Leeloo Treff: Lermoos (Grubigstein) / Tannheim (Neunerköpfle)

Fri (11.7.) At 0900 I met Gudrun & Michael, Martina & Thomas at the departure station of the Grubigstein gondola, which has taken us in 2 sections from 1000m to 2030m.

just unboxed: Michaels harness (finally!)

Wind conditions proved rather difficult and at first we have chosen a 'wrong' launch site.

nice launch (E), but the wind came from 'every' direction, but seldom from straight in...

So we had to hike back up to the godola station and the even higher to a (SE) launch) :-(

SE launch at Marienbergbahn, where we have found steadier wind conditions

Gudrun, Michael and Thomas had taken along brand new Leeloos in order to check them out. Inflight, the air has also been 'strange': Martina and Gudrun reported bumpy conditions with lots of sink at times, I basically had a smooth ride and could even climb a bit. But with their reports in mind I didn't push it very far.

Michael

looking back to Grubihstein. We launched from the top left slope

huge LZ (between the two tracks in the middle of pix)

Later we went up again, hoping to launch direction NW, but the wind has been too strong/ gusty, so we just watched a local pilot launching (but it has not been a good launch...). Back to Lermoos by gondola.

NW/ N-(cliff) launch (very short and no room for errors due to the cables of the gondola immediatly behind

The local tandem pilot recommened 'Almkopf' at Bichelbach, resched by gondola and a 30' hike - so I didn't join the rest, which turned out to have been a good desicion, as also there the wind hs been too strong. At dinner, Michael announced that we should go to Tannheim/ Neunerköpfle, tomorrow, as there the launch direction (W/ NW) should be more suited to the prevailing wind.

Sat (12.7.) We met at 0900 at Tannheim and rode to launch: quite a large number of Leeloo pilots had gathered ;-) In the beginning, due to lots of clouds, thermals had been weak and it has been hard to get above 1900m, but as the day wore on and the clouds partly disappeared, conditions improved. I only made a flight in the morning, as I didn't feel too well...

Neunerköpfle West launch

I think the last time I've gotten applause for a landing has been in the late 90's, when landing Balair holiday charter flights ;-)