Lotsa sweat, little flight...

We meet two passengers outside the cable-car entrance in Thollon. In a few minutes, we've bought the tickets and start boarding the egg-shaped vehicles that will whizz us to the terminal station in a few minutes. Even though it's getting late in the afternoon, it's a hot ride with little ventilation in the cars.
A short walk takes us to the take-off terrain we visited a few weeks ago. Nothing much has changed since our last visit. A single pilot is taking off as we arrive, and all seems to be going all right. I help Alex and Michael lay their wings while they brief their passengers. Alex's has done a few flights already, and they're in the air pretty soon. Michael's passenger isn't as practiced, and after three attempts, Michael decides to go to the other side of the take off area, where the slope is more regular and will allow a longer run. By that time, we've run up and down the slope three times, laid the wings a few times, under the late afternoon sun, with very little fresh air to cool us down.
When Michael and passenger finally take to the air, I finish laying my wing. Another pilot has taken position beside me, the area is big enough, and we both settle to wait for the right conditions. I can feel a stirring of the air, but on my back!
The wind has swung to the South West, and we start a long wait for the thermal gust to come from the front. After well over half an hour, I decide to attempt a take off when the wind dies. The wait is still long, but at last the wind seems to die. I raise the wing and take two steps in the slope, but my speed is not high enough, and the break in the slope is too close. I fall in the hole while the wing overtakes me and drops on top of the bushes.
I gather it and decide to take the B option, which is to walk to the other side of the area and use the slope to run as Michael did over half an hour ago. It still takes me a good twenty minutes in the sun and heat to walk accross and lay my wing. The tall grasses and sparse bushes allied with the angle of the slope combine to make the laying a harduous task, but I can't afford risking a snag on the lines, I still haven't repaired the damaged brake line.
While I'm laying the wing, I can feel a few gusts of wind come up the slope, but a few coming sideways too, and even downhill, so the wind from the back is strong enough at times to create a downdraft. When I'm done laying the flying engine, I sit down to wait for the right gust. After a few false alarms, the right gust comes up the slope and I initiate the few steps that raise my wing. It's above my head, the lines seem to run clear, and I take the few running steps that will take me to the air. The gust wasn't very strong, as soon as I'm airborne I feel its lift, but it's very weak. The vario stays silent. I first go left, getting a few beeps from the electronic instrument, but the altitude gain is lost with the first turn I have to make t come back to the area. The right-hand side of the area is not better, and since this is going to be a short flight, I quickly head for the shore of the lake.
Flying over the clear water is a thrill.

This flight is too short, and soon it's time to line up with the landing field. The head wind is not too strong, laminar and very regular, so my final approach is well executed. Some bystanders are watching, and when I prompt them they applaud my landing! That was fun...

Technical data: Flight duration 0:16, Take-off altitude: 1660m, Maximum altitude reached: 1660m, Total climb during flight: 126m, Max rate of climb: +1.2m/s, Max descent rate: -3.4m/s, Landing altitude: 480m.

Sunday morning - Pointe de Ressachaux

We're a bit in a rush today, as Michael and Olivia have to be back in town for twelve o'clock. The destination is La Pointe de Ressachaux, near Morzine.

We leave the cars near the landing, a sloping field outside Morzine, and start walking up. The slope is very steep at the beginning, but Michael assures us there's a gentle slope higher up. The forest and the angle of the slope keep us in the shade and spare us from direct sunlight, so the climb is relatively cool. After about 45 minutes strenuous uphill, we get to a group of chalets, and the path is flat... for about 5 minutes. It then resumes at the same angle for another 45 minutes before we reach the top. The South-Westerly announced by the met office has not materialised, and there are fairly steady gusts sideways on the slope. We lay our wings and get ready to take off.
On the right of us, much lower, is an impressive range of rock faces and we hope we'll catch some thermals there to prolong our flight.
The tandem flyers take off first, as is the custom. Then Maurice attempts a take-off, but a sudden gust from the side unbalances his wing and he has to abort his run a few meters below me. I wait for a long time, and finally take off in zero wind. The length of the run surprises me somehow, but after a final push I feel my wing lift me. It's the thrill and the joy of being airborne again. I cross the valley below to get to the rock-face as soon as possible. I can see several tandem wings there, but can't recognise anybody from our group at this distance. A few minutes later, I can see that Michael and Olivia are just at the top of the faces, heading for the landing spot.

