Explorer

Is the weather situation turning around? Seems like we have numerous days with high cloud base in the area, while before it was normal to scratch the bottom of the mountains while their tops where in the clouds hiding all the beauty in the fog. Last week me and Lupo from Italy set up the gliders on Lijak in Gorica. I was prepared for a small local flight with out any water or button switched in the head for something bigger. We took of straight to 2200m while Pgs where trying to scratch the ridge. There was such a nice cloudstreet to Tolmin that there was no question of what to do this day. Boom over the plateau with the last thermal kicking up to 2800. I was frozen till the bones so I turned around at Stol just to glide back to Tolmin, but I heated up a bit and with the kick thermal back to cloudbase I had to fly back to Gorica. I remember the days when I started and thermaled above Kobala to 3400m, sometimes it feels like this type of weather is coming back. Lets hope so :D Anyway few days before I did some filming and with busy times I have these days it is hard to find some time and sit again to computer and do some stuff on it. I think it shows a good picture of how it is like here past days :D

Quick dose of mountains

I got it all in 14 days. Greifenburg last week and a tourist flight in my home mountains. If I get it all together in a nice section of videos then you will get a taste of Alps also from my home site, again :) But every time different :) Our work schedule reduced now to work from 6pm till midnight so I have actually every day a chance to fly, when ever there is good weather. Very bad for my pocket but good for my soul :)

Since I am used to one order with flying gear one change can make it that you forget something and come to the top with out vario. Again. This time I really did not mind. Sky looked good, so I did a 1.5h flight with out the vario again. So good to feel everything a bit in other way, I even found and thermaled out in the flat. Must be the good region to fly I would guess :D Today I borrowed my glider to Alan who showed the wish to test fly it. He flew about 60 km out and return and landed with the idea how relaxed the flying with Rs is.

Looks like winter is coming again for a day, a 20°c temperature drop tomorrow, so the glider is in the garage waiting for new adventures when "ice men" pass over. This is tradition that say that this are the days when ice men come, mythical explanation of the days when sudden drop of temperature comes in this time. Guess something is still traditional with the weather, as everything else is not :)

Video from Greifenburg (Hessenmeisterchaft 2012)

Enjoy it :)

Greifenburg wrap up

Hessenmeisterschaft is over. Yesterday they cancelled the task already on take off as it was clear that sky was just about to drop some water on us, either up the valley or other side.

Marcus from Germany won ahead of me and Suan Selenati on third place. I really enjoyed seeing that I was able to correct small mistakes and catch up people also from behind. Second task I was leading most of the way and it was fun to see how relaxed a task can be when you have people behind and you are just keeping up the tempo of flying. I am more and more satisfied with the Moyes Rs glider, having a chance to climb so good is great advantage when you can think your progress easier and more calm. Some heavy flying was on the last task with strong turbulence but I am very happy to see that I feel great on the glider also in really messed up air. Now back to work and then for Carlo Zanchettin competition in 14 days. Really looking forward for another race days :)

Photo by Jorg Bajewski

3rd task Greifenburg

92 km FAI triangle was called today with a forecast of dropping E wind. It did not happen so we had quite a ride most of the time. After the first turn point near Zeitenkopf we got back in to the lee side of the mountain which produced quite some crazy rides, however spoiled tail boy feels very good on Rs also in this conditions. You got to get some wire slaps to see what the glider is all about :) Since I did not made it over the ridge I pushed back in the valley while some made it high enough to cross the big mountain ridge. It took me quite some time to fly around Pirkeberg and get something decent enough to make turns in it. High enough to cross to the Hattelberg where strong valley wind and screaming thermals where waiting for us again. I got with the main gaggle here again so I felt quite good after flying alone for quite some time.

