Monday 2 April 2012

Reach for the Sky!


Another Saturday along our coast, but today a different mode of transport and a new angle on things -;)
Finally i got up for my Microlight flight from here at East Fortune,  a present from friends for my 40th Birthday last year.
I flew in the expert hands of Chief Flying Instructor Gordon of  EAST OF SCOTLAND Microlights which is the longest established School and club in Scotland. With 25 years flying experience Gordon has been flying from East Fortune since 1990.
With  an hour and a half flying i was in for a treat as we flew east to Tyninghame then followed the coast west all the way to Edinburgh where we headed inland to wards Pencaitland, returning over the Garlton Hills and with time to spare did two touch and go landings then climbing high we did a jaw dropping engine off corkscrew to a perfect smooth landing...

All i can say is it was absolutely amazing and within a few minutes after take off and feeling a bit nervous, with no sides and a view straight down from up to 1900 feet and the odd bit of turbulence, i soon felt comfortable and safe and loved it!.
I have read so much about flight with my interest in WW2 and the microlight gives that feeling of exposure and flight from such a small machine, that i can also relate  to having ridden motorcycles and driving when i have been in friend Toms Pembleton 3 wheeler car, a slight feeling of exposure and uncertainty mixed with excitement and  freedom...

Saturdays weather was ideal with sunshine and clouds which reflected on the sea as we flew up the coast.
A fresh easterly pushed waves onto the coast  i ride nearly every weekend and to see our coast from the air was fantastic.
For 4 years i have posted pics of our East Lothian coast on here from when cycling or on foot, and also lately images from Google Earth.
And now here is a few of many pictures i snapped of some of our coast from the air...

Gordons  QuikR 912s ...




100 BHP Rotax motor. two ignition systems which can work independently, liquid cooled heads, air cooled barrels...




Up and away and soon out to the coast at the Tyne estuary at Tyninghame...



To our right the town of  Dunbar...


Below...




Spike Island, John Muir Park...



Hedderwick Sands...


Peffersands...



Carr Rocks...


Seacliff...



Tantallon castle...



The Bass Rock...






North Berwick...



 Fidra Island...



Broadsands (Yellow Craig)...




Freshwater Haven...



Gullane...




 Gullane Point...





Aberlady Bay...









Kilspindie...


Gosford bay...


Kilspindie, Peffer Estuary, Aberlady Bay...


Longniddry...


Cockenzie




River Esk Estuary...


Portobello...


Edinburgh...



Lieth Docks...


Arthur`s Seat...


Pentland Hills...


A1, East Lothian...


Garlton Monument...


Athelstaneford...


East Fortune...


Museum of Flight...



All the pictures taken can be viewed as a slide show by clicking here...

Or browse through by clicking here

I did film the flight, The Go Pro worked fine, everything is a lot smaller in the film, giving the impression of being a lot higher than we were, due to the fish eye lens.
In this highlights film there is a some of the coast from Tyninghame to Aberlady Bay,
I cannot thank some brilliant friends enough for this! -:)

click on 720p to view in HD

Big views need a big tune,

Song is `Dayvan Cowboy` by Boards of Canada






And the full flight edited to 45 minutes (no music, reduced sound)






7 comments:

  1. Fan-tastic !

    Great post :o) Thanks for sharing.

    D.

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  2. Amazing flight Dave, you owe it to yourself to go up -:)

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  3. 2nd the thanks for sharing. What a wonderful experience, you got a great day for it. I enjoyed the article in Singletrack - your are going to be inundated with fat tyre bikes criss crossing the 'Bay.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Nothing like it, cracking pics

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