Austrian Arena

This Blog will soon come to an end in favour of the simpler option of using Facebook to report news etc.

Click here to check out the Facebook page.

There will be daily mobile updates including photos and short movies. Plus all the usual news you’d expect to see here.

Click “like” on the page for regular updates to appear on your Facebook live feed.Hope you like this change as it will mean one thing, way more recent updates due to it’s ease of use. Leaving comments/questions is easier too.

Soon all the articles will be available on this page too. Plus magazine articles as they appeared.

It will be an easier way to keep tabs on weather so that pilots can make a choice themselvesif it’s worthy to come for a long weekend.

Signing off from Wordpress blog.

KF

The last 10 days have been what I would call ‘classic xc conditions’ in Zillertal.High bases and light winds have allowed xc flights in all directions and I’ve had a great showing some less experienced pilots around.

Each day for the past week I’ve flown the classic Zillertal tour, still a favourite of mine. Only this time I’ve been varying my line to take in a chain of high mountains behind the hohenstrasse launch. This has paid off with some very lifty lines and as a group we flew the 50km tour in under 2hrs. Mainly due to this line.

Needless to say that it has always been on, valley wind wise, to easily get over the Ahorn Spitz. With Tuesday being the first day I’ve seen this year to make the Italian border and back. Surreal terrain!

I’m now working on getting together footage for a new movie I’m making. It should be ready by the end of the season. So far I’m just learning the camera.There are still a few places left on the Ahorn xc weeks early August plus Bassano early September. The Dolomites trip is nearly full so don’t hang about if you are interested in that one.KF

Over the past weekend superb conditions revisited the Ziller valley after a quite disappointing May. Both Saturday and Sunday were easily 200km days, if I was motivated to fly long-haul XC at the moment. To be honest it’s nice just to enjoy some sight seeing tours around the local valley systems.

Blue thermals propelled us to over 3600m on the Saturday and it was possible to fly a high altitude route to the Italian border and back. Amazing panoramas… I’ll be making a video soon about this springs activities here.

Sunday was a little windier and I elected to join a few friends on a simple tour of the Zillertal valley. Clouds showed the way at over 3400m. Unfortunately only I made it back home after some shading forced a low valley crossing. The last 20km back to Mayrhofen was a hard fight were I never got out above 1500m, even though the thermals were pretty strong down low.

It’s a little bit foehny (windy) now but next week is looking excellent again. Well we are owed some good weather after the dampest May I can remember. Saying that there was a great day last week with a large group who visited. We closed a 50km triangle around the valley with all the boys doing splendidly in the strong spring thermals

KF

This Week was a full week of clients on a Zillertal XC course. Sunday was a nice warm up day for the guys.

Monday saw us on Melchboden, 2010m. I set a 60km cats craddle around the Zillertal. First we pushed 4km north to Krystral Hutte. Then it was back with the guys following to SchneeKar Hutte. Just behind the Penken, after this we had a long glide back to launch.

Now only 3 pilots were with me and 2 were close behind. Pankaj and Martin were doing brilliantly. I pushed and had a lifting lift for around 1,5km going up at 2-3m/s I waited at krystal hutte for everyone for around 30mins. All this time the west wind was getting stronger. It looked like pushing to the exposed mouth of the valley would have to wait for another day.

Together we climbed on the Kupfnerberg (camel humps) near the mouth of the valley and I could feel the west drift for sure. I decided to cut the flight short and cross to the west facing side of the valley. From there we climbed and glided until we reached the Ahorn mountain. Pankaj and Martin made 42k and 45k respectively. I made it back to the bruggerstube to close the distance at 50km. Nice!!

The day after it was a pleasure to guide all 8 pilots, including 2 low airtimers out with us fro Zell am Ziller back home in Mayrhofen. Just giding down wind, soaring up from down low then pushing on in a huge group to the next into wind wall.

It was great fun and even better we were the only ones in the air

Would have looked cool from the ground.

Hopefully next week is looking good as we are owed some good weather for the disappointing May this season. I reckon June will be bangin’

KF

With a recent low slamming cold, wet air into the Northern Alps I decided to take my group to the Bassano del Grappa region. My get out of jail free card for when the weather gives me the finger.

Conditions were great down there with high bases and strong climbs. One local pilot flew over 200km on the wednesday. I had 7m/s climbs on the ridge but as Dave had gone down there was little incentive to push for big distances. Also it was pretty turbulent in places.

Foehn on the south side often brings unusual conditions to Bassano. High bases with the dried out air mass. North wind brings the lee effect. There were a few gliders in the trees as usual but no one was hurt.

