Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Cloud surfing



Isn´t it just the best when you can go flying in the middle of the week or on the working day? Last Thursday we were making schnaps or brandy or liquor or vodka, so many names for a simple fruit distillation, and I was being careful not to drink too much, because next day it was a flying one. I forgot about time and went to sleep at 4am, but I didn’t have any problems waking up. On the launch were quite a lot of people for a working day…
I launched around 1pm. Cloud base was low. I went to the end of the broken mountain, where usually the thermal is. I climbed up and flew to the end of the ridge where you could jump to another ridge called Čaven. I saw many pilots trying to cross and decided to go back to the broken mountain. I started to thermal when suddenly my vario went crazy. Thermal threw me up and at the same moment a cloud came and fastly slide under me. First I was a little scared, I didn’t know what is going on, and then I was totally happy when I realized I am flying above the cloud. This was one of the best flying experiences ever. I was so happy I wanted to cry and laugh and sing. I went back to the pilots that tried to come over to Čaven Mountain then I tried to get another cloud. When I was tired I decided to go to land. Singing on the way down I knew I must be the happiest person on the planet. 



Monday, October 21, 2013

Building a ramp on Šmarna gora


Šmarna gora is a small mountain in the middle of Ljubljana basin. It is one of historical, recreational and touristic point in the capital. Šmarna gora is very special place for me. I live under it and I was working in the restaurant on the top for many years. Sometimes, early in the morning, when I had  lighted a fire in an old bread oven, cooked the tea, I sit on the ramp looking at foggy Ljubljana and I was waiting for the first guests to come up. When I was working there flights with gliders were already forbidden because of the airport. But my father, his two brothers and friends made many jumps with rogallo gliders before I was born. Hang gliding has began on this mountain, which is why my club decided to rebuild the ramp.
We met on Saturday and started working. Even though it is forbidden to jump because of CTR I hope we will make an agreement with airport for a jump in a near future. 
My father in the air with his rogallo glider.

The first ramp
Putting down the old ramp

This was written on the old foundation

Building a new one

Tratrat tra traaaaaaaaaaa