Alps 2012

We are back home and our Experience in the Alps this 2012 has finished.

Here you can see the 4 tracks of our Flights in the Alps. You need to enter an email and any code to see the details. This is just a picture.

11th January

https://app.spidertracks.com/home.mvc/viewtrack?sid=uGfq_Zuwkpamqm3kxol8Trp65llfr7AOwYSCTSiKLOVnpr2K-SBA4J2qxNlmR3bJ

12th January

https://app.spidertracks.com/home.mvc/viewtrack?sid=MqIwGxcB71xn8XS-Fy5Tpt0NEZgHrDNVEQ4oH9KOBeLmPcbhWSIMg_pP_v858hPI

16th January

https://app.spidertracks.com/home.mvc/viewtrack?sid=BPPIFOkmnLEBFJ9fTxyJjQs6BE0PTaAt8UOnQnEgwepRCA39L4pI4QYyEcak2Wnf

18th January (first part)

https://app.spidertracks.com/home.mvc/viewtrack?sid=yTpDhNGARsRC7-F2A1hzzsq1T3RloH2kULpO-ns44-aY16W33YnlM8SbkRTLklpB

18th January (last part)

https://app.spidertracks.com/home.mvc/viewtrack?sid=adteBUtcCQZmC2IOnGmolemCUtQC8XZF546xjTqBxh8kBTRIFGHs9w_55JMKqWeY

Just another nice picture.

We are in Chateau d’Oex. We believe is the oldest Alpine balloon meeting. When we think on the conditions they were flying those brave pilots, we just can admire them.

It is snowing, so no flight today. Also tomorrow seems to be bad weather.

So probably saturday we will go home. It is almost 2 weeks  out, but we are glad to show the Aconcagua balloon and do several magnific flights during this days.

Also we have tested new things, so we hope soon can be incorporated for our customers…

After this nice flights in Filzmoos, today we are moving to Chateau d’Oex. The other “big” meeting in the Alps.

We will just stay Firday and Saturday and for the weather forecast, it seems we will not be able to fly.

Weather forecast at the briefing has given good weather for today. Heading south East in lower altitudes and going South when climbing.
The temperature today at the launch field was relatively comfortable at -8 ºC. So we could prepare well the equipment.

So we started the flight not climbing much to get a more southeastern direction.

The flight in this are has been wonderful as we could approach very much the crests because it was not too windy at this altitude.

 

After we have climbed to head south and cross the big valley of Villach. That is a nice valley with several lakes that keep you looking the scenary.

When approaching the border of Slovenia, we had in front a nice sharp mountain thata again we could approach relatively low to have a different view that was incredibly spectacular.

We have been authorized to pass the airport of Ljubljana and the town itself heading south and approaching the border of Croatia.

We finally landed in a very nice valley where the peasants came to see  curious.

Today we have been 4 persons on board with 2×40+3×30+1×20 = 190 Kg of gas. We have been flying for 5 hours and 12 minutes spending including inflation 115 Kg. This gives again a consumption of 20 Kg/h which allowed us still to fly for 4 hours more . This balloon gives a comfortability to be sure that the gas will not be a problem that we think we can enjoy better the flight.

Anoyher exceptional flight from Filzmoos that all on board will never  forget.

This morning we got up snowing. So the flight has been canceled again.

In the afternoon we have viewed the film of the flight over Kilimanjaro and we had some questions on the Experience.

Hope tomorrow to fly as the forecast is good.

After 2 days waiting for good weather, finally it arrived. It is worth to wait.
After a short briefing thanking for the night glow and telling us the wind forecast for today, we went to the field to prepare the balloon.
It has not been easy as we were at -18 ºC. The hoses difficult to bend, but all was working without problem.

Take off at 10:10 and landing at 14:15. A long flight with avery different scenary. Lots of snow nearby Filzmoos, as it has been snowing a lot the last week. So a wondereful landscape where you do not get tired to look at.

Heading SSE, we crossed the border of Italy and finally landed near Cisterna  at about 20 Km West of Udine.

This time we shared the flight with 2 balloonists from USA Henry and George. So we flew 5 people in total.

Gas on board was 2×40+2×30+1×20 = 160 Kg. and in the 5 hours we spent less than 100 Kg, which is really good. This do not include the inflation as we used the same 30 Kg tank we had for the night glow.

