Until the end of 2009, Air Berlin (AB) had some of the most customer friendly regulations concerning excess luggage: so called "sports luggage" (ie paraglider bags) were carried for a flat fee of 25EUR/leg.
As of 4.1.2010 this has been abolished and "substituted" by a simple excess luggage fee of 10EUR/kg!!!
This leads to the absurd situation that for a flight with AB from ZRH to SCP (la Palma - Canary Islands) the one-way ticket (with 20kgs baggage allowance) costs around 140EUR
PLUS
250EUR for an additional paraglider bag of 25kgs...
Please feel free to copy this message to any appropriate forum - thanks!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Berlin (AB) hatte bis Ende 2009 die wohl kundenfreundlichste Regelung in dieser Branche was "Sportgepäck" anbelangte: pauschal 25EUR(40CHF) pro Stück und Weg).
Per 4.1.2010 wurde diese Regelung nun abgeschafft. "Sportgepäck" als solches gibt es nun nicht mehr, sondern nur noch Übergepäck und das kostet stolze 10EUR/kg.
Das führt zur absurden Situation, dass ein Flug ZRH - SCP (la Palma) mit AB ca 140EUR kostet (inbegriffen 20kg Freigepäck)
PLUS
250EUR für einen Gleitschirmsack von 25kg.
>> Abzocke total!!
Dies Nachricht kann gerne kopiert und in entsprechenden Foren publiziert werden - Danke.
A very interesting and satisfying flying year has come to a successful end.
And - hopefully - an equally interesting year has started today with its first flight: though just a 11 min sled ride in Arosa from the Weisshorn, but its a beginning, as it was 22 years ago with the first flights from the same mountain...
So I'm wishing everybody out there a satisfying and safe (flying) year!
Fly high! Fly safe!
or: "Love, Light and Lift" as Kari would say...
I've started to scan some old pictures, showing the beginning of my "PG career" in March 1988.
You can find the pictures here.
Time permitting, I'll continue to look over my old albums and to scan more "oldies".
Finally, 2 flights: just (extended) sled rides: but...
As my "normal" harness is (still!!) in Italy for modifications, I had to use my very first harness: 23 years old, no protector, no speed system, no reserve, worn stiching...
Hatte zufällig auf der Homepage des GKG entdeckt, dass heute in Wetzikon ein Vortrag von Chrigel Maurer und seinem Supporter Thomas Theurillat stattfindet:
2 mega-spannende und unterhaltende Stunden zum Thema "X-Alps 2009": tolle Bilder und Clips, professionell präsentiert und kommentiert von Chrigel und Thomas: Chapeau!!
TO Alpe di Gana
Nicht umsonst wird der Tessin die "Sonnenstube" der Schweiz genannt. Während 2 Tagen hatte ich die Möglichkeit dem "Grau" der Alpennordseite zu entfliehen und im Tessin etwas Sonne und Wärme zu tanken.
Am Donnerstag (11.11.): Alpe di Gana: tolle, ruhige Hersbstthermik.
Am Freitag (12.11.): Mornera: immer noch sonnig und warm, doch die Thermik machte sich bereits rar...
For 2 days I've been to the "Tessin" (or "Ticino") on the Southern side of the Swiss Alps: nice and warm sunny weather and on the first day excellent thermals.
Magnificent idea; very nicely realized; just in time for the upcoming "non-flying" season ;-)
or for viewing in full size/ HD: click here
The last 8 days, Ruth and I have spent cruising the river Saône (Burgundy/ France) in a houseboat. We had been very lucky weatherwise: mostly sunny, not too cold, fog/ haze only twice in the morning, no rain at all.
Atumn was still in full swing, slowly coming to an end, thus making for some very nice views. (>> check out more pics on Flickr.)
Already in 1991 and 1996 we cruised this river (from a different starting point a little further to the N). It is always a very relaxing experience, as the boat makes only about 12 kmh (a little less than 8 mph). Beside the river/ canal there is normally a small road/ track, where Ruth would cylce sometimes.
Of course the food is excellent (being in France...)
Absolutely amazing!!!
for full size or HD: click here
Duration of trip: 36 days; flying days: 29
Number of Flights: 36
Average Flt time: 1hr 04min, longest: 3hr 58min (just short of 100km)
Highest Alt: 17'500ft (ca 5030m)
Sites flown on this trip: 24 (whereof 13 new!):
Marshall (CA)
Honeymoon (UT)
Mollies Nipple (UT)
St.George -the 'Usual' (UT)
Cedar City (UT)
Mt.Edna (UT)
Golde Gulch (UT)
Monroe Peak (UT)
Cove (UT)
Hancock (UT)
Snowbird (UT)
Inspo (UT)
Point of the Mountain (UT)
Pajute (CA)
Mammoth Mtn (CA)
McGee (CA)
Lee Vining (CA)
Flynn's (CA)
Walts Point (CA)
Black Eagle (CA)
Bria Dog Ridge (CA)
Gunther (CA)
Torrey Pines (CA
...und wer genug der Zahlen hat, kann sich hier etwas entspannen:
(Sorry, there is no translation into English possible)
One "last" flight at Marshall (nice thermals) and now it's the end of my trip.
I'm awaiting here in the lounge at LAX the departure of my flight to LHR and ZRH.
I'd like to thank all who have contributed to this trip beeing so succesfull and such a great experience.
Thanks especially go to Stacy in Richfield (UT) and Kari in Bishop (CA): both went out of their way to show me new sites, guide me around and also organize permission to fly in "restricted" places like Snowbird or Mammoth.
Point of the Mountain (South side)
Rapidly my trip to the US is coming to its end.
Today I was up on Marshall for a nice thermalling flight.
As nobody was in the LZ when I was there, I had driven up with my own car and was therefore "forced" to top land.
For dinner a last "prime rib" meal...
I don't know, if Leonarodo really said this, as he hasn't flown at all as far a I know.
Torrey Pines is almost as I remember: well not allmost: the paperwork has gotten even worse. Now it's about 8 pages one must initial and sign. I think 1993 it were only 5 or 6 pages...
But the air is still as smooth and laminar as ever and permits hourlong flights/ toplandings and kiting as you please.
So I stayed 2 days (MON, TUE) before heading up the coast towards LA (or "smell-A", as Kari used to say).
Today was a travel day. I had stayed one more night in Bishop, partly also because I was expecting a(nother) nice sunset.
Then it was a 4+ hr drive to LA. At least here they are using part of nature's power to generate electricity, even though I saw very few solar panels on houses.
But if nor here where the sun shines 300+ days, then where else???
I stopped at Sylmar/ Kagel, but was discouraged from flying. So I continued to Marshall, but it was too windy here.
Another fine fall day here in the Valley.
I had had to fix another tire, so we were rather late in getting up the mountain: this day: Gunther.
While I was setting up, Kari was "enjoing" here ration of "rabbit food" as part of her 500kcal/ day diet.
The winds were blowing S, almost SE, and the thermals were small and sharp...
Later we tried Chuck Bluffs, but with winds 14-18mph, this was too strong for me to handle safely with my XL glider...
Tuesday's winds have cleared away all the dust/ haze and we (Kari, Richard + Devin ("Observer") had a fine day out near Crawley Lake. It took a while until the sun had heated uo the ridge enough for the cycles to come in straight. The thermals remained weak so Richard and I had to land rather too soon...
Flynn's later: winds too strong and cross.
Sushi for dinner (> Hi Stacy!)
