By : Oggy Ougrinov

Bulgaria is a country that is a "white spot" in the minds of most westerners. Very few have visited the sea and ski resorts often when short of cash for another vacation. More have tasted Bulgarian wines considered cheap for the quality. Most have witnessed the occasional success of Bulgaria football team ranking 4th at the Worlds in 1994. The name Stoichkov is probably better known than the name of any other Bulgarian.

Pilot Sven Nilsson from Kiruna launches his Racer 14 from the ramp at Okoltchitza

The Swedish flying community knows that Oggy is a pilot, originating from this country and arranging hang gliding trips to Bulgaria. This summer has attracted a group of Swedish flyers, most experienced in thermal and XC flying, some have already flown in Bulgaria a few times. The geographical map of Bulgaria clearly shows a long mountain range, called the Balkan or Stara Planina. This chain stretches from the Black Sea in the East all the way to Serbia and Rumania. It divides the country into Northern and Southern halves, which gives us double options for choosing flying sites.

Vratza Mountain from ca 2.000 m agl. The city Vratza is seen in the distance

We start with the Southern slopes of the Balkan and the site is called Sopot. Sopot is actually a small town only 5 km from the bigger city of Karlovo, where we are accommodated. Sopot is the town of birth of the best known Bulgarian writer and poet Ivan Vazov, while Karlovo boasts of being home to the revolutionary Vassil Levski. He was a leader of underground movement for liberating Bulgaria from the 500 years Turkish oppression and was hanged by the Turks to stay in the minds and hearts of most Bulgarians. Both local heroes have nice monuments erected in the town squares. Sopot employs most of its inhabitants in a big factory that manufactures shooting and exploding ”products”. These products were sold in the Middle East during the near communist past of Bulgaria. The factory today is a good thermal generator, but not recommended for landing. The launch site itself can be reached by a cable car and it takes 25 minutes to get 900 m above the valley floor. The steep grassy slope faces S/SW and the first day is aimed at thermal flying around. On landing I leave my left foot where my bum shall touch the ground after a lazy full flare which results in a stretched ankle. So I am a retrieval driver for a couple of days blaming my own bottom for the role. The second day is aimed at some distances. This long mountain range is cut by several passes to assist people and vehicles cross the mountain. The communist leaders invested money in building monuments for the greatness of their idea on some of the mountain tops. These are excellent turn points and assist in orientation for local and guest pilots. Lars Pålsson and Peter Sundberg spend 4 hours each in the sky gliding to the monument TP and back to land with 50 km out and return. Sven Nilsson chooses his own enormous landing area at Karnare, giving him a good distance too, while Ragnar Nilsson, Magnus Eriksson and Andreas Holmner circle in the vicinity of the launch. Andreas was busy improving his own endurance records. He arrived to Bulgaria with a personal record of 30 minutes, that was beaten the first day, which result was improved the second day, he flew even better the third, and then we lost count as he started flying distances. Plus he is not a very talkative pilot either. So the following days offered good flying for the pilots and less driving for me as long as they flew out and returns.

Oggy Ougrinov and his Laminar 14 ST

A high pressure started building up over Bulgaria and the first sign is the prevailing eastern wind. We are at launch, the gusts are getting pretty strong and turbulent. Only one pilot decides to give it a try ­ Peter Sundberg chooses his moment and we are relieved to see him fly away from the ridge. Then his glider makes an unvoluntary 90 degree wing over, which to me is an effect from a lee rotor. I shout in the radio ”leave the mountain and fly into the valley” but Peter is already doing that. A clear sign that the rest of us should pack and go down. We pick up Peter who is excited to tell us what helplessness means when you fly a glider in turbulence. Then we decided to cross the Balkan and fly the northern launches.

We stay at Varshetz, which is a 8,000 inhabitants resort, famous for its mineral water. My father was born there, my grandfather has been once Mayor of the village and we are the only foreigners available. We are celebrities here. The economical crisis in Bulgaria does not leave much money over to normal people to go on summer vacation and we easily find places at the coffee shops and restaurants. Varshetz is located almost in the middle of three flying sites which makes it easy to decide which one to take for the coming days. We normally board the minibus, drive out in the field, stop and check the wind. And usually drive to Vratza and Okoltchitza launch.

Lakob Christiansen from Copenhagen launches his Laminar R 14 at Pastrina site

Vratza is a city of 1,00,000 and gives the name to this part of the Balkan mountain. It is actually a branch from the main Balkan chain, that is 700-800 m high, with rocky and steep slopes and stretches 25 km North into the Danubian plain to abruptly finish there and right at the turn point ­ the crossing of the main road to Varshetz. Launch is at 650 m and has two ramps facing NE and E. Main landing is close to a gas station with a reassuring by the main road. And our task is to follow the ridge to the TP, then fly west and land at Varshetz. This is a distance of about 40 km.

It does not take long to launch all pilots. The less experienced ones, flying slower wings turn out to be excellent wind dummies. Andreas and Magnus take the small bubbles, get high and stay there for hours. Peter and Lars have a sort of a competition to fly the distance, so I have to glide fast to catch up with them. Getting low before goal I decide to land by the small river. Pick up road curves at a pool size widening of the river bed. A good landing field is just there so I land. Not long after arrives Peter, then comes Sven. Lars has landed on the other side of the bridge so on the radio we decide to take a swim in the river. And this is how we discover the River Bar landing. Temperatures are constantly rising, we have days with 33 ­35 degrees on launch and 40 on landings. That is why we carry bottles of mineral water and cucumbers in the harnesses. And we land more often at the River Bar Landing.

