AD Rise2 (Ilanz)

I have mentioned a few times earlier, that I have difficulties launching my Rise2.
Today I finally tackled this problem by going back to 'ground school'  ;-)
I drove to Trin to meet Walo from FS Swissfly  (that's also the place where I had bought this glider) and took some lessons.

'Bündner Rigi'; looking towards Laax

It quickly turned out that these new gliders need to be launched quite differently to what I'm used to with my 'old' 4-liner Axis Vega III. Instead of making an 'inrun' ('Anlauf'), the glider needs only steady pressure on the A-lines until it stands over my head and only then I need to start running.
I gave it a few tries and finally also made to 2 flights. It needs getting used to just standing there (without running) and getting the glider up. On the second flight it already worked rather well,


Many thanks to Walo and Laura from SF Swissfly for an enjoyable day and their professional teaching!

looking back to launch

LZ in Ilanz

stemless Gentian (in Riein)

As the wind was switching on 'Bündner Rigi' we drove for another flight to 'Riein', but here the wind was very thermic and (too) strong, so we had to decline; but many nice alpine flowers around.

Unfortunately the wx fcst for the next days is rather unoptimistic, so I have to wait until I can try out this technique again; but Walo said I'd always be welcome If I didn't feel comfortable with my skills.

Marco

Many thanks to Marco for his assistance and retrieve today (and of course as well for the whole trip). It was again worth every cent spent!!
For pilots wanting to explore this corner of Italy and Slovenia, I consider him the premier guide for such an adventure.
>>  http://marco-zonca.blogspot.it/     >> http://xweek-it.blogspot.it/      

Marco has just returned from a 18 month long trip cruising around the world in a sailing boat. His blog (only in Italian) is well worth reading.
 

Lijac (SI)

In the morning the conditions looked rather bleak, so it was a very pleasant surprise when upon arriving at Lijac in Slovenia the sun burned some holes in this overcast and thermals started to develop. Again I flew my Axis Vega III...

above launch

Once past the hangliding ramp it was pretty easy going and I ended up with an average speed of over 24.5kmh - also a first.

Turnpoint east

landing area (Pizzeria Anja) (large filed in center of pix just 'below' highway)

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It's extremely rare for me to be in the top ten of a daily XContest ranking - if it even ever happend so far (more than 200 flights entered)  ;-)

We ended the day  with an excellent dinner at the 'Bellevue' in Tarcento in the company of Arduino (aka Bimbo).

Unfortunately the wx fcst for the next few days calls for lots of rain, so I'm cutting my stay short and start heading home tomorrow.
But overall it has been a very succesful trip: 5 flying days, 5 different sites, whereof 2 new sites and a site last flown 21 years ago.
Furthermore meeting old firends again!

Meduno (Monte Valinis)

The conditions continued to be 'soso': lots of high altitude clouds reducing the power of the sun and thus the thermal activity. But Marco still launched my Rise2 and made a few flights. Also here he didn't notice anything unusual - so it must be my limited skills which prevent me from launching this wing properly... Tomorrow I'll probably do some inflations under his supervision.

Marco launching my Rise2 in XL

Luckily (and rather unexpectedly) the sky later in the afternoon cleared for a while and quickly some good thermals develloped.

It's always a pleasure to wathc Marco launch, fly and (top)land: it looks so easy, so perfectly controlled. I made also a nice flight - but it clearly didn't look as good ;-)

On the way back, looking towards Gemona (right)

Porzus (Attimis)

Unfortunately a thin layer of high altitude clouds prevented a better development of the thermals, but still Marco and I had a nice flight at Porzus, a small, relatively seldom flown site south of Gemona. Vittorio (who had developed the site) drove us there and also helped me launch.
Thanks Vittorio!!
The launch is rather small and the trees in front grow higher by the day...

Marco ready to launch

Marco over launch (the small village of Porzus is on the right)

local LZ in Attimis (sport field)

In the nice, smooth thermals I could climb to almost 1600m (1000m over launch) and started heading N towards Gemona. But unfortunately at Bernadia the flight was over after a good hour, as I had been unable to find any more decent thermals  :-((
Later the local pilots told me that today the thermals were to be found further out in the flats...

Bernadia

TO in Bernadia

LZ in Bernadia

As I'm presently flying my 'old' Axis Vega III, because I'm still not 'able' to launch the Rise 2 properly, I had Marco inflate this wing a few times and see, if he would detect somethin unusual - which he didn't. But he'll fly it tomorrow and do somemore checking...

