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4W on tour - day5 from Prievidza (SK) to Vrchlabi (CZ)

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4W on tour - day5 from Prievidza (SK) to Vrchlabi (CZ)

Todays flight was probably the most interesting in my life. First I could not get high enough to pass Mala Fatra Moutains, then strong thermal at CZ/SK boarder, then blue dead air... had to use the engine for 10min, then weak thermals, when ariving at the mountains again, there was a huge rain area, had to fly around, then weak thermals, then strong, then blue and dead air, had to use the engine, then strong, then dead blue air and then front with rain ahead...Huge bad weather area, decided to climb with the engine high enough to reach Vrchlabi also in the rain. Finally it was possible to fly around the rain and lightnings to get to Vrchlabi. The very friendly club members helped me to put the glider into the hangar and gave me a room in the flight school. Originally I wanted to go to Jelenia Gora, but there would be no aerotow tmr, because of the heat. Anyway, Vrchlabi is perfect for travelers.

New 3 seater dynamic in Prievidza, birthplace of the Dynamics

normal two seater dynamic... perfect for towing 

 

Clouds started early, but provided only weak thermals

Aerotow

Long distange gliding towards the clouds, and cheating with the engine...

Arriving in the mountains, rain on track ahead

and blue again....

18km before Vrchlabi, used the engine at the end to be able to arrive earlier and hopefully before the rain...

Around rain and lightning

Fortunately no rain at the airport... my backup was Opole in Poland... or one of the other airports near Vrchlabi

great mood + great bear + great day

This place seems to be very nice for gliding camps. I got a room in the large flight school next to the restaurant, towing is done with a Maule, Snezka mountain is about 20km away.

4W on tour- day4 to Prievidza (SK)

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4W on tour- day4 to Prievidza (SK)

Todays plan was to fly to Prievidza in Slovakia, backup was Opole, Bielsko. I needed to wash clothes, get a hair cut and buy a short trouses... all this is easily possible in Prievidza. 280km seemed to be all right. Clounds started early over Riesengebirge, at 10:00. I started at 12:45, because I wanted to cross the bad thermal area between Ostrava and Brno in the time of tje highest cloud base amd best weather. At 12; :00 there were 34ºC. But first I had to buy oel for my engine, yesterday I had to use it a lot. Fortunately the Vrchlabi mechnics shop people were very kind and drove me 2km into the city to buy the right type at a car shop. The gas stations only offer "Garden oel", which does not meet the specification from SOLO. When arriving in Prievidza, Robko from the restaurant asked me, if I will stay for 5 weeks again :-) ... but unlike in spring I planed only to stay for one night.

Refill of patrol and oel in the morning, the bucket was provided by the local mechanics... 

Taking a shower... due to the heat using the real showers was not necessary

Had to stop circling at FL95 because of airspace...

34 degree on the ground and I was sometimes flying in the rain...

I was afraid of this bad thermal area (see www. glidinghotspots.eu)

5 minutes after taking this picture I flew towards this city (Olomouc) and found a lift under the right cloud... 

Arrival in Prievidza... since 2006 I come here every year... this time was the first without complaing about the highway Praha - Brno :-)

Bojnice Castle

Travelbyglider.eu includes the item ^Washing mashine available^... I used the opportunity... also got a hair cut and went shopping in the city

Kapustniza... great soup

4W on tour - day3 to Vrchlabi / CZ

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4W on tour - day3 to Vrchlabi / CZ

Today can be summirized as follows: "hot hot hot - brr brr brr". Weak blue thermals, only rarely some high nice good clouds. The idea was to make it today to the mountains, which will hopefully provide clouds and good thermals tmr. Jelenia Gora, Vlrchlab or Klix have been an option. Its nice to know that there will be a cold beer in the evening while not knowing if it will be paid in Euro, Polish Zloty or Czech Krones. Finaly I flew to Vlrchabi, which seems to be perfect for travelers.

Rotorblade factory in Lauchhammer (Vestas)

Lausitzring Racetrack

toooo long for the Jantar

Arrival in Vrchlabi

temperature in the evening

home away from home....

Rostislav

 

4W on tour - day 2

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4W on tour - day 2

A hot day again. In the morning the gliding-team.pl gave me the T-shirt " Friend of the Gliding-Team 2014". Here is a picture with Lukasz. Thanks again for your help.

 

Diana2 - unusual trailer design

Up to now everything was OK... but during rolling to the start position I found that my rear tire was flat. Unfortunately we had not the right tools and the shops were closed. Knowing that in Riesa, my home airport, are porper tools and a new tube available, I decided to fly back to Riesa to fix the tire.

Max Cloud base 2400m... finally the clouds disappeared...

Back home in Riesa my frind Jan, who runs his repairshop JPSmobile.de, fixed the tire very fast.

Jan was happy... so was I... target for the next day will be souther Poland mountains... there should be a good chance for clouds

 

4W on tour - day 1

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4W on tour - day 1

Its time to try travel by glider.... so yesterday I packed all my gear. First I had to find out where to put my tent, air mattress, sleeping bag, oil for the engine, gas pump, clothes for three days and lots of other stuff into Jantar Std 1 Turbo - call sign 4 W . Fortunately it worked out fine, thanks to my leg bags :-). Here are some pictures from the first day: 350 km - Riesa (Germany) to Pila (Poland)

 

Leg bags on both legs. Right leg is the tent bag filled with clothes for 3 days, left leg is a pullover.

Start as a sniffler at the competition "21. Canitzer Streckenflugwoche"... here is the grid

The plan was to fly to Grundziadz (Poland). This airport is registered at TBG and offers everything a "traveler" might wish.

Finally the weather further east did not look nice, so I decided to land in Pila. Pila is (was) not registered, but since it was weekend the chances have been good, that I could start there the next day.

At the airport some local gliders where flying... so I knew that the chances to start here the next day would be good. On my official current map the airport was marked closed... I will contact the map provider and ask them to correct that.

Fortunatelly there were some very nice pilots from the polish gliding team (2 x Diana2 / Jazek and Lukasz). We knew each other from the competition in Prievidza. They helped me and I joined them for dinner. The evening ended with a nice fire and polish sausage rosted on a stick. This is how I imaginged "Traveling by glider" :-)

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