Action XC in Colombia!

In this fabulous trip we offer great thermic flying in a stunning scenery and coaching to make XC flights, while not having to worry about the retrieve back to the hotel.
Every year again, many personal records are broken and this while it is still winter in Europe.

Trip objectives

Our emphasis will be on maximizing airtime and cross-country flying, whilst minimizing time spent in the van. We will take full advantage of the daily conditions which are reliable most of the time. You will be flying with highly experienced instructors and XC pilots. There will be lots to learn to improve your cross-country flying, all within a beautiful and friendly environment. A fantastic combination of mountain and flatland flying.
We want to give you the best flying trip of a lifetime!

Flying area & sites

In order to achieve our lofty trip objectives, we will be focusing on XC flying in the Cauca Valley (Valle del Cauca). For two whole weeks we will be flying in paradise, launching from the best take-off sites on both sides of the valley. In addition to the well known launch sites near ‘Roldanillo’, there are others, less known, but equally fantastic. We are able to offer flexibility, looking at the conditions of the day and deciding where best to go.
The launch sites are easy, grassy and spacious. The landings out can be thermic and are not always flat. However, for an XC pilot this should not be a problem.

The flying

You will find many majestic black vultures flying everywhere. They will show you the way and are willing to share their thermals with you, which is a super impressive experience! Cloudbase is often between 1200-2000 meters, enabling easy glide transitions to the next thermal. Thermal flying in Colombia is usually relatively smooth, but as always be prepared for the occasional stronger bubble.
The landscape offers a variety of mountain ridges and flatland. The combination of the two makes cross-country flying a little different and a bit more challenging than ‘just’ mountain flying! Flying the flatlands will force you to read the landscape and clouds in a different way.

Briefings

Before take-off there will be a short, but comprehensive briefing where we will discuss the flight plan and the weather conditions of the day. And of course important tips and tricks for the flying route will be discussed as well. Ask any related questions and we will try and answer them. We want everyone to stay up longer, fly higher and further!

Transport & retrieve

We will have our own dedicated retrieve vehicle and driver. In addition to this there will be local transport available by bus or tuk-tuk, which can be fun. After landing out somewhere, you may well come across a local who will be more than happy to give you a lift back, it may be by car or on the back of a motor bike.

Accommodation

We will be staying in 2 of the best hotels. They are located close to the flying sites and are equipped with a spacious swimming pool where you can chill out at the end of the day.

About Colombia

Colombia is a large country, about as big as Spain and France combined. It is located near the equator and has no real winter and summer, but two wet and two dry seasons per year. The weather is also less controlled by pressure areas and fronts. There is mostly a calm wind with moderate thermals with an average of 3m/s. The temperature in the dry season is 25 to 35 degrees. The flying conditions in January are normally the best.

You may ask, is it safe? Our guides have a high standard of safety. They do not go in to areas where it might be dangerous and they do not fly with groups on complex flying sites. Also the security in Colombia has improved enormously in recent years, but there are still areas where terrorist organisations or drugs cartels are active. The areas where we fly however, are far away from those places and we have found it to be just as safe as Europe. The Colombian people are very warm and friendly. They are proud of their country and call themselves the happiest people in the world.

Summary

This amazing XCountry Tour offers cross-country flying over the most beautiful countryside. It enables you to explore parts of Colombia and get to know it’s wonderful people. We fell in love with it!

• Pilot level: Autonomous launching, flying and landing in thermal conditions with basic cross-country flying experience
• Dates: 7 January until 19 January 2024 (travel days 6 + 20 January 2024)
• Ultimate subscription: 30 June 2023
• Price: €1.795
• Inclusive:
  • 13 flying days with guidance from KNVvL (Dutch BHPA) instructors
  • 14 nights in shared room with breakfast in beautiful hotels (surcharge single room at request available)
  • Airport group transfers
  • Local transport and retrieval
  • Fuel costs and toll costs
  • Site fees
• Exclusive:
  • Flights (varying between €850 and €1.450 (depending on airline and booking date)
  • Surcharge single room (approx. €13 p.n.)
  • Local SIM-card (approx. €15)
  • Lunch, dinner and drinks
  • Insurances
  • Vaccinations

Prices are subject to change and depend on the exchange rate of the American Dollar