Alphen aan den Rijn      Sunday July 17 2011    ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

 

Was a bit worried about the pilots coming back from Lüsseto the Dutch weather on Thursday! My goodness me did we have some weather!!!! Rain was smashing the houses , trees and people and wind was even worse. In my street several trees had to give in , so did my nice old lavendel plant, “gone with the wind”. But…the fence is still upright.
My area here , with the Hague and Leiden, was the worst with 7 CENTIMETER of rain. New records also on the time of the rain; 20 hours and 30 minutes!!!
That day, Tocumwal Dundee [ Dieter] and I went to Amsterdam but only going from a little roof above our heads on the platform,  to the train,  we were soaked. Luckily Amsterdam was a bit better. But …only 13 dgr. on that high pole in front of the RAI.
Anyhow Sikko arrived home safely from Lüsse, but “felt” the horrible rain and wind as well.
On Friday we were back to sunny conditions with 23 dgr. Weather???????
We even made a SUPER trip on the new boat from my kids touring for 2 hours over the Canals. Loved it!!! So nice also to make pictures from the boat; here are a few. On top the Amstel hotel with in front to the right our Prime Minister enjoying the beginning of the weekend with a cool drink and the Anne Frank Museum were at 7 PM still a long queue was waiting to get in.

 

The new Gliding International is outand as always I just give you a little “look” in it. Interesting items are; the story from Jean Marie Clement in Argentina for those who have not read it yet. The Quintus, —China; the sleeping giant,—“upwind and down wind”, by John Cochrane[ It’s not take upwind tp’s low and downwind tp’s high” but……..
Further on a very interesting article about EAA, the Young Eagles program in the USA to grow pilot population, and “cockpit too small for an iPad???? Read it all in the latest GI.

Of course today the EGC starts in Nitra with the opening ceremony at 7 PM. Enough to enjoy again, so I will try to write as much as possible to keep you posted my way, with an everyday blog, when neccesary. Comps will go from July 18 till July 29, for the unflapped gliders.

The Issoudun comps finished also with rain on the last day. So everybody is back home again and the winners in each class were; Brian and Dick with nearly 800 points on the runner up , flying also a standard Libelle; Bart from Belgium.
In open class Ronald won from Holland with ASW27 and 6080 points , also here just more then  800 points in front of the runner up;Antoon in the duo discus!!!

The UK 18 meter Nationals have 5 flying daysnow and Mike Young still leads but just with a very small margin;69 points. There are 5 JS 1 gliders in this competition. Day 5 was won by Russell Cheetham in JS1, with a speed of 121 km/h. Only day 3 was a 1000 points day, so pretty marginal weather in the UK. Yesterday was bad as well with rain and wind.So …no flying day!Today is their last day.

The French 18 m. Nationals  and 2 -seater Nationals have finished yesterday with the 7th day. Russian pilot Dimitri Timochenko is flying the duo discus T, well and is on top, but as he is not French he can’t win , but only be “the best”. By the way in France you just fly HC.Best pilot is now Pierre Lemaire with ARCUS.
 Last task day 7 for this class, was an AAT with 2.30 hours and between 183km/ 306. The Russian pilots did not fly,and best distance was flown by Dutch pilot Herman Muller; 240 km in 2 hours and 37 min.
In 18 m. day 7 had an AAT as well; 2.30 and between 215/405km. Here Didier Hauss is the best , with Gilles Navas on 2 and Laurent Couture on 3. All 3 top pilots.By the way the last day was won HC by UK pilot Afandi Darlington;ASG29-314 km.-2hours44 and again not a 1000 point day.
Winners;
15 m. class Jose Jaime from Belgium in LS 8
18 m. class Didier Hauss from Vinon in France in Ventus 2cm National Champion
2 seater class Pierre Lemaire in ARCUS [France] National Champion
open class Dmytry Borovyk from Ukraine in Nimbus 4 DM
Only 2 seater and 18 m were Nationals.

Delta Airlines  had a bad day this week, when 2 of their planes collided at the airfield. One a 767 was on it’s way to Amsterdam and hit with a wing the tail of a smaller plane. Both planes were replaced and a total of 288 people including crew could continue , though one person went to hospital with neck problems.

