Dennis Trott has been flying since the summer of 1990 and has lived and flown in the French Alps since 1991 amassing more than 3500 hours of alpine flying. In early days Dennis met many pilots visiting the high alps and noticed that their flat land or dynamic hill flying skills were insufficient for mountain flying. Many often found themselves either in trouble or not flying from the lack of understanding that alpine flying requires. With these problems in mind in 1994 Dennis started writing differing articles for magazine publications, namely SkyWings, the UK association magazine.

Some of the articles were written in 1994 then republished in 2000 and 2001, they are all included on this web page. The subjects vary from flying weather, thermalling, air law and importantly launch and flying techniques we used from the early 90's that are exclusive to mountain flying, that are not taught in the UK.

All the articles are edited and somewhat shortened versions from our mountain thermal course and thermal tuition lectures. It would be possible to write a book chapter from each page shown..

I hope you can make time to read through this web page, or at least book mark it and return when you can. Even today all these articles are relevant to the flying techniques that we should be using not only in the mountains but also in the flats or on dynamic hills.

Please click on the pages to open them and then click again to expand the sheet into a fairly legible read!



This article, Airlaw-or the lack of it! was written from our summer experiences in places like Annecy. The mid summer months are the busiest months and it seems like half the flying world ascends on this beautiful area, where traditionally the thermo/dynamic flying is at it's best. The lack of air law is ripe and assertive flying is required.

I wrote Keeping out of the trees as an advisory for pilots visiting pure thermic flying sites, where sinking air is as common as thermic lift. Sadly not enough pilots have read this article as tree landings are still frequent. Why do they do it!!

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain thermalling in stable conditions is probably the most challenging of all thermal flying: patience is a virtue.

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain thermals in unstable conditions gives a little insight to the daily flying conditions found in the spring and summer. Alpine flying has the reputation of being strong and gnarly and picking the time of day to fly and knowing what the forecasts are offering is of the
utmost importance. With the correct timing and personal organisation the flying is spectacular and sometimes even the evening flying is very buoyant, but then we all land when the sun goes down and the lift runs out!






The following series of articles start with Thermal Sources then onto the triggers, thermal shapes, centring finishing with inversion busting.

   

   

 

Back 1994 I started the series with 2 articles on launch techniques. The articles were republished in 2000 with more recent photos. Below are both sets of articles and you will see that the techniques haven't really changed over the years and are still widely taught throughout the alps. Happily to say that the Brits were the first to use cross brake launch techniques when the Europeans were still struggling with a forward launch in strong conditions and not employing the easier reverse launch technique. This has now changed and snappy reverse launches are common here in the mountains.

Sadly today the Brits are still struggling with the appalling front launch style they are taught of running like F.... and hope the glider might fly instead of employing the easy front launch technique that we have been teaching for more than 12 years. The simple and easy front launch technique is seen below.

   

Here is a reminder of the cross brakes launch for those whom may require it, though I'm sure these days it would be a very few.. Oh, I'm afraid the adverts shown are out of date?!!

 

In 1994 there were a few other articles I wrote, though possibly a little dated, including the adverts: I include them here.

   

 

In 1996 I took hang gliding by it's horns and have never looked back. Here's an account of my first experiences.

Hang Gliding - I’ve been sold on it!

I am in the fortunate position where I basically fly for a living and although I have more than 1200 hours flying paragliders I was looking for a change.

I live in one of most beautiful areas in France. The flying sites I work my paragliding courses from are often frequented by local and visiting hang gliding pilots, but mainly on weekends. The main site I work, ‘Plaine Joux’, has been manicured for launching paragliders and hang gliders. Down in the valley some 700 metres below, the hang glider landing field is huge and well positioned for the valley wind. For six years now I have watched hang glider pilots launch from there and enjoyed the thermic mountainous surroundings and in all that time I dreamt of my turn!! Paragliders are fun and very convenient to fly but they lack something that hang gliders have: perhaps it’s the true spirit of flying a wing!! I’m not complaining, as paragliders have kept me in this valley for some years and I really enjoy flying them especially in the light and very tricky conditions.

It all started about three years ago at High Adventure on the Isle of Wight. I enrolled on a course introducing me into this new adventure. Two days were all I had, as the reliable British weather put paid to my training. That was my last visit to Britain, until this year when in May, I managed to squeeze in two weeks holiday from the paragliding here in the Alps. (working!!). The two days at High Adventure really gave me the flavour. I wanted more!!

