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Notification Of Dates Of When SITES are CLOSED     NOTAMS


Topic   Comment
AIS Check Notam
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AIS Notam
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Sites Not Open .
Always check closure dates
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Adrian and Sue achieve a tandem personal best .
Buttons to the left go to the excert from:-
SkyWings
the official magazine of the BHPA
Photograph by Steve Ham
(Used with their permission).
There are also photogaphs of
Adrian's Xc and Piedrahita Open
adventure here:- Piedrahita Open
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Thurnham Xc Pilots Airspace Know It!
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Rochester Airport Data
  (Xc:Pilots Must Know)
UK AIP is the property of the CAA
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Air Space Infingement incident 		paramotorist_hung
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Paramotors Breach Rochester Airspace.

Be advised there was an incident reported to me yesterday of two paramotorists entering controlled airspace at Rochester airfield they stopped flying for well over half an hour

I've spoken to 2 eyewitnesses and the following information has been provided.

Two paramotors flew into Rochester airspace on Friday the 2nd of November. One was blue, or turquoise, and the other was a very strong red colour.

They were first noticed on radar then appeared to observers at the airfield.

They flew into the dead side of the airfield used for descents headed in a NW direction. People in the control tower searched for a camera but could not find one.

Another eyewitness saw a big S on one of the aircraft, the blue one.

Incoming air traffic had to be alternatively routed to avoid an issue and this was not well received by the control tower. Details were provided by one eyewitness but they are not really needed here.

Please can anyone with any info contact the club (Damon.... 01622 851454) , and we will liaise if necessary with the authorities at Rochester.

As the Mad Farmer can tell anyone who cares to listen, if the offence gets repeated and they are ready for the people committing it, then they will be met with a police escort and taken away. Other paramotor pilots and free flyers will give evidence to protect the image of the sport and the chance to be able to continue to fly in Kent.

The Rochester authorities have a story of a guy with DSLR taking some photos near/in one of the hangars.

Please can everyone familiarise themselves with Rochester airspace and stay out of it.......

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Site Location Closed Re-open Reason For Closure

Thurnham
Dates are Saturdays

11th and 25th October

8rd and 22nd November

6th and 20th December 2008

3rd, 17th and 31th January 2009
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Thurnham shall be out of bounds not flyable on these dates.On these dates there will be shooting (hunting),do not fly here as you may be shot or you could lose us this site.
Or you could be shot and lose us the site.
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The Warren
Visiting Pilots
Beware 		.
When flying at The Warren (Folkestone Cliffs) or Herne Bay Cliffs if top landing be very aware of the rotor from the cliff face - approach low and close to the cliff face as you may well be seriously slapped by the rotor if you come in too high or too far back from the cliffs.
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Crete Road .
Landing in top field overback is now not allowed as the crop is in.
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    .

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Date and Venue of the Next Club Meeting/Event

Date Venue Up for Discussion
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DFHGC meeting
7th November 2008
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.  Old House At Home
(Maidstone)		 .
Has anyone got any good DVD's or pictures that can be shown from our 2008 Annecy trip,or other flying experiences any member may have footage of.If so bring it along - all input welcome.
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Minutes from the Last Club Meeting

Topics Considered Input on Topic Outcome
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Overcrowding		 .
Airlaw - ridge on the right 		.
Pilots MUST adhere to ridge on the right ruling.All members and visiting pilots remember a pilot with the ridge (hill) on his right has the right of way.If you are not the pilot with the ridge on your right move out even if you lose the lift band as THE OTHER PILOT HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY.
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SITE PARKING

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TAKE NOTE		 .
DOUBLE PARKING AT MINSTER.When flying at Minster the parking spaces are limited. If there is not room to park without causing an obstruction to the residential access you must park at the PUBLIC CARPARK (map to).which is located at the end of Seathorpe Avenue.
Access to the residents homes at the end of Imperial Avenue by take-off must be kept clear at all times to allow for AMBULANCE access
THE POTENTIAL TO LOSE US THURNHAM AS A SITE. What follows is not about blame, or who might shoulder that blame, but simply avoiding the problem in the first place.

Thurnham was on today, and a lot of us went there. We mostly parked on the hill just below the stile to the footpath, but in doing so, we reduced the width of the road to the point where a car could only just get through.

