Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday August 23 2009
Yesterday the last day was flown in Szeged where the pre-worlds and Hungarian 18 m. Championships, as well as the 20m/open class was active. Another competition with many soaring days and for that, lot’s of points for the winner. Please look for the results from the different classes to; www.flatlandcup.hu
Christophe Cousseau from France, did a great job in nearly winning “everything” and gaining OVER 10.000 points!
In open class both Argentinian and Australian friends flew fantastic, ending up as 2d and 4th.
I was very pleased to see that Ronald Termaat, vice- WGC and former European Champion , will start as director of the KNVvL ,[the Royal Dutch Gliding Association] in Woerden on September 1. For sure a good man on the right spot!
I wish him a lot of success and bright new ideas to get the KNVvL , ” out of the , a little bit d[r]usty jacket.”
The 18m. Nationals in Rieti have had 4 soaring days now and all of them were flown with good speed. 4 More days to go as the 26th will be the last day!As expected Giorgio Galetto is at this stage on spot ONE! Yesterday the pilots flew an AAT in 4 hours and Giorgio flew 599 km. with a speed of 149.9 km/h.
Compliments to Jelmer from Holland flying his LS 6 18 m. to a nice 12th spot [also overall at this stage.] Except for 1 pilot, 17 pilots flew in those 4 hours more then 500 km, so speed for all was over 100 km./h.
Just received an sms from Tocumwal Dundee, that he has arrived safely in Melbourne, for his annual holiday! Now he stays so long, nearly one year, that we can nearly call him an Aussie! I still remember how he arrived without a booking for a glider or room, a few years ago and with NO word of English to stay with us for a few months.
” Ingo said I should just show up”, he said in German !!! We managed to get him in gliders and a room [6] which nearly has been over the years only HIS room. He still loves Tocumwal and his friends over there!
Yesterday the weather looked fabulous here in Alphen, reason to look in the evening if this was everywhere so. And YES it was. WOW , great distances were flown both in Holland and Belgium. After the 901 km. flown in Rieti , Holland was SECOND on the OLC list with Mark flying from Soesterberg 820 km!!!!!He was in hurray -mood, even claiming that an out and return of 900 km. had been possible, flying fast into East direction into Germany!!!!And…I do believe him …the weather was just STRONG!!
A Nimbus 4 DT flew from our National Gliding Center Terlet an 852 km. out and return where they were 308 km out of their start place.
Also the Belgium brothers Tijl and Bert , just back from the great EGC in Pociunai , were still in speedy Cross -Country- mood , as they flew from Keiheuvel 755 and 771 km. This is pretty special for Holland and Belgium , even more because we have past the middle of August, so we can only say 2009 was a great soaring season in Europe, from the beginning till the end!!
To finish today’s blog I have some sad news as well;
Ray Linskey from New Zealand has died. I got to know Ray many years ago, we even became friends and my daughter Inge stayed with him and Kate for a few days,during her trip through NZ. VERY SORRY to hear that he died so young!!!!My thoughts are with Kate and his family and friends. Here is the message I received. See you next Wednesday!
Ritz
I deeply regret having to inform the many Australian friends of Ray Lynskey (54) that he died on Wednesday from an inoperable brain tumour after a relatively short illness. His funeral is tomorrow in the new hangar he had recently built on the airfield at
Ray will also be remembered for his exploits in