Guest #1 August 28, 2018 I'll be taking the train up to Switzerland this Friday for yet another extended "Weekend at Bernese" (heh) and am schlepping my gear this time, with the intention of jumping (if the darn weather cooperates! Right now it's not looking good for Saturday, but Sunday looks okay) at "Skydive Switzerland" at Flugplatz Reichenbach on 1 September. Kandertal is a gorgeous scenic valley with a DZ right in the middle of it (Wikimapia coordinates and elevation map) . I know: cows, yodeling and Alphorns. The Swiss get a little testy about that sort of thing The DZ first came to my attention when I saw it from the train back in 2015 (the airstrip runs parallel to the railway line). Aircraft takeoffs and landings look a little hairy due to how narrow Kandertal appears to be but the winds seem to be pretty reliable due to being channeled within the valley coming from the Northeast (runway is 04/22). A ride to full altitude is about US$ 50 (nothing is cheap in Switzerland!) Anyway, I'll be there NLT 0900; DZ.commers welcome to join me. Hoffe dich bald zu sehen! mh ."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrubin 0 #2 August 28, 2018 I jumped there when I was in Switzerland years ago. Still the most beautiful views I've seen during a skydive. And dropping into the valley felt really weird when I started to see ground level with me but I was still in free fall. I remember them telling me to be careful when tracking away at the end of a jump because the ground will come up to meet you if you track to far. Have fun!"I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #3 August 28, 2018 mrubinI jumped there when I was in Switzerland years ago. Still the most beautiful views I've seen during a skydive. And dropping into the valley felt really weird when I started to see ground level with me but I was still in free fall. I remember them telling me to be careful when tracking away at the end of a jump because the ground will come up to meet you if you track too far. Have fun! Wow - I will keep those things in mind! Thanks! mh ."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #4 September 2, 2018 Got skunked by bad weather. Went to the Bern Hammam, and later had some Vollmond ale instead "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
akarunway 1 #5 September 2, 2018 markharju Got skunked by bad weather. Went to the Bern Hammam, and later had some Vollmond ale instead Took one for the team. Did the skies then open up? I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #6 September 2, 2018 No, thank goodness. But it's probably going to be the usual Murphy's Law: the sun will most likely come out bright and sunny on Tuesday morning when I have to be back at work, earning the Sheckels to pay for all this Seattle was that way all the darn time. Rain would come on Friday afternoon, and the sun would come back out Sunday evening...argh.mh . "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcd11235 0 #7 September 2, 2018 markharju Seattle was that way all the darn time. Rain would come on Friday afternoon, and the sun would come back out Sunday evening...argh. To be fair, 90+ percent of what passes for rain in Seattle is considered mist or drizzle in the rest of the country. What we consider heavy rain in Seattle is considered sprinkling or a very light rain in most of the country.Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #8 September 3, 2018 jcd11235 ***Seattle was that way all the darn time. Rain would come on Friday afternoon, and the sun would come back out Sunday evening...argh. To be fair, 90+ percent of what passes for rain in Seattle is considered mist or drizzle in the rest of the country. What we consider heavy rain in Seattle is considered sprinkling or a very light rain in most of the country. True, but a low ceiling is still a low ceiling. We'd go do hop 'n pops anyway at Snohomish as long as it was above 3k. That was back when I was keen on building jump numbers. Not so keen anymore. Ditto for Winter jumping. The sun came out in Northern Italy as I was passing Domodossola this afternoon mh ."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jcd11235 0 #9 September 3, 2018 > True, but a low ceiling is still a low ceiling. Also true!Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites