European Championships Akhal Teke Horses

Last weekend I met my friends Helene and Patrick and their beautiful horse Saiga at Gut Ising, where they participated in the Akhal Teke horse show. These horses are the national pride of Turkmenistan, and they are still very purely bred.
They seemed to be smart and very dedicated to their provider of food and fitness :) And it looked like the horse people were more than just dedicated to their horses, they are truely devoted to their beauty, character and intelligence!

Home in Bremen

While I´m preparing the big trips to Canungra and Mexico, I´m happy about a short break back home in Bremen for my Dad´s birthday before having to start a standby line tomorrow. This means not knowing where or when I have to work-fly to for about the next two weeks. Yes it´s exciting, but it can also be exhausting, because between 5am and midnight, a call from Lufthansa can reach me any time, and I need to be at the airport within just one hour to fly whereever they send me to. Even more stressful in times of ebola in western Africa and different possible war zones in quite a few other destinations.
But at the moment I´m happy to just spend a day in beautiful late summer air in Bremen, enjoying the blue sky and light breeze.

Bangalore

This 474/8 is the plane that picked up the German national soccer team after they won the world cup in Brazil. Since then, the golden letters "Siegerflieger" are on it, nice to personalize planes in this way. Would be interesting to have a book on board, and all the world champions who ever flew on this aircraft should sign ;) I was happy to fly on this new aircraft to Bangalore, nice flight with a great crew!

Vamos a volar - en Mexico!

I just got nominated to fly on the German national Team at the next Hang Gliding World Championships in Valle de Bravo, Mexico! That is the "open" team, not the women´s team. The top 6 pilots of the country are nominated, and at the moment, I rank 6th. I´m happy that I was chosen, because I like Mexico and the flying there. The people of the flying community over there are extraordinary, with a strong bond to aviation history!
If you like to see the area, have a look at my flight over the Nevado de Toluca vulcano. Training starts - now!

Adam

Through several channels, my friends from down under informed me yesterday morning about the tragic accident of Adam Parer. When a close friend dies, I always hope that it might have been "somebody else", but in this case there was no doubt unfortunately.
Apparently Adam looped, when another guy crossed his line. Adam managed to avoid a collision, but in an extreme manouvre, his glider broke and crashed through a powerline into a house. As a fireman, he is used to risking his own life to save others. And I guess he didn´t hesitate a second to not put the other glider at risk. That´s how Adam was, and that´s why friends and pilots around the world are shocked about this loss - he was not just a top pilot, but a top guy!
Last year at Canungra I ended up flying with Adam along the course in the same thermals almost every day - we both called it a "privilege" that we are able to do that, and celebrated our flights in the evenings. I have known Adam for almost 20 years, and I hoped to meet and fly with him again in October.
Not just Newcastle will miss you, Adam, but you left the whole flying community devastated. The only consolation I can take is that I hope that you are united again with your Love, and that Chris and Guido now have some serious competition drawing aerobatics into the eternal sky. Fly high, my friend, I miss you terribly!