Flight of Carlos Carsolio Feb 2nd `07

Here is the quote that I found on the web in reference to a very long xc flight by Carlos Carsolio one year ago in February, brother of local Tenancingo pilot, Alfredo Carsolio, where he passed by La Malinche and flew very far.

http://www.enelviento.com/imagenes/entrevistas/pharmaton/entrevistacarloscarsolio.htm

There were impressive flights during the crossing, like the 109 km flight that you made from Tixcatitlan (about halfway between Valle de Bravo and Ixtapan de la Sal) to Astillero. What can you tell us about that flight?


Upon arriving at Tixca I began my flight very low. I was about to land twice but a moment came when I gained altitude and I began to go towards Ixtapan De La Sal. That day there were cross winds, but such that the convergences were very useful, but very turbulent. But when I managed to link to Ixtapan it was excellent. I arrived hugging the ridge and once again a thermal lifted me up and I went to cloud-base.

I continued flying cloud-base over Tenancingo and arrived at La Malinche, there once again scratching low, and I was almost down when once again I got lift up to the top of the hill and there I found the best thermal of the day that placed me above the clouds. I meted myself into them and came out with lots of altitude.

I headed towards Chalma and there I quickly began to worry because it was beginning to overdevelop. I was about to land when a few buzzards marked out a very good thermal for me and I got up to cloud-base again and then became aware that I could arrive at the Cuerna Vaca valleys which were clear of clouds, but I sawthat a few clouds behind were starting to drop rain.

I flew towardsTotoc (east of el Picacho) and I was very pleased because in that area there are launches to link to. (In reference to the overall objective to launch each day from an area where he landed the day before.) I had lots of altitude to arrive at Tepoztlan and I headed towards Cuerna Vaca but I was loosing a lot of altitude, now not finding new thermals and I began to come down. For a while I thought that I was going to land in Cuerna Vaca in an area where there were no landing zones because it was very urbanized, but I headed towards the university where I could land and just at the chapel I hit an excellent thermal and again went up to cloud-base, which helped me to cross the city and arrive at Tepoztlan. It was incredible.

In Tepoztlan I committed the mistake of the day. I thought that there was more developing when there wasn't and I became afraid when I got into cloud suck. Maybe if I had gone up I would have arrived at the Popo (referring to the giant active volcano in the state of Puebla). It was already in the restitution and I was approaching a few launches near Cuautla. Finally I didn't find anything and then went to land. I flew 5 and a half hours in all and it was spectacular.

See 2007.02.07"Triumphant day for the pilots, they achieve exceptional flights".

http://www.lineadelavida.com/

(Translated by "Daniel" Don Miller Feb 28,'08)