I decide to follow them, gliding parallel to the cliff faces. The air is quite turbulent above those cliffs, I decide to maintain a straight flight, foregoing flight duration for a calmer glide and follow them to the landing spot.

We're in a rush, so we leave as soon as our wings are folded. Fabienne and Gwen have landed before us, and they're not in a rush, so they decide to stay and have another flight above Morzine. Unfortunately, the conditions deteriorated and they had a mishap on landing that will keep Fabienne in pain for a few months with a broken pelvis, and Gwen for a shorter time with torn calf muscles...


Technical data: Flight duration 0:20, Take-off altitude: 2129m, Maximum altitude reached: 2129m, Total climb during flight: 134m, Max rate of climb: +2.0m/s, Max descent rate: -3.8m/s, Landing altitude: 800m.

Short flight in Orcier

Late afternoon, after moving fridges (don't ask), I get to the club in Orcier. Quite a few people are already folding their wings on the freshly manicured grounds. Serge really spoils us with pristine maintenance of the facilities.
It doesn't take long to fill the truck and we're off to Tres-le-Mont. As we get there, the weather vane indicates a Northerly wind, so we drive down to Le Couteau. We're rapidly in the air, but the thermals are very small, and the wind irregular and changing direction. There is some Southerly flow higher up.

I decide to leave the side of the cliff and seek possible lift over the plain, but today's not my lucky day...

Technical data: Flight duration 0:15, Take-off altitude: 1330m, Maximum altitude reached: 1330m, Total climb during flight: 216m, Max rate of climb: +1.6m/s, Max descent rate: -3.2m/s, Landing altitude: 640m.

Summer coming back - Orcier

The weather hasn't been favourable lately, on Sunday we went up La Dent d'Oche but couldn't fly as the wind was very strong, and we've had low clouds and strong winds since.

Today the wind abated, and we wait anxiously for its direction to change. At last the weather beacon announces more Northerly flows after lunch, and a few of us meet at the club in Orcier. We pile up as usual in the truck and drive to Le Couteau. Alain, Joseph and Camille take off at first, and with the field clear for us, Alex and I lay our wings. The plan is for Alex to take off first, and for me to close ranks.

I take great care in laying out my risers as the brake line that snagged last time needs some repairs, and I don't want to risk another snag that might lead to that line breaking.

Alex's passenger starts by tripping and falling face down as the wing is not even up, so we pick up the canvas and lay out again. During that time, we glance at our three companions up above the take off. The Easterly component in the wind is strong, and there is quite a bit of dynamic lift on the right of the take off area.

On the second try, Alex and his passenger take off cleanly. As expected, the wind is strong and sideways and in a few seconds they have gained about thirty to fourty meters. I wait a few more seconds for a gust to straighten the wind direction and I launch myself in the slope. As my wing gets to the flying position above my head, I glance at it, and the lines are clear, but the right-hand side is deflating and about to collapse. The windsock has shifted completely to the side, but the take off isn't wide enough for me to run facing the wind, so I abort my take off. I gather my wing and lay it again.

A few more seconds wait, and I attempt my take off again. This time, the gust lasts long enough, and my timing is in sync with it, and very quickly I'm climbing very fast. I gain about fifty meters, and the wind strength drops, and I'm goming down fairly fast. My vario says minus three meters per second. This flight is going to be short if things don't change very quickly. I scratch around, very close to the trees, waiting for the next gust. My wait is rewarded and the next gust takes me up again. I play around for a short while, and then cross the gap to the front of the crest above Orcier. Alex preceeded me there, and I see him fairly high above the top of the trees already. On my way, I manage to catch a few gusts that lift me each time higher, and by the time I reach the crest, I'm quitea bit higher than Alex is.

A few minutes later, Alain and Camille come to the front too.


It doesn't take long to gain altitude, and I'm bobbing between 1300 and 1400m. A short while later, two more pilots take off from Le Couteau and I follow their progression from above.


