I'm trying very hard to keep a smile on my face :-)
13 June 2008
Day 5 - Cancelled ~ it snowed today!
All photos taken with Ricoh R8 – you can click any photo to make it BIGGER!
It rained all day today apart from on the tops of the mountains where it snowed!! 2.3'c on take-off according to the web cam! It might be a tad cold if we fly tomorrow and am sure glad I packed my winter flying gloves but no thermals:-)
A curry for ‘team’ tea tonight in the Brit Team apartment with, I am sure, a splash or two of wine along with entertainment from Shedsy!
The talk over the last couple of days has been about cloud flying and how to get a system in place to try and sort it out. This was discussed in Croatia 2 years ago which was one of the worst experiences of my life and nearly made me give up on hang gliding and now it raises is head again after it seems no one has made any gains on trying to sort it.
We have had a printout of heights and from it, it is clear there are pilots that are so "weak and insecure" they need to fly in cloud to gain the advantage – these are not my words but taken from the pilot meeting this morning. Lets hope the meeting comes out with some positive results. We find out soon;-)
Icarus - no chance of him getting too close to the sun any time soon
My room mate
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Matjaz
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
It rained all day today apart from on the tops of the mountains where it snowed!! 2.3'c on take-off according to the web cam! It might be a tad cold if we fly tomorrow and am sure glad I packed my winter flying gloves but no thermals:-)
A curry for ‘team’ tea tonight in the Brit Team apartment with, I am sure, a splash or two of wine along with entertainment from Shedsy!
The talk over the last couple of days has been about cloud flying and how to get a system in place to try and sort it out. This was discussed in Croatia 2 years ago which was one of the worst experiences of my life and nearly made me give up on hang gliding and now it raises is head again after it seems no one has made any gains on trying to sort it.
We have had a printout of heights and from it, it is clear there are pilots that are so "weak and insecure" they need to fly in cloud to gain the advantage – these are not my words but taken from the pilot meeting this morning. Lets hope the meeting comes out with some positive results. We find out soon;-)
Icarus - no chance of him getting too close to the sun any time soon
My room mate
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Matjaz
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
12 June 2008
Day 4 - Cancelled
No flying today due to a front sat above us and sounds like it will be the same tomorrow.
We had a great night last night eating in with a bean chilli and rice made by one of our drivers Cathy, followed by strawberries and cream/yogurt washed down by nearly 6 litres of red wine - the head is paying the price today let me tell you!!
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
We had a great night last night eating in with a bean chilli and rice made by one of our drivers Cathy, followed by strawberries and cream/yogurt washed down by nearly 6 litres of red wine - the head is paying the price today let me tell you!!
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
11 June 2008
Day 3 - Cancelled
All photos taken with Ricoh R8 – you can click any photo to make it BIGGER!
- had the camera on 45secs delay today so not many pics.
looking east from take off
A good call by the safety and comp organisers - we flew down to the bottom landing before the weather turned nasty as cunim's were on the menu for today's lunch. By the time we had had a beer and just finished de rigging the gust front had come through and by the time we got the gliders back to the digs and on the racks in the dry the rain. thunder and lightening had started.
The organisation is very good and they are playing very safe which I think most pilots seem to be appreciating very much.
Sounds like there are a few people un-happy about people cloud flying. Maybe the answer or a good idea would be to make all track logs public so in effect it might police itself? The Brits of course can not comment on this subject as we may have our knackers chopped off ;-)
looking over the back of take off
mountains ahead
Phippsy
big cloud building at the end of the valley
cunim
it's coming
Kaz and Phippsy
Shedsy always the comedien
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
- had the camera on 45secs delay today so not many pics.
looking east from take off
A good call by the safety and comp organisers - we flew down to the bottom landing before the weather turned nasty as cunim's were on the menu for today's lunch. By the time we had had a beer and just finished de rigging the gust front had come through and by the time we got the gliders back to the digs and on the racks in the dry the rain. thunder and lightening had started.
The organisation is very good and they are playing very safe which I think most pilots seem to be appreciating very much.
Sounds like there are a few people un-happy about people cloud flying. Maybe the answer or a good idea would be to make all track logs public so in effect it might police itself? The Brits of course can not comment on this subject as we may have our knackers chopped off ;-)
looking over the back of take off
mountains ahead
Phippsy
big cloud building at the end of the valley
cunim
it's coming
Kaz and Phippsy
Shedsy always the comedien
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
10 June 2008
Day 2 - Task 1 - stopped
All photos taken with Ricoh R8 – you can click any photo to make it BIGGER!
