Rest day in Cappadocia

Album entirely shot with Nokia Pure View 808

Yesterday we had a rest day after 4 tasks. I can not say I am tired at all as we did not flew for quite long time any day than the first one.
We are always late with briefing and taking off but it is all just because of lack of good conditions in the air. Things should change now in this week with weather and we should get some proper flying. I am looking forward to it as I need a bit more racing weather than this ballooning over the flats with distance counted as a portion of luck in your pocket.
If weather changes we will have briefings earlier and start before to get some distances to fly.

Cappadocia was interesting, the land of the smurfs with houses build in the rocks itself. Volcanic rock here is so soft that they where able to cut rooms in to the stone and live there long time ago. So, now I´ve been to Pamukalle and Cappadocia in Turkey and saw two Unesco protected places.

I have to say that this competition is something totally different then we are used to in Europe. On take off you hear the sound out of the mosques and with a proper wind and 2 million people city it can get loud and gives you a different feeling. Every landing is an adventure, kids, kind older people that want to give you some water melons or bunch of crazy kids and older women wanting money from you. An interesting mixture of everything, everything so different :)

Araldo, driver from Ducth team made this nice video where you can get a small feeling how it is here

Task 4, 71km

Today they told us already in the morning that wind will be stronger today. On take off it looked like less wind and really slow thermals if some. Our Franc was in line the first to go in this bad air so he waited for a push which we have every day from one of the Austria team.

They had big problems to climb up and next interval was even worse and many bombed out. I got lucky with a thermal. Today I put out a bit of led and suddenly I was climbing much better than previous days in this week conditions.

Day was better then yesterday afterwards with better climbs and I was on my way with leading gaggle.

I went bellow Chiech to find a climb that he had but got only some bubbles left bellow so we where all slowly drifting away fron the course line. I tried to go back but N wind was just too strong.

Alan and Primoz made it to the goal.

The whole competition is more like gamble with take off conditions and of course huge portion of luck on the course. Interesting but not satisfying.

Sent from my Nokia N9

52km too much

Well not for 8 pilots, that is the news for now. Organisers wanted to give us a goal day but it ended up with drifting over the flats at low altitudes. Nurve game again and one wrong turn and you where on the ground.

I truly hope for some normal weather to get a proper flying here in Turkey.

Kids story went on another level, today they where trowing stones at me :) They did not want to stop but I wanted to film them, I took my Nokia out and they started running down the hill away from me :D

Lets hope weather improves a bit...

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2nd task, 92km

Day was forecasted for blue with less wind so it called for a though day. I had to take off 5th, I really don't like this system when you need to go in order and you can only wish for a good air when you come out. Many people bombed out today, I had luck to climb out and start this though survival game over the flats to the E. 

I was a bit to fast and was in front when I noticed they catch a small thermal behind and it was too late to turn back. I was drifting over the flats but with no good thermal. I landed soon after 20 km.

Pedro from Spain made it far to 4 km before goal while most of the pilots went down at first turnpoint at 45 km.

After my landing the fun began. Look for your self and multiply this to two hours :) (Shot with Nokia Pure View 808)

Some pictures from yesterday

Pictures with Nokia Pure View 808

Take off Ali Mountain

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They brought water melon to us :)

Children everywhere

Postcard from Turkey

First task 87km

As the forecast was not so good they decided for a smaller task with 87 km. I had to start among the first ones as 5th so I had to spend 1.5h in the air. Once high it was not a problem but quite a struggle to get there.

I saw first four in the air, where they had no lift but someone pushed when I was in the line to take off. Number 47 if I remember right and without number I assume who can be that stupid to push 46 pilots in to really bad air. Well was not that bad but ugly. Who ever does not know what push system is, it shortly means everyone before him must take off in 1 minute also he. So he rolled out everyone in to the air.

After that quite some hard termals but I was doing good with Cristian Chiech and Gerd. At the second point I saw first gaggle of 5 pilots and rushed to them while Gerd and others found a nice lift behind me. Wind of up to 40 km/h stopped me so I pushed out in to the flats while others where able to glide back to the ridge with clouds. I landed 5 km before the last turnpoint and I think around ten made it over high enough to go on. Few more landed a bit further. All in all nice flying and a long way to go.

Soon as I landed a man came to see this wonder and called someone who brought water melon. Nice people :)

I am here with Tiffy where we are having a deja vu from firat task of worlds where we where together and few where making it further.

Now lets see how retrieve system works :)

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1st day, cancelled task

Yesterday we have set on the Ali mountain where we had quite a cross wind already early and it was getting stronger.

In the distance it was possible to see a nice wave cloud coming in which was calling for troubles. I was second to start derigging and when I finished it must have started to blow in gusts up to 60 km/h. Task was cancelled of course.
We had rain in the afternoon and today we have a clear sky with very clean far view and a bit of wind. Temperatures went quite down but they say it should be a good day. I am screaming for another off day as I got a nice pain in my back due to all the open windows but I in case of task I will have to squeeze my teeth and fly the task.