Bischling

On the way to Annenheim (Gerlitzen/ Ossiachersee) we stopped at Werfenweng for a flight from Bischling. Even though many pilots had been waiting on launch it was surprisingly relaxed and we could launch without having to wait too long :-)

Thermals had been abundant and lift almost every where: nice and relaxed flying :-)

looking North; launch is on the left side

above launch, looking NE

Looking NE: Werfenweng left; LZ and launch on the right side

We then continued to Annenheim, stopped quickly at Xandi's place (meeting Nicole and Colin, my pilot for tomorrow) and then relaxed at our hotel.

Pinzgau (Ikuma2)

Together with my friend Andy I travelled to 'Neunkirchen am Wildkogel' (Pinzgau, AT). As Saturday was mostly rainy, we didn't expect much for today (Sunday). Luckily in the end the day turned out much better than we both had anticipated. The reason for coming to the Pinzgau: testing again the Ikuma 2-30. Today I could make 3 flights: twice from Wildkogel and then from Hollersbach-Berghof in the late afternoon.

Ikuma 2-30

The day started of with lots of humidity and low clouds, so we had to wait on launch for the clouds to be burnt away by the sun.

The Fcst called for (light) winds out of the north. This makes Wildkogel a less than ideal launch; especially on the second take-off we had to wait quite a while in order to have a phase with some head wind. On this flight Andy was able to make a small xcflight to the east, landing at Uttendorf.
Hollersbach is an ideal site for flying in the late afternoon: it is facing North into the 'Bavarian wind', which comes over the Pass Thurn opposite launch. This makes long/ high flights possible, as the Bavarian wind pushes the warm air in the Pinzgau up the Southern slopes. And even without thermals soaring is still possible.

LZ at Neunkirchen: South of railway/ tennis field

Hollersbach-Berghof (launch)

Andy (Advance Iota)

Hollersbach (center); Berghof (right)

So what about the Ikuma? Contrary to my first flight at Rotenflue 10 days again (where the wing didn' impress me at all), today I was much more at ease. I had 3 good launches (no aborts); the handling was much more to my liking and especilally turning felt much less strenous. I was even thermalling using only the BC-steering. I still don't like this color, which does not give enough contrast on pictures.
To sum it up: the Ikuma is back 'in the race' for the replacement of my Rook2. It has the edge on the Vision, as the max the weight is 130kg (vs 125kg) (I'm somewhere in between 125 and 130). I'm well aware that flying a '125kg-wing' a few kilos over the limit is not a real problem - especially in summer/ strong thermals. But in winter/ weak thermals this may make a difference. Another small point: in order to get down at Hollersbach, I had to pull Big Ears for quite a long time. As the lines on the Ikuma are extremely thin, this makes holding the Big Ears rather 'hard', as the lines cut into the hand (even with gloves). Here the advantage goes to the Vision, as its lines are more 'sturdy'.

...possible color scheme...

Tomorrow in the morning I'll return the Ikuma2 and then we'll continue heading East towards Ossiachersee, where I expect to do a dual tandem SIV on Tuesday. But of course - conditions permitting- we'll try to make a flight along the way: Bischling, Fulseck, Stubnerkogel are among the options.

Ebenalp

Excellent flying today at Ebenalp. Thermals to be found almost everywhere: strong but not (too) bumpy  :-)  Unfortunately cloudbase has been to low to reach Säntis.

Ebenalp (launches); Säntis (highest peak)

Pano looking NE: Schäfler (left), Seealpseee, 'behind': Hoher Kasten

Pano (near Hoher Kasten) looking SW: Säntisersee, Alp Sigel; Säntis

After about 2 hours I had to land, as it has been rather cold (with Bise) for the season. On launch and after landing I met Kiwi, who -during wintertime-  is the 'resident' tandem pilot in Arosa.

Fiesch -3 (Binntal)

This morning the weather looked very similar to Saturday's: a layer of clouds between Kühboden and Eggishorn :-( While waiting for the clouds to dissipate I made a short trip to Binntal. For quite a while already the practice a 'soft' turism here, therefore the valley is in very 'original' state.
 

this bridge in Binn was built in 1394

Getting back to Fiesch it looked much better, but in odre to be on the safe side I passed by the LZ; here a local pilot recommended NOT to fly anymore, as in Visp the wind was already gusting above 55kmh. 

So I headed home, passing at Mollis to return the U-Turn Vision. Unfortunately I had been able to make only 1 flight here at Fiesch with this glider and I have not yet made a final desicion...

Fiesch -2

Much better than yesterday, but still not quite what Fiesch has normally to 'offer' ;-)

Nice flight with the U-Turn Vision-L: very long lines (which could eventually be a problem on small/ short launches), but quite 'sturdy'; not 'dental floss' as on many other (newer) gliders (ie Ikuma2).
Accelerated gliding (and C-steering): nice glide ratio. I felt very comfy under this glider...

Niederwald (behind my boot)

Landing in Niederwald, just a few minutes away from the train station for the way back to Fiesch. Tomorrow another flight with this glider, before I'm heading back home.

Fiesch -1

'Grimselschlange' on my way to Fiesch (Friday)

Fcst by https://kachelmannwetter.com/ch/wetter/2660781-fiesch

today's Regtherm (Goms)

Webcam Eggishorn (Saturday, 0830)

Not exactly the wx I've been hoping for/ expecting for my first day here at Fiesch ;-)

Around 1200 it finally began to clear up and I headed up to launch.

Strange conditions: very hard to get up and torn up thermals.

