Perfect PSS conditions enjoyed at the Lleyn MAC event

Andy Meade reports from the Lleyn Peninsula event 29th/30th June 2019

As I write this nearly one week later, the redness from the weekends sun-and-wind burn is nearly gone from my face!  In the week leading up to the event, XCWeather seemed to settle upon a great forecast, with Saturday looking the lighter of the two days, but with Sunday predicted to be outstanding.  Cars (and trailers!) were loaded in anticipation of a legendary flying weekend, and PSS pilots from around the country (and indeed overseas!) made their annual pilgrimage to the Lleyn Peninsula.

Saturday morning saw an overcast start, with sea mist hiding Bardsey Island from view on the Westerly facing Anne’s Farm slope, but a steady 10 to 12 mph wind was coming up the slope face to keep our aircraft aloft.  Of course in this wind, the lighter loaded airframes were the name of the game, and these days most pilots have something to cover all eventualities ensuring the PSS fun doesn’t end if the wind drops.

Peter Garsden pushed out his lightweight Vulcan (Ian Benson) and Andy Blackburn-designed Canberra, both well suited to these conditions.  A few sport models and electric assist gliders were also launched, but we shan’t mention them too much here!  The diminutive Alpha Jets, converted from a chuck glider to R/C also found these conditions ideal – Messrs Phil Cooke, Harry Twist, Chris Barlow and Al Gorham – a few of the pilots putting these lightweight foamies to good use when the gentle lift dictates!

Speaking of foam, Tim Mackey also found the lift more than adequate for his Hobbyking DH Vampire – an EDF machine converted for slope use with the removal of it’s noise-maker.  This aircraft never looks like it’s going to get going that well in my eyes, but it always climbs away well and is flown with gusto by Tim.

Phil’s orange Jet Provost – always a fine light wind performer – was given the heave-ho into the less than ideal lift, gaining enough height at times for a few spirited aeros.  I saw this as a sign that my Sea Hawk should be able to stay up, but alas something had moved or changed since I last flew her on the Bwlch in May, and I was gifted a strenuous walk / climb down the hill to a patch of bracken to retrieve the model.  It certainly added to my exercise for the day – my Fitbit watch having recorded 44 flights of stairs to get it!

Tom Cooke had recently finished a lovely rendition of the Canberra (again the Blackburn design) and following a range check everything seemed good for a maiden.  Steve McLarens’ steady launch out saw it making the most of the light conditions, if a little tail heavy.  This was remedied with a bit more nose weight after a dozen minute’s of air time; this made all the difference to the controls and the aircraft looked a lot happier with its “sit” in the air.

We were always mindful of the wind eventually veering around to have more South in it, and as has been the case in the past on the Westerley Anne’s slope, the wind felt good but the lift became sadly lacking.  A 7 minute walk along the coastal path to the South Westerly facing slopes up past the trig point proved that really, the wind was coming from that direction and after Phil Cooke had successfully tested the lift with his Jet Provost, it was deemed the group move should happen en mass..

As soon as pilots moved slopes, launches were occurring every few minutes, and so more Jet Provosts were airborne, as well as Canberras and Magisters.  Through the afternoon the lift was building slowly, enabling more heavily loaded types to get away without a worry.  As the afternoon turned to the evening, a gathering at the pub became more prominent in people’s minds, and so models were slowly transferred back to the cars in between flights, until eventually there were none left and the pub beckoned – a good evening meal and a few beers were enjoyed by all at The Ship in Llanbedrog.

Sunday dawned with the promised winds, and again the initial flying was performed on the closer Anne’s West slope, where JP’s and Hurricanes were quickly launched.  Steve Howard put on a spritely demonstration with his NA Mustang originally built by Alan Hulme and still going strong after recent renovation.  As time went on – it became evident that the models transit from right to left was noticeably slower than left to right, showing us early on that the wind was more the forecast direction, and that we should de-camp early on for the SW slope past the trig point again.

This time the heavier models came out to play, and a steady stream of pilots and helpers were transferring the bigger stuff to the pits area.  Now we were in for a real treat – the SW wind was in the high 20’s by 10am and growing steadily!

