Büelen

It looks as today could have been the best day of this week; the forcast called for 'Bise' (a N,NE-wind), so after consultation with Peter from Flugschule Touch & Go I decided to try 'Büelen', a site in the valley leading up to 'Engelberg'. His advice turned out to be good. Only that this morning also a Biplace-A examination was taking place on this site...

But these guys were all experienced pilots, so even on the not too large TO there was enough room to set up and prepare without any undue pressure.

... a much better pix of my Epsilon 8 than in my last blog entry...

Pano looking NW towards Stans

Pano looking south

I did a rather good reverse launch, could fly for more than an hour and even had a good (spot) landing :-))

Brunnen (Urmiberg): Advance Epsilon 8-29

Today I was able to pick up and fly my new E8 in Brunnen.
First I did some groundhandling with Peter Enz from 'Flugschule Touch and Go' . He also gave me different tipps for better launches - Thanks! Then we rode the gondola to 'Urmiberg'; there is a TO just beside/ below the station.

I'm pretty happy how the glider is 'behaving'.
Launching was easy - just give the glider enough time ;-) 
Turning required only little input. As it was only a 20 minutes flight, you won't get an extensive 'review' here; anyway there are much better/ competent sources for that...
The brake lines needed some adjustment (prolonging by about 2 cm), as with my (damaged) left shoulder reaching the 'normal position' is uncomfortable (too high) and in a comfortable position I already pull a little on the left brake.
 

looking south towards 'Altorf'

Advance Epsilon 8-29

LZ in 'Brunnen' (meadow in center of pix), just 10min walk to gondola

the Rocky Mountains Traverse (Video on RedBull TV)

Follow up to my post in November 2014. 

In the meantime, there is an (impressive) video (52mins) about this great adventure available here.

Photograph by Jody MacDonald/ National Geographic Magazine

Alp Scheidegg (Advance Epsilon)

Alp Scheidegg from above

2 (short) flights on AlpScheidegg (1200asl). It has not been my day: unconcentrated, unfocused... It had started (again) with a lousy TO   >> this way PG is not really fun ;-)

Contrary to what I might have written/ said earlier, yesterday after these 2 flights (if you can call them 'flights') I have decided to get me an Advance Epsilon 8-29. Actually I want/ need it by end of May, so that I'll be able to make a few flights before leaving for my US-trip by mid-June. I hope I'll get confimation by next monday that this will be ok.

Pano from above launch looking south

LZ 'Hüebli'

Advance Epsilon 8 'pacific'

Fanas

2 good flying days in a row - would you believe it!
The sun yesterday was strong enough to melt away all the snow at Fanas-Eggli, so the meadow was (almost) dry. But according to the forcast, the launch will be snowed in again this weekend :-((
Anyway, not too many people there today, so after the first pilots had launched, I could prepare myself without hurry. 

Fanas -Eggli (ca 1700m)

from above

Fanas - Hörnli

Sassauna

Pano (from Stels) looking NW:
the village of 'Schiers' (fully left)/ 'Vilan' (white peak left)/ 'Hörnli' (green hill in center)/ 'Sassauna' (white peak just right of center)

 

 

For reasons whatsoever, I did never get really high; high enough to 'get away' towards Klosters :-((

Braunwald

Originally I had planned to test the new Advance Epsilon 8-29 today. It has a weight range up to 140kgs and is said to have a very easy handling on launch. But unfortunately I have not been able to organize one of the few demo-gliders in this size...
So together with Andy (and my Rise2) we went to Braunwald, as site very easily accessed: the TO is less than 100m from the cable railway station, and it was already free of snow (contrary to higher sites like Fanas, Fronalp). Site details here.  
With my 'new' launch technique I got away without problems :-))

TO 'Kiosk', Pano looking towards 'Tödi' (3614m) (center of pix)

Andy

Unfortunately, there has been an inversion just above lauch, which I have not been able to break through (like many others). But still a nice flight on a beautiful day!

TO 'Kiosk'

LZ (the 'round' meadow above my rt boot); at 2 o'clock from my rt boot: car park and cable railway station

On the way back, we stopped at 'Kerenzerberg', a soaring site at the entrance to the 'Glarnerland'. But we didn't fly as we judged the conditions to be unsuitable...

new Swiss bank notes: showing a paraglider

A few days ago a new 50 francs Swiss bank note was issued showing prominently a paraglider (among other things). As the design was chosen/ finalized about 10 years ago, the PG is an 'old' '4-liner' of an indefinite brand  ;-) 
It will be in use for the next 20-40 years reminding us of our great sport...

montage by © Andreas Busslinger   (seen in  Cross Country Magazine  No170)

GS-Fliegen in der Gegend von MALAGA :-((

Ich möchte hier auf einen Artikel in lu-glidz Blog  verweisen, der auf die zunehmenden Probleme in dieser Gegend hinweist!

