Records tumble with promise of big days ahead
The upcoming season in Venezuela looks set to be a good one following the discovery of a new, record-beating site in the east of the country. Flying at the tail end of last season and just days before the onset of the rainy season, Micky Von Wachter and Camila Antonorsi set new open distance national records from it on the last day of April. Micky flew 202 km to bag the longest flight in Venezuela, beating Juan Carlos Becerra’s record of 193 km set from Loma Lisa last year. And Camila flew 120 km to pick up the women’s open distance record. Joanna di Grigoli held the previous one, at 96 km. It was the first time either pilot had flown from the new site.
Micky Von Wachter in flight.
Micky, tell us about the site
People only started to fly XC from it this year. It’s around nine hours drive from Caracas, so with Loma Lisa on my doorstep I thought it was too far. Then a week before my flight, on my way somewhere else we dropped off an Argentinean pilot there – and he flew 140 km.
You’ve set Venezuelan records before …
We always try from Loma Lisa, which is only an hour from Caracas, but after 150 km we’ve always had problems with the headwind. I set two Venezuelan records from there, one in 1993 of 98 km and one in 1995 of 150 km. In the last three years I’ve done several flights there of between 170 km and 180 km.
What’s the take off like?
The take off is called el Frances, the French. I think because it looks like one of those epic places with green grass and lots of space to take off. It’s not that nice for landing. Once you get some altitude you have one or two touchy transitions over some valleys with few landing possibilities and then you are over the flats.
How high was cloudbase?
For the first hour not very high, just up to 1,500 m, then it got a bit better and went up to 2,200 m. For a 50 km stretch I had to fly in blue sky. At the end it got overcast and much higher.
And did you fly alone?
We took off four guys and one girl. One of my buddies Alex, who I was planning to fly with, got stuck after our second glide. The other two and Camila made more.
Tell us about the flight
I flew for six hours 14 minutes. At the start I was thinking this looks great, but maybe I’m a little over motivated. I don’t know the place and the other guys are having a tough time. Maybe I should slow down a little.
When I got near 100 km I wasn’t going as fast as I would have liked, the sky was cloudless, which I don’t like, especially in the flats, and the wind from the south was a little strong.
The only place where I got a little low was the only place where it looked good, but even there it was not very low. At the beginning the thermals were not easy to work: lots of wind, slow and a little turbulent. But I didn’t have collapses or scares. Just a little stress about no easy retrieve.
When did you know the record was on?
At around 150 km I knew it could be possible, but the sky was overcast and it looked like everything was over. The fact that Camila was only 10 km away from breaking the women’s record was very motivating.
At around 160 km I was trying to get to a fire about 8 km away. When I had the altitude I went for it, but I didn’t hit the rocket I was expecting. But it got better and I got to a really dark cloud that was extending over 30 km. It looked so promising that I almost left 300 m before base. Good thing I didn’t. From cloudbase at 2,900 m I didn’t get anything. From being a little apprehensive about this big cloud I only got a good glide out of it.
So you just sneaked past the 200 km mark …
I was very happy to break 200 km. At that point I was talking with the retrieve car, and Alex told me to go, go, go, even to land in a tree if necessary and that they would pick me up anywhere. I just concentrated on going as far as I could. My longest flight ever was in Ceara, Brazil, when I flew 300 km, so this was my second longest flight.
The Venezuelan cowboys who helped Micky pack up and get home. Photograph: Micky Von Wachter
And did you land in the middle of nowhere or next to the bar?
In the middle of nowhere. But in Venezuela you can buy a ‘Polar’ almost anywhere. It was a nice place, about 3 km south of the road. A lovely thing was that five llameros, cowboys, came to check on me and offer help. Sadly this attitude is not as usual as it used to be in the Venezuelan countryside.
Can it be repeated?
I don’t think I could have gone further that day, but yes, I think it will be repeated very easily considering that the day was not a great one. With good conditions I think we will be able to get around 300 km.
Micky Von Wachter at 202 km. Photograph: MVW
Read part 2 here>>
