Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday May 30 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Back to the normal analyses and the sharing of newsy news with you.
The 32 International Gliding competition in Hockenheim has had a few days of flying already. While Austria suffers from the very bad rain now , our German neighbours do fly in several comps. The Jena Cup is “on “at the moment as well , with 48 pilots in 2 classes.
Hockenheim had 85 guests flying in 4 classes; club, standard, 15 m. and 18 m. class.
In 18 m. class Holger Back is one of the competitors. I remember that he flew his first 1000 km . in Tocumwal after being at the Worlds in 87 in Benalla as a sport soldier. He was 2d overall during this competition.
Yesterday was their last day. They flew 5 out of 8 days.See for results www.soaringspot.com
More comps this time in Italy flown from a place I do not even know!!! I do know however quite a lot of the 25 pilots flying in Thiene, their “Campionato Italiano”, for 15 m. class and standard class. They started their competition today, but…as it was raining, no task was set. “Giornato pessima…..”. Will keep an eye on them as they fly till June 6 2010.
According to IATA the ASH-CLOUD from Iceland is guilty for a loss of 2.4 % off all commercial flights in April in respect to April last year. We still have to see and wait how most of the companies will survive this extra hit in the face, as most of them had difficulties already.
Not too much ASH- troubles for soaring. Glider pilots continue their good flying, last week specially in Germany ,a 614 km. FAI triangle in a Discus is for sure not bad!!! Also a polygon with 4 points from 801 km. in a duo discus is remarkable.
And an 806 polygon with 4 TP’s from Elverum in Norway in a Nimbus 4 DM is not bad either.
Yesterday 1878 pilots entered their flight on the OLC and today it is raining cat’s and dog’s here but in Norway and Finland they enjoy nice flights. In Elverum Starmoen they fly the Norwegian Nationals. I see friend Robert is flying these comps as well. Today was day 1 of these comps. Birger Bulukin is flying as well, have n’t seen him for ages, he flew WGC’s for Norway in the past!!!!
In the USA the hang-glider pilots were busy with a competition called the 2010 Texas Single Surface Shootout. The word “shootout “, triggered me to have a look as in the past we had “our own Outback Shootout “in Tocumwal. Davis Straub has been in Tocumwal and…he is the great ” in depth “editor of the Hang-gliding -online- news. A shoot out is a shootout, so why not!
By the way, Davis won the comps ending yesterday.
The disaster on May 12 with the A 33o from Afriqiyah Airways is not a result of an attack or a technical failure, neither a fire or an explosion, is the first conclusion after the first analyses made by Libyan investigators. 103 People , including 70 Dutch were killed . One 9 year old Dutch boy survived ; a miracle when you see what was left of this brand new plane.
That’s it for now, had a busy weekend so a bit of rest now
cheers Ritz