The Way to be runner-up German XC Championships 2011

Uli Strasser about the OLC season 2011 with his MAVERICK²

Getting to know and adapt

The wait for the new MAVERICK² M finally ceases in March. A few days after certification has been published I start with the glider for the first time and experience more than one surprise.

I get into the air straigth away (I am normally not famous for that :-), the glider glides phenomenally and I can hardly believe my flight instrument: when accelerating the noise of the air flow increases clearly and accelerated pulley on pulley nearly 20 km/h more are to be seen on the speed indicator compared flying at minimal sink rate. I feel very well, steering the wing cheeky in agile lee thermals and ... nearly stall the glider a few times whilst thermalling real tightly. Inner brake up fast, all harmless, I go on thermalling straight away. For a good fright it was enough but what happened there? I hold the brake handles with a half wrap nearly all the time out of habit because the feedback is much more direct and because whilst thermalling I can safe energy and put my thumb into the carabiner. That was working with my previous gliders perfectly: with Mavi² finer skills are demanded. The brake range have become shorter. So I carefully approach the changed course of motions centering narrow thermals, enjoy my maiden flight and find later at home with looking the video which I made with my GoPro the unequivocal confirmation: three times one can see clearly the beginning of stalling the wing tip and slipping backwards, always with too far pulled inner brake. Now I have documented the stall point nicely on video.

The next day it's getting right down to business. At Hochstein I weigh easily more than 10 kg more with my heavily covered race harness and all the xc stuff. Now I also manage much better wrapping the brakes and must provoke the one-sided stall whilst thermalling consciously (of course now I'm bound to know after the underweight flight yesterday). Super, now I have a feeling for my companion in the flight season 2011 and ride the first hundred kilometers of the season. Result: it's recommended to fly Mavi² rather on the upper weight load and not be too coarse.

Record high in April

I have to go professionally to Uzbekistan, in the middle of April, are they mad? And it comes as it must come: a fat high announces itself over the Alps. As a masochist I pursue the weather reports and the activity of peer pilots in www and be in Tashkent on tenterhooks. Into the bargain, the airline pilot on the flight back to Munich chooses his approach scarcely along the Hochfelln, it's a really promising day at 10 am and I can literally smell in my window seat on the side pointing to the Hochfelln, the wings lying in take off. I think: "Let me exit here!", but luckily nobody opens the door of the airbus

The next day I abandon my office and stand also in take off on Hochfelln. Thanks to the record high which is still good for four great xc days, I can make two of my best flights of the season. Also the obligatory german flight is ticked off.

Experiences with the german league

Qualified again for the german league I want to fly also one or another competition. You can learn a lot, one said. In the Allgäu the first part of the German Championships take place and I am present (start money has been paid, finally, quite a lot). Here the summary of my experiences:

Nice troop, hot discussions about paragliders and associations, tasks requiring habituation.

In the first heat I flew to defensively not knowing the flying site, not enough wing loading for flying really fast, no chance against a wind which became too strong for serial class gliders, the task was stopped. In the second heat I flew well in front of the competitors, left out two promising thermals too cheekly (hopp or top) and finished the task prematurely. Third heat cancelled because of strong winds, fourth also.

At the same time with one and a half worried eyes on the weather report for South Tirol squinted and decided scarcely for the league / league conference, whilst undergoing an internal conflict. The later OLC winner Didi (also announced for the german league) flies a 235 km FAI triangle in South Tirol. Really. But the season has only just begun.

Lies in waiting

Unfortunately, the rest of the season did not run in such a way as April has promised it. The weather was bad. Only at the end of June I have got a really good xc day in Fiesch, however, have not dared at the end of the Weißmies to fly completely to the south into the lee and thereby left many points. Other pilots have shown that would have been possible, but afterwards you know often better. Then the few promising chances as far as the weather concerned, to collect important points for the first place fell victim to professional appointments or my risk management flight decisions. July and August get lost in rain without a real chance for a catch-up race.

Summary

Being runner-up in the German XC Championsship is also not bad. And except a bloodcurdling stunt in Kössen on the landing place and a jump scarcely close to the canopy (unexpected huge full frontal collapse at 3 quarter speed, my hands on the muesli bar and not on the brakes, afterwards muesli bar in the lake Weissensee and my hands on the brakes again) and the crystal-clear knowledge not to let the brakes unattended any more in accelerated flight, the season ran extremely satisfyingly regarding safety aspects.

And after the season is before the season, next year I'll challenge the OLC with Mavi² size S.

 

Yours sincerely, Uli

 

(Uli Strasser, runner-up German XC Championship 2011, winner German XC Championship 2008, runner-up German XC Championship 2006)