Time passes and I'm up there, taking in the view. The mountains at the back are clouded, nice bouncy cumulus that augur good flying. Alex has gone to land, it's just a few of us playing in the gusts, the radio beacons around us have been announcing strong winds, and the gusts are indeed getting stronger. I decide to go to the landing while I have a high altitude, as I expect to loose quite a bit of height on the way there with winds that strong.

A few minutes later, I'm safely on the ground, folding my wing after yet another good flight.

Technical data: Flight duration 1:05, Take-off altitude: 1330m, Maximum altitude reached: 1430m, Total climb during flight: 1554m, Max rate of climb: +3.2m/s, Max descent rate: -5.2m/s, Landing altitude: 640m.

Another day of flying on familiar ground - Orcier

The weather forecast was accurate: yesterday's rain gave way to a beautiful day, with nice cumulus clouds dotting deep blue skies. Fairly low winds are forecast too, and we spend the morning listening carefuly to the weather beacons surrounding the area. A few of us meet mid-afternoon in Orcier, our recently repaired beacon claims the wind is North-westerly, 15 to 25km/h. We pile up in the truck and drive to Très-le-Mont. The windsocks are indeed straight on, but the beacon, placed a bit higher and behind the crest of the slope, shows us a Northerly. We decide to go to Le Couteau.
A couple of pilots have preceeded us and are ready to go as we arrive. We watch them go, and although they head straight for the landing terrain, we see that there is a bit of unstability, adn we should be able to take advantage of ascendences.
Maurice is first to go, and seems to get into a downdraft, but soon reappears higher than the take-off altitude. Alex and his pretty passenger follow, and then Michel. I'm last to leave. I don't have to run much, as the wind is pretty strong. A couple of small steps to get the wing up, and I'm airborne already. The exit is a bit skewed as a gust throws me to the side and I have ot bank pretty hard to avoid the trees lining the end of our "runway". Nothing to worry about, though, I'm soon climbing is the strong lift in front of the area, and after a few minutes I am a good 50m above the take off field. Caroline is going to drive the truck down, but I see her collecting wild strawberries at the bottom of the runway. I shout that all the strawberries belong to us, but she carries on collecting them!
There are three of us flying in this rather small area, and it's getting a bit cramped, so I head for the crest, ahead. On the way I think I feel some lift on the right and bank sharply. Alex's presence higher up seems to confirm my decision is the right one, but I must have got there too late, all I find is a fairly strong downdraft. Having lost about 50m on Alex, I now have to make a decision: head for Les Hermones, with the concommitant risk to have to land at Les Favrats if I don't get any serious lift, or try and regain a bit of alitude in front of the crest above the village.
I head towards the crest, in the direction of the landing, but I face a strong headwind: with the accelerator halfway, I make little headway, and fall at over 2m/s most of the time. It's only when I'm almost over the edge that I release the accelerator, I can feel a bit of lift, and I cleared the trees by only a few meters, at the lowest point of the crest. I fight with the thermic bubbles for a while, but the conditions are decidedly too unstable, and I have to leave the area to make it to the landing terrain. It was a decidedly average flight, but good practice nevertheless.
A few minutes after I touch down, Alex and his passenger Cécile come in to land, followed by Michel. Maurice is still way up, and only lands as we're all ready to go, packed in the truck for our second flight.
Technical data: Flight duration 0:40, Take-off altitude: 1355m, Maximum altitude reached: 1380m, Total climb during flight: 824m, Max rate of climb: +3.8m/s, Max descent rate: -4m/s, Landing altitude: 485m.
This time, we take off from Très-le-Mont. The wind has strengthened a bit, and after assisting Alex to take off with Caroline, I lay my wing and get ready. The wind is too strong for me to lay the wing on the ground without holding the harness, so I have to leave it down and get in the harness during a drop in wind strength. The next gust fills my wing and I get it in the classic corolla shape, all the risers seem clear, and I pull the A lines to get the wing above my head. I have just enought time to swing around and I'm lifted off my feet by the next gust. I get the wing under control, but I can immediately feel there is something wrong with my left brake. There is far too much tension in it. I look up, and discover a tangle close to the top, on one of the final risers in the middle of the left wing. A few sharp tugs don't seem to make any difference to this state of affairs.
The wind is too strong to attempt a top landing, so I decide to head out, to get a good ground clearance to give me time to react should something go wrong. I am ready for some serious turbulence on the rounding of the crest, but the strong wind laminates everything, and I even get some even lift at the front. I hesitate a few seconds and then decide to make a turn in this area, to accumulate a bit more safety height. Hmmm... provided I keep turning in the same direction, it looks as if the tangle on the brake line isn't impacting my flight too much. I try a couple or right and left turns, slow down my flight as much as I dare to, and decide I'm going to postpone my landing, no reason to panic. It feels as if the gusts are getting stronger, and the weather beacons seem to confirm this, some anouncing gusts over 30km/h, but the flow is fairly laminar, so the flight is rather pleasant. I manage to get to a pretty good ehight. I suddenly see Alex reach the crest, well below me. It's quite funny to see his wing from such a height. This feeling doesn't last as he takes advantage of the same dynamic lift that got me to my height, and overtakes me. We circle in the same area for a while, and drift towards Le Couteau. The air is getting rather chilly, and I check the temperature on my vario: 11 degree Celcius, no wonder I'm feeling a bit cold. I'm glad I took the decision to wear thmy suit today, a T-shirt would have been a bit under-dressed...
The wind seems to abate a little, and I see Alex make a turn to go North. I decide to head to the landing field. I have so much spare height that I make a straight dash for it, not even going around the village. I still have a lot of height above the landing field and spend it doign a few 360s, it's been a long time since I last practiced those, and a bit of rehersal is good to keep skills sharp. This concludes yet another good flight.