Another terrific flight that make us  think we are privileged persons we can do it as balloonists. Speed again was around 50 km/h which for me is the best to fly in the Alps to have enough time to look at the landscape.

 

 

 

Weather this Sunday has been again too complicated to leave more than 40 balloons to take off over the Alps. So we have to wait until Monday where is expected good weather to fly.
This afternoon all the balloons have done a night glow. Very successful as a lot of public was attending even the temperatures have been very low.

 

Today we have been at the briefing of 8:00 a.m. for the weather and again the wind was too strong.

Nice weather, with almost no clouds, but windy and turbulent enough in altitude to not take off.

Now we are moving by car to Filzmoos.

It is one of the most known Alpine Winter Balloon meetings with a long and experienced trajectory. It is the first time we go there and we are very excited to participate.

Weather expected for tomorrow is better, so we hope tomorrow we can do a nice flight in the area of Filzmoos.

We assisted at the briefing this morning and the wind is too strong to fly over the mountains. Some are flying in the valley, but we will wait for tomorrow.

After the briefing we passed the film of Kilimanjaro, so it could be seen for all pilots in the meeting.

The forecast was really good to have a pleasant flight at reasonably low speed to Slovenia, so we decided to fly together with Joan.

The prediction was perfect and at a speed around 40 Km/h and direction East or EastSouthEast we have done a very nice crossing of the Alps in direction to Lubjana.

As the speed was low enough , we had the opportunity to fly relatively low. So most of the time we were below 3000 m and just climbing to go more East sometimes to have nice mountains around.

Sometime very close to the mountain, but always having enough time to climb in case of any turbulence. We did not notice any in all the flight, so we could admire the beauty of this part of the Alps.

We found the radio did not charge well and we just had the walkie to contact Lubjana Airport when approaching. We could land still 30 Km before the airport, so it was not a problem.

You can find the shadow of our balloon in the picture.

We flew Joan, Jaume Cuatrecases, Jaume Ordi and myself and we had plenty of gas. 2×40+3×30+1×20 total 190 Kg. We flew almost 5 hours and spent 110 Kg including inflation, so we still had gas enough for about 4 hours. That means in case of trouble not finding before sunset a good spot for the retrieve car to arrive , we had gas enough for another flight next morning…. So we were flying very comfortable admiring the landscape. Here some pictures of today.

We found a nice field after flying some time near the ground.

We have had a nice dinner coming back in Bled in front of the lake and with a nice viewing of the castle in front. Here a picture with its reflection in the lake.

General Information

We will explain a little every day (when possible) our experience flying in the Alps this January.

I hope it will be of your interest. You will be able to follow the track in life every day we do, but in 2D to simplify.

In winter we use to take off late, so don’t worry you will have not to get up early to follow it.

 

 

 

 

11^th January 2011

We arrived yesterday late night after 17 hours driving from Igualada. So in the morning we were a little tired.

Short briefing for a perfect weather to cross North South the Alps from Dobbiaco.

We took off a half hour later than the others because we had to prepare all, and most of other teams were  waiting for this weather for some days because the meteo in the precedent days was bad.

So at 11:35 we took off climbing up to FL 135 that was the maximum allowed in the Notam. To go higher, you need to ask permission to Padova. Anyway that was a wonderful altitude to fly not too high over the mountains and also because the speed around 40-50 Km/h allowed us to do.

Pictures speak by themselves, though when flying, the scenery is still better. Dolomiti is one of the best scenery not just in the Alps but in the entire world, and we feel fortunate to fly over.

We took off with 2×40 Kg + 2×30 Kg + 1 master of 20 Kg witconcagua balloon. A N-180 with 40 % double layer (still missing 2 more panels to cover and not much time in the factory to do it).

We climbed at a maximum of 4500 m. The balloon was flying light because we were just 3 on board. So the consumption after almost 3 hours has been of less than 70 Kg. With the inflation we have to add another 10 Kg. approximately.

We decided to go down near Belluno, but we had to climb again to almost 2500 m to move more out of the mountains and the powerlines because that area was plenty of them.

We were so fortunate that we could land in a small airfield in Torch where is an amateur ultralight builder Mr. Dalborgo that had a very nice airfield where has stored the ultralight he built during 12 years.

He offered us, after showing the ultralight, a very good cheese homemade  and wine and beers to celebrate the first crossing of this year.

All happy we came back to the hotel after refuelling for next flight.