4th flight of the year, take off at 2.30. 12mins into the flight I was already at 1600m over Nudo take off; taking it slowly (this is a WW Falcon, right) I get to nearly 1800m East of Nudo, go for Colonna. Get there OK drop down to 1500m and decide to leave, bit of a thermal on crossing back, arrive at Nudo below summit but not low. Go round to Nudo TO and climb out in nearly 4up avg to 1980m, then head out to Cardana. About 1km short of the house, get to 1200m and decide to head back. Up to restaurant, 1200m over summit of Sasso, over to Nudo again, back to LZ but this time first low over Picutz. Very dodgy landing in very switchy winds, just make it because the Falcon is more like a paraglider to land...
This adds to a 20min, 12min and 1hr flights so far for this year.
8:43:08 PM
Just in case this looks like an ex-hang glider pilot's site - it isn't. I'm not ex. I might even get round to posting some flight stuff this year...
11:15:20 AM
Quite a few times, in fact. Well, 11 times, but some have been good. Last week I was in Annecy, and managed to get round the lake again (kml file)like last year, but this time better clouds and a bit earlier start made it faster (1h55).
A little video of me going off the ramp at Sasso di Ferro, day before yesterday:
Last weekend saw the first flight - for me - of the year. And life was good: over 2hrs, nice big thermals, quite strong (>+3) but good and abundant. I went to Colonna, didn't get to high so didn't chase the pack that had headed to Tamaro, instead back over to Nudo, headed out towards Sangiano, got to 1800m there, cruised over to home, across to Besozzo, then Bogno... totally cool because there was no way I was going down. Then headed back in to Nudo, staying high and getting in 100m or so above the take off. I tried to spot Wim (waiting to take off) then went over to Colonna again, nearly to San Martino, back round to Sasso. Needed 20mins to get down because so many gliders came in under me. A mega start to the season. Maybe 25 hang gliders in the LZ, too.
The only downside was Hans took off and grabbed his drogue chute instead of harness zip... but landed OK.
This year was the slowest since starting again in 1999: only 15 flights, 24hrs airtime. Boy.
I didn't really get going until July: and then the whole year only over 2000m once (the day I went round Annecy lake). Didn't go once to Sette Termine. Only once over to Campo dei Fiori.
On the good side: every landing good, looks like I put the bar down just once. Did my longest flight ever (3hrs 7mins). Average flight 1h36 - pretty OK. On 8 flights I did over 20km trig or XC.
A nice afternoon out yesterday for a top to bottom with some scratching. Nice landing, felt good reminded myself that I still know how to fly.
A weekend of contrasts. Gino - our favourite pizza guy - died at 46 of a heart attack. And I met Hans, the 74 year old Swiss pilot, saw him land his Relax using a Metamorfosi drag chute and a good pair of wheels. I hope a) I get 30 years more, and that b) when I get there, I'm still flying.
Went to Annecy last week of August, got three flights in, best of which was the Grand tour du Lac, 3 hours to get round the 40km but it was not the easiest of days: blue, over Annecy inverted at around 1600m, and NE wind most of the time. Great flight though, I feel good about it. Read about it here. Thanks to Roger of Hotel Arcalod for the advice the evening before...
Since getting back, only had a flight last weekend in rough inverted weather (more like July/Aug) but it was airtime.
Two good flights, yesterday and today, both over more or less same route (Pian/Colonna, etc.). Added 5hrs to my airtime this year. Today was a peach of cloud day, spent most of the flight climbing gently to CB and then hopping from one to the next. Twice I came in over newly forming cloud below me, at 1600m or 1700m. First time was over Pian, with wind coming in from the north (Luino) and thus cooler and a bit more moist. The second time, over Colonna, the cloud just started forming below me 100m or so, and just rose up. Easy to spot the thermals that way.
After this I followed a street straight home, about 4 clouds before it finished off and I took the glide back to Sasso.
Start of the flight was a photo session for Andrew, I was doing (for me) pretty radical wing overs in front of the ramp and above Sasso summit. We'll see what they come out like.
