Arvid triumph after his epic flight over Peña Rubia, after he just got off the plane.

Rafa and local beauty, supporting.

Brilliant today. This must have been the better Peña Rubia day of the year. Cloudbase at 1800 m ASL, which means a 1000 m climb for some of us. And this means thermalling for hours in november.

I was happy to see lots of buddies flying on my favourite site in Alicante, Peña Rubia. Some went XC, some stayed near the hill. But all got great climbs in the valley. And that's just the secret when the wind is cross. Yes, I really believe Peña Rubia is working at its best when winds are cross. Then pilots are forced to fly out in the valley, and not do the dynamic thing near the hill.

And this valley works. Due to its structure it cooks, and when it is flyable we need cold northern winds, best cocktail.
But something else now. Alicante is known for its flying, its several days in a year. Maybe not known for writing postcards to mama that your first 100 km XC is done. But perhaps writing postcards to friends, that you are filling up your boots in Alicante, having visited lots of sites, and having flewn hours. That's what Alicante counts for.

So lots of pilots, local pilots, have hours of experience. Mostly though flying in thermic dynamic conditions, and this later in the afternoons, at our several sites.
Today all these many hours, was proven very good exercise to fly in todays conditions. And today I saw some very good flying. And it pleased me to see pilots high up in the sky, enjoying the thermals, coring them right, and reaching cloudbase with the better pilots.

But you know what else ? The bullet proof take offs of them, on our 'nature' launch as some foreign pilots tend to call the take off of Peña Rubia.

Flying is easy, landing as well, having a 'bullet proof' take off to me is so important. Here is

a foto of our nature launch, small, on rocks and spanish grass.
Give it to me !