edwardc

Those damned Frenchies, what evil will they come up with next!!! Eddie

Nobody told me when I volunteered for this mission into occupied France that I would not be able to talk about football for a week, there is only so much torture a man can take!!!!!!!!!!!

Simon Would love to help but not sure how, four of the 'fodder five' are in 1 car and Ken is flying out! Eddie

As well as my Training blog I am going to keep a Diary of the course as I see it from the students point of view. I am a latecomer to this course so if any of the info is not correct please let me know. To the best of my knowledge, having only met Dave (COGGIE49), the details of the 'fodder five' are as follows: Me-Eddie (EDWARDC) 2 flights/ 1 broken prop/1 damaged ankle/1 tip steerer eaten by prop. Own kit of Revo 30 and PAP1250 which I will be taking to France. Dave (COGGIE49) Done some ground handling/ Has own wing (ex T2T wing) that he is taking. Tim (TIMM9227) Tried ground handling once/ got own wing and motor that he will be taking. Ken (TOGSIE) Done 1 flight/got own wing and motor that he is taking. Niel (WODENS) To the best of my knowledge Neil has never even seen a real Paramotor! Should be very interesting with the mixed crew that we have. I will try to update all the info I can (positive and negative) daily from France from 21st March when we arrive. Looking forward to a great time and hope Norman can arrange some really good weather!. Eddie

I am never ever going to go to Spain now!. Eddie

Norman Managed to work out who the 'flying five' are from your picture and using incredible deductive skills akin to Sherlock Holmes himself! They are: Biggles, Ginger, Algie, Bertie and Pete B. The Woman with them is obviously Worrals!. ps.some people may need to google Captain W.E,Johns at this point........ Eddie

Tim I am sure we will be able to find you a tall tree in France! Eddie

Now I have Biggles in my training blog, not sure that I am going to be able to get all these characters in!

Ready to use Ginger beer and Ham rolls for a jolly spiffing jape, I am sure this started as a 'famous Five' story! I will have to change the title to 'Five look for the force' See you in France Pete where I expect you to be a Jedi Paramotorist!. chapter 2 will be 'Fodder five meet up' Looking forward to chapter 3 'Fodder five meet the Flying five'! May the force (and Ginger beer) be with you Eddie

You must have more spare time than me Padawan Pete! Eddie skywalker

Dave In the next instalment two of the Fodder five meet for the first time!!! Eddie

Prologue Before I start my story I need to clarify a few things. Firstly, for legal reasons this group will not be called the 'famous five' they will be called the 'fodder five'. Secondly, in the Enid Blyton books Tim was a dog, in this story he is'nt! The 'five' will be Eddie, Neil, Dave, Ken and Tim. The great leader cannot be named (once again for legal reasons) so for the purpose of this book he will be known as 'Big Norm'. Big norm has 5 Padawans being trained to be Jedi paramotorists and pass on the 'force' to others in an unselfish manner (and for money). The identity of the 5 Padawans must remain a secret until they become Jedis (hopefully on or before 21st March!). I know that the Famous Five were'nt in Star Wars but it is my story! The story starts with Eddie Skywalker (not his real surname but an appropriate one nonetheless!). After many years as a skydiver the time had come to hang up his jump suit and look for another spiffing good sport to take up, and after watching a crazy inventor and a Bear flying higher than Mount Everest (not hard because Mount Everest can'y fly) He decided that this was the sport for him. After all, it must be better than all the waiting around for a weather window when he was skydiving!! So he packed himself some Ginger Beer and Ham rolls and set off to see the Jedi master Simon Wan Kanobi known as SW an the planet Tatooine!! sorry got carried away, I meant at the flagpole, where he was taken under SW's wing to learn the not so ancient art of Paramotoring. After several days playing with a big kite he was cast into the air to fend for himself and after a succesful flight felt that he had found his sport and so it was with a lot of confidence he tried a no wind launch in a ploughed field and had to take a break for 2 months. both to recover from a damaged ankle and to play with his new long thin jigsaw puzzle that used to be a propellor! On his recovery he tried another no wind forward launch and found that his new propellor had to be fed a tip steerer just to get him in the air! It was at this point that he saw a message from Big Norm that would give him the chance to join the 'Fodder Five' which he did immediately, and so the story begins.................................... to be continued

Still not sure I like being called 'fodder!' LOL Really looking forward to this intensive training week. Please note that I will be 'critiquing' the course and reporting to the Headteacher (Norman) directly! LOL Cheers Eddie

Thanks Pete Would need to sort out flights which is'nt looking easy, need to be back for very important meal on the Saturday night which is putting a spanner in the works at the moment! Eddie

Looks like I may have got a vacant slot on this trip so is there anyone driving and wants to share as I have kit to take? I will be needing to get there on the 21st March along with all the other 'students' but need to be back on the 28th at a reasonable time!. If anybody can help please let me know as it is getting close now. Regards Eddie

I work in Aylesbury so I am always up here. There are a few places to fly from up here (when we both get a bit more experience) but really need to get down to Lambourn and put some time in. unfortunately it sounds like the flagpole is unreachable at the moment so I am not sure what is happening. I am sure Dan or Pete will let us know if the flagpole becomes reachable. Eddie

You are right about that Frazer. Bit painfull watching someone fly past your place of work and you can't get away to join them though! Eddie

Saw a red/blue wing paramotoring West of Aylesbury today at 1pm, thought it might be Gavin/Tony flying out of the Aylesbury site but nobody there when arrived! Gavin/Tony are you flying from there at the moment? Who was it enjoying a lovely Friday pm flight? Cheers Eddie

Hi Simon If you are in Faringdon you are only 25 minutes from the flagpole at Lambourn. Keep your eye on this forum or ask Pete B if there is any flying on Saturday. Hoping to get down myself but I only have Sunday available. Cheers Eddie

Hi Leo I know nothing about the finances of the NATS but there is a difference between people being paid for their time and making a profit! I would guess that the some of the people involved are being paid and that there are costs to deal with (as there always are) so the money raised is being used in full so there is no profit left. Cheers Eddie

On board CCTV now thats an idea we missed LOL!!!!!

I would like to thank all the contributors to this thread and I am sure you are all dying to know what I decided in the end. I marked the tank as per Gordons stencil and bought a mirror on a retractable line! Thanks again Eddie

Hi Ed and welcome to our forum. I am sure your help will be more than welcome and one of the planners will no doubt come on and say the same. If not, please bear with us as Simon Westmore (the main man on this trip) is away with the skycar expidition until !st March which you will find on another thread. Thanks again Regards Eddie

Thinking of taking the day off and joining you! Will keep an eye on the weather and make a decision tomorrow night. Party time. Eddie

Panic over! Just found the copy I printed out of 'AIR LAW' by Les Cowling. Cheers Eddie