Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday April 4 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Hope , that wherever you are, you have better weather then we have here in Holland. It feels like autumn instead of spring. Feel sorry for the 100.000 of foreign guests visiting Holland over Easter. The worldwide well known flower show, KEUKENHOF , will attrack lots of them and to be honest it feels and looks better there when the sun is shining. Though….. the colourful flowers are always a pleasure for the eyes.
Good Friday was a “full” day for soaring with 733 flights on the OLC. Best one from Alexander Spaeth in Standard Cirrus with 566 km. from Vinon.Great flight also from Carsten Lindemann, who in the Berlin Area , from Luesse-airport a 628 flight could enter on the OLC list , flown in a discus bt. He flew in a small area to the NW from Luesse and SE just above Klix and that up and down. Nice spring weather in that area!!
Told you last that Bear Selen and Erik Borgmann were flying in Vinon, now I can tell you as well, that more Dutch pilots were there. Erik and another Dutch pilot Joep Geraedts were training young pilots from our squad to fly in the mountains. What better experienced pilots could you have for that. Tim Kuijpers , runner up during the last EGC and still a junior, had the privilege together with junior top pilot Frank Hiemstra to be with these cracks in the mountains from Vinon, claiming they learned a lot and had a fantastic week. They flew with the Nimbus 3DT and 4 DM. All great practise for the future and the WGC in Prievidza.
A huge team of German pilots was/is there as well and it seems that they have their own” German Vinon”, with what ever facilities they need. What’s new ……and this is more respect , then envy!! Of course they do not stay for ONE week.
Frank , who is a great photographer, made some pictures and you can share them on http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankhiemstra/sets/72157623728269176/
Only 39 days to go and The Dutch Nationals are on at Twente Airport. This former air-force base of Twente is closed but about a week ago it “got “a lost pilot! Better said the 67 year old pilot of the Lockheed T 33 had to make an emergency landing, due to a technical problem!! And…as he had not the required papers and licenses to fly this plane, he got a 2000 E. fine! The plane has to be repaired first , so we might see it , before another pilot will fly it to Frankfurt for further revisions.
The Pribina Cup in Slovakia, has started, with 140 pilots in 4 classes. They had one practise day , but not everybody did fly that day, so yesterday was the first day, with a 402 km. task for open class. Club had 283 , 15 m. 350, and the 20m.” multi seats” went for a 330 km. flight with major frontal systems and pressure distribution in the forecast area.Pilots love this Cup, so I hope it will be a safe and fair competition. We will know on the 10th!
Day 1 was good for most pilots, a few were unlucky by not making it home. Open class winner Russell Cheetham from the UK flew around with a speed of 121 km. /h with Wolfgang Janowitch only a fraction slower.Both former WGC winners remain top pilots!!!!
In 15 m. our Dutch former EGC champion Steven Raimond had to outland loosing 500 points which is a pity , but I was pleasantly surprised to see Vitautas on spot 1 after day 1. He is a great and very well organized guy! Great pilot as well!!! His speed was 102 km/h in a LAK 19/15m.
During the JWGC in Finland last year he was pilot and TC for Lithuania and did a marvellous job!!!!
In club class 2 UK pilots were the best and in 20m/twoseaters , 2 German teams in duo discus, with a Dutch pilot Hans Biesters on 3d place.
But this was only day one so a lot can happen.
It is more or less “the end of the season” , in Australia. Tocumwal has there Easter holiday guests flying and staying for a nice holiday on the great caravan park, Chinchilla has an Easter Competition with several Australian top pilots and Mount Beauty and the rest of Victoria had a few pleasant days as well. The East coast normally has flying through the year, so you can only say that it slows down over there!
Wishing you HAPPY EASTER holidays and CU on Wednesday, with more news.When you are interested in the results from the Pribina Cup and Chinchilla Easter comps please look at; www.soaringspot.com
cheers Ritz