This is the "result" of my last PG-flight...
For reasons unknown/ unexplicable to me I entered a stable spirale dive and crashed onto the 'Obersee' with an estimated 10-20m/sec
I had to medevaced by REGA to 'Chur' (Kantonsspital) where in the following week 4 (!) emergency procedures had been necessary to fix all the broken bones, ribs and vertebraes.
Now, after > 3 weeks I'm still in the hospital, but I in a very stable state, much better than could have been expected by the initial multiple traumas...
What was broken/ damaged:
broken ribs left 2-10/ right 1
broken left arm/ leg
broken sternum (?)
broken: LWK 1-4 (instable)
I'm looking forward to Rehab and as a motivation for myself, I did not cancel/ postpone the planned houseboat trip in CDN with Ruth starting June 20th...
After almost one month without flying, finally a few days here in Arosa.
Especially Wednesday was quite good: seldom the conditions on top of the 'Weisshorn' are so good for launching: steady winds from NE, with almost no variation in speed and direction... Also nice thermals up to almost 2700m. Today (Thursday) the atmosphere was much more stable: tops at 2300m max.
Besides the travel days I was able to fly on every single day!
11 days: 12 flights in 9 different sites (thereof 8 new ones): total airtime: 19.25hrs, that makes an average flight time of 1h36min; longest flight just over 6hrs and 130kms.
Taking hundreds of pictures and meeting some old and many new friends...
Today we got lots of liquid sunshine...
Markus's group will use the day as a travel day back to CPT, hoping to be able to make a flight along the way.
I will leave them at George (GRJ) in order to catch my flight to JNB and then LX to ZRH.
I have to admit that I'm not really looking forward to the subzero temperatures there...
Be it as it is.
It has been a great holiday, first with Andy and then with Markus.
Of course we wouldn't have flown nearly as much without the expertise of Barry. Many thanks also to Candice for organizing everything so perfectly!
Today we've encountered much better conditions at Gericke's Point than 2 days ago: much better and higher climbs, less people flying and being able to cross over to Paradise ridge.
Unfortunately rain cut the soaring on Paradise ridge short :-((
Unfortunately the wind was too strong until late afternoon.
Therefore we went to Knysna Elefant Park first.
Then Barry got the message that it had become flyable, so we drove back to Sedgville to pick up our gear and then on to Wilderness.
Nice little site with an interesting TO between the buildings. At times quite a large number of pilots in the air, but luckily (with very few exeptions) all stuck to the ridge rules.
Another great day here in the Wilderness area.
We left (a little) early for Gericke. But we had to wait a while before the wind became strong enough, so that we could stay up.
Finally the wind became just strong enough, so all uf us (and some others as well) could easily launch. Unluckily the wind remaind weak and out of the East, so that a crossing over to 'Paradise Ridge' was impossible.
After all had sunk out we drove over to 'Major Dad' on Paradise Ridge, but the winds were too much cross, so no launching from this rampe here.
But Candice and Barry prepared an excellent 'Braai' for us.
First day with the new group from "FS Jura" (Markus Surenmann).
Early wake-up call (0500) and departure (0600) for George/ Wilderness - it was a 6.5hr drive (with a stop for breakfast at Heidelberg and a wheel change as well).
At Wilderness already quite a number af PG's were soaring 'Map of Africa', so that's where we went.
After a quick briefing by Barry and Markus we laid out in the nice SSE brise (a little cross from the left). Almost everybody got at least an hour of soaring.
Later we checked-in at "Birdmen's place" in Sedgeville.
... "if"
- we'd left at 1100 as planned,
- there hadn't been a traffic jam,
we could have flown 1 hour more before the wind became to strong...
Today Andy's group is leaving and Markus' group will be coming.
I'll see them early in the morning (around 0600), as we'll leave for Wilderness.
Daytrip to Porterville:
we left shortly after 0800 and by 1120 the last one (me...) was airborne.
The day was blue, only late in the afternoon a few 'puffs' showed up. But thermals have been great and not too turbulent.
In the beginning I headed South along the ridge , trailing the others - but I didn't venture as far South as them, because it was my first flight in this direction. After about 22km I turned and together with Albert we flew North.
I turned a little earlier than Albert South again. From the place I landed on my first flight (23.1.12) I tried to fly back to launch, bt it was a continous battle against the wind, half of the time I had to use my speed-bar in order to keep the GS at least above 20kmh... All the others had landed in the meantime, as they didn't much like the upwind battle.
Exactly after 6 hours I was back above launch. A few minutes after landing - I had already started packing my glider - the wind speed increased even further to > 35kmh.
Great day in cool company!