Technical data: Flight duration 1:20, Take-off altitude: 1330m, Maximum altitude reached: 1623m, Total climb during flight: 1680m, Max rate of climb: +3.8m/s, Max descent rate: -3.8m/s, Landing altitude: 485m.

More flying in Orcier

So far, this has been a lazy Sunday. After the week-end nap, I decide to join the rest of the crowd at the club in Orcier. A few hundred meters before I get there, I see a pilot walking on the road with his wing on his back. I stop to give him a lift, it's François. He didn't make the landing field. We soon get to the terrain and he suggests to wait a bit to see if anybody else turns up, and then he'll drive us to the top and drive the vehicle down again. I'm quite eager, as it's always a pain to have to go back up after the flight just to fetch a vehicle.
A few minutes later, Anne-Lise arrives and she suggests we take her car. We do that, and with François driving, we're at the take off field pretty rapidly.
It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and there are lots of people around to enjoy the sight, look at the hang-gliders, paraglides and gliders from the nearby gliding base.
There are gusts of wind coming up the slopes, and I'm in the air rather rapidly. My hopes for a long flight are soon dashed, though, as the thermals bubbling up are too small for me to stay in them reliably. I land after half an hour, and very quickly find a lift to go back up.
Technical data: Flight duration 0:30, Take-off altitude: 1330m, Maximum altitude reached: 1411m, Total climb during flight: 615m, Max rate of climb: +2.8m/s, Max descent rate: -4m/s, Landing altitude: 485m.

This time, the gusts seem a bit stronger. I take off and manage to get a bit of lift before I round the crest in front of Très-le-Mont. Things look much better than on the first flight. The thermals are not as powerful or as big as last week's, but I manage to gain altitude, and I get a good feel about this flight. There are a few pilots around, including three hang-gliders. I concentrate hard on the piloting, trying to visualise the thermals and extracting as much lift as I can from them. As I reach a more comfortable height, I allow myself a few minutes of contemplation. The plain is drenched in sunlight, the lake is very calm, there are no visible ripples from where I am. The sailors are probably not as happy as we are...
This flight lasts for an hour. The air is probably too warm all around for the sun to create much more heat on the ground, and everybody is heading for the landing field.
Since I'm a bit lower than everybody else, I am one of the first to touch ground.
Technical data: Flight duration 0:50, Take-off altitude: 1350m, Maximum altitude reached: 1360m, Total climb during flight: 1300m, Max rate of climb: +3.2m/s, Max descent rate: -4m/s, Landing altitude: 640m.
As I lay my wing to fold it, Alex walks up to me and asks me if I want to fly again, as he is planning a tandem flight with one of his friends and they need a lift to go to the take off.

