This weekend a lot of comps finished and the 2014 season is slowly going to an end.
It was a nice year, with 2 WGC’s , lots of good Nationals and other high quality comps , but also comps with no flying and TOO much rain.
We could not complain about sunshine here in Holland, we even had tropical sunshine in July, but this summer was here and not only here, one of the wettest, due to tropical rainfall.Unfortunately August was too cold for the time of the year.
In Germany , by the way, the first 4 cm. of snow “dropped” on the ” Zugspitze” the highest mountain in Germany with 2962 m. and that ‘s pretty unusual and very early for the time of the season. It is STILL only August!!!
Time to slowly look ahead to the overseas season and when you belong to the lucky ones, make plans to go to South Africa, Namibia or Australia/New Zealand. September/October is the time again to send the gliders.
Still pondering about my own plans. When I go now in January 2015 it will be a great fun, but when I go in December 2015 I can go a few days to Narromine as well, to see how the young ones are doing there during the Junior WGC and to see if the overseas pilots, love Australia as much as I do.
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In Denmark the Women Pre Worlds in Arnberg had ZERO days and the toughest trip was the one back home, without a competition-day.
Driving in the car over 1000 km. for some of them as the family Fergnani , with pilots Nicola and Elena, from Italy and Kathrin from Germany, was a big deal certainly after missing the fun of soaring.
Kathrin made some great pictures, [you can see she looks with an artist-eye] , so she has at least been in the air.
Beautiful Denmark from above as seen by Kathrin.
Pilotessa Design-com
She called it the ” land of the rainbows”.
For sure it is!
Pictures by Kathrin from Pilotessa Design-com
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No doubt about the weather during the Lasham Junior Nationals combined with the 15 m. class. For their future WGC some people raised their eyebrows, but they had better weather than a lot of other European countries.
Last Sunday the juniors and 15 m. pilots started with their last day, number 8!!!!
Day 6 and 7 had a 3 and 4 hour AAT , so pilots could show their talents. Matt clearly seems to have the genes of dad Andy and won day 7 with 378 km. in the St. Cirrus in 4. 05. So father,….so son!!!!
Matt and his dad both were runner up this year at a big event [WGC in Leszno and UK Junior Nationals] and both appeared on BBC News to talk about gliding. Great exposure for our sport.
Matts biggest concurrent was Timothy Fletcher flying the St. Libelle. Overall , after 7 days , Timothy was on top with a bit more than 100 points.Quite some out-landings on that one but last day, as showers and ” tricky patches” spoiled at some places the fun.
So Sunday’s last day was an interesting one. An early start , a small window an A task from 138 km. and lots of finishers, at least 45 and that has been different during the last days.
But in the end it was straight away clear. Timothy won another day [ 3 in total and 2x on spot 2 ! ]and got the max points for that day; 593 !! Matt was on a good 5th place. Matt started 7 minutes earlier and flew with a speed of 100 km./h. whilst Timothy flew around with 107.2 km.h on the clock.
So the new UK JUNIOR CHAMPION is Timothy [ 5261] followed by Matt [ 5101] and Luke.[4946]
In 15 m. class they flew 7 days and not Leigh Wells but Derren Francis won these Nationals , with consistent flying. [5415]
All 20 starters finished at this last day!
The competition ended with a de-briefing for the juniors, a demo by Colin Short in the B4 and a great party for all in the Pimms tent.
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Also interesting weather for the last days of the Rieti -competition.Did you look at the scores?? They were much different than when I left you last Wednesday. They cancelled 2 days in total and flew for 4.
They had a top -last-day with 456 km., won by Sebastian and his mate Lucasz.
They got ” the hang of flying the ARCUS T ” and rushed from an overall spot 6 on day 3 , to spot 2 in the end, flying on the last day with a speed of 127 km./h. over the task area, gaining the 1000 points.