Talking about problems this is the news I got from Australia, pretty sad!

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/man-dies-in-bluff-knoll-glider-crash-80km-north-of-albany/story-e6frg13u-1226095043801
 
And a brief update from the ABC:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-15/glider-killed/2795954

To finish a picture from the Rijksmuseum[ under construction]  and the famous Theater Carre. CU Ritz and…when the EGC is really interesting I come with special blogs.

   

Alphen aan den Rijn     Wednesday July 13 2011     ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

After 27 dgr. yesterday we are back to 17 today. Summer finished abruptly with a change of wind , bringing us colder and very wet weather. They expect for this week about 100 ml. which normally falls in ONE month [ of July].

In Lüsse the exciting competition continues! No doubt about the quality of pilots over there. On Monday , day 7, pilots got tasks from 331 km.  in 15 m. class, 395 km. in 18 m. and 414 in open class. Work for the boys and girls! And looking at the weather not the easiest day.
In open class Michael Sommer won AGAIN, with 128 km/h on the clock, there seems no limit on him. Alexander Müller had a bad day loosing about 500 points on Michael. A pity for him.
In 18 m. Michael Streit , number 1 overall, won the day with 123 km/h. Sicco from Holland was THIRD, good on him. Holger Back 4th.
In 15 m. Mathias Sturm was the best with 104 km/h.
 It is nice to follow the news on Facebook about the pilots.

In Issoudun the pilots in open class had a 551 km. task  on Monday their 8th day of flying and all flew it. As said lot’s of Dutch pilots in this class, who I all but one, know. Nice to see the duo discus with Antoon, got the 1000 points. They are 2d overall now behind Ronald Kaay who is sabout 800 points ahead at this stage. Natasja did well, and is back to 5th place overall after a good day. She flew her very first 500 km something to be proud of!!![www.natasjavanderneutblogspot.com]
They cancelled yesterday and today will be their last day,…… hopefully!

Kilometer-eater Guy Bechtold  from Luxembourg arrived in Fuentemilanos and straight away flew 1000 km!  But Holland had great weather as well with a flight from 657 km from Terlet in the Nimbus 4D. Yes terrific looking skies here on Sunday !
Also on Monday it  was fantastic with a nice 600 km triangle from Malden by Rinus van der Steen [ 693 km in DG 600/18m] and by Jeroen Koole from Terlet 626 km. in a discus bt.
While yesterday ELY had another 1000 km flight in DG800 B /18m.Wilfried Krüger flew it and one day before he just missed out on 1000 km ;959 km.

As said Lüsse continues and today is their last soaring day. Great weather, so they must have thought what they can do in France , we can do too. On flying day 8, they had a long task to go for ALL classes; the open class pilots;565 km. over a mountain area, 18 m. flies around the “church”of Berlin [538km] , and 15 m. goes to Poland .[518 km]
Sikko is 3d again; 988 points in the pocket!!!! He really handles that JS1 well.
He wrote on Facebook on Monday about day 7;
“After the start the cloud base was at 800 m. At around 2 most pilots started. I waited till 14.06. Mostly cloud streets on the first leg, but  the 2d turnpoint was in a not so good area south of the Elbe. It’s here that I made the difference, The gaggle followed the cloudstreets but I flew straight to the TP having a 2 m. climb just before.
In the end I was too careful on the 3 and 4th leg on my way home, but I was satisfied with my 3d place!!!

So yesterday he was 3d again , that long distance task of  538 km. speed, 123 km/h. Good on him!
His news on Facebook;
” Today 538 with 4 T’P’s around Berlin. Started at 12.14. On the first leg of 120 km. no really top weather but I did not have to turn. Around 50 km in front of the TP the first good climb. Cloudbase up N. had lowered a bit. After TP 1, I just flew up with a gaggle[ direction  East] , who had started about 15/20 minutes earlier. At TP 2 I lost them and it was more difficult. At Frankfurt on the Oder I had to dig myself out, was pretty low, but after that I went like a rocket, till TP 3. The last 150 km. I only turned a few times and coming back I was 3d. [Yes IF I only…..]