A lorry came up needing access to the houses at the top of the hill, was blocked by the cars parked and after waiting for us to move our cars abandoned his mission and went away. Fortunately, he was a very cool guy and was not at all bothered. He simply left. We were incredibly lucky.

Should this happen with residents or landowners we will eventually lose the site. Then there will be recrimination, blame and arguments.

ALL OF THIS CAN BE AVOIDED. PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE LANE. There is lots of parking further up the lane. I know it is further to walk, but if we lose the site then your walking problem is solved as you won't going there to fly again.

We must avoid this in future. We need to keep this site. None of this mail is about any one person. It is simply about keeping one of our most valuable sites.
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Proposed Overseas Flying Expeditions

Location Date of Expedition Brief Description of The Destination
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Annecy		 .
May 2008		 .
Alpine Magic - A broad spectrum of flying - If possible come along
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Club Pilot to Pilot : Help Sheets

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Thanks to Steve Purdie   Airworks   for permission to use the Pilot notes

Equipment for Sale

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  Nigel Gilbert:Club Treasurer  Jono Chivers:Competitions  Steve Uzochukwo:Senior Club Coach  Chairman:Gary Rothery  Secretary&Membership:Kevin Say  John Martin:Safety Officer  Sites - East Kent: Peter Hook   Sites - West Kent: Andrew Price 

Club Committee

Club Position Name Contact Number
Chairman Gary Rothery land 01303 813779 cell na
Secretary&Minutes  Kevin Say land 01322 862665 cell 07751 890063
Treasurer Nigel Gilbert land 01303 220058 cell na
Senior Club Coach Steve Uzochukwo land 01622 736219 cell 07973 713120
Safety Officer John Martin land 01227 365876 cell 07915 063846
Competitions  Jono Chivers (PG) land na cell 07876 464277
Edgar Lukes (HG) land 01732 354566 cell na
Sites : Kent   Peter Hook-East land 01304 367584 cell na
Andrew Price-West land 020  856 3237 cell 07956 296198
XC Tables Dave Massie land 01403 268601 cell na
Hastings Club Rep Dave Molyneaux  land 01424 756841 cell na
Web Site Mark Sykes land 01634 240563 cell na




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MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU :: FLY SAFE

Briefing :: THE SEARCH FOR NEW SITES Site crowding is once again becoming a problem, and we are in the position where we need to make a push for new sites. In the past this has been a bit of an uncoordinated effort, and with opportunities running out we need to adopt a slightly more polished approach this time.

There are quite a few areas that would bear further searches for sites. We could do with another takeoff along the North Downs, but all of the area between Thurnham and Hollingbourne has been checked out and found to be lacking. Also all the slope near Wye College is in an SSSI, and therefore a nonstarter. Holly Hill, Wrotham and Kemsing are all under negotiation and therefore do not need further investigation.

The areas we ought to concentrate our efforts on are:

The old sea cliffs overlooking the Romney Marsh, but we already know about Stone Cliff and a small easterly site near Rye. What we really are after are alternative takeoffs along the sea cliffs. It will also be very handy if these takeoffs were suitable for both hang gliders and paragliders.

The area between the A26 and the A21, bounded to the North by Tunbridge Wells and to the south by Crowborough and Mayfield. As far as I know this area has never been checked out in great detail although any sites found there are bound to be small and access probably difficult.

The valley to the south west of Brands Hatch, as I know hang glider pilots used to have a private site near from which flights were made over the Thames estuary.

Some of the hilly areas around the Medway towns.

Any search for sites we do must be very low key. On finding a site make a rough note of the OS map reference, potential wind direction, possible parking and the name of the landowner. Please past this information to Paul Cherry, who will then co-ordinate site negotiation. The last thing we want on any sites is 15 different people all pestering the landowner, all trying to negotiate the site.

There are possibly some potential sites in Hastings area, but should you think you've got anything worthwhile please consult Alan Mortimer who knows the area very well, it may then be worthwhile discussing it either with our club or the Hastings club.

Before approaching anyone for the name of the landowner, please check with all that the site is not already under negotiation, and that it hasn't had to be ruled out for other reasons. We used to have access to some sites, is owing to political reasons we may have been asked to leave the sites or things there has evolved to the point where the site is no longer suitable for us. Examples of this would include Hollingbourne, Lydden and Tolsford.


Article by Steve.U. from July Skybird magazine

Club Memebership Renewal :: Now Due

Fly High :: Fly Safe :: Fly Far

(and land with a BIG SMILE)

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