0:00:18 > 0:00:20Let's get the latest on the weather forecast now.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Here is Geoff.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Strong winds as well, gusts of...
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0:00:47 > 0:00:50It looks like a great day in the Orchard County of Armagh.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53'Well named -
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'today, more than 4,000 acres of Armagh
0:00:56 > 0:01:00'is dedicated to apple growing, and I'm at one of the orchards today
0:01:00 > 0:01:02'to meet up with Philip Troughton.'
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Philip, looking around, it seems summer's been kind to you.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Is this a normal crop?
0:01:07 > 0:01:09This is a late-flowering variety,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14and it has actually cropped reasonably well. In fact, very well.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18There's really two reasons why we can grow apples in County Armagh,
0:01:18 > 0:01:20why we do grow apples in County Armagh.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21One is tradition -
0:01:21 > 0:01:23there's a tradition of apple growing in the area.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24The other is climate.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27And, because of the influence of Lough Neagh,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31there's a small area between the Rivers Blackwater and Bann,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34where we get slightly less early spring frosts.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And early spring frosts is what totally determines
0:01:38 > 0:01:39how many apples, or what crop we grow.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42So it really is that weather-dependent for you?
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It is totally weather-dependent.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46What way does your season work, then?
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Well, the apples come into flower in May.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51This year, we had a bit of early spring frost,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54which did a certain amount of damage and lessened the crop,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I would say, maybe by 50%.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00But you've come at a particularly nice time of the year,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03when all of these apples are very close to harvest.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05And you can see the crops there are.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Could you do this anywhere else in Northern Ireland?
0:02:14 > 0:02:17There's no apples grown any further north
0:02:17 > 0:02:19than the southern shore of Lough.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24In the UK, there are no apples grown north of Birmingham.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28And we are at a level with Stranraer or southern Scotland,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30so we're probably 200 miles further north
0:02:30 > 0:02:32than apples are grown in the UK.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34So, literally, its own little microclimate?
0:02:34 > 0:02:36It's a very little microclimate,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38which just happens to suit this area.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41You've got quite a lot of land here,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and these aren't the only types of apple you grow.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46In total, we have about 80 acres of orchard on the farm.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49We started off as a Bramley apple grower,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and the variety needs other apples mixed in along with it
0:02:53 > 0:02:54to produce a crop.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57So that allowed us to grow lots and lots of eating apples.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59And also we've planted cider apples.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09How does the weather influence the taste of your apples?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's like everything, Barra. Everything likes sunny weather -
0:03:12 > 0:03:15people, animals, apples, crops.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20The sunshine will increase the sugar levels in apples.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And the increased sugar levels allow us to make cider.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It's the sugars in the apples that make the alcohol.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29These eating apples will be pressed into juice,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and that juice can either be pure apple juice,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36or then it can be blended off and will be made into cider.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39That process takes us about six months.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41There's other by-products. Whenever we make a cider,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44we can change that into apple cider vinegar.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Whenever these apples are pressed,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49the by-product of that is basically dry apple.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52And that we can send for cattle feed.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54That actually increases milk production?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57In a dairy herd, apples will increase milk production.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It would be a bit like the spring flush of grass.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06'If an apple a day does actually keep the doctor away,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08'then I've come to the right place.'
0:04:16 > 0:04:19# Bright, sunshiny day
0:04:19 > 0:04:23# Skies are so blue
0:04:23 > 0:04:25# And I'm leaving... #
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'I've come to the Ulster Gliding Club at Bellarena
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'to meet Alan McKillen
0:04:30 > 0:04:32'and, even though I'm taking to the skies,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34'I won't be in a plane, but a glider -
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'an aircraft that doesn't have an engine,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39'and relies solely on the weather for power.'
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- OK, Barra...- Great. - ..let's put this on.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And, obviously, this is just for emergencies.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49- I'm not going to need this. - Absolutely, totally.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50- There we go.- Brilliant.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58To get off the ground, we need a bit of help.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04There we are, we'll be off in about three seconds.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06One...
0:05:06 > 0:05:08two...
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- three. And that's us... - And we're up! We're up!
0:05:11 > 0:05:14# Sunshiny day
0:05:14 > 0:05:16# Skies are so blue
0:05:16 > 0:05:19# And I'm leaving... #
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- And we are going to go to 3,000 feet today, Barra.- Right. 3,000 feet?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25That's quite high up for something that doesn't have an engine.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27- Well... - THEY LAUGH
0:05:29 > 0:05:33'One way the glider stays in the air is by using a thermal,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35'which is a stream of rising warm air,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38'formed by the sun heating the ground.'
0:05:39 > 0:05:42What do you know to look for at this stage?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46We try and interpret the clouds ahead of us,
0:05:46 > 0:05:50and we'd look for nice, young, wispy clouds,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54which would be an indication of a thermal just starting to grow.
0:05:54 > 0:06:00'And it's a perfect gliding day, with lots of puffy cumulus clouds.'
0:06:00 > 0:06:02And you're kind of in a privileged position,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04because you have all sorts of weather
0:06:04 > 0:06:06coming from different directions that helps you?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09A multitude of different types of weather,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and the skill of a glider pilot is interpreting the weather on the day
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- and making best use of it.- Uh-huh.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18That's what the sport of gliding is all about -
0:06:18 > 0:06:21extracting that awesome amount of energy
0:06:21 > 0:06:23which can be in the atmosphere.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28'It's time to release ourselves from the tug plane and fly solo.'
0:06:28 > 0:06:30OK, off we go.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- Tell me when.- Now.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33CLUNK
0:06:33 > 0:06:37- Whoo! We're doing it ourselves! - That's it. We're on our own.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Wow, look at that. That is beautiful.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48It's the weather now
0:06:48 > 0:06:51that's literally allowing us to fly without an engine.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Absolutely. We are soaring.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Ooh-hoo-hoo!
0:06:59 > 0:07:00It's a bit scary!
0:07:05 > 0:07:07'The flying club is ideally situated
0:07:07 > 0:07:09'at the foothills of Binevenagh Mountain,
0:07:09 > 0:07:14'and Alan is going to use the mountain ridge to gain altitude.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Whoo! Ha-ha!
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Do you want to give me a heart attack?!
0:07:19 > 0:07:20THEY LAUGH
0:07:20 > 0:07:24MUSIC: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Well, that's just a very small taste
0:07:39 > 0:07:42of the energy that can be in the atmosphere, Barra.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This must be how birds feel.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48This is really just harnessing the power of the weather.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Absolutely. That's what soaring and gliding is all about.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59# Cos I'm as free as a bird now
0:08:02 > 0:08:05# And this bird you cannot change... #
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- You really do get a buzz from it, don't you?- Oh, absolutely, Barra.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I've done a 300km flight.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14The buzz when you land, the sense of achievement...
0:08:14 > 0:08:16But I'll maybe come round now
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- and head in the general direction of back towards the airfield.- OK.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21- OK?- OK.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Whoo! Oh, that...
0:08:24 > 0:08:25That's a long way down!
0:08:27 > 0:08:30'The weather might be keeping us airborne,
0:08:30 > 0:08:31'but how do we land this thing?!
0:08:33 > 0:08:34'Oh-ho!
0:08:34 > 0:08:37'Now I know what they mean by "A wing and a prayer".'
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Here we go.- Yeah.- Almost touchdown.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Whoo!
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Wow.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Touchdown!
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Fantastic!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53- And surprisingly smooth. - Oh, thank you.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Didn't know what to expect there.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Thankfully, I didn't need my parachute.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58THEY LAUGH