Mittwoch, 23. Dezember 2015

19. Nov. 2015 - Iquique


 





Day starts very early, but no good altitudes can be reached. So I have to try for half an hour or more to be able to fly around Punta Ballenera. Punta Gruesa presents itself with a big cloud roll, reaching way out above the ocean. I try the "fight the territory"-line first and fail. Then I try to reach ultimate height over Playa Blanca and attempt to fly around the Gruesa, but again : no way. I fly back to Playa Blanca a little desperate, not knowng, what to fly today, when some other pilots arrive from Iquique. I decide to have fun, watching them failing at the Gruesa or learn something new about this corner, if they would succeed. But they do not succeed, just one of them reaches very good heights in the inner bend above Playa Blanca. That gives me the idea to try this also and  after some time I fly so high, that I am above the outer peaks of the costal ridge. Here the current is from the land side and I steel myself against the south, flying sidewards, while the front edge of my wing facing southeasterly against the Morro Tarapaca. Just before the Punta Gruesa I cannot stay in this mood any more and I push my speed bar completely in turbulent sink and …. finally am around the corner and rise enormous on the luv side. Never give up to fight comes into my mind, but this time I had really given up and there was no believe any more, that I could get around at the end, but I still tried and finally I did it - it seems unbelievable to myself. From here to the airport its almost business as usual, the uprising air from the sunny hillside is met above the ridge from a southsoutheasterly current. Coming back to the Gruesa I almost get blown over and just can stand against the wind, gaining height and finally turning off with the wind, staying further out to avoid to rough leeside turbulences. At Playa Blanca I am still at 750 asl and it was a fast and calm ride, also very surprising. Anyway, with such a wind situation, flying to the north is no option, nor flying south once again. So I watch the acroboys first, having fun in front of Alto Hospicio, then I turn out towards the beach for some coffee and cake and relaxing on the ground.