Between Bushfires and Ridges

The two participants, Finn Schelter and Benedikt Bursian, recently had the chance to experience exactly that. Six flights exceeding 1000 km, breathtaking images taken during their flights, and consistently enthusiastic feedback. That is how we experienced the WeCoach program in Worcester from afar. Now, we hear firsthand about the impressions, memories, and experiences Finn and Benedikt collected in Worcester.

How many days were you able to fly, and how many hours did you accumulate?

Finn: In the end, it was actually 13 flying days with almost 85 hours.

Benedikt: I was also able to accumulate almost 80 hours over the 13 flying days.

Besides the overall experience, will one specific flight stand out for you, and if so, which one?

Benedikt: I wouldn't single out one flight, but some moments during the flights have stuck with me. For example, the flights along extensive bushfires with licking flames, the flights far to the east where the vegetation changes noticeably, and the evening wave entries with the sunset—that is simply magical every single time! Ultimately, I had great fun on every flight, without exception. Every day brought new challenges, whether it was tricky ridge soaring to stay airborne or optimizing legs for a 1200 km flight.

Finn: If I had to highlight one flight, it would definitely be the desert flight with Uli. On that day, behind the ridge, we had conditions only otherwise known from Namibia reports: incredible climb rates with a cloud base over 4000m and a completely surreal landscape. This flight will particularly stay in my memory. All in all, I don't want to mention just this one flight, because everything I was able to experience in those two weeks is simply unbelievable. I saw the ocean from above, flew in the desert, completed 3 flights over a thousand kilometers right up to the front ridge, and enjoyed a stunning sunset atmosphere in the cockpit.

What did you manage to train best during WeCoach?

Finn: I definitely benefited most from the extensive ridge soaring. After around 75 hours purely on the ridge, you gain a completely different feeling for how to carry energy, utilize lines efficiently, and what influence even the smallest decisions have on altitude and speed. I built a level of confidence and routine there that I didn't have before. At the same time, I was able to significantly develop my understanding of the weather. Many phenomena that I already knew in Europe became much clearer in Worcester—be it the interplay of wind, terrain, and thermals or the typical daily development. This helped me immensely to better understand the big picture and fly with cleaner tactics.

Benedikt: The flying in Worcester is quite similar to that in the Alps in some aspects, especially regarding flight technique and line selection. In these sub-areas, not much was new for me. What was new, however, was the landscape and the local weather phenomena, and how to utilize them efficiently for flying. What was interesting for me in the two-seater was also the decisions made by the coaches and how they differed from my own. This represented by far the biggest learning effect for me during WeCoach.

Last but not least, a huge thank you to the WeCoach team, especially the Achumer Störche for the gliders, Uli and Ron for the organization, and the coaches Henrik, Mathias, and Sven—you made these two weeks unforgettable for us!

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