LONG DISTANCE FLIGHT FROM CHATEAU D’OEX TO FERRARA

 

 

We have been very lucky. Arrived evening 30th and next day very good for long distance.

Thanks to Stefan Zeberli and Chris Meyer that  were preparing the Flight that evening,  while we were looking the football match Real Madrid-Barcelona, we had the chance on the 31  to make a wonderful Flight.

We had a nice speed of 50 Km/h  at 10000 ft and up to 120 Km/h when flying at FL 170. So as the speed was high we had to mantain a bit separate to avoid turbulences.

 

 

We flew together with Sintermetal Double layer balloon for 3 hours while crossing all the mountains. We had the oportunity to see quite well Matterhorn (Cervino), Monte Rosa, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau a little further and Mont Blanc quite far, but with good visibilty due to an excellent clear morning.

 

 

Here are some pictures that speak for the Flight. Help first from Chateau d’Oex, and trafc control from Switzerland and Italy made the Flight very pleasant as also temperature  was quite high (just -10 ºC at 5000 m). Also Chris and Stefan from the other ballon were opening contact with controlers, so I was not so busy with that.

 

 

 

 

 

Again radio and transponder worked well, so it makes much easier the Flight. Unfortunately the new yellowbrick GPS was  stoped after Milan, when we were still flying, I need to check what happened.

 

 

The descent was easy, but we had some fog for the last 300 m close  to the ground. As it was not windy we could  descent very slowly , knwing by the GPS Compegps the ground altitude  all the time, so the distance to the ground.

 

 

We flew 4 hours and 20 minutes, spending 130 Kg of gas including inflation. 5  persons on board and 160 Kg  of gas. So we  left gas at least for another hour. We could approach moret he coast, but past experiences decided us to descent a little far from the coast.

 

 

Weather forecast for 1st and 2nd February seems not good, but we will wait and see.