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)

Cirus here I come

I was flying la Malinche when I got up to about 325 mol. At that point I was deciding to try to clime more or fly to Tenancingo. Well the Weather decided for me, I hit massive sink about 6 -7 m/s. I couldn't fly out of it, everywhere I went I was going down and down fast. I considered to maybe top land but thought once I am in front of launch that should solve the problem, Nooooot...    I was still going down and now my worry was to make it to San Antonio... Well I did make it and when I landed I looked back and saw this...

The cloud was spreading in every direction

Bernie

The Tepoxtepec Launch

The Tepoxtepec Launch is a southeast facing paraglider launch. Strong but reliable conditions, with cross-country options, and almost instant retrieval through the system of taxis, that takes you to and from downtown, which is about a 10 – 15 minute ride. The only complaints that I ever hear from the people in the many landing areas below, and seriously, I hear this quite often - "Why don't you land in our field sometime? We have a good field to land in too. Why aren't there more pilots flying?" Taxi from centro to base of Tepox - 6 pesos. There is a señor who will carry up your equipment on his burro for 20 pesos, and 10 pesos for each additional pack. Return from Tecomatlán (common short XC destination) to centro - 7 pesos, (or from base of Tepox - 6 pesos) 18.9632N/99.5259W approx.

12,800 msl over Malinche

January 24th `08, 5:30pm - 12,800ft msl over La Malinche looking north over Tenancingo.
- Daniel Villegas

SouthWest Route to Ixtapan

Recently a group of pilots came from the nearby Ixtapan de la Sal flying site to try out La Malinche, and they showed us the answer of the route for the long-sought-after way to cross the valley to the southwest towards Ixtapan. The trick is that thermals pop off the marked ridge, and a number of them made the crossing at high altitude following this route.
-Daniel Villegas jan 19, 2008

Hot Pools Of Los Delfines

Hi Brad,

While taking photos of "strange places" today, I also passed by Los Delfines, and talked with the owner, Carlos, who showed me around. There is not natural hot spring, but the pools are heated, the one at the top of the four being as warm as a hot tub, when I was there. They are open to the public on weekends and charge 50 pesos entry, but he said that if there was a group of you he could open a pool on a weekday. It is 6km east of Tenancingo on the road to Tecomatlan. Phone 714-142-4262

-Daniel Villegas

Work On Malinche

Flying in Tenancingo Mexico - Hi everyone, I am writing from Tenancingo where the weather is mostly sunny and the temperature is 20 – 25 C. The conditions are very similar as Valle de Bravo as it is about 2 hours away from there. Yesterday I was working on our new adventure “Casa del Piloto” a house for pilots to stay when they are here. Then I got a call from one of our local visionary pilots, who is building a world class Launch at La Malinche. I went up with him and helped for about an hour when I decided to pull out my glider and do some flying before it would shut down.

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This is a Casa Del Piloto blogger test