Discusion about safe sprog settings at Europians

Thomas Pelicci is describing a bit about sprog settings. There was a huge conversation of what to do in the future to prevent tumbles, how to measure the sprog pitch and how to get it in betwen different manufacturers.

Hope it will come helpfull for you readers and there is still more to come about it.

Stay tuned :)

End of the Europians

Today they cancelled the task after 30 pilots got in to the air. The clouds where showing big growing so they cancelled it.

The winner is Elio Cataldi (ITA). Congrats to him.

1. Elio Cataldi (ITA)
2. Thomas Weissenberger (AUT)
3. Michael Friescenbihler (AUT)

19. Primož Gričar (SLO)
24. Franc Peternel (SLO)
35. Peter Kejžar (SLO)
68. Matjaž Čater (SLO)
71. Matjaž Klemnčič (SLO)

Team rankings

1. Austria
2. Italia
3. Germany

7. Slovenia

150 km task (Europian championship)

Today we finally get the weather that is suitable for the Greifenburg area. Organistors set the task to 150 km over Lienz to Oblaser Alm and then back to Hermagor, a turning point at the end of the Greifenburg valley and then to the goal.
I flew quite good untill I made a wrong desicion wich grounded me before Hermagor. Fillipo Opici won the day aldo he was not the fastest in goal. Ploner was first but got penatly for the height over start cilinder. Flying was quite ruf at some points in the valley but in the end the day was great for flying. Lot of spectacular views over Moltal iceberg many crossings over the valleys. Looks like tomorow will be something the same. Last day of my first Europian championship wich won`t end up with the wishes that I had before the comp but still a good learning about comp flying and setting the glider to get the performance and handling you need for a good flying.
Spain puted their invoice for the next Europian championship in 2010. It wil be held in Ager a bit less moistoring area and hopefully better conditions the they were here in Greifenbur, but that is our sport we depend on the weather.

I woke up with a big headacke, hope that I get better by tomorow and be more in the mood for a good flying.

My flight today

Yet another waiting day (Euriopian championship)

Yet again, we did not had the task. The cloud base was all the time too low, but in the end it raised up but the task was already cancelled. Yesterday we had a talk about the sprog settings with Gerolf and Denis Pagen. It was a good constructive talk and in betwen you got the felling that in betwen the race there is also tuning race, wich there is.
Tomorow the weather looks like for task day so I hope I get my result better.
Here are some photos from today.

Start in the cloud base

Natalia Petrova in a sleep

2nd competition day (Europians)

I haven`t been writing for past two days because accident of Richi Meyer overshaded whole yesterdays competition day. He went in to a tumble and died from impact.

Our deapest condolences to Richi`s family and his Swiss flying friends from all Slovenian team.

Two days before we were at family event where we were able to carv with rolerblades on the grass. The area was made for the kids but seems like there where just kids around. All the pilots where having fun either on skates, wire driving or just listening to the band.

Next day the task was set for 103 km from Emberger Alm to Villach, with two points in betwen. I went to low on the start and almost bombed out, but then I made it again and whent for the second start time.
With new rule of height reducing we had now to look for the time, the position and height. Now we had to go bellow 2200 m other wise we got the penatly points. It went quite good for me in the begining but the shade of the frontal sistem was moving realy fast so I had to land after 52km. First in goal was Italian national champion Ellio Cataldi but he was penalised for the height at the starting point so in the end he was third. He now leads the europians. The competition was won by Thomas Weissenberger.
After I landed I got the information about Richi, so the day ended in bad feeling for all of us.

Remembering of Bassano (Europians competion)

Today we went to the start wich was already in the cloud base. The weather man already told in betwen the lines that the weather will not improve trough the day enough to get the task, maybe a short one. We waited at the top for 5 hours until the task was cancelled. Right after that the rain started so we even did not get the possibility of jump from Emberger Alm. It is possible to see that pilots have to much of energy already after 3 non flying days. There was a lot of laugh when the weather man was describing the weather forecast and all the time steping from feet to the feet because of the cold. There was a memory of Bassano this year with that kind of cold. Today we have the family event, we don`t know what there will be. Maybe me and Nena can be the fother and the mother to the Slovenian team :=) Such a nice family… :=) Other wise we are having a great time with the team, always something to laff about.
We realy want to get the flying tomorow, we and the organisators :=) Tomorow frontal sistem is coming (again) so maybe we can fly to the east, runing away from the front and get the, flying from here to Villach. Hope so….
Enjoy you people who are in the sun !!!!
Regards from frogy land.

Scott Baretts pictures

Scott Barett from AIRBORNE was taking pictures in the air and got me in some of them. He was so kind that he let me publish them here on my blog.

