Well
- too bad for my passenger, who had been waiting month after month
for good weather for a flight across the Alps from Buochs to Samedan.
But it was his choice. Just that day - the most beautiful day of the
eintire fall - he wanted to drive to Ticino. Well then - have a nice
trip! For me, however, it was clear: today was the day for a flight
- no matter where. Especially as the weather forecast for the next
day wasn’t very good anymore.
“George, do you want to come along? To Locarno? For a coffee?”
- “Jaaaja,” came his answer from the receiver, “it’s
just - you know - the costs.” - “No problem, you are my
guest. You are always available to be my co-pilot for picture flights,”
I assured him, “I see you at the airport at 12:00 o’clock.”
Immediately after I had hung up, the phone rang again. My editor:
“Instead of flying just somewhere, couldn’t you make a
picture flight to two or three mountain tops? With restaurants and
people? Even better, if this could be “horns”, like Schilthorn.”
Sure, it’s a matter of honor - flying missions will always be
completed, particularly with flyable weather. “Hello George,
we can’t fly to Locarno - I have to work. Would you like to
come along to the horns?” - “Jaaaja.”
Four chosen horns
1)
The Brienzer Rothorn sitting high over the Brienzer See and with a
height of 2349 masl the highest mountain top of the Canton of Lucerne.
2) The Schilthorn in the Bernese Oberland at a height of 2973 masl
with a famous restaurant on the top, which in 1969 had served as “Piz
Gloria”, one of the locations for the James Bond movie “On
Her Majesty's Secret Service”.
3) The Jakobshorn near Davos which at a height of 2590 masl is a starting
place for paragliders and hang-gliders.
4) The Stanserhorn, 1900 masl, close to the airport Buochs, where
you can find a revolving restaurant at the top as well as many very
popular viewing platforms.
“This mission will take at least 3 hours,” I am warning
my co-pilot. “Waaas? Good, that you’re telling me,”
he answers and disappears for a pre-flight de-watering mission.
13.30
hrs : The Brienzer Rothorn
The
Brienzer Rothorn
Shortly after 13:00 hrs the Taifun 17 E II lifts its nose and aims
at the first mountain top: The Brienzer Rothorn. Constantly climbing
the beeline of 35 km, we scarcely make the ascent from 450 to 2349
masl. First we fly along the north side at the same height and then
we are setting the ideal altitude and distance to the mountain top
for the pictures. The Brienzer Rothorn is a corner point of the control
zone of the military airbase Meiringen with the frequency 130.150.
“Meiringen tower, D-KRRK approaching Brienzer Rothorn at 7700
feet for photo mission.” - “D-KRRK next report when photo
mission completed,” answers the tower and turns back to a FA
18. When I am on a photo mission, I always make sure to be just slightly
above my object and to choose a position that allows me to have the
view of the entire surrounding area on my picture. The viewer of the
picture looks - so to speak - over the shoulder of the people on the
top. Due to the bright sunlight and the glistening snow mountains
there is just one possible direction for my picture: it’s the
unspectacular north. We are flying by five times and I always carefully
select the ideal photo position from my left seat, before I hand the
control stick to my co-pilot to keep the right angle for me to make
the pictures. At 13:30 hrs the photo mission is completed.
14 hrs : The Schilthorn with Eiger, Mönch
and Jungfrau in the background
Piz Gloria
Due to the fact, that jet fighters
of the Swiss army are shooting over the Brienzersee, we prefer to
stay north of the mountain range. Close to Interlaken we cross the
valley southbound aiming at the famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfau.
We are approaching the Lauterbrunnental. Even though I have set ample
power, it feels like we descend. My vario indicates climbing of 2
m/s, but the mountains outside indicate climbing as well. This is
hardly surprising as closely before me a number of mountains over
4000 meters are rising. Some months ago, a German Tornado pilot had
underestimated this situation, what ended up to be his last mistake.
His navigator, though, could save himself in the last second before
the collision by using his ejector seat. Because we are flying a Taifun
and not a Tornado we have much more time. With optimal climb performance
we are clambering skywards over more and more inhospitable slopes
and ridges. On our right, the Schilthorn appears. On our left, a Swiss
army Super Puma flies parallel to us at the same height. A large funnel
allows us to give way to the right and to profit from the upwash.