Pano looking East (Goms); Fiesch (and LZ) on the left

Hanging bridge at Fürgangen

Toworrow I'll be flying once more the U-Turn Vision, which I had picked up at Basisrausch on my way to Fiesch. Hopefully the conditions will be better, at least the regtherm is looking more promising:

tomorrow's regtherm (Goms)

Test Ikuma 2-30

Finally a Niviuk Ikuma 2-30 has made its way to Switzerland; albeit due to many construction sites along the route (and therefore long traffic jams) much later than anticipated (and hoped for): instead of 1200 I could get my hands on the glider only at 1345 :-((
I have been to today's flying site - Rotenfluh - only 3 times before: 1992, 1994, 1997; in the mean time a new gondola has been built, which departs just a few minutes from the LZ.
Launch is less than 10' from the gondola station.

I don't like this color very much - not enough contrast on pictures...

 

Here my impressions after a not very long flight: easy launching (though today I needed several attempts to get airborne). Great performance. (With my left hand) I can easily reach the A-riser in order to pull Big Ears. The speed system does not need much power to be fully pushed; together with Big Ears this gives a good ROD; no 'flapping' of the ears. Turns: to me it felt, that it was rather hard work making the glider turn. BUT, as I have to admit, I did all the turning/ thermalling only by using the brakes - the 'old-fashioned' way - and not by using the B2C-system. After landing I have been reminded of this fact, which I simply had forgotten.

Pano looking west

As this cloud was developing quickly I landed after about 50'.

Ikuma 2: certainly not 'love at first flight', but still on my list of possibe candidates. I'll need another flight in order to try making turns by using the B2C-system only (and not the brakes). I hope I'll be able to do this when I travel to Austria in the near future, as there is no size 30 glider here in CH.
Thanks to Peter from Paragliding Touch and Go for having organized everything!

possible candidates -2: Test Ikuma2

Ziad Basil (Dust of the Universe) has now published his test of the Ikuma2

Pix by niviuk.com/

Launching seems to be much more straightforward than with the 777 Rook3...
...but by compairing the 2 test reports I get the impression that Ziad Basil seems more enthusiastic about the Rook3. Can't wait to get my hands on one of those gliders ;-)

flyfiesch

Rob Smith's excellent website about flying "Fiesch, the Goms and further east" 

has changed its URL: 

flyfiesch.c1.biz/

Fiescherhorn (looking North): Aletschglacier, Fiescherhörner,  Fiescherglacier

Fiesch - Transport of hanggliders

As you might know, the (two) large cable cars in Fiesch, which had been used for many years for transporting hangliders have been dismanteld last year and replaced by a new gondola. These gondolas depart from a newly built station, which also serves as train/ bus station. It is -obviously- situated near the railway line of the MGB (Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn). 

the new hub: Train-, Bus- and Gondola station*

 
These gondolas offer space for 10 passengers - which is too small for transporting hanggliders.

Gondola for 10 passengers*

But: they have special special transport gondolas for transporting goods (and also hanggliders).
>> There may be waiting times until a transport gondola is available at the bottom station for loading the hanggliders!
Therefore it might be necessary to arrive well in advance in order to secure a space on such a gondola...

Timetable

Station at Fiescheralp*

Be it with para- or hanggliders: I wish you many safe and great flights! Fly high! Fly safe!

* all pix from 'Aletscharena' (via Flickr)

possible 'candidates' -1

Here is some info about a possible replacement glider for my Rook 2:
777 Rook 3, Niviuk Ikuma 2, U-Turn Vision

Triple Seven Rook3   
Test in 'Thermik' (German, printed)
Test by Ziad Basil  Dust of the Universe

Something I had first noticed in 'Thermik' -by reading kind of in between the lines- (as in these test for magazines deficiencies normally are not very 'openly' communicated) is the nil-/ light-wind launch handling. Ziad Basil is more open about it and this has also be confirmed by Nicole (she's been flying S and MS sized R3: the wing does not rise very easily and needs to be guided until staying really above of your head - otherwise there is a tendency that it will drop back again... But otherwise the overall performance is said to be great.

An interesting feature seems to be what they call the BC-system:

Pix from 777gliders.com

By looking at the pix/ video I just hope that I'll be able to reach high enough with my left hand...

>> unfortunately, so far no date has been set by 777 when this glider will be available in size L :-(


Niviuk Ikuma 2              
Test by Ziad Basil  (in progress)
Test Report

Niviuk has a similar feature, the call it C2BSystem:

Pix from niviuk.com

Niviuk's description: this new integrated system on the risers allows a 3-liner to be flown as if it were a 2-liner. Steering with the C-risers automatically includes the B-risers and this helps the profile to keep its shape and offers a better flight behaviour during glide.



U-Turn Vision 
Test by gleitschirm-optimal.de
Test by Ziad Basil  Dust of the Universe    
Test Report

The risers on the Vison have no such 'gimmicks' (beside the C-handles)   ;-)

Verbier

For my last day on this trip I went again to Verbier. I parked the car near the LZ at Champsec and within less than 5 minutes I could hitch a ride to le Chable; here I had to wait for the bus up to Verbier and then by taxi to the launch at Ruinettes. Roughly the same group of pilots as 2 days again were already getting ready.

Ruinettes (launch)

Unfortunately today most thermals seemed less organized to me and getting/ staying up was harder. But there also has been a good thermals which I could nicely center and that got me close to 1000m higher.

Champsec (LZ)

Apart from yesterday evening, where I couldn't fly due to the northerly wind, it has been 4 very nice days with a total of 7 flights. I hope that this long stretch with 'Bise' will soon be over  and than it will be possible to go to Fiesch/ Riederalp again - especially as gondolas/ cable cars will resume service on June 6th.