SAFA Skysailor Magazine

SKY SAILOR 13 July | August 2020 helped a lot was I knew lots of nice people whose tips and experience assisted me. That accelerated my development as a pilot. I also invested a lot of time to become mentally strong, so I would be ready for the 300km day when the weather was right. This factor cannot be underestimated. Previous season you flew an EN-D and only just ‘traded down’ to the Mentor 3. How come? In 2013, Hans Tockner took me with him on cross- country flights. Like me, he is from the Steiermark in Austria and for many years he has been one of the world’s best XC pilots. I thought flying a high-performance wing, I would have no problems keeping up with him, but I was mistaken. I had to work really hard to keep up. The seconds I gained with the increased speed I lost very quickly in the thermals. A wing with high aspect ratio and a high trim speed displays clear disadvantages when you are trying to dig yourself out of a hole in weak thermals. I stepped down because I get better results at effectively exploiting thermals. Is it still true today? Yes and no. In my opinion, there isn’t a definitive answer to that question. A lot of innovations are being developed simultaneously. ➲ ➲ Wings performance is getting better, regard- less of their classification. ➲ ➲ There are high-performance wings that are very manageable as long as you don’t fly in really turbulent conditions. They demand less of the pilot than previously, at least in normal flight. ➲ ➲ General knowledge about XC flying and good XC routes is continuously improving. ➲ ➲ We now have many very good pilots who started flying at a young age, developed their skills continuously and are capable of flying a high-performance wing for 10 hours or more. These days, there are more high-performance wings at the top of any day rating in the XC leagues, whereas on epic days that’s relative. What use is crazy top-speed if I’m too scared to hit the speed- bar in strong thermals and associated turbulence? The most important thing hasn’t changed: Regardless of which wing you fly, if you want to fly far or for a long time, you have to feel comfortable on your wing in any situation. Yet, 300km plus flights in the Alps are still very rare and no-one else has achieved this on an EN-B wing to date. Correct, because everything has to be just right. When I look back, I invested a lot of time and was extremely focused on achieving my goal. I was just waiting for the right conditions. I feel that the weather over the last few years has been less favourable for XC flying. Conditions like in June 2014, where people were flying excellent distances in different places over four consecutive days, seem to be rare these days. What about your flying future? For me, flying is about enjoyment and positive experiences. I’m less keen on extreme kilometre chasing and more interested in trying new routes and areas. Occasionally, everything comes together. If I land in the evening after a long flight which was also a new route in a new flying area, I feel the same emotions as on landing after the 300... Paragliding remains the most beautiful hobby in the world! Story courtesy Till Gottbrath, Nova Passing Marmolada On track for 300km FAI triangle