At Sofia airport I meet a bunch of ”hippy” like flyers. One of them has a glider without a glider bag, but with a zipper and a roll of tape to pack glider after each landing. These guys are very nice, funny, flying oriented and as it turns out later, four of them have no thermal experience at all.

Sven Nilsson from Kiruna ready to launch from the ramp at Okoltchitza

The Swedish group is already at the best restaurant in Vratza, the table is long enough to accommodate the Danish newcomers as well as Jan Hemingsson, just being transported by our driver Mitko all the way from Burgas airport. Service and meals are excellent.

Ragnar and I perform our ususal routine ­ to taste and choose wines for the evening consumption. Must I say how good we are at this job, no one complains about our choice.

The ramps welcome 14 wings the following day. Swedish pilots seem very organised and effective to prepare for the flight. The Danes are scattering all kinds of equipment all over the place. Luckily most Danes make it to the main landing with 1-2 broken uprights and one wing in the bushes under the ramp. Pilot Klaus and wing are OK. Jacob and Jörn are the only Danes to fly distance today, they even made it to the River Bar Landing.

The day after we take Kom launch that is 1,300 m above the valley floor. Task is to fly back to Varshetz. I take one thermal to 2,300 m and then applied king-post-less performance to arrive first at the huge landing. Peter joins me an hour later, Lars has problems with his stomach and does not fly XC today. Surprisingly Magnus appears in the sky. He has no radio and lands on the down edge of the field not seeing Peter and me. Then Steffi comes on the radio rather worried about Ragnar. He has had 3 unsuccessful attempts to launch. The wind is very light and the grass too high for his launching technique. He is already tired, may be stressed so I talk to him as an instructor should do. As a military pilot he is quite reasonable, takes a short break to relax and to securely launch later. The evening is a B-B-Q party at the waterfall and we taste 3 white and 3 red wines.

Oggy Ougrinov - Swedish instructor, holds briefing before launching. Note group of 14 pilots in the shade - temperature is 35 degreed

The Swedish group is about to leave for home. This last day is worth mentioning. The Danish ”dynamite” has launched from the ramps and I get airborne pretty late. Half an hour ago I spotted Sven circling high up above the gas station. There is still a good cloud there so I fly this way. At 400 m I take 2 m/s climb that lifts me to 2.600 m. With this altitude I cross Vratza and the pass and gain altitude to make it to TP. There I catch Sven, who is thermalling 500-600 m above me. I move to the western rocky face of the mountain to find very rough lift. Not feeling comfortable with the turbulence I fly to the River Bar landing. Lars Pålsson and Peter have already landed there. But a good thermal lifts me back to 1,900 m. Sven arrives in the same thermal flying in rather wide circles. I decide to fly to Varshetz and get there rather soon. Have found a weak core and enjoy the late afternoon view. Sven flies by like a transport plane ­ no thermaling, just indicates that the TP has been taken and then flies back to the River Bar Landing. I am in a playful mood, so with full VB and good speed I glide behind Sven. Then I make a near pass under his right wing, shouting all I can. I am pleased with the full effect of my playfulness ­ Sven is visually impressed by my behavior.

Time for a swim and a beer. We circle tight to loose height and to land with Lars, who is assisting us with wind direction. Then Sven tells us that his king post hanging loop gave up in a thermal. He had to continue flying on the reserve hang loop. Except for this accident and 2-3 broken uprights, the swedes flew very well and very safe. Shall I mention here that Ragnar visited the bushes under the ramp once, with only his ego being damaged ?!

The gliders are packed short for the flight home, all bottles of good Bulgarian wine - stuffed in the harnesses and the minibus leaves for a long drive through the night to the airport. They made it in time for the early morning flight to Stockholm.

The Danes accumulate thermal experience. Jacob and Jörn fly distances, together with me. The rest of the pack lands by the gas station most of the time. And learn to stay longer and longer in the air. At Kom launch Klaus decides to make 360 very close to the hill, misjudges the distance to the pine trees and gets one with the wing tip. This results in him hanging 15 m in the trees and a seriously damaged glider. I advice him on the radio to take out his back up chute and use the harnes for securing the glider in the slippery branches. The rest of the parachute he uses as a line to get down from the tree. I make a circle above to take a photo. Klaus decides to borrow Jesper´s glider, launches with it and breaks both uprights on the main landing. This was not his day, but anyway, we call him Klaus base from now on. Next day we bring up to Kom a chain saw, a normal saw, an ax and 20 m rope. Glider has spent the night in the trees and the rescue group brings down the remains. And this is the last accident for Klaus, who kept on flying with the borrowed glider till the end of the trip. And he flew OK.

Weather stays unchanged, I get used to launch at 33 degrees, climb up to 16 degrees and land at 40. Jacob and I do it once again to Varshetz and to the River bar Landing and it is time to take the plane back to Copenhagen.

Steffi drives the group to our favorite restaurant in Vratza for a good bye dinner. She actually has to a great extent assisted so that this trip came true and to a successful end. And she gets pilots gratitude for her Swedish breakfast, delicious lunch sandwiches and quick pick up service.

I drive the very tired Danish group to Sofia airport the following day in the Chevy and airconditioning at full.

A good hang gliding trip to Bulgaria is over. We logged many air hours and XC kilometers.

The wine dummies proved to be better wind dummies.