Outlanding
Flying in Alps is probably the most beautyfull flying experiance. Unfortunatelly also one of the most dangerous. There are many things you can do to manage flying risk, I recommend you to have a look on these little book (in German) first -> [link] (2.4MB).
One particular item, where you can do really much home is outlanding. Proper waypoints preparation, using updated Catalogs can save your live and make the flying less stressful. Below you can find a concept I use.
Catalogs [top]
There are number of sources of information about outlanding in Alps:
- French Alps Catalog (you can get one on any major airplaces like Sisteron)
- (SIP) Soaring Information Publication
- Landewiessen (mostly AT) - no more active :-(
- Nord Italy Catalog
- Schäniss Catalog for CH
I personally decided to use the French one, Schäniss (however it is getting old), self-build Italy Nord and new release of SIP. SIP is actually covering Italy & Switzerland but is not containing all waypoints from Italian & CH catalog, so I would keep them, especially Schäniss.
Where Schäniss, French & SIP catalog one can buy, Italian catalog I created myself, here to download inc. my old AT catalog mage from outlanding Web:
- Nord Italy Catalog -> [link] (26MB)
- Outlanding Web (mostly AT) selfmade -> [link] (97MB), however I recommend to buy SIP catalog which is more up to date.
Waypoints & the flight workflow [top]
Having a catalog in your glider pocket is way not enough to land. You need to find the place. Remember, you are in stress, ground is comming and now you need start reading your Catalog! Forget it - you are probably dead.
My approach is simple, each outlanding field described in one of my Catalog is on my board computer (I use LX7007 and XCSoar on PDA) as waypoint with the following coding:
<Country code> <Catalog page> <Waypoint name>
Example, La Motte is "F32-La Motte", F-for France Catalog & 32 for catalog page.
Now finding the landing spot is easy & quick to manage.
As of version 6.2 on Android it is possible to open external files from XcSoar (Android version ). Thanks to this feature, one can actually get outlanding catalogs (SIP, France, CH or Italy) electronicaly on your Android available. You can call the particular outlanding waypoint describtion (page from catalog) directly from XcSoar. See here:
I have in the meantime ready digital versions for catalogs:
- France -> [link] (34MB) - locked with password
- Nord Italy -> [link] (8MB)
- CH (Schänis) -> [link] (23MB)
- SIP -> [link] (374MB) - locked with password
- Schwarzwald -> [link] (8MB)
Links to Catalogs are already integrated in my Waypoint describtion file. Just unpack in "Waypoints" catalog.
As most of those materials are copyright, the catalogs are packed with Passwords. I will give you a pasword if you send me your picture with the catalog (France, SIP) or screenshoot showing that you have SIP Abo so I know you own one.
Catalogs are not everything - there are some landings spots not in any of the catalog. Here I use modified SIP waipoint list, which is actually pretty good. Those spots are without coding, just name. So if you must land and see 2 waypoints with and without coding - you go for coded one, look in calalog & probably land save.
If in you area are only not coded waypoints -well at least you more or less know where to look.
Look on my XCSoar page for waypoints files -> [link]