Saturday
An exceptionally good day for the season
With autumn now firmly established, the conditions delivered remarkable XC potential for late September. Days capable of producing flights close to or exceeding 100 km simultaneously in the Jura, the Pre-Alps and the Alps become increasingly rare at this time of year.
In the Jura, conditions largely lived up to expectations. Thermals proved reliable enough to support beautiful cross-country flights under predominantly blue skies. Danny Gafner's flight from Moron, covering nearly 100 km along the Jura ridge, perfectly captures the "great blue autumn flying day" atmosphere described in the forecast.
In the Alps, cloudbases regularly climbed above 3,000 m and, for those venturing into the highest mountain ranges, significantly higher still. Thermal activity remained usable throughout much of the afternoon. Mike Wicki's flight from Fiesch clearly illustrates the day's potential in the Upper Valais, with more than five hours in the air and a magnificent crossing into the Bernese Oberland via the Finsteraarhorn. The photos associated with the flight perfectly convey the atmosphere of the day: sunshine, snow-covered peaks, and conditions that remained remarkably generous for the season.
But the biggest surprise of the day probably came from the Bernese Pre-Alps.
In the forecast published on Thursday, I had likely underestimated the potential of this region. Marc Vetter's flight from Turnen demonstrates the opposite, showing excellent conditions between the Stockhorn, Lenk and Adelboden areas. With more than 100 km flown and cloudbases exceeding 3,000 m, this flight proves that ambitious XC goals were entirely achievable outside the Valais as well.
In the end, Saturday, September 26 delivered everything one could hope for from a great late-season flying day: generous cloudbases, long-lasting thermal activity and XC potential across a large part of Switzerland's mountain ranges. It was not necessarily a record-breaking day, but rather a rare and widespread opportunity to enjoy quality cross-country flying in the Jura, the Pre-Alps and the Alpine regions alike.
And for late September, that's already saying a lot. A whole lot, in fact.
Sunday
Valais confirmed its status as the best choice
After Saturday's excellent flying conditions, it remained to be seen how the southwesterly flow would influence flying conditions on Sunday.
In the end, the scenario outlined in the forecast was largely confirmed: Valais was clearly the best option for pilots looking for the strongest XC conditions.
Thermals proved powerful enough to support some excellent alpine flights. Cloudbases frequently climbed above 4,000 m and occasionally exceeded 5,000 m.
The most striking feature of the day was undoubtedly how easily many pilots managed the transition from Fiesch to the Bernese Oberland via the Finsteraarhorn. This high-altitude crossing is only possible on exceptional days. Numerous flights published on XContest show that this transition was successfully completed throughout the afternoon.
Urs Nadler's flight from Grimsel perfectly illustrates these conditions. Despite a relatively modest distance, the track highlights a particularly welcoming Finsteraarhorn-Grimsel sector, with cloudbases exceeding 4,000 m and efficient movement deep within the high alpine terrain.
Further south, the flights of Sven Buffat and Matic Obid also demonstrate just how generous the Valais conditions were for late September. Both pilots were able to fly at very high altitudes among the major Valais peaks, benefiting from a remarkably well-structured airmass. With a cloudbase exceeding 5,000 m, Sven Buffat's flight reflects conditions more commonly associated with the best days of the summer season.
By contrast, neither the Jura nor the Pre-Alps produced any significant distance flights. While the Jura had delivered flights approaching 100 km the previous day under beautiful blue skies, Sunday's XC potential was clearly concentrated over the higher alpine massifs.
The contrast with Saturday is particularly striking. The day before, quality XC flights had been achieved across the Jura, the Pre-Alps and the Alps alike. On Sunday, however, most of the potential shifted toward Valais and the neighbouring areas of the Bernese Oberland accessible from there.
Ultimately, this day once again demonstrated just how exceptional late September 2026 has been. Being able to spend several hours above 4,000 m, locally exceed 5,000 m, and connect the Upper Valais to the Bernese Oberland with such ease at this time of year is truly remarkable. A fitting conclusion to a first-class Autumn XC weekend.
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