Back to reality

Competition was over and I stepped on the podium for the first time. Funny, the first competition and the first podium… We need more girls in this sport. It was a little bitter second place, since overall I was the last. But anyhow I got a beautiful trophy and I had a chance to spend some great time with nice people. The “not too much deserved trophy” will remind me on the fun we had. 

Second task I didn’t have balls :) to launch on the east side of Kobala. For hang gliders that is not the easiest launch. I already had lots of troubles there, so I was waiting for the wind to turn long after start gate was already closed. Burned from the sun and tired I packed my glider and went down with some hang gliding pilots that also decided not to launch. Cool Soca River, good company and some great culinary helped me forget non flying experience faster. 
Next week paragliding competition German Open starts, that means jellies will occupate sky and landings. I wish them a nice competition and lots of fun in this magic valley.

:) one day I will fly like Julia :) Congratulation again.

In the morning at Soča River

I left my camera to Petra and Herman and they made this photo. Cool a?

Trophies for Kobala open 2013

My first competition

Looks like I am flying my first competition. Maybe it looks more like chicken flying without the head, but at least I am doing it. I had a nice flight yesterday. It was bumpy so I had to work a lot. I decided that I don t take my camera and later I was sorry because it was a special flight. From girls there is also Julia Burlachenko at this competition and she is flying well. Even with twisted ankle she made to goal yesterday. She said she made it because she was too scared to land… :) She is really sweet.

On the landing we had few beers and then we went to eat at Iztok Jarc family. Thank God his wife Brigita made too much. I was already very hungry and too lazy to prepare something. So we stayed at their new but old caravan and talked. Very late we decided to go to the reggae festival and we stayed there until they were playing music. Now I am resting at the headquarters, looking at the clouds passing by and the sun that is trying to come out after the storm. I am just laying here on the ground and I am enjoying my little hangover. Jurgen is on the way to Tolmin and I am simply happy to be here.  

Pain in the ass

I am writing this post to complain. I don′ t like when people are doing that on random basis, but sometimes it just makes you feel better. I am sitting at home in rainy weather, waiting to get some news from probably the coolest hang gliding competition on the planet – Race and Rally. Like a hungry dog is waiting for a bone. My car is broken and our government is doing everything that I cannot get new yearly toll ticket for my future car. They say the only way to get a new vignette is to own paper from the scrapping company, where is clearly stated the car was demolished. They must be crazy! Austrian government has pretty much the same idea. I have yearly Austrian vignette too. I will see who will be nicer and will get me a new toll ticket faster.  

What will they do at the scrapping company? Probably scrap some other material and sell my car for the spare parts.

 Well, a lot of time we hear country is people and they vote for their rules and government and all that crap. As a small country like we are, little more than two million people, it is really unbelievable we have so many people in the public service. We have, parliament with left, right, pink, purple green ones, departments, institutes, 212 municipalities, with the mayors and they have secretaries, representatives, cleaning personnel, cars...  

As a transit country we are selling expensive toll tickets for the shitty roads.

I already mentioned many times that the only think we need in our government are few people that are good with statistics and computers. All the other money grabbers should get a proper farm work. They should make food, not like now, when they only make shit.

Enough of complaining, not everything is bed. My friend Josa took me flying, Andrej drove me paddling and with Jurgen we had some nice time for my birthday. We overslept at the top of the mountain, had a great breakfast and really nice flights. He managed to climb over the clouds and was happy like a child when showing me his photos.

 Tomorrow I go to Croatia. Maybe they will totally check us out at the border. Just one more time before there is the boarder no more. 

Some photos from our flying weekend: 

Flying? Yes Please!

Finally we got some good weather. It seems like cold winter jumped in to the summer. I went flying th*ree times. I almost got used to my new harness. But I will have to make some more adjustments.

At least I made few good launches and landings. It is easy to land at huge landing in Vipava valley.

Last week when I was driving home from Graz my car broke down 20km in front of my home. I had had it at mechanics, but it has broken anyway. I paid 80eur to get it back home and to realize that he will not drive me anymore- at least not with this engine.

Goodbye Kangurujček (the name of my car) you were the best car, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, transporter of all my sport gear … My friends and I had a lot of fun in this car.

Another day was a great flying day. I was sitting at home, sad, thinking about flying. Then my friend Josa Medved called. He saved my day. Came to pick me up and we went flying together. His surname Medved means bear in Slovenian language. So on Wednesday Bear and hedgehog were flying at Kovk. We launched early and instead of gaining height at the mountain we both got a thermal over the Vipava valley. That was little strange, but we had fun anyway. Later we were really lucky with hitchhiking and a nice boy drove us up the mountain to get Josa s car.

