grout managed that on 3 November on Blencathra. Malcolm says "Conditions were not great, rather gusty and full of holes and rather crossed to SE. But still great to be up there on a day like this." The view is to the west of Blencathra with Skiddaw to the right of the wing. Photo by Jane Hannah.

November 2015

8 October and Dave Robinson and James Pierce were soaring on Great Gable in the Western Lakes. The view is looking to the SW with Wast Water in the centre of the picture. Photo by Dave Robinson

October 2015

September saw a tragedy in that one of our club members, Mark "Patty" Paterson was killed in a paragliding accident on Fleetwith Pike. Becky, Patty's partner sums up our thoughts best "It’s hard to believe one person managed to cram so much into life, but Patty did. Not only did he avidly pursue his hobbies with great skill and energy, but he was also an amazing and proud daddy.." To honour his memory, a large number of pilots from CSC and other clubs congregated on Jenkin Hill on Saturday 26 September to participate in a mass flydown. From the High Flight poem "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; "

September 2015

This picture wasn't taken in August but it's good to see a picture of one or our less photographed sites. This is St Bees Head on the west coast of Cumbria and is the only real sea cliff scenery in Cumbria. The date is 29 May and this is the 3rd task point for the A comp in the 2015 Lakes Charity Classic.Take off was at the Haig Pit near Whitehaven which is to the north of St Bees. Photo by Dave Ashcroft

August 2015

July 2015 has been a month of strong winds and showers. Chris Tyson and Mark "Patty" Patterson slogged up the Wastwater Screes only to cower under a rock to escape the rain. In a gap, they managed to escape off the hill for a flydown in one of the Lake District's most spectacular valleys. Great Gable dominates to the centre right with Kirk Fell and Yewbarrow to the left. Lingmell to the right. The pilot is Patty and Chris took the photo on 24 July.

July 2015

Saturday 30 May on the LCC weekend saw fairly strong winds. The B comp and the coaching group walked to the top of Buttermere Moss and decided not to fly. Meanwhile the acro pilots decided to show us what they could do. The view is northwest from Buttermere Moss. Crummock Water is the first lake with Loweswater in the distance. Photo by Mike Harper.

June 2015

Paraglider meets Kettle! This year's Lakes Charity Classic competition had to work with strong wind conditions. Fortunately we managed to fly on both days with the Saturday A comp having a task from Swinside to Buttermere. On Saturday 30 May, the B comp and the coaching group went to the coast at Lowca. LMS Jubilee Class 5699 Galatea heads south from Parton station with the southbound Cumbria Coast Express while we breath in the wonderful smell of steam oil!

April 2015

On the 27 March, the wind was stronger the further east you went. Rick Livingstone and Chris Field flew the only piece of real cliff coastal scenery in Cumbria at St Bees, just south of Whitehaven and north of Sellafield. Rick is the pilot and Chris took the photo looking south to St Bees bay. Pity they don't paint the caravans with camouflage paint!