The visit last May, two years on, found me in Norfolk at Tony and Rona Web’s Towing school ‘Lejair’. Lets face it, I am getting on a bit now and carrying gliders up hill can be a bit wearing. Towing, that’s the business I thought.

Well it turned out to be the answer and loads easier than hill work. However, I have been flying paragliders too long and my learning capacity and co-ordination skills have been resting: the awakening was slow. I picked May in Britain as possibly the best month for training which it has been every year except for this particular one. I really felt like a ‘punter’, sorry ‘client’, waiting for the conditions to change and out of a possible 16 days holiday I only managed to get airborne for three of them. Depressing??!!

The training was excellent with Tony and Rona giving their best and personal tuition towing me around, across and over their massive training field. I managed quite a number of flights each day. The launches were fine but alas the landings were definitely tricky. The winch work was expertly managed by the team and the subtlety and control of the winch operator was beyond belief. They must be mind readers: the moment the pilot and glider wavered the power was taken off the tow line bringing me down safely. What bliss! A number of flights on each of the days were taken on the good old ‘Stubby’, though I did have a chance to try the ‘Skyfloater’. The floater was fun and every paraglider pilot should try it. The launches are straightforward and loads easier than paragliders! It is joy launching a glider that doesn’t collapse with turbulence.

Then the weather turned in and my return to France was imminent, though during the poor weather days I was able to make a visit to Airwave on the Isle of Wight. In a flash I had signed up for the new Pulse 2 sport hang glider and had been measured for their special Race 2 harness. I am sold already and have not even had a proper flight.

Back in France and the thought of missing another year hang gliding was becoming a heavy load. Being the determined sort and foreseeing a possible break from the thermal course lessons, I enrolled into a French hang gliding school close to Lake Leman (Geneva). I was dreading the thought of carrying gliders up hill again. The arrival date of my Pulse 2 was close and I didn’t want to sit looking at it. Also, summer was disappearing and soon the strong thermals would be heading south. The school, ‘A Ciel Ouvert’, run by Herve Duplan starting training at 08.00 on the hill. Oh god, a two hour drive through windy mountainous roads only to be confronted with carrying gliders up the hill. Will I survive!!

Upon arrival at the site I was amazed to find Herve setting up some weird contraption; a winch affair with loads of rope, wire, levers and an alloy tube with wheels on it. The winch driven by an old two cylinder 2CV engine was coached along by frequent tapping with a large hammer. The whole arrangement when in working mode would actually winch the hang gliders back up the hill!! Oh what joy. (anybody want to buy the idea??) The hill just 40 metres high offered a short flight consisting of one left hand turn then a stretch to level out to land.

The biggest problem we encountered was in the field. Each night the farmer’s dairy herd return there to eat, sleep and s---. It is very easy to land a hang glider on it’s wheels using the belly landing, though the incentive was high for landing upon one’s feet: even so, it was still tricky avoiding the cow pats! The winch arrangement was fantastic and myself plus two other French would-be pilots easily completed 9 flight each in three hours. Then for the traditional French two-three hour lunch. This is a very civilised country!

At 2 in the afternoon, of my first day, we all met at the main launch site as we were due for our first ‘Grand Vol’, as we were told. Thinking this would be a quick top to bottom at a larger site I was surprised to find myself looking down a 735metre high site over looking Lake Leman. This guy couldn’t be serious. I’ve only ever flown for a few seconds. He was confident, suggesting, just launch, relax and the instructor at the bottom will radio you in!!

The school glider he allocated, a Tecma Medium 15, looked far more complicated than the Stubby, more battens and bits, though rigging it didn’t take long. The proposed launch site, cut into the side of the mountain appeared just the right sort of angle. I watched a visiting Dutch group launch, noting their flight path and landing approaches. Suddenly it was my turn and before I new it, I was standing on the edge on the mountain with this glider on my shoulders. Launching a wing made of alloy and sailcloth has always been a daunting thought, though on the training site it never really bothered me. Now the adrenaline was pumping quickly and my hands, sweaty, making the grip on the uprights difficult: I guess it’s happened to all pilots at some stage.

