US'22 (30.8.) - Golden / Boulder

Due to the jetlag (8 hours time difference to ZRH), we had no problems getting up. After a sumptous breakfast 'American style' we headed for our first flying site: Lookout at Golden.

'Breakfast in America' (Stacy / Andy)

Golden/ LookoutMtn

Lookout: launch

I could make 2 flights a Lookout: the first lasting about 20', as we have been a bit too early. The launch is hike-up from the road in the picture (a good 20' for me). Andy drove the car back down, so Stacy could also make a flight.

My 2nd flight lasted 1h20' - but could have been extended at will; nice thermals, though landing has been quite tricky due to thermal activity. Andy had a problem with his harness, so he tried to topland. We didn't know this so we assumed he was attempting this just for fun and the camera ;-)

Andy trying to topland (due to a problem with his harness)...

After these 2 flights we did some shopping and I finally got my AT&T SIM-card. When I wanted to buy the SIM yesterday, I had been told that my iPhone 5s wouldn't work anymore in the AT&T network :-(  To get a replacement -which wasn't locked- proved to be a bit of a problem, as most shops (except the Apple store) are selling iPhone only together with 'a plan' (and thus locked)...

Granger, a contact Stacy has in Boulder, had suggested we'd come up for a possible evening 'glass off' flight. Conditions would have been good, but we arrived a bit too late on launch (again a hike-to site), so all three of us had just a sledder (not even 'extended') - Granger took the car back down - thanks!

Actually Granger had started paragliding 34 years ago in Vaduz/ Triesenberg...

I have been the last to launch, just as the wind was about to turn catabatic: I don't think that with another wind than my Leeloo I would have attempted to make the launch in these conditions. At the LZ, the wind direction was cleary catabatic...

Boulder

Boulder LZ

The LZ in Boulder (the right part of the nice green field in the picture) is on of the nicest LZs I know: very large, obstacle free and a lawn like a fairway on a golf course.

After more shopping (ingredients for my breakfast) we had dinner and then drove back to our Motel at Lakewood. Here Stacy could contact Jeff, who suggested to come down next morning for a possible flight off Mt.Princton...

US'22 (29.8.) - Travel

Monday: finally the 'great day' - departing together with Andy for DEN (CO) :-))

Due to a traffic jam on the highway to the airport, Andy got there rather late; I had been more lucky, as we didn't take the highway, but drove via Effretikon-Nürensdorf-Kloten... The EDW Airbus A340 departed with a small delay (due to heavy traffic over Europe), but after a pretty smooth and uneventful flight we arrived at DEN just aboit 10 minutes behind schedule, where Stacy has been waiting for us.

ready for departure: LSZH Rwy16 - A320 landing on RWY14

Climb-out over LSZH/ ZRH: below Dock E, where we had boarded.

somewhere over Canada...

KDEN/ DEN

actual route flown...

about to touch down after 10h20'

US'22 - 'the plan'

Presently I'm in the final stages of planning 'my' trip to the US :-)) 

I'll be leaving home on 29.8. together with my good friend Andy; flying Edelweiss (EDW) from ZRH non-stop to DEN. In Denver our friend and guide Stacy (at least for the first 12 days) should be waiting to pick us up... Other guides we'll be Aaron and Mike. The plan has been set up in such a way, that we'll avoid being in Richfield (UT) during the 'Red Rocks Wide Open' as well as the annual Red Rocks Fall Fly-in. That is also the reason, why Stacy is unable to guide us for the whole trip from DEN to LAS, as he is heavily involved in these events, especially in the Red Rocks Fall Fly-in.

But we'll also try to attend a fly-in, but with much less pilots than the Red Rocks Fall Fly-in: 'High Lonesome Fly-in' near Glennwood (CO), which is held for the first time this year.

Details in pix below

'the plan'

Andy will be staying 4 weeks with me before flying home on 27.9. LAS - ZRH, again with EDW.

From LAS I'm intending to continue to California; first Owens valley, where I'll be guided by Kari Castle, then to Southern California (no detailed plans yet...), before flying home on 7./ 8.10: LAX - ZRH with Swiss (LX).

We are lucky that connections from/ to Switzerland can all be made by non-stop flights, thus avoiding the hassle of transfers and possible delays/ loss of luggage.

DK - Ground handling with Mike Küng - Day 5 / 6; returning home

More of the same ;-) 

Thursday: light to moderate winds: Mike showed us 'his' technique for reverse launching with brakes in hand. Until now we had trained (reverse) launching with 'no brakes' and then taking the brakes while turning around, controlling the wing until that point with the c-raisers only.

Pix by Dirk Kuensch

Although on the last day (Friday, 12.2.) the wind was predicted to be very weak, but Mike had found a beach -near Skagen/ Grenen (the northern most 'corner' of DK)- where until noon there was some wind (but almost parallel to the coast). But there was also an abandoned house Mike used to play with...

Baldur

Stefan

going up....

and down...

All in all it has been a very interesting, but also intense week - much 'better' than I had expected! I really can recommend this trainings by Mike; even if you don't intend to climb roofs, chimneys or soar quai walls etc. It would help you improve controlling the wing in 'difficult' conditions.

There would also be a second step, called 'experts training', for those who have attended this 'basic' course. I also think, that the prices he's asking for his courses are really fair -  2022: 1 course 590EUR/ both courses 540EUR/ each.

