Vinon

Has anyone on here done any soaring in Vinon sur Verdon, in the south of France? I am within an hour and half driving of this place very often in the summer months and I am thinking of taking a drive up there this week to check it out. I was hoping, at the minimum to get a ride.. and at the best work on getting a conversion on my license as well as some mountain instruction and a check out for the future...

Just wondering if anyone has any dealings with them.

Thanks,
Josh

By the way I am a US FAA Commerical Glider Certificate holder with a current 1st class medical. ----- plus a bunch of other crap that pays the bills ....

Josh

I can't tell you much about Vinon except that I know a few Brits fly out of
there and I know they do run courses. Alain Poulet flys from there and if
you can hitch a ride with him you really will be in the very best of hands.
He dosen't speak much English though if that's a problem.

If you can go 40 mins further north on the Autoroute you will get to St
Auban which is not a club but a school dedicated to mountain flying.
Usually their courses are for a full week but they have great instructors,
(many English speaking) the very best fleet and accomodation on the field.
See www.cnvv.net for more info though I have told them many times that this
is a really poor website to show off their faciities!

Mike

I vote for St. Auban.
I have flown there six times; four for mountain flying and twice for aerobatics.
The website sucks. The facilities, equipment, and instructors are first rate.
The local area (Sisteron, Gap, Digne) is much more interesting than around Vinon.

Like others, I have no experience with Vinon. I've heard great things about St. Auban, but I believe you must do a week-long course in order to fly there. If you're willing to drive just a bit further than St. Auban, you can fly in Serres, where there is a commercial operation run by Klaus Ohlmann.. I had a wonderful flight there in 2012 in a Janus CM. Their website is http://www.quovadis-aero.com/?_Lang=_en

Josh

Perhaps you are starting from MRS airport, 55 minutes from
Vinon by car. I think it can provide exactly what you're after.

I believe Serres as a site and Klaus Ohlmann's operation there
indeed offer excellent flying but it is about another hour north of
Vinon. St Auban, the French National gliding centre, offers
excellent courses. But neither is a year-round French gliding
Club. I have not flown at either of these.

The AAVA club at Vinon offers soaring in the same areas as
those two sites. Members can fly either their own glider or one
of the club's at least 20 gliders.

If you contact the club in advance, a dual flight would normally
be possible. The club has everything from ASK13 through
ASK21, Duos, to ASH25. Or take a chance, but probably a god
idea to turn up before the 10.30 briefing.

Steve
(Happily an annual member of the AAVA for last 10 years.)

btw, some do say that it can be hard to "get away" from
Vinon..... this year the AAVA is again leading the French national
ladder "netcoupe" in km flown, the total to date 311,000km.)

http://netcoupe.net/Results/ClubGeneralResults.aspx


At 15:45 10 July 2014, AJM wrote:
Like others, I have no experience with Vinon. I've heard great
things
abou=
t St. Auban, but I believe you must do a week-long course in
order to fly
t=
here. If you're willing to drive just a bit further than St.
Auban, you
ca=
n fly in Serres, where there is a commercial operation run by
Klaus
Ohlmann=
.. I had a wonderful flight there in 2012 in a Janus CM. Their
website is
=
http://www.quovadis-aero.com/?_Lang=3D_en

Thank you guys for all your information!!

I could not make it on Thursday, unfortunately because the wave looked awesome, my job had me flying to Paris, and now I am off back to STANS! Every year I spend most of the summer in the South of France, so I hope to get connected with one of these operators!

I will let you you guys know how it goes next week when I am back!

Thanks again,
Josh