Now, as I am in the lead again on Iquique paraglider flights on the Xcontest, I studied the former record flight of Michal from 2013 and found out, that for me it would be kind of easy to copy his flight and just add overflying lands end to his flight. Michal like the majority of pilots flying here do not overfly this landmark, because it it tricky - low and a rather long low laying lee side - and it includes the danger of getting grounded somewhere north of it, which results in some hundred meters of altitude gravel climbing or boat rescue. But I have overflown lands end until today several times successfully and if it would look doable, I would just do. And I do !
Samstag, 28. Februar 2015
30. October 2014 - Iquique
I start the flight towards the airport and turn around at the usual turnpoint there and have in mind to fly a triangle with an turnpoint at Calheta Buena or at least between Punta Guaneras and Calheta Buena. But when I arrive at Punta Guaneras the following bays present themselves just like the day when I finally got grounded at Calheta Buena. So I turn around and fly back to Iquique safely. As I have enlarged my leading triangle paraglider flight from Iquique ( from Oct. 16 ) a tiny bit, it is a new record triangle flight at the end of the day.
YouTube : Overflying Punta Piedras "Lands End" S to N
YouTube : Overflying Punta Piedras "Lands End" N to S
YouTube : Soaring Baja Molle skyscrapers
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:fritzdornat/30.10.2014/14:17
29. October 2014 - Iquique
Today I am kind of not motivated at all. But even worse about 4-5 times I fall asleep during flying. Sleeping for seconds during the flight over Iquique like falling asleep on the wheel makes me kind of worried. I decide to land, go to the fishermen's harbor for some fresh fish and then spend the rest of the day in the hammock with my laptop and the XCplanner to find out serious opportunities or goals for the next days.
28. October 2014 - Iquique
Yesterday, late in the afternoon I found out, that some lines on the glider were damaged a bit. If I would have been out in the desert, I guess, I would have flown on with them, but as we are here in a perfectly equipped workshop, today we sew replacement lines for them. In the late afternoon I do a recreational flight above the flight park connected with the mission of testing the new lines.
27. October 2014 - Iquique
After a bus ride back in the last night from Cuya to Iquique, I am tired today and also as landing was rough, I have to check my glider, clean my harness, a.s.o. So I take a day off for servicing my gear and recharging my own batteries.
26. October 2014 - San Marcos >> Cuya
Like yesterday I can go with the bus of the competition to their take off - this time it is San Marcos. The day starts nicely and promising, so do I and start out into my private race. Soon after my start the race committee propones the start of the task and the pilots follow me towards Iquique. As I fly on such a capable glider i do not care a lot about the altitude in front of Cementario Uno and just fly on, as I am quite sure, the glider will low save me. But as a saying goes : pride comes before the fall … I get grounded on the very typical corner and …. ( no words ) …. As I am on the ground the leading group of the comp arrives and they all have the same problem like me, but as they arrive about 20 - 30 meters higher, they are able to escape the trap with a lot of scratching fight, but they do. Seeing this I climb up by feet some meters and do the rest in ground handling style and as soon as I cannot hold the glider any more I turn around and am airborne again. Full of anger about myself I am kind of new motivated now, pass Iquique, overfly lands end, 70 km later the peninsula of Pisaqua, the Tiliviche Canyon, Calheta Chica and its chocolate dunes and for the first time ever, even the valley of Camarones. As the condensate into the Camarones valley does look very compact and friendly I fly on towards Cuya. Every some kms I turn around to make sure that I can still fly against the valley wind. Having overflown the police check point of Cuya I decide to fly into the southern arm of the valley, as the valley is dividing there. From here on I do my turn arounds and trying to fly back against the valley wind more often. Soon I face, that the flight back is only possible with speed bar in half to fully accelerated position. So I turn around and try to reach Cuya again, but have to land just on my side of Cuya. Before reaching the ground I disconnect myself from the harness and catch the blowing away glider on outer lines. If I would not have been on the ground in Cementario Uno it would have been a longer than 230 km flight, but so they are two flights, one of 58 km and one of 174 km.
YouTube : San Marcos starting
YouTube : Punta Guaneras to Calheta Buena
YouTube : Fly by Cerro Toro
YouTube : Flying Camarones Nord
YouTube : Calheta Camarones to Cuya
YouTube : Cuya landing
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:fritzdornat/26.10.2014/13:51
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:fritzdornat/26.10.2014/16:08
http://www.findmespot.com/spotadventures/index.php/view_adventure?tripid=334351
Freitag, 27. Februar 2015
25. October 2014 - Patillos >> Iquique
With the bus of the Iquique Open competition I can come to Patillos. After the start of the race I follow the leading group to Iquique, but they have to pass certain waypoints, that I do not know and so I fly on alone towards lands end. At lands end there is so strong winds out of north, that I cannot pass this landmark - I never faced a situation like this. I turn around and fly back to the Iquique airport and back to Iquique again. At the end the flight of the days shows a distance of about 150 km.
Abonnieren
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