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Hi everybody!

Last week Robert Schaller and I (Christoph Bessei) were several days in South Tyrol.

Sunday, the 11.08, was our first time at the Grente, excluded the hiking to the take off ;-), it was a really great day. Sadly Robert had some bad luck and landed because of a big shadowing near Sterzing. I saw Robert and could turn early enough, sorry Robert!, to avoid the shadowing. The rest of the flight was relatively easy and I could do my first 230km FAI triangle, great first flight from the Grente. :-)

Robert:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:RobertSchaller/11.8.2013/08:11

Chris:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:Christophb/11.08.2013/08:09

The next day with good flying conditions was the 15.08, again we were at the Grente. But this time there were many team pilots (nearly all austrian engineers), which made the hike (and flight) a lot more fun! Sadly the day wasn’t as good as expected, Robert flew a 170km flat triangle, I did a 158km FAI triangle and – does it surprise anyone? ;-) – Hans Tockner did the biggest FAI triangle with 184km.

Robert:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:RobertSchaller/15.8.2013/08:41
Hans:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:tockner/15.08.2013/08:43
Chris:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:Christophb/15.08.2013/08:45

On friday (16.08) we were some kind of tired, so we drove to the Speikboden, which has a cable car, and planned a small FAI triangle.
We took off about 30 minutens after the first thermal, because we didn’t expect a good XC day. But after one hour in the air the day got better and better and I had to push really hard to catch the leading gaggle. Instead of following me and the 200 other pilots, Robert tried a special route for the first leg of the triangle: He followed the main ridge of the alps (really nice!), while all others flew along the “Pustertal”. Both of us did a fast and long flight, so in the evening there were only happy faces! Robert did his first 200km FAI triangle, Joe Edlinger and I did around 230km:

Robert:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:RobertSchaller/16.8.2013/09:09
Joe (My Air Buddie during this flight :-) ):
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:JoeEdlinger/16.08.2013/08:48
Chris:
http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/flights/detail:Christophb/16.08.2013/09:05

Saturday was our last day in South Tyrol, Robert and I planned a flight to Innsbruck (My home), crossing the main ridge of the alps, then following the Zillertal and finally fly along the Inntal to Innsbruck. Because of the really low cloudbase we had to head west and search a place where the main ridge was lower then the cloudbase. South of the Schlegeisspeicher we found this place and crossed the main ridge into the Zillertal. Following the nothern ridge the next kilometres were really easy, till we had to cross the Zillertal to the east side. One reason was the big shadowing on the west ridge, the other reason was the airspace of Innsbruck. Sadly I underestimated the valley wind (thought we find a thermal on the lee side) and “lost” Robert near Schlitters. I had a bit more luck, found a weak thermal and could cross the valley again to the windward side. I soared there some minutes and then, because the clouds and shadowings were getting bigger, crossed the Inntal really low. As expected I didn’t find a thermal on the other side and landed in Jenbach. 10 Minutes later Robert arrived also there and we could celebrate this great flight together.

Robert:
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=449789

Chris:
http://xc.dhv.de/xc/modules/leonardo/index.php?name=leonardo&op=show_flight&flightID=449825

A really great week, with a really great end! :-)

Cu in the sky,
Chris

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