Category Archives: Hanggliding

Silky winter soaring

Friday night it was blowing a gale in Oslo, I did not think it would calm down enought to be flyable Saturday, so I slept long and did not check the weather until 13:00. The sun was shining, and the wind had calmed down and the windtalker reported a nice 4 m/s NW at Sundvollen. I called Fredrik who was still sleeping and a little hungover, he wanted to come along just to get out, but did not bring his glider. It was quite gusty in Oslo, so we were not sure it was going to be flyable anyway.

Arriving at takeoff we soon realized it was close to perfect conditions, I started to set up in a hurry. It gets dark around 15:00, and it was now past 14:00. Fredrik did the beeing nice and talking to the tourists routine, while I got ready and suited up. I took off and wondered what was wrong when I climbed, I forgot my vario at home, and never thought about it while pre-flighting the glider. I just got it back from Brauniger, and had not put it in the harness. No need for it anyway, it was like riding an elevator on the ridge.

One thing I did not pre-flight was my shoelaces, because one got stuck in my harness zipper as I was trying to close it up. Typical when it’s cold, and it’s not the first time either. Learn from my mistakes? Naahhh. :-) So it quickly became cold with just jeans in 3 to 4 degrees below zero.

Getting high and cold over Kongen I decided to do a little XC before it became too dark, and went on glide towards Steinsletta. I could see the catabatic flow from Kongen on the smoke from some fires. The flow was making conditions in the closest LZ interesting, so Steinsletta was a much better option out on the flats away from the hill. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed the flight conditions so much, it was thick cold air, smooth as silk. The air was perfectly clear and the horizon was pink 360° around, the sun had just set, and the full moon was reflecting silver in Steinsfjorden. Grinning and wishing I had a camera in my harness I did a 7 km final glide, and landed next to Fredrik who was there with the car.

The traditional dinner at Vik tasted good as always after a good flying day. Forecast for tomorrow is pretty good and we plan to going flying again.

Some images; ready at takeoff, takeoff, high and cold over Kongen, on final glide, and after landing.

Ready at takeoff Takeoff
High and cold over Kongen Final glide
After landing

The birds

It’s been the normal shitty Oslo weather in the last weeks, with rain, coudbase at 30 meters and generally foggy conditions. In the north the weather have been rather extreme, with strong winds and snow. Airports and roads have been closed in some places. A Dornier turboprop airplane chrashed on the runway in Bodø injuring 4 people, it had trouble with the elevator controls after reportedly beeing hit by lightning on the way from Røst.

SeagullsToday it cleared up here in Oslo for the first time in weeks, and we finally got some sun. Sitting in my office I noticed a huge gaggle of seagulls flying above our office buildings. I went outside on the roof to see if they were thermaling, and I could see lots of seagulls in the air over the city area. It looked like every bird in Oslo was out flying today. I think they were sick of having been grounded for weeks, and wanted to stretch the wings again. I do know the feeling! Would be great to get out and fly again, maybe the weather cooperates this weekend, the forecast is OK.

No flying

No flying this weekend, I had instructor duty but the weather did not permit any training flights. The winter is here with shitty weather. Guess we’ll have to wait until the ice makes Sundvollen flyable for the students in the middle of January.

Sundvollen

The weather forecast was for easterlies, and nice weather. Fredrik and I drove towards Ringerud, but turned around and went back to Sundvollen as the wind was South when we passed Sundvollen the first time, and North West at Hønefoss and Ringerud.

Arriving there it was shifting between nil wind and tailwind, we set up and I got quickly ready to lauch in the first period with launchable air. I ran like hell from well behind the ramp, but still got low over the railing below, but had enough energy to make it a nice takeoff. There was some light thermals, but nowhere near enough to climb in it. Nice landing made it a good flight in perfectly clear and cold winter air. Small flights like this makes the winter season a little more bearable, it would be nice to thermal up over the Australian flatlands now… But nah, I would be sweathy and too warm. Give me a frozen LZ and still air… ;-)

Fredrik did not take off as the tailwind became consistent and stronger. Oliver Thurman whom I have not seen in some years showed up and did a flight with his paraglider, nice to talk to him again.