Josa is very interesting person. He already wrote some books, he is practicing yoga and is smart person to hang around. In the winter he escapes to Lanzarote and in the spring he comes back to Slovenia. Being over 70 years old he is extremely fit and a great hang gliding buddy. After a nice day we finished in local bar where he ate 5cups of homemade ice cream with cream and I managed 3.

This weekend my boyfriend came to my place. He brought everything for flying - except roof racks. He has his glider here already.We lost a flying day, but we went hiking, biking and kayaking, we had a great time with my family and enjoyed to watch a new born goose cups at our little farm.

I hope I will manage to get a new car soon. 

 h* - typo that I made. I forgot H so it was tree times. :) A fb friend sent me a notice about it. I decided to leave it marked with red.

My new harness/ Moja nova buba

What a day on Friday! Already when driving up the mountain small 3 year old kid jumped on the road in front of our car. On the other side big truck was coming, so I rushed out to keep him away from the road. He escaped from the kindergarten. Everything finished well, since we found a lady who knew the little explorer.

My first flight this year in Slovenia was not up to my expectations. I was testing my new harness. This time harness actually fit my size and is, very important, red. So now I am totally stylish. I even bought red shoes. But looks like style doesn’t make you fly good...

 I was hanging on the glider lower than before. Probably that is the reason I found handling more difficult, it felt like I am flying glider too fast. It was not controlled as I would like it to be. I also forgot to turn on the instrument because Brauniger asks you if you really want to turn it on press enter – no shit – I want…Well, I guess it is a good lection. I will not forget to confirm I want it to work next time. That wasn’t a big problem because at Kovk ridge on a day like this everyone can climb, even without it. So I climbed up and tried hard to find a rope to close the zipper. I tested it already on the ground, but not with big thick skiing gloves.

  

Because I had too much work with all the stuff I decided to fly to the landing and test what my new harness can do. I slowed the glider down. I didn’t like the new position of my hands, it felt my shoulders have too much work. I took down the glove and felt all the ropes, change my hanging position with one, open and close the zipper with another two and went to land. I like the up position for landing. It is easier to get upright and put myself into standing position for landing, I don t like to be lower because clearly I didn’t have my glider under control when flying close to the ridge, I didn’t like my goggles because I can t look down on my harness to see all the new »buttons« and I hate skiing gloves. They are bothering at launch and are annoying when trying to find stuff on harness the only good thing is that they are warm…

My new to do list:

-          Put my hanging higher

-          Take my normal gloves

-          Cut the stupid wire that is hanging out of my helmet

-          Test the harness on the ground with gloves

-           I have to find new flying glasses

-          Make leg loops more loose

-          Take Jurgen to fly with me J

First thing on the landing I texted Jurgen about my flight and went for a drink and salad.

 Later I called Matjaz to tell him about my experience. He gave me some advice and told me about his beautiful flight in Tolmin.

We had great sunny day in Vipava valley again and I am anxiously waiting spring to come and take me higher. 

Jurgen preparing a harness for me.

First time trying my new harness.

Coming to the landing field...

V petek smo imeli zanimiv letalen dan. Ko smo se vozili na Kovk nam je pot ustavil komaj tri leta star otrok, ki se je odločil, da bo prečkal prometno cesto. Našli smo gospo, ki je malega ubežnika poznala in nadaljevali pot proti startu.

 Jaz sem prvič sprobala mojo novo gurtno. Vpetje sem imela nižje kot pri prejšnji zato je bil zmaj bolj odziven. Malo me je presenetilo. Pozabila sem tudi prižgati inštrument, največ problemov pa sem imela s predebelimi rokavicami. Saj nisem našla vrvi, ki zapre zadrgo in vrvi ki spremeni naklon. Mislm, da se mi buba prilega bolj kot prejšna in upam, da se jo čimprej navadim.

Ker sem imela preveč dela z vsem skupaj in premalo kontrole nad zmajem, sem se odločila da jo mahnem proti pristanku in sprobam naklon in zadrgo stran od hriba.

Všeč mi je da se na pristanku lahko postavim bolj pokonci, vpetje bom naslednič spremenila, z debelimi rokavicami pa nimam v luftu več kaj iskati.

Na pristanku sem poslala sporočilo Jurgnu, kasneje pa poklicala Matjaža, kateri mi je dal par dobrih nasvetov in se pohvalil da je naredil lep let v Tolminu.

Imeli smo čudovito topel sončen dan in nestrpno pričakujem pomlad, ki me bo ponesla še višje.