4th and 5th task cancelled due to rain

Yesterday the morning already showed us that it won`t be flying day. The day before my friends came to see me from Tolmin. We thought about possibilities where to go on that kind of cloudy day.
Now I found out how good can be Garmin Nuwi, we opened it in the morning and searhed for the swiming pools in surounding of Greifenburg. We went to Erwachsener where they had a small pool where we stayed for 5 hours. At least some moving in that kind of weather. After that we went also to see Weissensee above Greifenburg.
What about today? It is raining hard all the time so we will have to get trough this. Thank god for the caravan wich is at least more dry than a tent.
Desiree thank you for the comment and Rob, you are on a flyer of the Europian championship :) Hope we bring one home to show it to you.
For tommorow weather looks a bit better but still the task is under question.

Best regards from the small cravan in the Flieger camp

3. task cancelled

We woke up in to the sunny morning. The forecast showed for thunderstorms in the afternoon. The weather looked great at first site but the weather man told that it is too unsafe for task to be set. They cancelled the day and most of us jumped down from Emberger Alm to the landing field. Now we are siting here in the rain with lightening. The weather forecast for next days is realy bad, even hailstons are predicted and northern from here, winds up to 140 km/h. It is still a long way till the end of the competition so I am sure that we will get some flying in those days.

Here are some picutres from today

2. task results

1. Gerolf Heinrichs
2. Martin Härri
3. Christian Vioblet

11. Franc Peternel
27. Peter Kejžar
29. Primož Gričar
58. Matjaž Klemenčič
80. Matjaž Čater

Slovenia 5th place

Looks like a flying day today also

2. task Europians

We finnaly got the taskable day. 105 km task has been made over the ridge above Greifenburg and then to Hermagor, back to Greifenburg to the end of the valley and back. It was a day better to stay high. I was tree times low and got back in the game. Flying back to the goal I saw a big cross over the landing field wich meant that the task has been cancelled in betwen. It was cancelled half an hour before I riched the goal. Gerolf was maybe the first one in goal, not sure. We will se the unnoficial results later. 3 slovenian pilots made it to goal before the canceling of the task, Franc, Peter and Primoz. They mesured me for 76 km so we will se where do I stand.
Sorry for no pictures today but Nena is learning for the scholl here at the camping site so no pictures from the start.

1. task cancelled

We went to the top in hope for a task but after one hour at the start it started to rain. The task was cancelled.
After that the rain stoped I went for a jump down and so many others. I had a problem with the harness so I went for a landing, but now we are sitting by the caravan in the sun. Maybe the task would be possible but the air is still too unstable.
If it stays dry today tommorow we can have a nice day for flying.
Now it`s cooking time :)

The first day

Today we woke up in to the most sunny day after I am here. Maybe we can look for some short task because there is already a cloud development in the mountains.
Yesterday we had an opening ceremony where all the kids of this competition came out to play with the paper aeroplanes wich were flying in the hall when the speaches were taken, it was fun to see every kind of paper construction landing in to the heads, glasses, food..:) So the competition is open now and I hope that we will fly today.

Pictures are coming today

Chasing the clouds

So we did fly today a short flight. After the take off I was playing with the clouds a bit and suddenly saw a huge shower coming from Spittal to Greifenburg. Here we go again, getting down as fast as possible J
I took my foto with me and mount it on the pich for the first time and I have to say that the view from the wing realy looks good.
Here are three pictures from today

First day

It was a rainy drive to Greifenburg. When we got to the camp we already saw some hang gliding pilots who arived in the will to train here, but the weather is for now poor.
Me and Nena had enough time with out the rain to pack all the tings in to the caravan and then in the evening it rained again.
For today it looks like the weather will be the same, maybe one jump from Emberger Alm can be made. We will see.
Competition starts on Monday, so untill that time I should at least one flying day. Let`s hope so :)

Puting the flights on the blog

I will do this also at Europians. After the flight I will make a picture of the flight on SEE YOU flight planing program.
Here is how it looks like

Airborne again

Finnaly got in to the air after week in Greifenburg. Now we had a two day competition for slovenian league. First day was cancelled due to overcasted sky and raining in betwen. Some flew in the afternoon but we went with Alan and his girlfriend for a meat or vegetable pancakes. On Sunday the weather was better and flew the task of 70 km. It was an interesting race with light lift. I was short of goal line for 4 km so ...... :) It was a good training for europians next week so every minute of flying was in count. I feel good on my glider after more flying hours than last year in that period of the time.
Hope that the weather will improve other wise I would leave tomorow for Greifenburg to get some air time again there. Maybe on Thursday, we will see.

Some pictures from the week. ALBUM



The fabolous pancakes