Sat/ Sun/ Mon driving back home - stopping at Essen (DE) for a day. The next 2 weeks I'll be busy preparing my trip to the US (29.8. - 8.10.) together with my friend Andy :-))

DK - Ground handling with Mike Küng - Day 4 - Klitmoeller

Day 4 (10.8.) So far the nicest day of this week: warm, sunny, moderate winds. After breakfast I received a SMS, that we would meet at Klitmoeller at 1130 (instead of 1000 at Lyngby). This meant a drive of about 120km, but I made it on time :-)

Klitmoeller is another huge beach, ideally suited for ground handling.

Klitmoeller -looking South

After 'individual' training for about 30mins. Mike set a an out-and-return task of about 2.5kms (each way) - to be done with the wing always overhead -either flying, kiting, walking...

My stamina wouldn't let me do the whole task; so I did turn around after about 1 km; and at the turn point was the only time I had the glider on the ground for a few minutes in order to relax :-)) But getting back to 'goal' I was really exhausted and drenched in sweat. I didn't check how long it took me to do these 2 kms, but I guess it has been well over an hour. The first to finish the (complete) 'task' was Raimond -pix on 'Day 0/ 1'.)

Afterwards I followed Mike and Steff to nearby Hanstholm harbor, where I took some pix of Mike soaring the Quai wall.

DK - Ground handling with Mike Küng - Day 2/ 3 - Lokken

The hut I'm staying is actually named Honsehuset (= hen house)...

Day 2 stared pretty nice, but around 1000 a short spell of drizzle went by; later it became nicer and nicer. The wind on the other hand started of moderate and then got stronger. I was given a smaller wind ('only' 18m2 (projected)). At first this was easy to handle, but with the increasing wind even this was more than big enough for me ;-) Of course the smaller wing is easier to manage, but it is also more 'nervous' and requires quicker inputs/ reactions from the pilot. If the wind speed remains the same as this afternoon, I'll be given an ever smaller wing tomorrow...

Pix by Dirk Scheuner -thanks!

Briefing with MMK

some of the pilots have already progressed quite well...

...I on the other hand have not yet reached this stage, but I still hope I'll get there within the next couple of days...

Later in the afternoon I had to stop my training as my back started hurting: the pain has been released by the well know 'usual' conditions: sweating and coldish wind :-)

For getting back to my 'Hen house' I drove up the wide sandy beach all the way to Lokken (about 10kms) - in ideal condition this can be also flown - and even further until reaching the Rubjerg lighthouse.

Strand houses near Lokken

Dinner then at an excellent Sushi restaurant called 'Kamii'.

Day 3: after a debriefing/ briefing in the theory room we went -as yesterday- to 'Saltum Strand'. Today I was given a 14m2-wing. Even though this wing is even more 'nervous'/ agile as the 18m2-wing I had yesterday, I made good progress today and could 'catch up' a bit on the others. This was also made possible by Stefan and afterwards Baldur spending quite some time we me - thanks guys!

Besides our group I've not seen another pilot on the ground or in the air today ;-)

DK - Ground handling with Mike Küng- Day 0 / 1 - Lokken

The last 2 weeks have been spent 'exploring' Danmark a bit together with Ruth. Some pix can be found here. . 

After having dropped her off at Aalborg yesterday for the return flight (AAL-CPH-ZRH), I headed north to Løkken, where today my ground handling course started: 6 days with Mike Küng (MMK - 'Mad' Mike Küng), organised by Papillon Paragliding.

I'm staying at a small vacation house (named 'Honsehuset = Henhouse) I had found on Booking.com. And every morning I'm getting 2 fresh eggs :-)

MMK is well renowned for his ground handling skills, but I'm wondering if he is not only a super pilot, but also a super instructor ;-)

Besides Mike, there are Stefan and Baldur as additional instructors; so with 14 pilots, this gives a good ratio pilots/ instructors.

The day stared with lots of clouds and drizzle/ rain, so we began with an extended theory session. Initially it looked that this would be all we could do today, but fortunately the light rain stopped around 1500 and we could get our gear for the first attempts at MMK's 'special kind' of ground handling. The aim of the course is NOT to fly as much as possible, but to learn controlling the wing on the ground in strong wind conditions. Therefore probably also no track logs. But today we all could train in light to moderate winds with our own wings. If the wind should become too strong for the 'regular' sized gliders, then Mike has a selection of wings (from 8 to 18m2) we can use, so that we are not 'grounded' due to strong winds. After about 2.5hrs the wind started to pick up and we called it a day.

I have not brought along my Leeloo, but instead Andy has lent me his old Swing Mistral 6 - thanks a lot! I'm using my harness from 'Flugsau', which is much better suited for this kind of work than the Sup'Air Delight.

Stefan kiting Andy's Mistral

Løkken: MMK (right)

Interestingly, the Danish PG association recommends to fly WITHOUT reserve; as  apparently during ground handling sometimes a reserve has come out of its container and when it opened the pilot got dragged by the strong wind...

Pix by Dirk Scheuner -thanks!

According to the wx fcst, the rest of the week should be dry :-) I'm hoping the winds will remain light to moderate - at least until I'm a bit more proficient.