The hours and flights are quickly racking up. I am discovering and beginning to work on holes in my thermaling technique, developing my thermal 'sniffing', and even getting comfortable playing in traffic. Skill, confidence and comfort with the Delta 2 are all growing to the point that another stair step up in my learning staircase …
Continue reading The Witching Hour while Paragliding in Bassano del Grappa.
Gear, clothing, suitcases torn apart and strewn all over the hotel room. A robbery? No. A missing radio. After having flipped the room twice since pulling everything out to recharge, it becomes quickly apparent that my radio is no longer in my possession. A dreadful certainty fills me on where it is, the hayed field …
The 3 hour rollercoaster ride through the Alps now complete, our group finds itself waiting in the hotel lobby, occasionally summoned by the desk clerk via a call of 'alora'. The rooms are not quite ready - Kelly's desire for an early start to the day meets the national institution of 'Italian Time'. In 'Italian …
Continue reading Evaluation Day with Kelly Farina and Austrian Arena.
Two weeks of SIV with Jocky Sanderson come to a close as my fellow participants journey forth - some heading home, some sticking around to freefly, others leaving for the Chabre Open taking place a few hours to the southwest. Myself? Hurtling along a windy mountain pass road between Mayrhofen, Austria and Bassano Del Grappa, …
I can honestly say at this point that I can no longer recall each of the stalls that I have done. But I can say that if one does result in a cravatte (about a third of them have so far), it is a right SoB to get out with this wing. Once the lines …
Continue reading “You overshot the landing field, on a windy day?!”
Right hand through toggle and I hand over hand the stabilo, working most of it clear. "Ok, now the right side." Same procedure, similar results. A final handful of deep brake pumps on both sides and the Delta 2 was back to being a proper wing. Needless to say the wingovers and landing approach were …
Continue reading Double your pleasure, double your fun, two cravattes for the price of one.
Last day of week one with Escape XC and, finally, a day with proper Annecy Cross Country (XC) weather. Slightly cloudy over the peaks, cloudbase above 1500 meters, meteo winds more or less from the west and the valley wind setting up nicely from the north. A lake crossing? A distinct possibility! Our group arrives …
Continue reading Teeth and Beef: a Cross Country flight with Jocky Sanderson.
... stalls now out of the way, the radio pipes up that we will try a spiral. One of the guides, Chris, had indicated that I am very likely the first Delta 2 that Jocky has had on one of his courses. So I wonder, for briefest of seconds, if Jocky is not only assessing …
Stall/spiral day. The quietest of rides up the mountain. The emotion on the launch amongst students changes from eager anticipation to one of unease. Reflection, 'why did I sign up for this?', 'I hope it is blown out and the day is called off'. Hoping to stave off the executioner for one more day. The …
The wind gods frowned upon us yesterday, forcing us to do the tourist thing and visit the pasture/ridge behind the Montmin launch, giving an excellent view of the Dents and the Roc de Boeuf - the basic turn points in Le Petit Tour du Lac (the shorter cross country circuit most visiting pilots attempt). Absolutely …
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