Less than a year ago, you read about me making my debut to the NOVA Pilots Team. Today, I want to tell you about the fabulous season that followed.
Last Season I managed to fly my first bigger XC flights. In August I flew a 145km FAI-triangle from Grente/Antholz. I remember talking to my parents after the flight, telling them that I wouldn’t ever plan on flying any bigger distances. But inside I was already dreaming of doing so.
Becoming a team pilot
In November, I had the honor to become a member of the “NOVA Pilots Team” and that changed my perspective a lot. I got a new wing (Mentor 3 – I love it!) and very important: I got connected to very helpful and experienced pilots. Over the winter months I planned several triangles in the Alps and optimized my equipment (thanks to all the teampilots that answered my questions and helped me along – you are awesome!).
Me and my best flying-buddy (Simon Wamser – he flew outstanding this season too!) wanted to give it a try at Hochfelln, at the beginning of the year, to get our “german flight” for xc.dhv.de (for the German XC chmpionship we need a minimum of ONE out of three flights with a launch in Germany). After that, we planned to fly at Osterfelder, Speikboden or Grente/Antholz. In spring I was ready. But there were two problems: 1. The weather was very unpredictable and bad this season and 2. I’m living in Wuppertal (quite a way North). Travelling by train (Bimmelbahn ;)!) it takes me twelve hours, to only be at the foot of the alps. Therefore, I needed to be very lucky to hit the good flying days. And how lucky I was!
The bad weather of the first months of the new year didn’t give me the opportunity to do the training I wanted to do for the long flights. I was only able to do some groundhandling and soaring flights.
From zero thermal flights to 199,5 km FAI
At the weekend of Pentecost finally I had time, the flying weather was awesome and on top of that I was able to travel with my parents, which made it a lot more comfortable. I didn’t have any thermal flights at this time at all. Nevertheless, Simon and me planned to fly at least 150 km from Hochfelln. The weekend ended above and beyond all our expectations. At the first day I was able to fly 199,5 km FAI and on the second day 182,6 km FAI!!! Two awesome and beautiful flights. Even though the second flight was shorter, I enjoyed it more than the first one.
After a slow and tricky first leg, I underestimated the conditions and turned to early at first Turnpoint. To correct this I flew into Gasteiner-Valley where I had the opportunity to fly over Fulseck, the mountain where I had the very first tandem-flight of my life, 12 years ago. The views in the Pinzgau-Valley and from Steinplatte where stunning. After the weekend I was very happy but also very exhausted. Our German mission was accomplished!
The two Hochfelln flights:
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=522709
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=522689
Second strike with doubtful weather forecast
Weeks with bad flying weather and no time to fly followed. But in the middle of August I was lucky again. The weatherforecast for the 17th of August looked quite good. Yet the forecasts had very different opinions about the quality of the day. Some forecasts preferred the south side, other the north side of the Alps. Austrocontrol said: “very weak thermals on the south side”.
I took the chance anyway and travelled to Simon (as above: 12 hours by train). Down there we had another look into the forecasts, took the risk and drove down to Grente/Antholz. We arrived at one o’clock in the morning and went to bed for a short night. The weather in the morning looked very nice and my Austrian team mate Berni Peßl already evaluated the day as an other “Hammerday” ;)!
The take-off was early and the flight beautiful. At Sterzing it was very tricky due to a strong north component and just before Kreuzkofel we got very low. But all in all it was just beautiful weather, with strong thermals and ridge-racing. The triangle from Grente/Antholz is for sure the most beautiful I know so far. In the morning you are at the foot of Großglockner (the highest mountain in Austria). In the afternoon you fly over a glacier in the Stubaier Alps, and in the evening you thermal in front of the beautiful walls of the Dolomites looking at Marmolata & Co. We had planned a 240 km Triangle, at the end of the day both we had 235/236km FAI :D!
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=540115
After this the weather turned bad again and I went on a 2 weeks youthcamp as contributor with the Bavarian YMCA. In late August I competed at the Junior Challenge in Greifenburg and got 9th. But the weather was not good at all. That was pretty much it.
NOVA Team meeting in Lermoos
The Season ended with the “NOVA Pilots Teem” Teammeeting in Lermoos. From the 3rd to the 5th of October the whole Team came together to fly, have community, share experiences and informations, relax and have fun together. The fall presented us beautiful flying weather with smooth but strong thermals, beautiful views and awing flights on the majestic stone walls of Zugspitze. Thanks to Alex Rauter for organizing this awesome weekend. This was just a phenomenal finish of an incredible season. At the end I only had 15 flights this year, but I got 5th in the Standard Class (EN B) and 4th in the Junior’s ranking of xc.dhv.de. And I got rewarded with “Newcomer of the Year” by NOVA together with Luca Bayer. It think, planning the flights that well was really helpful to actually achieve them. But on top of that, I was also just very, very lucky.
Thanks to NOVA and the whole of the Pilots Team for the wonderful support. Thanks to my family and my wonderful girlfriend Steff for encouraging me in my passion. Thanks to Simon for the great flights together. Thanks to God for protecting me whole the Season, providing the good days at the right time :) and giving me the opportunity to marvel at his magnificent creation.
Be blessed and have happy landings in 2015,
Timon
P.S.: Thanks to Matthias Seren for the nice pictures.
Vera
Oct 14, 2014 -
Very cool Timon! rock on :-) and have a inspire winter again ;-)