Fog banks, and nil wind on the fjord.

Wow duuude, aawesome thermals today!
Rått esse!

At the LZ, frozen margeritas all over …
Landing, frozen margaritas

Course weekend

I had instructor duty this weekend, Saturday was cancelled because the weather was crap. Sunday looked good and we drove to Flesberg to get the first real high flights. The weather was nice and the students got two flights each, and Fredrik got two flights also. I flew down myself first to guide them down on the radio. The local students of the Kongeberg club were also there and got good flights.

Panorama shot from the take off, LZ down to the left behind the trees.

Soaring Saturday

I picked up Fredrik and drove to Sundvollen where we met up with Trond Olsen and Arne Karstensen. The ususal gaggle of paragliders were doing sledders when we arrived, but as the wind picked up and conditions got good they dissapeared. Trond and Arne took off first and got high while we got ready. I had to stuggle low for a while after takeoff, but got a nice thermal in the corner behind takeoff and got up onto the ridge lift.

I cruised over to Gyrigaugen to meet Trond, gaining height slowly all the way, really smooth ridge lift with some nice thermals intermixed. We flew around and crossed back to Kongen where we got high again. Since the wind had picked up we choose to land on the big fields towards Vik, while Fredrik and Arne landed earlier at the bottom. Really nice flight, but I have to remember to put my winter gloved in the harness, my hands got too cold at height in the thin summer gloves, so I had to land after 1:30 hours in the air.

Autumn colours, nice view!

Since the wind picked up Terje was the only student to get a short flight from Vikersund.

Sundvollen

I had a nice flight from Sundvollen on Sunday afternoon, it was marginal despite the good forecast. It was possible to get up, but I was not agressive enough, too lazy after lots of flying in Brazil I guess. Suprisingly nice and warm for October here.

Windy saturday, nice Sunday

Erik asked if I could take instructor duty for him this weekend, so saturday morning I and Pål Øyvind went to Årvoll to meet the students. The wind was way to strong to do any training, so we sent them home. I drove to Sundvollen myself to check out if it was remotely possible to fly, but standing on the ramp in 14m/s very turbulent air quickly got me on other thoughts.

Sunday was much better, it was actually to little wind in the shallow training hill on Egge. We had only two students, and got a effecient day despite the weak wind.

Alf was towing with the tug from Trøgstad, they had a perfect day with weak thermals.

Brandbu

Fredrik and I went flying Wednesday afternoon, it was nice weather but a front was forecasted to come in with high winds and rain. We first drove to Sundvollen, as it was westerly winds. At launch it was flyable, but too weak to soar, so we stuck to the original plan and went to Brandbukampen. While driving there the front came in over us, and it was too turbulent and windy at take-off.
We waited and had dinner, before driving up once more as the wind changed direction and became a little weaker. But it was too strong from the south so we gave up and went home. I have instructor duty this weekend, and will probably not be able to fly myself.

Fredrik at Brandbukampen, windy!

Ringerudkollen

Today seemed to be a good day for flying at Ringerudkollen, Bjørn J and I met up at the landing and drove up to get a flight. Bjørn wanted to try his new used Laminar for the first time, and I just wanted a flight. We did not expect more than a glide down. As we set up the wind was shifting and cross most of the time, the clouds drifted from the back, but it was launchable in periods. Bjørn took off first and climbed above takeoff while flying straight out, I got in the air soon after and got a nice flight in smooth weak thermals aided by ridge soaring.

The lift band was quite narrow and we only got 50 meters above takeoff, so I flew for about 30 minutes before I became bored with the ridge. I went in search of some better thermals upwind and out from the ridge, but I could not find anything usable. It was a strong wind gradient on landing, as the trees are quite tall around the LZ. I was prepared and had a resonably good landing, while Bjørn took out one upright. He was quite happy with the Laminar, nice to fly and glides a lot better than the old LaMouette Profil, but a bit more challenging to land. We had hamburger and coffe in Hallingby to finish of a good hanggliding day.

Set up

One less Laminar upright in the world