Dinner again at the 'Cattle Baron'; for all the others it's their last evening here in ZA.
After an excellent dinner at the "Cattle Baron" in Table View (300gr Chateaubriand for 155ZAR (=15EUR =20CHF) we left at 0800 for Paarl.
Barry and Dominik laid out quickly and departed - that would later prove to have been a wise move.
They got to about 600m over. After a short wihle the wind increased and for times TO became impossible, later Paarl Rock was blown out completely.
We then went to the "Delheim" winery for wine tasting and lunch (Oystrich bobotie: very nice!); in the afternoon some decicded to go downtown for sightseeing and shopping, the rest returned to Barry's place in Table View.
We stayed for the night in Eendekuil at the Eendekuil hotel: nice, clean. In the morning we drove again to the 'Pampoenfontein'-launch.
The day was almost 'blue'.
I was looking for thermals above the foothills, but everybody who did that sank out - close to the mountain and above the ridge would have been the place...
Leaving CPT shortly after 0800 and arriving on the upper launch at Porterville/ Dasklippass at 1100; airborne by 1140.
Already quite a number of pilots from another group were flying, so there was no shortage of winddummies - but none the less I had 2 low saves.As the day wore on , conditions became stronger: really great climbs!
But the wind speed also increased and prohibited me from flying back to Porterville. I had to outland with vitrually no forward speed anymore...
Everybody got to the ground safely - I was the last to land.
Originally, we were scheduled to leave at 0800, but the wx conditions remaind switchy, so we finally left at 1100 for Llandudno (Little Lions Head).
Unfortunately the wind was a bit weak and to far from SW, so after a few passes in front of TO
I landed at the beach.
Later Barry took us back to Lions Head.
The conditions at the lower TO proved to be rather tricky: XWind almost from 90° the right side...) With Barrys help most of us launched. Once 6 pilots in a row had to abort (but only a few of us among them). I got a really good climb and in just a few minutes I was at cloudbase and decided to try to fly over to Table Mountain.
As I couldn't leave at he altitude Barry had recommended, I arrived below Table Mountain rather low and had to fight for a while before I as high enough to head further South. This proved to be rather easy and we (+Domink & Christian) got to Llandudno quickly where we turned around for landing finally at Glen CC.
1st day here in ZA and Barry led us to Lions Head. Nice late departure at 1100. After a briefing at the LZ by the sea we drove up. At the trail head we unloaded our gear. Luckily Barry had organized 2 porters (in addition to some guys already waiting to offer their services). So for 40ZAR my glider got carried to the lower TO (50ZAR would be the price for the upper launch). Quite a fair deal considering the steepness of the track and its full exposure to the sun...
The winds came in from the SW and once in a while there was a nice cycle which permitted a forward launch in the small and narrow TO.
Almost everybody got off on their first attempt and all (some on their 2nd flight) made it to the top (or a little above) of Lions Head. The winds were too weak to allow a crossing towards the South in direction off Table Mtn, so we just soared on Lions Head.
Later in the afternoon wind direction turned SE and increased, so Barry stopped us flying and thus from getting into troubles...
... just joking!
Today has been a travel day: ZRH - JNB- CPT.
In JNB I barely made my connecting flight: at 1105 I was still at immigration; boarding time for JNB-CPT was at 1130. Luckily my luggage arrived rather quickly on the belt, Terminal B is not too distant and at security the queues have been short.
The approach to CPT led over Porterville, from were the pictures have been taken.
The first few days we'll stay at Berry & Candice place.
As usual, this years first flight happend in Arosa (as did the last flight of 2011).
I have decided not to take the pod along to ZA, so I'm adjusting my WoodyValley harness...
Gericke's Point - Paradise ridge (on left)
looking South
looking North (Paradise ridge in the background)
launch
looking SW towards launch
Paradise ridge
Major Dad -ramp
looking South along Paradise ridge
Map of Africa (launch)
launch
Indian Ocean
Macassar launch
Taggi
Marcel
Pampoenfontein launch
heading North
back at launch
Barry soaring
Dominik
the view from the restaurant at the "Delheim" winery (in the background: Cape Town)
the 'gang' having lunch/ wine tasting
Pampoenfontain launch
Dasklip pass road
upper launch at Dasklip
TO
LZ: the beach at Llandudno
Llandudno
Dominik
flying N towards Lions Head
looking towards Table Mtn (highest peak)
Lower TO
Cape Town
LZ is behind the 3 bowling fields
Looking back to Lions Head
the new restaurant on top of the 'Weisshorn'; Erich preparing to launch
Erich
Erich
Aroser Weisshorn
Curling players