31.12. - Föhn

Beautiful sunrise/ morning: looking very promising - BUT the fcst predicted a 6mb pressure difference between north and south: meaning 'Föhn'. Although in the morning it looked flyable, during the day the windspeed increased...

¨
...which was clearly visible: no need of going up to the Weisshorn to check by myself ;-)

last flight in 2017

Pix by PeterN: flight from 24.12.17

Cold, but otherwise good conditions for a sledder from Weisshorn to Obersee...

Addendum: according to tonight's fcst, there might be another chance for a flight on 31.12.

...nice XMas present ;-)

24.12. and what a nice XMas present: blue skies, nice wind, smooth air, helpful friends - what else could one wish for a beautiful (winter) flight? Well - of course some thermals, but little chance for that in December  ;-)

first a flight to Arosa

Chicco trying to launch on the 'FIS'-slope...

2nd flight to Chur

Chur: 'Kantonsspital' (regional hospital)  - I prefer this view to a close-up from the inside ;-)

Happy Holidays!!

My best wishes to all of you!

Many great and safe flights in 2018!

I hope to meet you somewhere up at cloudbase ;-)

10.-16.12.17: Pre PWC Porterville (South Africa) - Final results

Nicole (Pampoenfontein launch)

The comp is over and the final results (for 4 tasks) are in:

1. overall: Aaron Durogati (IT)
1. women: NICOLE Fedele  - Congrats!! (25. overall)
 >>> next stop: PWC Superfinal Roldanillo (CO)   > local website)

Pampoenfontein launch (©www.livetrack24.com)

So far, I have not found much information about the unfortunate accident that happened on the last day of the comp.
My thoughts and condolences go to the family and friends of the pilot.

10.-16.12.17: Pre PWC Porterville (South Africa) - Nicole Fedele

Nicole has travelled to ZA, in order to finally participate in a comp again after almost a year of 'absence' from the circuit. Main reason: no competitive glider in her weight range :-(( 
This has now - hopefully! - changed, when she got the E3 (Ozone- Enzo-3) a few weeks ago.

Details about the comp and results: here.

Nicole in Porterville (a few days before the comp)

Next 'stop' then will be Roldanillo (Colombia) for the Superfinal: 10. - 20. January 2018.

AGP -10: Algodonales

Last flying day here in Andalusia - tomorrow I'll have to head back to 'winter'.
And a strange day it was: forcasted was wind out of the North. But when driving upand passing the north launch, there was almost no (north) wind.

North launch

So we continued all the way to the 'levante'-launch: tailwind here :-((  Therefore back to the north launch: for a while weak winds from the proper direction, but nothing really worth launching in. While waiting for the conditions to improve, we saw pilots launch from Levante's south launch, so I hitched a ride back up again ;-) 

Levante: south launch

The wind came in quite niclely from the south so I rather quickly prepared myself and took off; not strong enough for a reverse launch, but good for an easy forward launch.

Pilots gettimg ready on the south launch (at Levante)

It was possible to get about 400m above launch; starting around 200m above launch, a light northerly wind (about 10kmh) could be noticed, But it remained calm with no (lee-) turbulence.

North launch

levante -south

So after yesterday's 'no flight' I could end this trip with a nice and relaxed flight :-))

AGP -9: (Algodonales)

:-((

Although the day looked pretty similar to yesterday, it just didn't 'live up' to the expectations: virtually no wind and an inversion which took quite some time to be heated off.

parawaiting...

In the end pilots started to launch, but just very few managed to get above launch (an E3 among them) and stay up for a bit longer. So I took the shuttle down, not wanting to 'spoil' yesterday's great flight ;-)

just a few made it...

AGP -8: Algodonales -East

more 'S A Y'  

Actually it was even better: nicer, more compact thermals, higher tops, (more pilots...).

Today I've been able to cross over to 'Poniente'-launch.

So I 'll bore you with more pix ;-)

looking towards 'el Gastor', Ronda

lots of  'thermal indicators' flying as well... (Olvera)

Algodonales

Sierra de Lijar

landing at  'Pepe's landing bar'

AGP -8: Algodonales East

S A Y

= Same As Yesterday   ;-)

Algodonales Levante / East (looking towards Olvera)

It started off a little better than yesterday, but then it turned off for a while -at least in the places I was looking for thermals  ;-)

AGP -7: Algodonales

The good weather is back! Like yesterday in Loja I had a good day here in Algodonales.
I flew here first in 2000 and since than have visited the site a few times, but always without flying due to wx/ wind conditions.
I'm staying with 'CIVA', a local PG operator, which also offers lodging: So far everything is ok, apart from the (unusual) coldness during the night, for which Andalusian homes are not really made;-)
But in the afternoon: T-shirt weather (or for the English: even without).

Parawaiting...

...until finally somebody is airborne.

Est (keft side) and South launch(es)

looking East towards Olvera

LZ

someone with the right idea!

Addendum: the restaurant, where I went for dinner, had a nice and cosy fireplace. In fact it was so 'warm', that I couldn't sit at the table closest to the fire...

'el Cortjio'

AGP -6: Loja

Fianlly a day where everything worked out well: sunny skies, 'good' wind, mellow thermals and nice company! All, that we have been looking/ hoping for the whole last week. Well, no complaints about the company though ;-)

When we arrived on Loja's east launch, the wind was still rather strong, but the forcast said it should get weaker duing the day. After waiting a while a local tandempilot and his passengers showed up. I had met Rafa already a few years ago, while flying Lojy-Poniente (the west side). He could  even remember that at that time he had recommeded I'd go to Rio Frio and have trout (the local speciality) for dinner...

Rafa and his pax

Finally the wind had died down enough also for me and I could launch.

the city of 'Loja'

Andy and the Sierra Nevada

looking back to launch

nice, large LZ

After about  45mins of flight the wind started turning south and I also got cold hands, so I landed.
Rafa had offered to drive Andy back to launch, so that he could retrive our car - many thank!!
Later we had 'lunch' together in Loja. As this was Andy's last flyiing day, I dropped him off in Torremolinos, from where he'll be going to the airport tomorrw. I continued to Algodonales, where I'll stay until next Saturday; Rafa had told me, that the fcst is not looking too bad ;-)

AGP -5: Padul (Escuzar, Loja-east)

Again very hard to 'read the wind': most apps forcasted something like N or NE, so we decided to drive towards Granada again.
Padul looked flyable, so we stopped there first. But the windspeed was much lower than anticipated, so nothing else than straight 'top-to-bottom' for me :-((

Next stop: Escuzar (where Andy flew yesterday): little wind, very cross  so I didn't even attempt a sledder.

We then continued towards Loja: the east face of the Sierra de Loja looked flyable and Andy had a relatively good flight, even with some thermals.

...that's how the wind sock is supposed to look...

Loja -east: pano looking towards Granada/ Sierra Nevada

So after Andy's flight we drove up again.

Very nicely groomed launch!

...and that's how it looked when I was ready...

 So after about 15mins waiting/ hoping for head wind, we quit and drove down again.