Task - 105.3km / 5 turnpoints - stopped due to thunderstorms. 'Think' Gerolf won the day?
Climbing out at Launch
Glide to first turnpoint
Chilly at base
Ad a fun time today although the launch was manic to say the least with priority set-up pilots also getting priority launch which I think is in the rules as NOT to happen?
Anyway, we had a good day with 4 out of 5 in goal so a good start. The task was stopped late afternoon after most were in goal due to thunderstorms, which we now have (more rain).
I went down 15km from the second turnpoint (landing with 4 others, one of which was Oleg) after arriving from a glide over the valley at Greifenburg 200 feet below the ridge. The guys above got away again and after a lot got low but were able to scratch up in the trees.
Getting Low
Oleg 'trying' to smile :-)
Am pleased to say we did not need the ‘corks’ today!
I think this will be a safe comp which is reassuring.
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
Task - 105.3km / 5 turnpoints - stopped due to thunderstorms. 'Think' Gerolf won the day?
Climbing out at Launch
Glide to first turnpoint
Chilly at base
Ad a fun time today although the launch was manic to say the least with priority set-up pilots also getting priority launch which I think is in the rules as NOT to happen?
Anyway, we had a good day with 4 out of 5 in goal so a good start. The task was stopped late afternoon after most were in goal due to thunderstorms, which we now have (more rain).
I went down 15km from the second turnpoint (landing with 4 others, one of which was Oleg) after arriving from a glide over the valley at Greifenburg 200 feet below the ridge. The guys above got away again and after a lot got low but were able to scratch up in the trees.
Getting Low
Oleg 'trying' to smile :-)
Am pleased to say we did not need the ‘corks’ today!
I think this will be a safe comp which is reassuring.
Other Euro's bloggers:
Norwegian Hanggliding
Corinna
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
9 June 2008
Day 1 - Cancelled
All photos taken with Ricoh R8 – you can click any photo to make it BIGGER!
First day of the comp and a task was set at 11am but cancelled by the safety committee at the 12noon re-brief. (Nice to know the competition is erring on the side of caution).
In between rain showers and tail wind most of the comp managed to get off the hill for a free flight.
Forecast for tomorrow looks better than today with Wednesday not looking so good - the conditions here seem to be very unpredictable!
Griefenburg from 6000ft asl
mean looking sky building
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
First day of the comp and a task was set at 11am but cancelled by the safety committee at the 12noon re-brief. (Nice to know the competition is erring on the side of caution).
In between rain showers and tail wind most of the comp managed to get off the hill for a free flight.
Forecast for tomorrow looks better than today with Wednesday not looking so good - the conditions here seem to be very unpredictable!
Griefenburg from 6000ft asl
mean looking sky building
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
Opening Ceremony - 8 June
All photos taken with Ricoh R8 – you can click any photo to make it BIGGER!
written with a gyroscope powerball - we couldn't go fast enough to write 'team GB'
Team GB (L-R): Bruce, Carl, Rich, Shedsy, Phippys
in this picture are Cathy and Kaz our drivers for the comp
The trohpies are absolutly stunning and made of solid bronze
written with a gyroscope powerball - we couldn't go fast enough to write 'team GB'
Team GB (L-R): Bruce, Carl, Rich, Shedsy, Phippys
in this picture are Cathy and Kaz our drivers for the comp
The trohpies are absolutly stunning and made of solid bronze
8 June 2008
Practice in the rain
The rest of the team had a fly about this afternoon - Bruce landed 18k away to stay clear of the rain. I decided to keep warm and dry!
Shedsy
Gerolf landing in the rain
Get ready to run Oleg
Mandatory Pilot's Briefing @ 5pm
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
Shedsy
Gerolf landing in the rain
Get ready to run Oleg
Mandatory Pilot's Briefing @ 5pm
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
6 June 2008
Great Weather?
I left lovely weather in the UK on Wednesday and it continued into the first half of Germany where it was overtaken by crap weather - mostly driving rain - right the way into Austria.
I’m afraid to say the bad weather is still with us – its grey and overcast in Austria which is forecast to stay with us for the week! There are patches of blue breaking through but apparently that’s just the lee side wind coming through!
Carl and Bruce managed a top to bottom yesterday! - great sky eh?
It’s the opening ceremony tonight which clashes with Austria playing Croatia in Vienna in the Euro 2008 football championships so we are not expecting too many spectators……………
Click here - Official website of 16th FAI European Hang Gliding Championships
5 June 2008
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