“Stand and hold the glider level”, were the orders! “Look straight ahead somewhere toward the lake, at the horizon, over balance forward and go!!” Three steps, the hang strap took my weight and I was flying. The mountain dropped away quickly and control seemed difficult with my vice like grip on the uprights. “Relax! Relax!” came over the radio, “let go of the uprights. LET GO OF THE UPRIGHTS”, it came again. Then the glider was flying itself!! I gently took the uprights again and found the glider really easy to steer. The conditions were gentle, though a moment later I flew through a small thermal and the glider lurched. Trying not to grip the uprights with too much force, I corrected and pulled on a little speed. Paragliders with all the string and cloth absorb thermals as they strike dampening out quite a bit of bump, whereas hang gliders react immediately, giving instant feedback. In no time the landing area was looming.

From the ground this L.Z. is large enough to be a local airport. But from the air on the hang glider it appeared tiny. Remembering the instructions; “once on your final, pull on a little speed as you approach the ground and hold it until you are just a metre or so up then level out and hold on to the ground effect, slowing the glider before flaring!!” Good instructions but not to an old and stubborn paragliding pilot who is used to the glider levelling out and slowing, almost by itself.

I thought this guy was kidding as the ground came rushing towards me. I know, “don’t look at the ground look ahead” you are all saying, but when it’s coming that quickly, I can’t help but look. Of course I eased out to slow the glider which is the totally wrong thing to do. The glider went mushy, though holding it I managed to land on the wheels taking yet more skin off my knees. Oh. The first skin having departed immediately prior to a skidding stop into a fresh cow pat at the training hill earlier that day. I’ll wear long trousers tomorrow!

The launching and the flight were fantastic and though I was disappointed with the landing it actually turned out to be one of my better ones. The ones following left me with even less skin on my knees and plenty of practice changing uprights! The adrenaline rush for those few minutes had completely drained me. I felt totally shagged out!

I really thought learning to hang glide would be easy after all my paragliding and felt sure the air time experience accumulated on paragliders must be a help. Now I wasn’t so sure. The step backwards seemed longer than the one forwards.

The weather the following day was good and found me back on the training hill trying to sort out the landing problems. Again in the afternoon we tackled the Grand Vol. This time I was far more relaxed and directly after launch Herve encouraged me into my first 360. The only problem was no one had ever told me how to turn. I referred the brain cells to my bible, ‘Dennis Pagan's Hang Glider Training manual’. Pull in for a bit of speed, roll the wing and then push out a bit, don’t forget to centre yourself. Wow! This really works. “Super” came over the radio, “and try another”. After a few more 360’s I heard Herve telling the instructor on the ground “This pilot is used to flying paragliders so we’ll leave him to it for a while”. This statement preceded my first 30 minutes of hang gliding in thermals. My landing, well that was my entry into the bent aluminium club.

On the next day my personal task was to spend an hour at cloud base. It actually only turned out to be 50 minutes: even the local sail plane pilots couldn’t get over me. My landing, well, more aluminium!! Still a bit dismayed with my landings I had to shelve the hang gliding as work was beckoning, teaching thermalling on paragliders again.

Two weeks later Tony and Rona Web from ‘Lejair’ were out visiting my area and I was lucky enough to find time to fly with them and their group. The first launch with my Pulse 2 glider was from the ramp at Annecy with a flight over the lake to land at their camp site, fortunately in a huge field. I chickened out of a foot landing at the last minute and put the Pulse onto it’s wheels. Not ethical I know but I was down and in one piece. Two days later at my local site of Plaine Joux I introduced Tony and Rona and their team to pure mountain flying. Since then I have managed another 10 flights and have only bent one upright.

Hang gliding for me is a totally new experience and is far more like real flying than paragliding will ever be. However, the training is more complicated but the rewards are special. In the air, quicker decisions need to be made especially when flying with paragliders and hang gliders even at our huge sites. Paragliders appear more like slalom poles that change position as the hang glider completes each 360. Hang gliders are much harder to see especially at the higher speeds. I am finding the hang glider a sensitive machine to fly and the extra glide angle makes the thermalling a little easier, though being able to perform really tight and efficient 360’s will come in time: at present I am not as manoeuvrable in the air as I would like to be. The bit in between the thermals is great: just pull in for speed and zap, you are there!

If you are a paragliding pilot looking for something a little different and perhaps a little more exciting, then try hang gliding. If you don’t try it you’ll never know and please don’t ever complain about the hang gliders on your site until you have tried it. I can’t wait for next summer when the mountain thermals boom once more as there are some potentially good distances to look at in this area. The effort of learning to hang glide was worthwhile as I now have two air sports to play with!

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