How a fly flies

or the direct link:

http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_dickinson_how_a_fly_flies.html

Spain (Malaga) -8: last day: (again) no flight

So my visit to Malaga -Valle de Abdalajis- is (already) almost over: I'll be flying home tomorrow.
Today -as was to be expected by the forecasts- turned out to be another beautiful day with mild temperatures, blue skies and unfortunately also with almost no wind at all. So even by driving around the whole afternoon: first to Loja, then to la Capilla and finally to Poniente I was unable to make a flight.
Only in la Capilla a few Pilots with high performance gliders (Ozone EnZo and so) managed to stay up for longer...

Poniente -intermediate LZ

But all in all it was a very pleasant stay here in Andalucia: meeting old friends (Giacco, Rolfito), making some new ones (José, Pepe, Raffa), visiting some amazing places (Cordoba, Setenil) and getting away from the cold and rain/ snow at home.

Spain (Malaga) -7: Abdalajis (no flight)

Very strange day today: in the morning it was overcast and it looked as it would be raining later in the day. Then slowly the clouds were replaced by blue sky and it turned into a nice day.
But where to fly? The winds were weak from 'nowhere': so I started in 'Levante' - no luck; then I drove over to 'Poniente': almost no wind again...

'Poniente', looking NW

So I decided to head for 'la capilla': here many cars/ pilots were waiting. Again very little wind. Some pilots with high-end gliders managed to stay up, the 'rest of us' (para)waited or sunk out. While waiting, I could see, that 2 gliders had managed to climb out in 'Poniente...

la Capilla

Spain (Malaga) - 6: Algodonales (no flight)

Already a few days ago Rolfito (www.andalusien-erleben.com/) had offered to drive me to Algodonales on Friday. In 'Algo' (as we call it) it's quite a drive from the village/ LZ to the TO's, so it's preferable to have a driver, even though it would possible to top land in the right conditions. 
On the way there we passed the 'Sierra de Aguas' and the 'Sierra de la Nieve' and crossed over the 'Puerta dos Ventos' (1190m/asl)

Puerta dos Ventos: looking West towards Ronda

Puerta dos Ventos: looking East towards la Capilla (in background)

In Algo we found lots of pilots on the east TO waiting for conditions to turn on.

But the wind slowly turned south and then south-west. So instead of waiting on the SW-TO, we drove into Algo to have a short lunch.

Church in Algodonales

About 2 hours later we saw some gliders flying and drove back up to launch again, but unfortunately (or luckily), the wind speed in the mean time had increased beyond my launch capabilities. After watching the other pilots flying for a few moments we realized quickly, that also in the air the wind had become very strong, that some of them were not penetrating at all anymore (if not flying backwards) and that they were trying to get down... 

So we started heading back towards Abdalajis. On the way we stopped at Setenil, a very typical Andalusian village with its narrow alleys.

Setenil

A unique feature here are the 'cave restaurants/ shops' digged into the overhang.

Setenil: "Cuevas del sol y de la Ombra"

Spain (Malaga) - 6: Valle de Abdalajis

As forecasted, the winds have switched from 'poniente' (NW, N) to 'levante' (S, SW), which made flying in Abdalajis (levante) possible. Conditions have been extremley smooth, though not very strong, so I couldn't climb very high (only about 330m above TO)...

TO is in the left turn of the road (center)

TO, top-landable

Valle de Abdalajis

Spain (Malaga) -5: Loja

Today's forecast was again for 'poniente' (NW-N), which should have been good for flying in Loja. Unfortunately the wind was way too weak, so after waiting (and hoping) 1.5hrs for the windspeed to increase, Pepe -the ferroviar, Raffa and I finall launched for a short sledder. They landed at the LZ near the highway, I made it into Loja, where my car was parked. So I picked them up there and drove to launch together with Raffa, so he could bring down the club's 'furgoneta'.
While driving up, he recommeded to have trout (a local speciality) for dinner in 'Riofrio' at the Meson Raimundo. Thanks guys for a pleasant afternoon! - even without much flying.

Now the wind should switch to 'levante' (S, SW) , so hopefuly VdA Levante and Algodonales should become flyable...

Pepe

Raffa

LZ at highway entrance

Loja

LZ in Loja

Spain (Malaga) -4: Antequera / Cordoba (no flights)

Antequera Golf

The last 2 days I didn't fly: yesterday I went golfing in Antequera. A nice course, though with Par 72 a little long and tough for me. Afterwards I drove to Teba, but the wind was a little cross and too weak, so I didn't fly there. On the way back to VdA I passed 'la Capilla': here flying would have been possible...

la Mezquita

Today then, together with Rolfito, I drove to 'Cordoba' for some sightseeing. The old cathedral (la Mezquita) is a MUST visit! It's a marvelous masterpiece of Moorisch architecture.

 

Patio of a restaurant

On the way back we saw many pilots flying at 'la Capilla', but I could 'resist' ;-)
Instead we had dinner of the terrace of his villa and enjoyed a beautiful sunset.

Spain (Malaga) - 3: Loja

Actually I had planned to fly im 'Cenes de la Vega' today, as yesterday a pilot I met on 'la Capilla' told me she would notify me at what time to meet at the LZ in Cenes in order to get a ride to launch - but I never got such a message :-((

Luckily on my way to Cenes I passed 'Loja' and as I didn't have any pictures of the LZ in 'Venta del Roya' I decided to have a look there.
Here I met José from the local flying club (Club de Vuelo Libre de Loja). In his good english he gave me all the info I needed to find the meeting point in the city. He later also sent me a SMS confirming the meeting time. (José: muchas gracias por todo!)

Irma, ?, José, Miguel?

About 11 pilots rode in the club's minibus to TO, where already some pilots were flying.
It's most probably the best cared TO's I've seen here in Andalucia: all stones have been cleared away and there is space to lay out at least half a dozen gliders - top-landing is also possible due to the size of the cleared area.

It seems to be a site with lots of potential; especially with some thermal activity big flights should be possible. Today no thermals, but absolutely laminar wind.

huge LZ in 'Venta del Roya'

While the sun set over the LZ, on the of the sierra pilots were still soaring...

Spain (Malaga) - 2: Valle de Abdalajis

View from Rolfiro's house towards VdA and the Sierra

Valle de Abdalajis

Today I again flew in 'la Capilla' on the north side of the Sierra.

Another nice flight, though thermal activity was a little weaker than yesterday.

TO in 'la Capilla'

Spain (Malaga) - 1: Valle de Abdalajis

On Friday I flew to Malaga (AGP). As luck would have it, one of the 'old' copilots I flew with when I was sitll with Swissair/ Swiss, now himself a captain was PiC of the flight and so I got invited to the cockpit for cruise and landing.  Many thanks Heiri!!

Already in late afternoon I was able to fly for almost an hour in 'la Capilla' and I toplanded just shortly before sunset.

I'm staying with my old friend Rolfito, who is now permanently living in Abdalajis (VdA); check out his homepage: http://www.andalusien-erleben.com/