I quickly fold my wing and get behind the wheel. We're soon at Le Couteau, laying our wings for a flight to take advantage of the restitution, we hope. This is the phenomenon where the air cools down fairly rapidly as the sun goes down, and the heat accumulated in the vegetation at lower altitude provokes a gentle rise of the air mass along the slopes. This is a gentle phenomenon and is on of the elements of numerous beautiful late afternoon or early evening flights.

We're in the air without fuss, and as expected there are thermals all around, but none too violent.



We gain height rapidly above Le Couteau, and switch to the crest above Orcier. There is good activity there too, and we consolidate our height gains, taking in the sights from this late afternoon.

This last flight is the cherry on the top, ending a beautiful day.
Technical data: Flight duration 0:35, Take-off altitude: 1330m, Maximum altitude reached: 1330m, Total climb during flight: 662m, Max rate of climb: +2.6m/s, Max descent rate: -3m/s, Landing altitude: 640m.

A quickie - Thollon-les-Mémises

We're all in a rush today, the promise to help my friend Dédé to move a piano he's just purchase is tightening what is usually a week-end schedule. There are few of us to participate today, so we don't have to wait for strays. Michael with his son Frank, and Maurice are already at the meeting point when I get here at 7:30. Maurice puits his gear in the truck and we're on our way. Our destination is Thollon, a small skiing resort overlooking Evian and the lake.
The climb is quite easy, as there is a wide path snaking its way to the top.
During the climb, we have a bird's view of the lake and the Swiss town on the opposite shore and we take short breaks to enjoy it. It's a perfect day for climbing, overcast and cool.
It is indeed a short walk, and in no time we have reached the top of the slopes, right next to the ski-lift that starts as we look at it. 9:30, the start of the day for the tourists.
We have to go to the Eastern take-off, as the main one is encumbered by earth moving equipment. Some work is taking place to remodel part of the slope for the skiers. Ptuih...
A few minutes later, we discover the Eastern take-off. I start unpacking the wing and realise I left my harness in the truck. Damn!

It could have been worse, though: it could have happened in a place that was not served by a ski-lift.. So it is that I descend the slope in a plastic bubble, get my harness, go to buy a ticket and catch a lift up again. The day wasn't all spoiled after all.
I quickly rejoin the others and we lay our wings at the top of the slope. There is even a carpet, but it's not red, or the colour is really, really faded... As is the rule, Michael and Frank, flying under the tandem, take off first. After they take off, it's my turn, and I only have to wait a few minutes to get a puff to help me inflate my wing. I want this to be a short take off, as there are very thorny shrubs just below the area where I'm going to start. All goes well, and I am soon installed comfortably to enjoy the flight and the sights.

This point of view is new for me, as this is the first time I come to Thollon.
I see yet another angle to the familiar mountains surrounding us. The view is novel, but the feel remains familiar.

I particularly enjoy flying over the water, and I look forward to the rest of the flight, that will take me over the shore of the lake.

We fly over Thollon, where we left the truck, with a lot of altitude to spare. We won't need to put into action our spare plan to land in the fields below the resort, as the headwind we expected hasn't materialised. Overall, this is a very smooth flight, in calm laminar air. The landing comes far too soon, and I prepare the approach over the lake. Whe I've reached the correc altitude, I swoop over the houses with just enough altitude to clear the electric wires the border the landing field. I follow the long edge of the terrain, leavign the road on my right. Michael and Frank have touched down a few seconds ago, on the left of the terrain. I touch down right next to Michael's car, as planned.
A minute later it's Maurice's turn to join us on firm land.
This flight too was a beautiful one, and I'm eager to come back to do some dynamic soaring when the conditions lend tehmselves to that activity.


Technical data: Flight duration 0:15, Take-off altitude: 1700m, Maximum altitude reached: 1700m, Total climb during flight: 97m, Max rate of climb: +0.6m/s, Max descent rate: -3.4m/s, Landing altitude: 485m.