[damienair]

Hello All,

I am just putting together an idea of organising a weekend over the summer for NMAI members to meet up and do the Malin to Mizen Head flight in one day. Then of course off to the pub for a few pints afterwards. Of course for anyone who fly a CTSW or C42 this is a piece of cake. But I am looking at organising it for anyone who fly's a MW6, Shadows, Thruster TST, Flash II Alpha, Pegasus XL, Quantum, X-Air's etc. Basically Microlights which are over 10 years old and cruise in the 50-60 mph speed range.

It is a flight I plan to do anyway in my Pegasus XL, but I would love to share the flight with as many NMAI members as possible and make a weekend out of it. Of course it is not just for the older slower machines, anyone can take part if interested.

At the moment it is just an idea and I would plan to do it in or around June, perhaps the June Bank Holiday weekend, are any of you interested in joining the treck? It would make a fantastic article for the Flying in Ireland Magazine.

Damien.

[damienair]

Hello Every one,

I was planning to do the Malin to Mizen marathon on the June Bank Holiday weekend. However I have recieved a message from Gerry Snodden in Newtonards. There is a full 3 day long Flyin weekend in Newtonards on that weekend, a 60th Birthday bash for the Airfield. So I will be going to Newtonards instead, just so as to splutter into the airfield and park up beside a Learjet in my XL. Spamfield is seemingly the weekend after that. So we will work on a date over the next few weeks.

I have set up a Facebook page for the NMAI, Just search for ''Irish Microlighting NMAI''. I set this up to promote NMAI and also NMAI meetings and events. I will update it with the position of the NMAI Challenge Trophy and also the Malin to Mizen trip. If I have not already invited you to join, please go on and request to join. I am closing it off to Pilots and security settings are set up as Friends only.

Damien.

[grasshopper]

Its a great idea Damian.
Just like the NMAI cup challange. It is a great way for all newbies to the sport and more seasoned birdmen to join in and enjoy a good long trip in a group without any pressure of time constraints. Lookin forward to it. I don't quite make the 10 year mark but I'm sure my Quantum will fit in nicely. In fact the slower the better. A real site seeing and soaking up the surroundings kind of flight.
It might be a good chance for anyone who would like to know more about the sport - there may be a spare passenger seat or two going if they think they would like to join in.
Why wait until June.

[damienair]

Hello everyone,

Waiting for a bank holiday will be tough, realistically we will need about 3 days for this challenge, does anyone have a problem with taking a day off work and we can therefore just pick a weekend in or around the first weekend in July when we will have the long evenings.

If it suits most people, can I ask you to book Friday the 1st of July off work?

We will plan the Malin to Mizen challenge on the Saturday 2nd of July. Friday to get to the start point and Sunday to return home with sore heads.

If weather does not play ball, then the following weekend will have to do.

What do ye think?

[damienair]

3 Airfields along the intended route have given permission for us to land, have a break and refuel if needs be.
Polish up those two strokes guys.

[damienair]

Just a quick update.

I plan to do it Friday 1st of July, Saturday and Sunday. It will take 3 days, One day to get to the Start point, the task itself, and another day to get home after the trip. However if the weather is not suitable, then we will plan to do the flight on the following weekend. I am going to take the Friday off work, and also the Monday, just incase.

We need to put a date into the calendar though, otherwise something else will be organised and will clash. This has happened twice already. So put the date of the 1st of July into your calendars, book the time off and be flixable enough that if the weather is not suitable the following weekend of the 8th, 9th and 10th of July will have to do instead. It will have to be at the weekend as well, otherwise crews may not be able to take part, with family holidays etc.

Damien.

[damienair]

Not far off now. I have just been looking at the route. For the Saturday we will be looking at a total distance of around 340 miles if flying a straight line, which of course will not happen. Total flying time at a cruise speed of 50 mph should be around 7 hours, but realistically will be a little more. So that should be one serious days flying, and a heck of a lot of blue 2-stroke smoke spluttering and wheezing.

On the Sunday we hope to perhaps fly as a group from the morning to Clonbullogue to join in with the NMAI/Flying in Ireland flyin - we will crack open the bottle of Bubbly plonk there and be hailed as the slow and noisy 2 stroke nob heads which we are so very proud to be.

Can't wait. I'm reading propeller head again, just to get me in the mood, and to hopefully not make Ant's mistakes again.

Damien.

[damienair]

Thank you very much to the following Airfield owners and Club members.

Ruskey Co. Donegal
Tibohine Co. Roscommon
Kevin Glynn's Strip Co. Galway
Rathcoole Airfield Co. Cork
Bantry Airfield Co. Cork

We have been granted to use the strips listed above along the route. We will also have the use of a Hotel in Bantry if any of you do not wish to camp out a second night. Not far away now, start polishing up those two strokes with plenty of ACF50. I will post up contact details soon. Remember this won't be a cometition or a race, but the looser will have to wear a Budgie Smuggler on the Saturday night.

My ride is now completed and pimped to within an inch of it's life, electric starter now, posh or what?



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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNTz0Gi1AwI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seen this link somewhere else. It will give us a flavour of the two strokes preparing to take off for the Malin to Mizen trip. Not quiet London to Paris, but it is 2 hours longer than these guys travelled, but it will be great so long as the Sun Shines and that bastard wind fecks off.

