Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday April 7 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Easter is over and so is the bad weather. The sun is shining and the world looks bright. At 12 yesterday [11 suntime]the clouds popped up and it was for a few hours looking great for soaring.In the end only here, as not a lot of pilots went flying here in Holland.
The bad weather did not matter too much for the foreigners visiting Holland, as they still came, about 800.000,but…. not as many as last year, [we had 50.000 less ] , when we had the warmest Easter in 25 years. Attraction parks however were satisfied! Inside attractions as Madame Tussaud and the cinemas here in Holland and as I heard in the UK , had a great time , with 50.000 guests more this year in Holland , then last and 3D movie Alice in Wonderland topped the list.
The Pribina Cup had a difficult 2d day , with several outlandings and an AAT of 2 hours set . Not a 1000 point day but at least a valid day for all classes! A “bad”day for Russell who outlanded in open class and ” dropped ” from spot 1 to 11 overall, which made Wolfgang 1 , after 2 days! Only 13 from 35 arrived home! This is soaring too!
In 20 m. class 7 from 12 ! In this class 2 DG 1000/20m. are flying and the rest is duo discus!
In 15 m. 21 pilots arrived home, all the rest [22] out-landed.
In club class 18 gliders back home, from 42!
The 3d day was cancelled due to rain.
Yesterday was the 4th day but as the weather had not improved the day was officially announced as a non flying day.
So let’s hope they fly today. Easter is very early this year!
No Easter thoughts for a huge group of Apple-lovers. While waiting for the shop in New York they spend their thoughts and money, about 499 dollar , for the new long awaited iPad and hopefully it makes them happy! 300.000 were sold on the first day!!!!
Easter Saturday had rain for the Formula 1 drivers in Malaysia, but on Easter Sunday they had nice race-weather with finally Vettel as winner. Twice , he drove upfront, but his car gave up, this time it all ” worked out well” for him and his team!
The final date to enter the Dutch Nationals was on April 1 and 56 pilots have entered! I am sure it will be a super competition! It is a great mix of top-pilots, who have won comps already on EGC level or were high on WGC level, with pilots with less experience but a lot of motivation to climb up. Several juniors who participated in the JWGC in HusBos,Rieti and Rayskala are still on the scene . Good to see that only a few have given up competition gliding, some only because they want to finish their study first.
Even my instructor from 1967, Dick Teuling, is amongst the participants and he is one of those pilots who has won the Nationals in the past. From the 56, I do not know 11, so it will be great to meet some new pilots.
I will keep you updated on soaring.eu as my stories at the www.nkzweefvliegen.nl will be in Dutch .
The 38th Trofeo Citta di Torino has been flown and since I have been several years in Rieti for the WGC the JWGC and the CIM , I really enjoy to see so many familiar names in the top. I met them all and they are not only top pilots, but also very nice guys. Vittorio Pinni flew last year the fastest speed during the CIM and unfortunately had a bad 4th day in Torino, dropping in the overall scores from 3 to 7. Good practise however, as he will be flying the WGC in club class this year, so better a bad day now then in Prievidza.
Alberto Sironi won the Trofea in the duo discus, winning 2 days out of 4 . He will fly in Hungary during the WGC. In Hungary Marina Galetto will be their TC and Frouwke Kuijpers one of their stewards.
Compliments for Alexander Spaeth. Again…yes! Great flight from Vinon 2 days ago to Aosta in Italy; 780 km. in a standard cirrus. One of his “mates “flew 750 in an LS 1, not bad either !!!
One of my Italian friends Luciano “used “the same weather on the same day, flying from Calcinate, to Serres La Batie in France, “making” 838 km. in a Nimbus 4!
And then this….A French doctor and a discovery-voyager left last Monday for a trip of 3500 km. from Spitsbergen to Alaska in hopefully 7 to 10 days and hopes to be the first ballooner to cross the North Pole. In between he serves science with measurements about CO2, the magnetic field and ozone layer. Interesting! Have n’t heard anything more , so he should be still OK!!!!
Cheers Ritz