Abdalajis -7: la Capilla

Finally, after 4 days without flying, another (very) good day.
Well, already yesterday a flight would most probably have been possible on Levante, but as the wind has been rather week I was not sure if I could topland (to get my car down), so in the end I declined.
Today started cloudless and by noon nothing but some nice CB's.
So at 1500 Gary and I drove to 'la Capilla', where already the first gliders were flying.

looking back to 'la Capilla' (launch just slightly to right of center)

Launching here was 'special' as usual: where you stand, there is almost no wind (foreward launch), but as soon as the glider is in the air (10m above you) the wind speed there is 15- 20kmh stronger... You actually want to foreward launch, because when the wind is strong enough to reverse launch, 10m above you it can be too strong to handle (at least for me).

Pano looking NE (la Capilla launch on right side)

...locals...

freshly ploughed field

As usual, the air has been very smooth and flying would have been possible until sunset, but I landed after 2+hrs.

People getting ready on 'Poniente'-launch

Embalses del Guadalhorce

Abdalajis -6: Rain, Rain

Already yesterday (Saturday) the bad weather started with high winds and then rain in the late afternoon and it's supposed to continue on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, ...

:-((

Abdalajis -5: VdA Levante -Sunset

Today unfortunately it took a long time before the wind strength and direction become acceptable for launching; so finally at 1915 the first guys become airborne.
Again supersmooth thermals and we could soar until it almost became to dark for landing...

Abdalajis -4: VdA Levante

My friends from Loja informed me by SMS that today it wouldn't be good there and that I should go to Abdalajis ;-)
Apparently others had the same idea, so about 10 pilots have been in the air at times.
A perfect day here in the Valle: wind not too strong on launch, buttersmoth thermals, flying until sunset, top landing for those who wanted. But due to a little bit too much clouds it has not been possible to really fly away.

quite a large number of locals enjoyed the conditions as well

landing (again) at sunset

Abdalajis -3: la Capilla, Loja

Today we wanted to fly 'la Capilla'. The conditions looked rather promising, but I declined to launch, as presently this really cool site has no legal/ official/ usable LZ anymore!

UNLANDABLE: the red marked area has been planted with olive trees (2015)

Landing at other LZ by the road/ farm is not tolerated anymore by the landowner (and pilots may be denounced!), as pilots didn't stick to the agrement with the landowner (not kiting etc)!

> to all pilots reading here: kindly observe the local agreements and rules, as many sites are in danger of being closed/ becoming unflyable due to 'our' misbehavior!

Therefore we decided to go to Loja, from where I got the info, that the conditions should be good.

Later some loca lpilots also arrived on launch, some I've even met before: Raffa, Pepe (el ferroviar).

Raffa

José

look how tiny the cars are compared to the 'windmills'...

Gary

It turned out to be really good: wind on launch just right, in the air super smooth.

Just a few more (and higher) thermals would have been needed to make it a perfect flying day. But anyway it was very relaxing.

landing at sunset

Before heading home Gary and I had dinner at Rio Frio, where all the restaurants serve the local speciality: trout.

Abdalajis -1: Arrival / -2: Cenes de la Vega

Yesterday (Monday) I flew into AGP (Malaga); as can be seen from the picture I took during approach to AGP in the region of Abdalajis, the clouds hung very low over the Sierra...

approaching AGP from NW (near Abdalajis)

... so no flight was possible. There was even some drizzle at times :-((
But this at least produced a nice rainbow.

Rainbow in Abdalajis

Today (Tuesday) initially Gary and I wanted to go to Algodonales, but in Antequera, when we turned towards Campillos, we saw that the clouds were already low in the west. Towards the east/ Granada it looked much better. So we did a 180 and headed for Cenes de la Vega, where I've flown the last for time in 2008.