We took too much time waiting for the rain back over the Pirkeberg to end so I decided to give it a go by my self again. Got a thermal before Goldeck up to the cloudbase again so the goal was made. We had to cross Weeisensee for a turnpoint on a mountain and back. Rain up the valley and down the valley in Greifenburg, only the landing area was with out rain for some time. I rushed to get in to the goal and start search for some minus conditions as everything was going up.

I made it down with painful arms to get the news that task was stopped. I was quite sure this is about to happen but as I saw I can do it I flew it. Corinna was first today but after checking the rules of her 42 minute earlier start program gave her minimum distance. So Suan won the day, he also got in to the goal as I did and some rigids. Marcus is still in the lead ahead of me and Suan took the third place overall now. Looks like tomorrow is something the same waiting for us, with my guess more chance of over development as the ground is soaking wet again. On the other side of flying we have nice time here, looks like younger generation is here with Tim also in the rigids :) I sleep in my car and for now I am happy with my dry bed here in this Greifeburg weather. Organisation is relaxed and is working nice, me and Suan are driving up every day to retrieve the car. I have been here for the pre and Europeans in 2008, my first international competition and so it is interesting to see how can you forget some points that we where flying these days. Well I will have another rehearsal tomorrow ;)

2nd task Greifenburg

It is easy to write a blog when you are down already at 2 pm. Short task again due to the risk of T-storms up and down the valley with a finish to Weisensee bridge. Strong beginning with quite some rough thermals. Clouds where developing bellow us and in the end of the valley towards Lienz it was already quite dark. No one was not showing any signs of stopping so we started the race very early. I was in a good position and was leading back on the take off. The turn point out to the E was more tricky as there was a lot of sink flying out and back of it. I got lucky with a another strong one and took the position of observing the race from top. It is all so much easier from this prospect of view :D We had another TP out on Irschen where it felt like falling down when I turned back from the turn point. I had to find some weak lift while guys behind me found a strong one behind me and topped over me. I had to find something strong and got it back over take off. Few turns and we where almost together with Jorg a bit over my head and Marcus bellow me. We glided out to Weisensee with quite low passing over the bridge and back so there was no room for speeding up front, Jorg in first I was just seconds behind and Stephan Boller somewhere high behind on 3th place. We will see what leading points will have to say it may just happen :)

GPS worked out fine today so I dont know what was the cause to yesterdays fault, looks like organiser where not able to fix, our Kobala open scorer will have a look at it and maybe fix it, would be nice as I lost quite some points with out it... Today we have a pilot dinner in the evening and tomorrow, looks like all over again with the same situation as today.

1. task in Greifenburg

Finally the day looked like we will have a task so at 12:30 we where already cruising the busy Emberger Alm ridge. Quite bumpy waiting for the start gate at 13:30 but I got up with the highest group and started really good.

First we flew to the very W end of the valley before it gets narrow to Lienz. I went more out to the ridge while 3 pilots went inside the valley and got in to a nice thermal. I had to go back and thermal bellow them. I catched up with Suan who was leading back at take off and things where looking promising. However the cloud layer got thicker and there was no sun to burn the thermals up. I raced too much and nearly got grounded at Lengholz. I struggled there for 45 minutes to get back on the top of the ridge for a glide out for the turnpoint in the valley and another over to Weisensee with 2 km radius. However I looked at my GPS who was not finding any coordinates for nearly 10 minutes so I closed it and opened it again. He got him self together just seconds before the turnpoint so I continued my way back to the main ridge. Some went to the Weisensee part and slowly got up there, me however I had only a dead glide back to Greifenburg. All was covered and there was not one thermal on the way.

3 guys made it in from the Flex wings, Achim made a good decisions and got a bit lucky on the way but was happy to be first in goal, congrats. He was followed by Marcus and Suan me however should be the best of the non goalers :) but they are still trying to fix the track and it might not happen... I will have to think of back up, my old Compeo was always 100 % working but looks like it is also getting old... Now I woke up to a overcast sky with low cloud base. With the storm that came trough yesterday it all puts on a question for the task. Hope for the best.