Steve McLaren put in a great display with his small Folland Gnat, built and modified from the Alan Hulme plan – a very fast model that looks just so right on the slope.  I know a couple more of these vintage jet models are close to completion, great testament to the original design and to Steve’s flying that it is encouraging other pilots to try one out themselves.

Other models seen to take to the air in the early session was a red and white F-15 Eagle, a Catalina, a Hawker Hunter, a few Spitfires of varying scales and marks, as well as four more Jet Provosts – still a ‘go-to’ model all these years after the first mass build.  Alan Jones launched his old and faithful Aermacchi MB-339 into the strengthening wind, putting on a fine display and showing the non-locals how to land on the spot.  I launched Tim’s lightweight EPP Airbus A380 which is a very graceful flier, but I think Tim admitted to the wind maybe being a bit too much for this stately lady to enable him to show off her best angles at lower altitudes.

Dirk Tinck, who had made a 14 hour trip to be with us all the way from Belgium flew his lovely Russian two seat Hurricane, a past event winner with the PSSA. Dirk reported having had some trying times travelling to PSS events on mainland Europe with no wind recently, so it was great to see his time well spent this weekend in fantastic coastal lift.  Dirk also brought along his peerless O/D Fouga Magister – a fantastic moulded scratch build that never fails to impress.  A number of jet like, super stable passes from the back of the slope had everyone applauding his design and piloting skills.

More JP and Hurricanes from other pilots were flown well in the energetic air, including those by Chris Barlow, Steve McLaren, Harry Twist, Phil Cooke, Tom Cooke, Bob Jennings and John Hey – as mentioned before, a great testament to the mass build ideology that these will be sturdy aircraft for seasons to come.

Speaking of a mass build, Martin Gay and Gordon Studley (above Left) flew their 2020 mass build F-86 Sabre prototype in the afternoon.  Now in it’s final RAF livery (seen previously at the Bwlch in base colour), the pair had set the model up with a buddy-box, so that aspiring mass builders could try before they buy!  All pilots agreed that this new design was a joy to fly with great energy retention in the turns and well balanced on the controls.  More news on the 2020 mass build will be announced very soon!

I managed to fly my new Mk 9 Spitfire, with a great launch as always by Tim Mackey.  It felt at home straight away, even though it’s 12lb AUW worried me a bit at first, which just goes to show that a big wing can get away with a lot of weight behind it (or over, in this case).  My large Hawker Typhoon (below right) also had a second and third flight, the conditions suiting her very well.

Alan Gorham maidened a smaller F-86 Sabre converted from the old E-Flite EDF kit that went very indeed – for a model of around 2lb weight in the now 30mph+ winds, it made no fuss about getting away and pushed up and out easily, Al feeling at home on the controls very quickly.

Throughout the day the skies cleared from being slightly overcast to bright blue, with eventually no clouds to be seen, the sea reflecting the bright sunlight with twinkling silver wave tops – a stunning backdrop for the remainder of our PSS event.  This is always the memory I have of our events at the Lleyn – the seas stretching away to the horizon, pilots being buffeted by the warm wind and us all being kept laughing by the banter of camaraderie.  It’s a very special place.

Before lunch on Sunday pilots had been asked to vote for their favourite models in three categories, the results were totalled up and declared by 2:30pm on the Sunday before anyone considered leaving for home – the results were as follows :

Best flown Piston powered aircraft :  Andy Meade  / Hawker Typhoon

Best flown Jet powered aircraft :  Martin Gay & Gordon Studley / NA F-86 Sabre

Model of the Event :  Dirk Tinck / Fouga Magister

After the prize giving a group photo was captured (see title image taken by Shona Meade) and then the flying continued until early evening – the conditions remained perfect with 35-40mph winds and blue skies until sunset – we really were blessed!  The conditions were well suited to some of the heavier loaded models which thrived in the superb lift on tap – A-4 Skyhawks by Phil Cooke and Bob Jennings (below right) put in a number of high octane flights, and there were more missions flown by Hurricanes and Spitfires too!  A brilliant end to a superb weekends soaring.

A full collection of photographs captured at this memorable weekends event can be seen HERE.

It’s six weeks now until we return to the Great Orme in Llandudno again, let’s hope the rest of the season continues to be as good or better than this truly outstanding weekend.  Hopefully our foreheads will have recovered by then!