Zell am Zee   LOWS

Date of Visit = 09/99

Pilot: = Simon Miles

e-mail = simon@bbl.st.be

Field Report = I've just returned from a few days holiday in Austria where I had a great time doing some flying in the Alps!

We were staying at Zell-am-See where there is a small airfield with a 660m hard runway. The airfield is at about 2500ft amsl. We stopped at the airfield early one morning to find out if it was possible to rent an aeroplane to do some mountain flying training/sight-seeing.

The friendly instructor said it was no problem and we should turn up at about 14:00 so that the low cloud and mist had time to clear. So, we went skiing on the nearby glacier in the morning - so we could watch the weather clear from above! - and returned to the airfield after lunch to meet the instructor.

We were to fly in a Robin DR400 which is normally used for glider towing. It was the first time I had flown a Robin; in addition, it was the first time I had flown an aeroplane with no vacuum instruments or turn coordinator. Just a compass, balance-ball, an ASI (calibrated in KMH) and an altimeter... Also, there were no headsets - another first for me.

We lined up on runway 08 and, despite being three-up, were very quickly in the air. The Robin immediately felt much more responsive than the 172 I normally fly as we continued straight ahead towards an enormous, tree covered mountain which is disconcertingly near the end of the runway. I could see the ground and the mountain but no sky!

Eventually, the instructor said to turn left over the nearby lake and climb to the circuit height of 3500ft. The circuit passes very close to the surrounding mountains (less than 200m it seemed) for noise abatement reasons - I would never have gone so close myself but the instructor said that this is the route we must fly.

We then headed off into the valley which leads to the glacier we had been skiing on earlier. We were climbing through 6000ft as we entered the narrow valley and the mountains still towered above us! The valley became narrower and we climbed higher as the instructor began his patter - fly on the downwind side of valley to keep out of sinking air, beware of turbulence and unmarked cable car pylons and cables etc.

We were above the snowline when I was told to turn back out of the valley. It looked very narrow but, in fact, there was plenty of room to turn - judging distance was quite difficult for me. Also, with no natural or artificial horizon my turn was anything but level...

We continued exploring other valleys and routes to and from Zell-am-See before finishing with an unforgettable crossing of the Alps following the Grossglockner road with rocky, snow-covered slopes everywhere and (another first for me) over 10000ft on the altimeter! Sadly, once we crossed the pass, the valleys where filled with cloud so we had to return to Zell-am-See. After a long descent back to circuit height we landed safely back on runway 08.

Only one hour and a quarter in the log book but some great memories! My girlfriend Brigitte sat in the back for the flight and was very, very impressed with the views!!

It must be said that flying in Austria ain't cheap - the flight cost ATS3200 (about GBP160.00) including the landing fees and instructor - but the experience is not to be missed... If anyone wants more details please let me know.

Simon Miles.