08/02/2007 by Murray Hay.

Copy of the article printed in the Sunday Post 4th Feb 2007, the picture is of Alan Coffin shortly after take off at East Lomond on a warm  January ‘SW’ day.

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08/02/2007 by Murray Hay.

Thanks to Ali for pictures of Joe and shooting pics of myself flying down from the high take off (on the ESP club website).

Joe about to turn right on to the approach to landing.

Ali, Joe and the boxers at the ‘low’ take off with the car park in the background (next the small wood)

Shot from the Vertex G-BZVI Looking back down at the landing area & car park, taken over the main wood looking NW.

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08/02/2007 by Joe Smith.

A great day out in the ‘big hills’ with Murray Hay and Ali Duncan. Interesting, albeit totally uselss, information is that Schehallion was used in 1774 to measure the mass of the earth by taking measurements at various points of how much a pendulum was deflected from the vertical by the mass of the hill. These measurements when plotted and the points at the same altitudes joined gave rise to what we now know as O.S contour maps.

In the top left you should just be able to make out Murray heading towards landing site in front of the main carpark. Despite the conditions being rather on the light side for soaring and- other than relieving the odd itch inside the boxer shorts- didn’t show much in the way of decent thermal activity it was a really good day.  If you are planning to do the hill then its worth noting that the top 1/3rd is extrememly rocky with the summit consisting of a large bouldery ridge with very few options for decent take of. The best chances are probably on the lower half just about where the old path meets the ridge and most suitable for a N/Ne wind. NN 735 545.

The main car park is run by the forestry commission and is a popular picnic spot for walkers and tourists alike in the summer weekends. So I’d advise getting there early in peak season. Being the middle of winter and midweek however, I guess we were fortunate that there was only one other car in the car park and only one other walker on the hill. Rumour has it that he bumped into Murray on the way up and was last seen bimbling of down the ridge muttering like a demented Dalek: ” I must not join the BHPA….I must not joint the BHPA….”

Right I’m of to practice my nwxbdbrlfol* take of. Have fun.

Joe Smith

*(nil wind x brake double bounce reverse launch fall over laughing)

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