The Australian Diary..part 4! Updated!

11.30:
It’s Sunday and the day started early with very noisy pilots on several radio’s. Radio discipline!!?? Never heard of..haha.
George forgot to put the radio out so ,this was my alarm clock this morning.
Found out later that this is the Sunday morning group of pilots having “brekkie” [breakfast] together in Deni[liquin] .Now I understand the noise! No worries.
I only found out later, that Bruce also belonged to that mob.

A lot of pilots finished the NSW-comps in Temora and they are on their way here. ZZ just drove trough the gate.
I was a bit sad from Kerries message. As you know she lost her husband recently due to a heart attack.
Well I was hoping to get rid of some of these trophies at the NSW comps but I seem to have ended up with one extra (none of them mine of course!). Sadly there was no std class so Tom Claffey remains std class champion and speed winner for another year (and forever!) “

All prizes won by Tom. He was an excellent pilot and a great mate from EVERYBODY.

A lot of the flying girls and except for ROBERT, as I do not see him on the list, the winners from this competition.
NSW comps presentation dinner … at the Temora Bowling Club
– Don Woodward won Open/18m class
– Robert Smits won Club class
– Dave Pietsch won best speed @ 117kph

Robert from Alice Springs was very pleased “stoked” as he calls it himself with his win in an LS 4.
Don might likely win here as well.

David looks pretty “stoked” as well with his best speed.
Shared by Kerrie.

The girls even “starred” in the Local Paper; The Temora Independent.

It will be 33 dgr. C today, for tomorrow it will be over 40 and it might or might not a booming day. Let’s hope for BOOMING!!!!

Going out for lunch now at Margies, CU later.

5 PM;
Whilst I am writing I hear pilots come in over the radio, from their flight Had a lovely afternoon , no sorry not at the field, though I saw gliders leave the area at great height. Lovely but “bloody hot day!!!!”
Visited my friend Margie and her hubbie Bracey for lunch and caught up for a few minutes also with brother Tim. Tim is one of the tuggies here.
Margie read my blog and on my note of the low finishing glider with the beat-up, she wanted to react in a comment, but it did not work out;
Here is her reaction anyhow:
I hope the glider pilots doing low and fast beat ups in the circuit area think to look up before pulling up. ” Keep that in mind ,please!!!
As she, I straight away thought of Jeff her husband, Kirsten and the Swiss pilot who after an excellent flight was so happy that he pulled up straight in the bottom of the Blanik fuselage with Jeff and 25 year old Kirsten.
We had just started as owners with Jeff as our “teacher/mentor/colleague” , tragic enough that was only for a short time.
We then have forbidden our guests/customers, to do low passes and pull ups. We lost some then, who found that ridiculous. So be it!!
This one 2 days ago was the first I have seen here in Toc. ,in 23 years.
In Holland , as finish of a competition-day they try to beat each other in who is the lowest and fastest. I can show you.

Personally I do not like it. But,… Great picture.
Courtesy Arjan Vrieze.

After that a visit to Eddie who has been so ill, that many thought he was not going to make it.
He did and is on the mend now still fragile, but alive and “a bit kicking”.
Eddie is involved with gliding at the Tocumwal airfield since 1975. For a few years he had another job, but still flew at Tocumwal in the weekends.
I thought this was the 2d National competition here, but it is the 5th already.
The very first Nationals were flown in Toc. and the very first winner/ CHAMPION was Otto Brand. I have known Otto and his friend Neil for many years.
The 2d competition was in 1975, when Bill had founded his Sportavia and was the CD. He did not like the job I heard.
The 3d one with Eddie as CD, was under the “wings” of Jeff and Don, so after the accident of Dennis , as Bill gave up his involvement with Sportavia then.
The 4th was when the weather in Narromine was so bad that they had to go somewhere else and that was Tocumwal. I remember that one , with lot’s of guests sitting in and at the pool.
And the 5th one is here at this stage. There is a pool beside the pool now too, as the old one could not really get repaired.
I noticed the palm trees are in good nick again and it seems Sharon has a golden hand for gardening.
Tomorrow I share some pictures.

At 9.30 tomorrow, there will be a mandatory briefing and official practice day. Then on Tuesday…… It’s ALL HAPPENING.

Here are some links:
https://tocumwalsoaring.com/

to follow the gliders… www.gtracklive.com

for scores in the evening and tasks during the morning;
www.soaringspot.com

FB news on Sportavia Tocumwal and Tocumwal Residential Airpark

https://edge1025.com.au/events/australian-national-gliding-multi-class-championship/

CU maybe later.Off for dinner.

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