In a wide left turn we approach the Schilthorn at a height of over
3000 masl. Like a defying fortress of civilization it reigns in the
alpine moonscape. At 13:40 hrs we start our photo mission…
177
km throuh the Alps
Eight
minutes later the photo mission is completed. After a 80 km flight
from the Brienzer Rothorn to the Schilthorn we are now tackling the
177 km to Davos in the Canton of Grisons.
14.
20 hsr: We are flying by the Rhone Glacier
We are heading northeast, along the towering snow mountains of the
Berner Oberland until we reach the Haslital, then we turn south and
cross the Grimselpass. After another turn to the east over the Furkapass,
we fly along the Rhone glacier and finally reach Andermatt. After
overflying the Gemsstock at 3000 msl we turn south and fly along the
Surselva valley and over a deserted high plateau in direction of Thusis.
Except in the area of Andermatt, the air is absolutely quiet throughout
the entire flight. A cloudless sky and fantastic visibility. After
Thusis we follow the valley that should lead us to Davos.
15
hrs: The Jakobshorn near Davos
At 14:50 hrs we locate a building high on a ridge. It is the Jakobshorn
guesthouse, the highest situated hotel of Davos. “Down, George,
much more down …”. As a former paraglider I have no problems
with minimal heights. And now we will have to cross the ridge in the
east at a very low altitude to have the ideal optic. Good old George
always straightens up in his seat a little bit, when I perform this
kind of maneuver. As we are drawing our low circles, a yellow paraglider
starts at the slope below us. In my thoughts I am starting with him:
Two steps forward, one look up, slowing down the paraglider a little,
running off, stabilizing the paraglider, taking off, sitting back
in the comfortable seat, relaxing and flying off …
15.05 hrs: last look back to Davos
Wee-wee
above perpetual ice
On
our flight back west at 15:00 hrs, we are performing a last picture
circle over Davos: just in case …. We pass Arosa and Lenzerheide
at 8000 ft. Below us to our right we see Chur.
15.30
hrs: approaching the Tödi-Massiv
Then we aim at the highest peaks in the west: they are 3614 meters
high an belong to the Tödi massif. The ravines and peaks below
us seem to be extremely ragged and threatening. Before us fields of
perpetual ice and snow. Over the Hüfi glacier at 12000 ft I am
performing a foto circle.
15:35
hrs: Over the Hüfi glacier at 3300 masl
Now it is time to cross the Reuss valley 2500 meters below us. In
such heights over ground I feel uncomfortable. Very unlike glider
pilot George, who feels uncomfortable at my favourite heights slightly
above the mountain slopes. Now it’s his turn. He is sitting
in his seat and fiddles about with his map. “George, could you
please take over?” - “I’m sorry, but I have to urinate”,
I can hear from behind the map. Sh… at least he is an experienced
glider pilot who has everything under control. After some minutes
something I don’t want to see leaves the airplane through the
side window, as I am stoically heading west. We are flying over the
legendary Surenenpass to Engelberg and approaching our final destination,
the Stanserhorn in the control zone of the airport Buochs, from the
south.
16:00
hrs: The Stanserhorn with Lake Lucerne and the Rigi massif in the
background.
At the bottom left a part of the airport Buochs..
After
the 124 km flight from Davos we reach the Stanserhorn at 15:50 hrs.
There are still masses of people on the top. And - as we find out
later - while we are shooting our pictures, someone takes pictures
from us!
16:00
hrs: D-KRRK at a photo mission over the Stanserhorn. Picture by Hansueli
Bigler
“Buochs tower, D-KRRK photo mission overhead Stanserhorn completed.
Proceeding via south and will come back in glider configuration,”
I report. “Next report when entering control zone,” answers
Buochs tower. One more time we are climbing over Engelberg to 8000
ft and turn off the motor. “George, now you can fly.”
- “Yes, thank you.” At 16.26 hrs we touch down on runway
07L. After three hours and 18 minutes. After a flight route of 450
km. And with lots of pictures in the camera.
Niklaus Wächter