Žan Kafol Aerial & cave photographer SL
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Flying over the Gulf of Trieste

Aerial photographyFlightCitySeaParaglidersWater
A lone paraglider floats above a wooded cliff and the hazy blue Gulf of Trieste on a calm winter flight.

I first flew from the secret Sveti Primož take-off back in 2019. It is hard to say who first discovered it or tried taking off there, most likely locals. There are no emergency landing options; everything is far away. Mentally, you have to be prepared to land in the water or in the trees. The viewpoint with the Sveti Primož monument is reached from the village of Sveti Križ, and from there you can see Miramar Castle and practically the entire coast from Trieste to Tržič.

Flying there was truly dreamlike—coastal flying is the cream of relaxed ridge soaring, and for a long time it was thought that we had no suitable terrain for it. A few successful stunt feats (not mine) were carried out from the cliff at Beli Križ (Strunjan), and one from Markovški Hrib just below Izola hospital. But they are nowhere near comparable with the length of the ridge you can surf in a south-westerly from Duino to Socerb (and even farther???)

I therefore repeated my second flight over the Gulf of Trieste more than four years later, on Christmas Day. I do not know why there was such a long break, as the location is quite close.

This time I photographed with a new Nikon Z6 II, which I received as the prize for the overall win in the 2023 National Geographic photo competition. The body is fine, a full-frame mirrorless camera, with slightly fewer megapixels than my Canon 6D II, which I hope Nikon's stabilisation will make up for. But the vignetting on the lens that came with it (Nikkor 24–70 F/4) is awful.

I also bought an adapter (Fringer) so I can mount my Canon L lenses on the Nikon and see how that works.

Well, here are the photographs from the flight:

A paraglider flies above a marina and rocky Adriatic coastline, photographed from another aircraft over calm water.
A weathered stone coastal tower stands above the hazy blue Gulf of Trieste and a distant shoreline.
Aerial view of a coastal transport corridor curving around a wooded cliff below an old stone tower.
A small paraglider crosses a pale winter sky above the wooded cliffs and hazy sea of the Gulf of Trieste.
Two paragliders fly above the hazy Gulf of Trieste, following the steep wooded coastline and railway far below.
Aerial view of a solitary round stone tower rising from dense woodland above the Gulf of Trieste coast.
A solitary paraglider hangs against a soft grey sky, its blue-and-yellow wing curved above the pilot.
A pilot beneath a blue-and-white paraglider looks across the Gulf of Trieste during a clear winter flight.
A white and blue paraglider banks above a densely wooded slope overlooking the Gulf of Trieste.
A blue-and-yellow paraglider banks above forested slopes and dense coastal buildings beside the Gulf of Trieste.
Blue-and-yellow paraglider banks above the wooded Gulf of Trieste coastline, with the road and pale sea below.
A coastal town with red-tiled roofs sits between dark woodland and the misty Gulf of Trieste in winter light.
A blue paraglider crosses above a compact coastal town and wooded headland beside the hazy Gulf of Trieste.
A distant paraglider crosses above wooded slopes and a hazy coastline along the Gulf of Trieste.
A blue paraglider floats above a hazy coastal town of red roofs beside the Gulf of Trieste.
Two paragliders float at different heights above a hazy coastal town and wooded ridge near Trieste.
A paraglider floats above a coastal town beside the Gulf of Trieste, softened by winter haze and distant hills.
A paraglider passes above a wooded coastal ridge while the Gulf of Trieste disappears into pale winter haze.
A paraglider appears as a small silhouette above a misty wooded ridge, suspended in pale winter air.
A paraglider sails high above a marina, coastal town and calm blue water in the Gulf of Trieste.
Two paragliders follow the steep wooded coastline above the calm blue Gulf of Trieste.
A blue paraglider flies above a steep wooded coast, with pale winter sea stretching beyond the ridge.
Dark paraglider canopy and pilot are silhouetted against sunlight reflected across the pale Gulf of Trieste.
A blue paraglider follows the steep wooded shoreline high above the calm, hazy Gulf of Trieste.
A blue paraglider glides above silver sunlight reflected across the sea, with layered coastal headlands fading into haze.
A blue paraglider arcs above a dark forested ridge with the Gulf of Trieste fading into haze beyond.
A blue and orange paraglider flies above the sea beside a sunlit wooded coastal cliff.

I also posted a video excerpt from the flight on social media...

And I will take this opportunity to post the photographs from 2019 that I did not publish on the blog at the time.

Pilot's-eye view past paraglider lines across calm sea and a long coastline fading into winter haze.
Wide airborne view along the Gulf of Trieste's rugged shore, where pale cliffs and wooded slopes meet green-blue water.
Wide aerial view along the limestone edge of the Gulf of Trieste, where a wooded plateau drops sharply to the sea.
Pilot's-eye view past paraglider lines toward a turquoise bay, pale cliffs and the curving coast far below.
High aerial view of a coastal town, road junctions and green-blue shallows along the Gulf of Trieste.
High aerial view of a marina, dense coastal neighbourhoods, roads and the karst hinterland beyond Trieste.
A paraglider pilot looks down over a turquoise harbour, pale beaches and tightly packed coastal neighbourhoods.
Steep aerial view over a Gulf of Trieste marina, orange-roofed coastal neighbourhood and clear green water.
Straight-down aerial view of a curved marina, terraced red-roofed housing and roads beside turquoise coastal water.
High aerial view of a long urban coastline, harbour walls and pale blue sea beneath a lightly clouded sky.
A long forested peninsula divides calm coastal water, with marinas and settlements lining the Gulf of Trieste.
A paraglider takes a mid-air self-portrait above a blue bay, coastal town and wooded hills.
Pilot's-eye view over open grey-blue sea, with a distant headland and coastline visible beneath high cloud.
Straight-down airborne view of a compact red-roofed coastal neighbourhood between calm Gulf water and a curving road.
Top-down aerial photograph of a compact coastal town, its red roofs bordered by deep blue sea and wooded slopes.
A yellow paraglider passes above a curved marina and coastal road, with the dark sea filling most of the frame.
A lime-and-blue paraglider canopy and harness lie packed on a pebble beach after a Gulf of Trieste flight.