The glider I saw the most there was the Mantra R10.2 comp weapon from Ozone, pilots from all over Europe training for the Europeans coming up next week.

Plus I also saw the guys from Nova testing the Mentor replacement, LTF 1-2 and 3 lines yes that’s right 3 lines. Good to see the development never stops. Looked nice, basic but maybe early protos. Not as stretched as I thought. Could even have been LTF 1 but I’m sure not.

Anyway we flew again today and Dave made it over to the war memorial in over-cast conditions and had a try out in flats after over an hours flying. When we left the warmth of the flat lands pilots were still at over 1000m above launch.

Bassano IS the most reliable site I know of. It’s a place to wear your glider out for sure, LOL
Weather is set to improve for next week. I have a group of motivated pilots from Holland, UK and Russia out.
KF

This weekend saw some great conditions in Zillertal and surrounding areas. On Saturday I flew a short 50km triangle around the Zillertal and Tuxertal valleys. Launching low, 1200m, at midday took 1hr just to climb out as the inversion was strong. Many pilots “slid” off the hill and bombed in the technical conditions.

Myself and local legend Rogner Martin fought hard and helped each other to finally break through. He was later to land in Ashau on the way back from the mouth of the valley. Not an easy day but fantastic when you broke thru

Sunday was much better and I decided to just fly the classic 90km FAI triangle around the Ziller, Tux and Pinzgau valleys. We launched higher up this time at 1100am. It was working at 1000am from what I could see and was defnitely a 200km day for the motivated pilot.

First myself and Rogner Martin pushed into Tux and helped each other on our DHV 2 gliders. It was great fun to see our different lines and techniques both got us to the turnpoint at the exactly the same time. Martin pushed a little harder on the way back and had a different idea back at launch. I continued with my plan and complete the route in just under 4hrs. Only getting low-ish before I turned around in the Gerlos valley. Wasn’t going for any records so didn’t risk pushing to the last TP as it was blue.

Martin however called me at 1700hrs to say that he’d just got back from Zell am See. Completing a 165km flat triangle. Amazing. All in just 6hrs. Long fast glides in the Pinzgau valley as always. Can’t wait to get there for the Pinzgau week in mid-May.

Sorry no photos of the flight as my camera s**t itself a few days ago.

Looking forward to the coming season on my EN B glider, soooooooo safe and goes pretty good too

KF

Just got back from a nice week in Bassano del Grappa. The group had quite mixed abilities so for some it was a great opportunity to train their thermal technique as well as attempt some short XC’s.

The first days were very strong with a super cold airmass but the wind was light and myself, Brian and Kostas managed a few 30km routes along the ridge and then out into the flats.

The base then lowered the next days with the more humid warmer south wind but it was still nice to fly. Rain in the afternoon was a deciding factor on most days, however it always seemed to clear up for the last evening flight. Even with little sun some nice restitution and soaring flights were possible.

All in all I was happy with the progress of the pilots and saw a definite improvement in glider control and thermal ability.

Unfortunately the second week has been cancelled due to the Volcanic activity. I’m sure everyone wishes this to be just a short lived problem and normal service can be resumed asap.
KF

On Wednesday 7th April I saw the first 100k day since I returned back to Austria. Blue thermals enabled us to climb easily to 3000m plus I couldn’t take advantage of the lengthening days as I agreed on helping a friend out, d’oh!However in the brief 1hr flight around the south end of Zillertal it was clear that the lack of snow over the winter has brought about some pretty strong conditions. I was greeted on ‘the ofen’ by 6m/s average and peaks of over 8m/s. Good strength for the beginning of April, :)I’m looking forward to flying in Bassano the next two week and I’m sure the flying down there will be excellent.KF

Lengthening days and a dry / cold air mass has produced some great easy soaring conditions and some small XC this last week in Bassano del Grappa.

With the main season just round the corner if you still wish to fly with us in the ultra reliable paragliding Mecca don’t wait too long.  As places on both weeks in April are now filling up. Check out the Bassano XC page on the main website.

I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and wish all of you happy flights and more importantly safe landings where ever you fly this season.

Also watch out for new article in Skywings magazine in April about how to thermal better this season. Hope you get something out of it.
All the best
KF

Check out the latest galleries, new for the this season are my favorite and some recent pictures around the Zillertal, Dolomites, Bassano and a photo story around the Tux valley. Soon to be a Skywings article.

Click here to see the NEW gallery page.

Also is the brand new Pinzgau gallery, photos I took on the long haul, 186km flight I made last May. Mainly in the Tux, Zillertal and Pinzgau areas.

Hope you like them and if you experience any problems please contact me on the contact page of the website.