Today registration should start at 0900, but nothing happend for the next 45min, then finally the Czeck guys were ready. The forecast called for some rain around noon and high winds - both happend as predicted. So any flying was postponed to 1600, when a desicion for a possible flight would be taken. But the winds didn't slow down, and we were told to meet tomorrow (TUE) at 0900...
Sunset over San Potito Sannitico / Piedimonte Matese
After a long drive with an overnightstay at 'San Vinvenzo a Torri' near 'Florence' in Tuscany, where I met a good friend from the days in 1980, when I stayed in Florence to leran Italian, and by way of 'Norma', where the dark clouds didn't look inviting for flying, I arrived finally here in 'San Potito Sannitico'.
Registration was supposed to begin at 1900, but the Czeck guys who have been supposed to handle this, hadn't arrived...
Very good thermals today, but also a lot of wind:
GS up to 65kmh, resp down to 6kmh against the wind:
too much for me at least, so I landed in 'Niederwald'.
This (most probably) was the last day in 'Fiesch' for this year, but I'll be back!
left: Oberaarsee/ Finsteraarhorn;
right: Grimselsee/ Lauteraarhorn
Another great flying day: today it was (initially) easier than yesterday; but in the crossing from 'Bellwald' back to 'Fiesch' I got stuck in the headwind; I turned back towards 'Bellwald', hoping to climb again for another crossing attempt. But I found only turbulent air with little lift so I decided to go for a landing in 'Ritzingen'.
Selten sieht man die "Grimselschlange" so schön.
The northerly wind across the Grimselpass is (almost) a daily occurence, as it subsitutes the raising air (in the thermals) of the Goms. But it can rarely be seen as clearly...
Today I was more lucky: I was able to close a 100+km triangle out of Fiesch -actually the flight I wanted to do yesterday.
Take-off was rather tricky due to x-winds on launch, but I got off finally without problems...
My flying was rather slow, but I'm quite happy with this flight as it took me quite close to some pretty impressive mountains.
First day in Fiesch this year. The conditions were quite good, but (again) I flew not good enough. I had planned to fly a 100+km triangle, but after 62km I stood on the ground :-((
But tomorrow I can try again...
Yesterday -instead of going to Fiesch as originally planned - I went to 'Scuol' (or: 'Schuls').
TO Motta Naluns in Scuol
Arriving at launch I could just watch another glider climb away. Later it proved to be Michi Müller, the top XC pilot of our PG club (see his flight here.)
For reasons still not very clear to myself, I didn't manage to make a halfway decent flight.
But at least I got to see the 'Bernina' again -from far away ;-)
Last SAT/ SUN - as I was driving home from Manchester - I stopped at Lewes in order to finally pick up my "new" (second-hand) Airwave Mustang 2 (XL) from Carlo& Nancy. They had told me during our trip in Maroc last February, that they had an XL for sale with only about 30hrs.
So on Sunday morning, after they had to help me jump start my car (- I had left the lights on overnight...) we drove to Mount Caburn. Of course here in Switzerland we wouldn't really call this a "mount", because for us it's no more than a small hill. But anyway, we could fly there for more than an hour before the winds became too strong. In the evening we had a very nice steak at 'the Ram' in Firle. Next morning I then took the ferry from nearby Newhaven to Dieppe and arrived at home shortly after midnight.
...no - it's not me (unfortunately).
For the last 6 days I've been playing golf with Alastair (> picture) in the Scottish Highlands. Even if the temperatures have not been very high (max 15ºC), we have been spared major rains...
Sorry for the short entry -but internet access is not frequent.
Epic! :-)) Unfortunately only in German...
Das Video in HD Qualität findet man hier.
For the first time I saw a "real" Arcæopteryx.
They call it a "class 2 Hang Glider" or "Microglider". With a weight of 45-50kgs it seems a little heavy for me to foot-launch it, but I can envision its potential with a battery powered engine. This would be a nice 'toy' with a 1:30 glide ratio...
A video (in German) can be found here.
More detailed info can be found here.
If you want to see the video in HD this is the link.
Bernina (Palü, Bellavista, Zupò, Bernina, Rosegg)
As "Gleitsegelwetter" had predicted, today proved to be an excellent XC day with high base, nice thermals and very good visibility for pictures!
This time I was able to complete the 100km FAI triangle out of Fanas (see: 24.4.2010 "Fanas"). It's a pitty, that I was (again) unable to take any pictures of the eagles which flew a couple of times in the same thermal as I did... 6hrs/ 105kms.
Lenzerheide
"close" encounter