Monte Baldo (Malcesine)

While heading further east towards Friuli and to meet Marco, I stopped at Malcesine on Lake Garda. Monte Baldo (1750m) is easily accessible by gondola from Malcesine. The launch area is HUGE and almost like a golf fairway: just short gras, hardly a bump, vitually no stones etc. and a magnificent view

TO, looking west over Lake Garda

This site is often used for SIV trainings; it's also a thermal site, but it turns on only in the afternoon (after1400).

looking North

Malcesine

LZ

The LZ (the only decent LZ along the lake!) needs getting used to, especially if the Bora (local south wind and what all the (kite-) surfers are witing for) is turning on in the afternoon...

Sunset

Cornizzolo (Como)

Almost to the day 21 years ago (12.5.1994) I was here for the first time.
When driving up, the gate at the farm 2/3 up the mountain had been open, so we passed. When Ruth was driving down the car after my launch, the gate had been locked. It took Ruth some convincing in order for the farmer to open it up for her...
Luckily no such problems today, as now on Sundays  there is an hourly shuttle service.

looking SSW from launch

Great views and soft thermals made for a nice flight.

looking N (left: Lake Como/ right: City of Como)

LZ in Suello

Piemonte - Andrate (San Giacomo)

My last day on this trip and it looked pretty nice again. Today we went to Andrate (San Giacomo). Ennio, Pierandera (of course) and some other HG pilots met at the LZ and rode up in Ennio's car. Conditions on launch have been perfect - even for me ;-)

Pierandrea launching first (as usual)

Unfortunately for my liking the wind in the air was a bit too strong (> 20kmh out of the East), but otherwise it probably would have been a good day to fly the 'Serra'.

LZ - long enough for hangies

Piemonte -3 Santa Elisabetta: upper TO (again)

Very promising day! Yesterday just a few pilots showed up early on launch. Today was completely different: the shuttle was crammed and Pierandrea took another 3 pilots in his car .

He (again) launched first (around 1115) and quickly disappeared from my view. By the time I was ready (1200), all others were already in the air and heading east.
Pierandrea's flight (133k) is here .

Today I was flying my 'old' Axis Vega III, as the last few days I had troubles launching the ('new') AD Rise2. And I have to say it felt as solid and stable as ever; just the performance is a bit lower, but today this was not really important.

looking west towards Gran Paradiso

I just got high enough (2270m) to catch a short glimpse of the main Alpine divide (Alpenhauptkamm). Once I got pretty low (about 100m/gnd), but luckily a nice thermal saved me. I didn't attempt to try to fly back as the wind had become westerly at about 8-10kmh. And so I landed at Calea, the main landing for Cavallaria.

Lessolo/ Calea (LZ is to the left of the roundabout)

A friendly pilot from Milan offered to drive me back to Salto, where I had parked my car.

Grazie tanto Fabio!!

Piemonte -2 Santa Elisabetta: upper TO

Another promising day. This time we went to the upper TO.

Pierandrea and Ennio (with HG)

Pierandrea

 Pierandrea tock off first and flew a 125km triangle. I (again) couldn't adapt to the conditions and played 'JoJo' again  :-((

looking towards launch

Gran Paradiso

Piemonte -1 Santa Elisabetta: Belice (lower TO)

As the forecast was (finally ) predicting 4 good days in a row, I decided to head South in order to meet Ennio and visit with him some sites in this beautiful region of Italy.
We started in Belice, a site I had visited with and Pierandrea him last october.

Pierandrea

Belice

Unfortunately the conditions were much less promising than everybody had anticipated and it was very hard for me to get even to 300m above launch. 
So not much xc-flying for me, just some local 'JoJo'  ;-)

Fanas

As I was heading home from Arosa today (which had been planned for some days), I've made a reservation for the gondola in Fanas (for 2 persons, as I hoped Andy would join me - which he did).

Fanas, TO 'Eggli'

As you can see, quite a number of pilots had the same idea. And it took untill about noon before the first pilots could take off, as there was quite a persistent tail-wind. But as soon as the conditions improved, the rush began...

But with the intermittent tail wind periods, it took until 1345 until I was also ready to go (as one of the latest). But by then the (forcasted) south wind had increased to >15kmh, so I was not really in the mood to fly far.

heading for Schiers

Andy landing in Schiers

But still it has been a nice day in the company of Andy and some other friendly and helpful pilots - thanks guys for your help and assistance!