Never Stop Exploring

The Belgian, who lives and flies in Switzerland, regularly attracts attention with creative and long-distance flights. But Bert Schmelzer isn't just focused on long-reaching cross-country flights. In our conversation, we learn why he loves competitive gliding, why Hausen am Albis is an excellent place for soaring, and what his favourite mountain in the Alps is.

We want to start with a quick opening question: You want to fly to P, how do you approach the next clouds, and why?

I would fully use the small cloud shred in front of us but not circle. Then I would fly underneath the thick cumulus cloud, left and right, until the good thermal comes. After that, I would head quite purposefully toward the cloud further to the left and switch to the other side. I would still take advantage of the cloud rags on the right edge, but I wouldn't want to circle there anymore, as I suspect the air from the valley is already influencing that area.

In the second picture, it gets a bit trickier. I would definitely fly toward the dark spots. Half-left, where the clouds are condensing a bit, I expect the thermals to still be sucking up well. Towards P and beyond, the cumulus clouds also look reasonably good again. And the rain showers don't seem very dense.

Let's start with your two flights on May 1st and 2nd. What characterised those two magnificent days?

Those were truly extraordinary days. The thermals were extremely reliable and provided conditions like in South Africa or Namibia, just 2000 m lower. The initial climb-out into the Alps, which is often difficult for us in Switzerland due to the stable air over the Central Plateau, was very manageable on those two days. But especially after crossing the Austrian border, it was going extremely well. You could hardly do anything wrong, and the climb rate was rarely below 3 m/s. The weather lasted extremely late into the evening, especially on the first day. Thermals were up almost until sunset in the Engadin. Besides the good air mass, it was primarily the dryness of the ground that made these fantastic conditions possible.

On both days, you flew a declared 1008 km out-and-return flight. Why this route toward the east?

I simply enjoy long-reaching flights, whether as a triangle or an out-and-return – that's much more fun for me than shorter legs. I had never been that far east with thermals only, and the forecast was very good in that area on those two days. The last 50 km were a bit more difficult, but still good.

On May 2nd, you commented on your flight: "Same but very different." What were the differences between the two flights?

The flight to the east was again super easy, the Pinzgau was incredibly good, and everything went extremely fast up to the turn point. But then I tried to fly back on the south side. The switch was more time-consuming than I thought, and the conditions were much slower. It was quite a struggle until I finally managed to circle up to final glide height in the Engadin under diffuse cloudls with 0.5 m/s. The final glide then went through completely dead air, but I was high enough to close the task.

Let's move on to the third winning flight, a declared 800 km triangle over the Jura, Vercors, and the High Alps. Why this route?

The route is simply scenically gorgeous. I have flown it several times, and it is breathtaking every single time. I knew that a large triangle would be possible here on that day. To jump into the top spot in the NSFW, I set the 800 km task.

Nevertheless, the flight was quite a struggle, as I was basically too early the whole time, and the thermals only really built up behind me. The western Jura was only very moderate, and the jump across Geneva toward Chambéry was also extremely tricky.

So, not an entirely easy route?

No, you have to lay out the departure point in the morning with extreme precision to get a good start into the Jura and still be able to close the flight in the evening. The jump past Geneva toward Chambéry is also frequently on the limit. But it gets easier in the afternoon. When you are at the Dom in the Valais, you are often at around 4000 m. The last 160 km are then a final glide, which makes it relatively easy in the evening.

You've been flying in Hausen since 2011. What characterises this airfield?

From Hausen, we have diverse flying opportunities: the Black Forest, the Jura, and, of course, the Alps. Even in Foehn conditions, the starting position is top-notch. But what particularly distinguishes the club is the incredibly good camaraderie and the uncomplicated atmosphere. In all the years I've been flying here, there has never been a harsh word. Everything in the club is geared towards performance flying, including the fleet. Furthermore, everyone openly shares their knowledge and experience.

You are the 3rd generation of pilots. Is the flying gene in the family?

Yes, totally. My grandfather was already a pilot, and my dad is also a passionate cross-country and competitive glider pilot. The tradition in our family is that every child must fly before they can walk. I also completed my glider pilot training as early as possible. Together with my brother, I have been flying in the Belgian national team for many years. Among other things, we were able to become World Champion and eighth respectively in the Standard Class in Räyskälä in 2014.

What does competitive gliding mean to you?

Competitive gliding is actually my absolute passion. It shows in direct comparison how good or bad you are. When I barely flew any competitions for a year and a half, I immediately noticed that my performance dropped. In competition, you are forced to keep your concentration high, always look for the optimum, and fly perfectly. That automatically makes me faster and more selective in choosing thermals even on free flights. What I also really appreciate is that my family always accompanies me to the competitions, which makes the time there even more enjoyable.

How do you prepare for your flights? Do you have any special rituals?

I am actually always extremely well-prepared. I check the weather three to four times a day, even when I'm not flying – just to understand the models. In competitions, for example, I also tend to trust my own weather assessment more. Before the start, I find it pleasant to sit alone in the cockpit for a few minutes to mentally go through everything.

Which weather services are your favourites?

For the Alps, I find SkySight to be the best. It's astonishingly good regarding the onset of thermals. What I also find brilliant are the high-resolution wind maps in XC Term. They are impressively good in terms of detail, especially for pre- and post-analysis during Foehn flights.

Tell us something about your call sign "21". Has it always graced your tail unit?

The "21" is a kind of tradition. It originally goes back to Otto Schäuble, a gliding luminary from the Hahnweide, who had this call sign a long time ago. When we bought a Standard Libelle back then, the "21" was also on it, and we have always kept the call sign – across the Discus 2a to our current Ventus 3 T.

How do you like the Ventus?

It's a fantastic aircraft that performs well in the flatlands as well as in the mountains. In relentless high-speed flight, others might be a little better, but I believe the Ventus is best under European conditions, and especially in the Alps. It is also simply very well-balanced and beautiful to fly.

Do you have a favourite mountain in the Alps?

The diversity of the Alps is actually the most impressive thing. But my favourite is probably the Piz Nuna in the Engadin. It stands out so strikingly in the valley there, works almost all day, and often still climbs at 2.5 m/s up to 4200 m in the evening.

Thank you very much for the exciting conversation, Bert.

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