Back on track after laptop-crash!Great February-soaring-conditions in Australia!

The ” die-hards ” must have missed my Wednesday blog on February 4 , as in years I did not miss one un- announced.
REASON; My laptop crashed!
But it is in good order now thanks to Inge and Diana!!!
Luckily I published a blog on  Sunday February 1 as well, to be up-to-date with the final scores from the QSGP in Chile over the gorgeous Andes-area and the club class nationals in Drury NZ.

So here we go again, laptop in good order, me too!

Australia has/had some fantastic February weather. Though the days are shorter and launching starts later, pilots flew great tasks and nearly every day! Look at this and when you are interested ……at the OLC for February.
NARROMINE ; had 2 x a 1000 km. flight. Gerrit flew one on February 1 [800 km. FAI triangle]  …..and a 1000 out and return on February 4 in his Quintus M.This even is a record and send to the GFA.
The claim is in open class for an Australian and Continental FREE Out and return distance 1063.12 Km. , Australian Out and Return Distance 1054.91 Km.

Also his wife Pam had a new record on the same day in her ASH 31 MI;
Australian and Continental Feminine Out and Return Distance 904.04 Km,
Australian Feminine FREE Out and Return distance 918.47 Km.

Both flew up to the NW from Narromine. Congratulations!
On Monday February 9 Gerrit flew 941 km., and his mate John “Butch” Buchanan 874 km. in an ASW 27…..the weather was still good!!!!

On the 8th Shinzo flew in the NIMBUS 4DM , also from Narromine , where he runs a soaring-center, a good 924 km. task [858 FAI triangle]

GAWLER; another 1032 km. flight for Pete Temple  with 136 km./h. in the ASG 29 on February 7.
This flight has been send to the GFA as an Australian_and Continental Oceanian Initial Record Claim Notification :out and return distance in 18m/open and free out and return distance in 18m./open.
His 3d 1000 km. flight this season, 2 from Gawler….. 1 from Waikirie.

COROWA;had several over 800 km. flights and the last 2 weeks before they are packing,  the pilots enjoyed the great weather.They start packing the last European gliders on the 19th.

TOCUMWAL with temperatures up to 40 dgr. C. in the weekend had up to 700 in an ASH 26 e and 765 in the ARCUS and 937 in an LS 8 flown by MAC on February 8.He just could not reach Toc , due to a strong incoming South Westerly.Unfortunately that spoiled the day.
Today Terry flew 626 in his ASH 26.

BENALLA up to 620 in a 15 m. Ventus BT.

WAIKIRIE had up to 860 in an ASH 31/21m. 795 km. task

STONEFIELD had 720 in a PIK 20D!!! Still all February -flights.

TEMORA with a great flight by Nathan [Johnson] in the St Cirrus ;795 km.!!! And also on the 8th in the LS 10/18 m. 905 km. by Brian Du Rieu.

WEST WYALONG added a 1000 on February 8.A very special one , flown by Ed Marel in his ASH 31/21 m.
His first 1000 km. and flight number 1000 in his logbook. That IS special!!!!

Talking about Tocumwal;When you are FAMOUS, even ” only ” in our small word you are spoiled. As you can see on the picture below where Ingo got a present with the information of his Discus with call sign XX and registration VH- XXA on it.

zzzzIngo

Special present to Ingo Renner from “Balkan Boys Band”! Handcrafted by master of gliding accessories Darko Gagula!
“Deluxe By Gagula
“!”
as shared on FB by the SRGC.

————-

HORSHAM WEEK/VICTORIAN STATE COMPS

You can call Horsham WEEK the end of the Australian season. They started their week on February 7 and run it till February 13. It’s a competition ,  combined with competition-coaching. As they say:
Horsham Week is a fun, relaxed comp ideal for early XC pilots almost entirely flown over large, grain-stubble fields of the Wimmera. To encourage coaching, Victorian Soaring Association  pays the entry fees for aircraft used for coaching. So the only expenses are the tow fees (about $50) and glider hire ($48/hr, Max $198/day).
 If you’ve ever wanted to try competition soaring or improve your XC speed and confidence, you can start in the VMFG Duo Discus XT VH-ZRD this year.”
All details on ; http://www.horshamweek.org.au/
The CD is Ian Grant and between March 8 and 14,  he organizes also an ALPINE-coaching-week in the mountains at Mount Beauty.Great to see all these activities in Victoria, the Southern part of Australia.

33 Pilots compete in this week in 3 classes;18m/open, 15m/standard and club class.
On February 6 it was good practice weather ;679 km. in a DISCUS.A day with a cloud base at 10.000 ft.

Day 1 was cancelled, day 2 a very blue day as well.They tried hard, a 2 hour AAT was set but it did not work out well and the day was cancelled on the grid.
On Monday they had their day 1, with a small task.A 2 hour AAT for 3 classes and 2.30 for club.
In 18m./open the best distance was 185.4 km. in an ASG 29, about 35 km. more than the next pilot. 10 Pilots in this class.1000 points for Craig from Waikirie.
In 15 m. 6 pilots and the best Bruce Cowan, flew 180.8 km. in the Ventus b. and got the 1000 points.
In standard class the best pilot flew 190 km. !!!! in an SZD 55.1000 points for John Orton.
In club class, they had half an hour more and 2 PIK 20-thies were the best here.For over 200 km. those pilots got 1000 and 989 points.

On day 2 a 300 km. task was set for the 18m./open pilots and another 1000 points day , this time the winner was Peter Buskens in the JS 1. Still pretty difficult as you can see on the speed , 99.7 km./h.
In 15 m. a task of 306 km. and with 2 out-landings , the rest finished wuith 1000 points for the Mini Nimbus pilot.
In standard class the SZD 55 won again and John leads in this class with 2000 points , 500 points ahead of the runner up.
In club class a KA 6 was the best with a Twin Astir as runner up.

They had a 10 o’clock-briefing today, noticed at least one task at this stage in standard class; 2.30 AAT.

A nice mix of gliders and pilots!!!!

———-

Europe had a nice wave flight in Scotland from the famous field of Kinross.As John [Williams ], who flew the triangle in his ANTARES mentioned in his comment:
After a 14 month wave famine in Scotland this should be a new 500 km Fai triangle UK speed record at 121 kph.Much blue, much overcast, but it did work from really down.” 

In Argentina, {Los Antiquos} Jean Marc flew a 1000 in the 15 m. DG 800 yesterday.

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And to finish a link to a sport-TV -program [in Dutch] with world champion Bert Schmelzer jr. Enjoy!

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/sporten/andernieuws/1.2233209

Z Bert en Tijl and dad

Bert jr. to the left with brother Tijl and Dad Bert sr. after being “crowned”  as the new world champion in Rayskala.

Cheers Ritz

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