[damienair]

Hello all,

Just two weeks to go now and the only thing we can't plan for is the weather. I would first of all like to thank all the Airfield owners and operators for all their help and assistance in planning this event. As you already know the plan is to run the event over 3 days, starting with flying up to Donegal on the Friday 1st of July. I would plan to organise to meet up with crews travelling up from the South of the country in a central location such as Granard at around lunch time on Friday. From there we can take off together and route up to Ruskey in Co. Donegal from where we will then fly onto the starting point, which is yet to be disclosed. There we will set up camp and prepare for the grueling day ahead of us on Saturday.

On Saturday we will take off at around 7am or before and fly in over Malin Head and make way to Ruskey south of Letterkenny. This will be our first stop off point where we can rest and fuel up. The next route will then take us south to James Morrisroe's strip in Tibohine in Roscommon. At this point we will regroup, refuel, empty our other tanks and rest. From here then we will then takeoff for Kevin Glynn's strip, followed by Croom in Co. Limerick, Rathcoole, Bantry, Mizen Head and back up to Bantry where thanks to great work from James Morrisroe and Denis Connolly we have been granted permission to overnight. Craic and more Craic will take place in Bantry as the strip is close to the town, we can camp here or I will post up info on a B&B later.

On Sunday we will depart early and route for Rathcoole and from here after a rest we will set off for the NMAI/Flying in Ireland Flyin in Clonbullogue, arriving at lunch time.

Details of the strips are as below:

Granard - N53:44:987 W 007:31:996
Contact - Connie Kiernan 086-2632102
Radio : 123.450 Details on page 51 of Kevin Glynn's first Edition Flight Guide.

Ruskey - N 54:50:473 W 007:39:226
Contact - Jon Kilpatrick 087 2547730
Radio : 129.550 Details on page 131 of Kevin Glynns first edition Flight Guide.

Tibohine - N 53:53:014 W 008:29:253
Contact - James Morrisroe 086 2500153
Radio : 123.450 Details on page 147 of Kevin Glynns first edition Flight Guide.

Lurganmore - N 53:11:805 W 008:19:595
Contact - Kevin Glynn 086 6002300
Radio : 123.450 Details on page 113 of Kevin Glynns first edition Flight Guide.

Croom - N 52:31:40 W 008:42:37 - 318m Grass Strip Elevation 80ft Runway Esat/West , Wind sock on Silver Shed.
Contact - Pat Canty
Radio : 123.450

Rathcoole - N 52:06:345 W 008:59:003
Contact - Donal McCarty 087 1264454
Radio : 123.450 Details on page 128 of Kevin Glynns first edition Flight Guide.

Bantry - N 51:40:122 W 009:29:068
Contact - Denis Connolly 086 8127336
Radio : 122.400 Details on page 34 of Kevin Glynns first edition Flight Guide.

It will be up to each individual crew to do your own flight planning and organise fuel with each of the airfield owners along the way. We are doing this as a group, but as we will all get split up along the way you will have to plan the flight yourselves. I will upload my own flight plan at a later date.

Get busy planning, get those maps and calculators out and pray to the weather Gods for 3 good days in a row, you never know , they just might be the 3 best days of the summer.

Damien.

[damienair]

Could anyone interested in taking part in the Malin to Mizen trip please register for it. The exact location of the actual departure airfield will only be given out to the crews whom are registered for the challenge. It also helps plan with stop off's etc.
So if you want to take part please register.

http://www.nmai2.flyer.co.uk/malmiz/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Damien.

[damienair]

Well metcheck are giving winds of over 200 mph for Friday and Saturday, not sure my XL could cope with those winds too well. Today is amazing. I think we can make a call tomorrow evening. Friday looks like it will be ok with light winds from the south. We could try getting down like Henry said to Bantry to start from Mizen head. It will depend on whether or not rain will come in across the country on Saturday, Saturdays winds look a bit stronger at 12 Knots. Fingers crossed.

Weather forecasts are changing every 6 hours, it is very hard to guess, at 7 am this morning it looked like it would be a no go, now it looks possible, however because the winds are Southerly we will have to go from Mizen to Malin. So we will have to arrange to all meet up in Cork on Friday instead. I hope this will be ok with everyone. We will make a call on it tomorrow.

Damien.

[DonalMW]

Well metcheck are giving winds of over 200 mph for Friday and Saturday

Damn......

[damienair]

The predicted winds from a few days ago have died off, meaning that a front which was due to come in over the country on Saturday now will not come over until Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Winds are looking very light for Friday, as in the leaves on the tree's will hardly move, only about 3 to 5 mph. Winds on Saturday and Sunday look to be the same, around 8 to 10 mph, all from the South.

So now my plan is instead of flying to Granard to meet the Southern crowd flying north, I will fly to Granard to meet the Northern Crowd flying South, meet up with you wild northern red necks and fly South to Croome, Rathcoole and Bantry. Overnight in Bantry, then early departure on Saturday, 30 minute flight to Mizen Head and then straight up to Rathcoole, followed by Croome, Lurganmore, Frenchpark , Ruskey , Malin Head and back to Ruskey to give the poor little 462 a good little break and celebrate in style in Donegal.

Another Early departure on Sunday and a flight from Ruskey in Donegal to Granard and then onto Clonbullogue for a civilised lunchtime BBQ at the NMAI/Flying in Ireland Flyin. I hope the 462 will still be in one piece.

Keep those fingers well and truelly crossed.

Damien.

[damienair]

We completed the Mizen to Malin safe and sound. 12 aircraft took part, with 7 aircraft making the Mizen to Malin in one day.

Thanks to all whom took part, thanks to all the Airfield owners and Operators along the way. I will write up a report on the trip soon.

Pictures from my Camera linked below.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1183790520 ... feat=email#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[johnny3star]

Will this event be repeated in 2012 ?
I may well come over and join in.
John M