Sometimes choosing a suitable place to land isn’t that easy, but if you want to fly cross country you can’t be so choosy. This time I had to land between a high and medium voltage overhead line
Prologue: A week’s holiday in the Dolomites with my wife. The hope that one or the other flight day could jump out was confirmed on the first day after arrival. Good thermals with a base of up to 3400 m in the late afternoon with a light north-west wind were forecast.
Planning: The Col Rodella, probably the best-known flying mountain in the heart of the Dolomites, seemed to me to be the most suitable flying mountain, since you can fly along a south-east flank in the morning. The first turning point at the Col de Ciampac, then direction Marmolada and then fly back to Campitello.
Before the start: Very international pilot audience, I could make out voices from France, Switzerland, of course Italy and German. Two hanggliders were also getting ready to take off. Since the thermals are stronger and the Fassa Valley is known for the strong valley winds, I took about 3 kg of additional ballast with me.
Start: At 11:34 start heading east, despite the predicted westerly wind
12:06: I had the misfortune that I started exactly in a large-area shadow, so it was rather slow or not at all up. At some point I decided to fly south-west.
12:38: Here I got into a strong thermal, the only place where it got too strong for me and I was happy to be out of the thermal again. The day after that I came back in the same place in strong thermals, I have no idea why here of all places.
13:00: From here it was unfortunately only downhill, no more thermals found.
13:12: I had considered flying south of Monte Mulat to use it as a crash slope. Would certainly have worked, since the wind was displayed at 18 km/h in the meantime. But I didn’t see any possibility of outlanding there and since the valley is very narrow here, I decided to concentrate on the landing.
Landing: As can be seen in the picture, the landing took place between a high and a medium-voltage overhead line, ultimately without any problems, but still “exciting” in the truest sense of the word
Departure: I went back to Campitello di Fassa by bus and from there by mobile home to Wolkenstein.
Flight Details: Check out DHV-XC.