Unfortunately Luca De Marchi dropped from spot 1 overall to spot 14 after an out-landing on the last day after 151 km. gaining 208 points from the 1000.
Great Rieti soaring weather and the winners, Alberto and Andrea, runners up Sebastian [with daughter] and Lucasz and young Austrian pilot Aurel Hallbrucker.[ASH 31MI/21m.]
Pictures courtesy Rieti-site.
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The French finished their juniors and 18 m. Nationals flown from Vichy with 6 days of flying.
In club class all flights were around 200 km.In the end the new French champion in club class is Valentin Leleu Lambour who topped the overall scores EVERY DAY!!!! So a real topper; 3816 points flying the Pegase.
100 Points less for runner up Thibault also in a French Pegase.
In st./15 m. Antoine Havet was on the last day, the only regular pilot [one HC pilot from Italy finished as well] finishing the 271 km. task. With the 1000 points he moved from 3 to spot 1 to be the new French Champion in this class.
The French new 18 m. champion is…Francis Svobodny.On the last day over 313.5 km. he got the 1000 points flying 103 km./h whilst the runner up had 86.3 km./h.
Jerome Renault who flew so well, had a a bad day 5 with an out-landing and dropped from 1 on day 4 to spot 3 on the last day.
Other pilots lost ” a good spot ” because of infringements.
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Talking about the overseas season” I am back in my mind” straight away in Australia. During the Gliding Federation of Australia Board meeting in Adelaide last weekend, Anita Taylor resigned as president of the GFA after 2.5 years. She did a tremendous job and it will be tough for her/him to succeed her .
” The last two and a half years have been both challenging and deeply rewarding, and I’ve valued every minute!” she said and ” I know that the existing GFA Board and Executive is a fantastic bunch of gliding tragics, all working tirelessly (instead of gliding on their day off!) for our freedom to fly gliders, so I leave knowing that our sport is in good hands!”
Picture shared by Drew Mc Kinnie with the words.
” In Adelaide for the Gliding Federation of Australia Board meeting, chaired by the eternally cheerful Anita Taylor”.
So a bit later they found out, this was her last time.
More Australian news ; The Victorian Soaring Association annual general meeting, was held at Benalla on 23rd August 2014. CFI Ingo Renner , from the Southern Riverina Gliding Club at Tocumwal, was presented with the prestigious award “Living Treasure”!
Ingo is just 250 hours short of 36,000 flying hours!!
Ingo Renner still going strong!!
Picture shared by the SRGC.
Talking about Tocumwal, the Berrigan Shire seems to have a new PR person.A good one!!! Finally some great pictures and good stories about the old town.This all to promote the Tocumwal Residential Air Park at the aerodrome. Always dreamed of having your own hangar with a taxiway to the runway, here is your chance!!!!
AND…finally some support from the shire for the airfield. That always was DIFFICULT, very difficult in the past, they were against EVERY good idea !!!! But NEVER TOO late !!!
When you are interested have a look at http://www.berriganshire.nsw.gov.au/Residents/Airfields.aspx
Mind you stage 1 is sold out, this is stage 2.
Runways and taxiways to Airpark marked in black.
As shared by the TRAP.
and some pictures to show Tocumwal’s beauty at it’s best.
The Antique shop and Palms pub, both great places to be and the canola crops in full flower at this time of the year.
as shared by the TRAP.
and the important Murray River with it’s white beaches.
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Last Sunday we had some great looking clouds but also showers. In Belgium Jeroen Jennen [ LS 8] flew 415 km. with an out-landing in Holland just over the border; Budel an airport for light aircraft. TOO heavy and too early rain spoiled the fantastic day.
In Holland the best distance was 313 in a DG 1000/20m., best result by Stefan Telkamp in the St Cirrus; 283 km. Some got a shower over their glider.
As seen by Frans Guise with the message ” we got wet”!!
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CU next Wednesday!! Cheers Ritz
On Wednesday August 27 2014.