Pano looking towards Cenes/ Granada

Pano on TO (looking SE):enough space to easily top land

LZ at Cenes

LZ

I was able to make a (short) flight, as the conditions have been rather switchy and weak, but some pilots could stay up.
Later while driving back, when passing Loja, it started to rain/ drizzle all the way to Abdalajis.

>> to all pilots intending to fly here: kindly study the info board at the LZ and observe the local rules: otherwise this site is in danger of being closed!!

airspace regulations: to be found on info board at LZ

Oludeniz -6: final day

Again it was a very good day here at Oludeniz: blue skies, some Cu's, 'thousands' of tandems and lots of solo pilots. Contrary to yesterday, the wind situation on top was better: meaning that the wind was coming more steady (and also a little stronger) out of the north and not switching around all the times. Thus I had no problems launching at all today and could make a 1.5 hr flight with base at 2500m :-))

Bernd

Babadag, Oludeniz (seen from NW)

So tonight we'll drink to Denis' birthday and tomorrow at 0800 I'll be picked up for my return flight from DLM at 1150.

Hartmut & Denis

Even though I couldn't fly every day, it has been a relaxing time in company of Gaby, Hartmut and all the others.

Oludeniz -5: Hartmut's birthday

Hartmut

Another reason for coming here was that Hartmut's birthday happend in this week as well,
So yesterday evening I was invited to his party: we had a (surprisingly!) good dinner at a local restaurant. with lots of laughter and joking.

This morning we again rode up the mountain at 1100. Hartmut, Bernd, Glenn got off easily and wanted to fly to Gemiler beach (Bernd and Glenn made it). Denis had some problems launching - as I did, but finally he got off with a beautiful launch (I didn't).

Denis

I then decided not to try to launch anymore but wait until 1800 for an evening/ sunset flight,
Hartmut, Bernd and Glenn came up again (with them at least 50!) solo-/tandem pilots.
The winds remained very weak so in the end I was riding down with the shuttle :-((
while they got off without problems, 
At the moment I lack my usual confidence for launching in such weak/ switchy conditions; I think it's probably due to the (too) many painkillers I'm presently taking in order to make it through the day... 

Oludeniz -4. good conditions

Babadag (Top) Pano looking SW

Babadag (Top) Pano lookingN

Another good day here at Oludeniz; actually even better than yesterday: nicer thermals, better visibility (better take-off ;-)   )

Babadag (Top)

Hartmut

'1700' (main launch for tandems)

My friends (Hartmut,Bernd,Glenn, Davis) flew to Kabak, a nice beach; but I choose to land at Oludeniz - mostly for reasons of convenience (transportation back).

Kabak

Oludeniz beach

Oludeniz -3: finally a flight

Today we rode up the mountain at 1100. Conditions looked pretty good on top and once all the tandems got off, we had enough space, so we could prepare without being under any pressure to hurry.

'1900' -north launch

Hartmut, Bernd and Davis elected to fly to 'Kabak', a beach about 7km SE from Babadag.
I didn't join them, as I wanted to make sure I could fly without pain and therefore I wanted to have a big, easy LZ nearby - just in case I needed to land quickly ;-)

looking towards 'Fethyie'

'my' hotel

tandem formation flight

It has been an easy, relaxed flight, but still I've flound some 5m/s-thermals.

Oludeniz -2

Yesterday (Wednesday) Top of Babadag was in clouds, so everybody was taking off from '1200'. This launch has just recently been built exactly for this purpose: to permit flights when the higher launches are in clouds. But it is not nearly big enough to handle the huge amount of (tandem-) pilots wanting to launch here...

'1200'

So instead of awaitung our turn here, Hartmut proposed to go down to '300'.
This launch is - as its name implies - just 300m high. It's a rather difficult, technical launch: small, just rocks and bushes. As I didn't feel well enough to handle this tricky TO with not enough wind (for my liking) and also in pain, I declined to fly and together with Davis and Glenn we rode back into town. Hartmut and Bernd got off without problems and have even been able to soar up to about 1000m - cool guys!