CTR Malaga

USA 2016 - the Plan v2.2

Some discussions with Andy have resulted in changes in 'the plan': by skipping 'Jackson Hole' we save at least 500km. Main reason was to increase flexibility, to save travel time/ -distance, furthermore we've been there in 2014 already and we'd have to travel the same route twice.
Stacy's comment to that change: "Jackson Hole: the scenery is outstanding, but the people were less than helpful" - so I guess he doesn't mind ;-)
The 4 days we 'save' by this change allow us to stay longer in other places (and less in the car) and ( as you can see) there is no shortage of flying sites in Utah, if we ever should have some days 'to spare'...

Heureka !! (zero wind launches)

The last 2 days I've spent some time on the 'Alp Scheidegg', trying to implement what I saw on this video.

(Blog entry here.) 

Pano looking west (towards lake of Zurich)

 

The first day I tried the "11:05-position" (> see video what this means). This was already an improvement to my launches, but not yet convincing; today then some tries with the "10:10-position", which proved to be a huge step forward from my hitherto way of launching ("08:20-position").
This actually means that there (hopefully) is no immediate need to change my glider, but I'll still be trying the new Advance Epsilon 8 by mid-April.

"11:05-position" (1988 -Arosa Weisshorn)

"10:10-position" (1988 - Arosa Weisshorn)

zero wind launch: video by little cloud / text by lu-glidz

or you can find the video here.
This applies also to 'normal' wings.

With some explanations (in German) on lu-glidz blog. 

>> I'm hoping this will help me adapt my forward lauching technique, which at the moment is really crap and partly spoils the joy of flying...

USA 2016 - the Plan v1.0 (3 weeks)

Once more I have planned a trip to the US: 3 weeks in June/ July.
I'll be travelling again with my good friends Andy and Stacy.
Starting point is Salt Lake City (SLC) (Point of the Mountain, Inspo, Francis etc), then north via Crawford to Jackson Hole; East to Dinosaur, Roan, Villa Groove; West towards Richfield (Cove, Edna, Monroe) and South via Cedar Mtn, Honeymoon to Las Vegas (LAS) (Jean dry bed, Goodsprings), from where I'll fly back home.
We are of course hoping for good flying conditions and that we can fly as many different sites as possible: some we've flown in 2014, some we visited in 2014 (but couldn't fly) and some are completely new :-))

Arosa in March -5

Some more local soaring in Arosa; cloudbase was much lower than yesterday.

Bergkrichli

Erich

Kiwi and guest

LZ by the lake

Arosa in March -4: full moon

Medergen

In the afternoon a nice local flight (Hmax > 2900m). But it was COLD! And the thermals not very well established.

Full moon over the 'Furkahorn'

Today (21.March) Arosa offered 'full moon skiing', meaning the gondola up to the Weisshorn would operate until 2100 for skiers. Of course I also used this opportunity to attempt a flight. On top of the mountain the view was magnificent.

full moon over Arosa

Unfortunately the wind on top turned catabatic ('Abwind') so I failed 2 launches and finally had to ride down with the gondola  :-((

Arosa in March -3

Three flyable (actually good) days in row here in Arosa.
Whereas the last two days were completely clear, today a kind of stratus cloud developed, which became thicker as the day continued, thus climbing above 2450m was impossible. But still more than an hour of flying :-))

Marlies

Peter

stratus slowly becoming thicker and more widespread

....company...

Hotel Tschuggen - spa area designed by M.Botta

Arosa in March -2

10.3.: what a great day in Arosa! I can't remember when the conditions in March have been so great here: good conditions on launch; nice, smooth thermals with tops at >2900m.

Aroser Weisshorn

looking towards Engadin (Bernina middle of pix)

Erich

and finally flying to Chur; but here the North wind was stronger than I had expected, so I couldn't fly to my usual landing near Masans, but had to pick a LZ near Rossboden.

Highway exit 'Chur-south'

11.3.: I almost didn't try to fly as the forcast (and actual wind in the morning) showed strong East winds (Bise). Luckily I tried as the wind was much less than I had anticipated. But the cirrus clouds almost 'killed' all the thermals :-((

LZ on the edge of 'Obersee'

Arosa in March -1

Today finally the first (!) high pressure area of the year developed, resulting in great winter sport weather for the next few days.
Unfortunately the wind (as can be seen in the pix below) was still too strong and gusty...
But -except us paraglider pilots- everybody is more than happy with these conditions :-))

'Föhn' over Valbellahorn

Weisshorn (right side)