Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast

Cloudbase Mayhem Podcast


Episode 130- Instruments and chasing beauty with Koni Schafroth

October 22, 2020

Koni Schafroth has been flying over 30 years, but you’re not going to find him chasing distance and trying to win XContest. Koni pursues free flight for the beauty and tapping into the incredible emotion that flying provides. Soaring over glaciers on a perfect day; midnight flights under the full moon; flying with friends; and coming home safely. Koni is a mechanical engineer and is the creator of the XCTracer varios, the most sophisticated and accurate variometers on the market today. In this episode we explore how best to set up your vario; FLarm use for safety and collision avoidance and buddy tracking; avoiding costly mistakes and a reminder to watch for complacency; 30 years of learning; how to think about risk and some fun stories. Enjoy!
Show Notes:

* Koni discusses the very beginning of the sport and some lucky near-misses
* Yet another engineer takes to the sport
* Chasing it…but not by kilometers
* Why engineers love flying
* How varios work and the difference between an accelerometer and a barometer
* Should we not dampen our varios?
* Improving your climbing
* FLarm collision avoidance and buddy tracking
* What vario is right for you?
* Making cheap mistakes
* Chrigel, everyone else, and risk
* Don’t run out of luck

 
Mentioned in this episode: XCTracer, Tom DeDorlodot, Ferdy Van Shelven, Flytec, Alex Robé, Coupe Icare, Chrigel Maurer, XContest