An Epic Year of Adventure

A personal look back on 2011. The year I became the proud owner of an ASW20 and the Flying Shark was born. Together we shared some brilliant adventures, covering a good few cross country kilometers, soaring to dizzy heights in wave and smoking our fair share of ridges. My cheesy grin is just as big as M5's.

Looking forward to what 2012 has in store! Happy new year

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• epic
• soaring
• Alps
• coast
• cliffs
• low flying
• wave
• gliding
• La Motte Du Caire
• North Hill
• Nympsfield
• Portmoak
• Talgarth Adventure

[jschoofs]

Already looking forward to the new vids you will be posting. That glider seems to be going quite fast at times. Any idea of the max speed you have been doing in it?

Happy 2012 and thanks for sharing your amazing flights with us!

[Balleka]

@jschoofs Thanks the fastest bits of ridge smoking were probably in the region of 130kts I seem to remember.

[handthrottle]

Hi Balleka

Have been watching your awesome Gliding vids for months now and have always been wondering 'Who is this man' 'What does he do for a living'. Have you a link to your 'blog'

TC

[Balleka]

@handthrottle Hi TC, glad you like the videos. I'm just a dude who loves gliding and has a couple of cameras to try and capture the fun, I don't have a blog (yet?) and I fly freight when I have to go to work. Happy soaring. Matt

[terrymcelligott]

Magnificent stuff! Can you make the videos available on mobiles / iPads as well?

[Balleka]

@terrymcelligott I think it's blocked on those because of the music, sorry.

[Balleka]

@YMBatal Thanks. La Motte du Caire is in the French Alps, the rest are in the UK. North Hill is the home of Devon and Somerset Gliding Club, Nympsfield is the Bristol and  Gloucestershire Gliding Club, Portmoak is The Scottish Gliding Union and Talgarth is in Wales and home to the Black Mountains Gliding Club.

[justatubeyou]

Incredibly stunning scenery! How many years of gliding experience do you have? My recent interests in hang gliding lead me to your videos. Have you ever hang glided?

Thanks so much for sharing!

[WetpantsMcGee]

Balleka,

I both hate you and love you. Your videos are something to be admired and despised. Jealously is probably a common word in your reviews. Regardless, keep doing what you're doing and I will be there to add my thumbs up.

[georgwilckens]

First time I see an artificial horizon in a glider, nice. :-)

[davidswelt]

Nice to see good old Portmoak in a great video. I miss Scotland (not this time of the year though)!

[Balleka]

@stefanodivi73 Contour HD, Sony HDR12, Final Cut

[JimBeam661]

What happens at 1:24? It lokks like the wing is leaving.

[passeurtsi]

Great video, I've been watching it countless times!! Do you plan releasing a video about your year 2011 flying freighters ( An epic year of work? :D)

Happy flights!!

[kantiano]

Oceans apart, my gratitude for sharing those moments. Kudos from Patagonia!