 

Picture”[I guess by Joop if I remember well]; Sikko here with Ronald Termaat at the Dutch Nationals
The numbers 1 and 2, flying together, won in their ASG 29 , starting about 15 min. later.
In open class Alexander Müller won the day, after being last the day before, he must have been on a mission! Long distance flying, what he loves is pretty different to competition soaring, but on day 8 he just started 15 minutes later then the groupe and won, before Michael who was 2d. Speed 124 and 123 km/h.
In 15m. the French and Italians had a good day occupying spot 1-2,3 and 5, with just ONE point difference.
If they have the same bad weather as we have here today, it might be over, let’s wait and see and hope for one more day.

BUT……as the day was just cancelled we know the winners now!
open class
1. Michael Sommer   7548 points in EB.
2. Tassilo Bode           7399 points in ASW22BLE
3. Holger Karwow     7122 points in Numbus 4 M.
Young Sebastian Nägel was 16 in ETA and Alexander Müller on 14. Uli Schwenk is on 7 and good old Bruno Gantenbrink on 9 .

18m class
1.Michael Streit                 6814 points in ASG 29 E
2. Robert Schröder            6626 points in ASG 29 E
3. Reinhard Schramme    6534 points in Ventus 2cxa
Great 9th place for Sikko just before Werner Meuser and Holger Back was 4th.

15 m. class
1. Matthias Sturm             6942 points in ASW27
2. Louis Bouderlique         6576 points in Ventus 2a
3. David Bauder                6500 points in Ventus 2ax
Stefano Ghiorzo and Thomas Gostner were on spot 4 and 7 while Tilo Holighaus was on spot 16.
A GREAT competition!!!!!!CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!!!!

The 18 m. class in the UK is flown as well  and several of my friends are competing. First day was on the 9th and the winner Mike Young “only ” received 312 points for finishing together with another pilot. All others found a field or pulled the engine. Mike I know already since 1987 when we were all in Benalla for the WGC. He was about 17/18 years old then, teaching our kids how to play cricket but already then we said  “they are our [soaring]  future”. So Leigh Wells was there with sister Sally, the Jones boys if I remember well and all of them indeed are making our comps now, by flying terrific!!!! Great to see, their enthusiasm then and still now!!!
Mike won day 2 and 3 as well from 28 participants, under them Russell Cheetham, Patrick Naegelie, Roy Pentecost , Jez Hood and Andy Davis.
Day 4 yesterday was an AAT in 2 hours , presenting the day winner with 157 points. Nobody finished best distance was 127 km.
They continue till the 17th!!

The EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS  in Nitra in Slovakia start on the 17th. and go till July 30. Enough to look out for as lot’s of pilots would like to take over the winning  Cup in each class. In 2009 it was Mario Kiesling who won in standard class, Mr. Sklodowski[too difficult first name!] from Poland in world class and “our” Rene de Dreu from Holland in club class. The world class will be replaced for the 20 m. 2 seaterclass so this year we still have 4,  next year 3 classes.

That’s it for now , see you on Sunday! Cheers Ritz
To finish pictures from the JS1 Revelation. This glider was flown in Lüsse by Sikko . On the picture it was flown by Maurits Dortu during the Dutch Nationals. Pictures courtesy Bert Kuijper.

 

Alphen aan den Rijn    Sunday July 10  2011      ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

 

Back home again  after a great time with good weather , lot’s of castles , gardens and ice cream with chocolate topping, and what topping, the best we ever had. Last day was one of “shop till you drop” and off we went all home till next year.

 

Last weekend, on Sunday July 3,  70 women in the age between 14 and 70 visited the National Female Flying Day at Malden in Holland. SEVENTY, that is a lot of  women interested in soaring!!! This was the 10th edition and every year more women participate. A press message was sent by Natasja, who explained the non-soaring women what happens and she invited people to come and see and be part of this “party” in the cafe at the airfield.Next year I will be there as well.

What happened more; The USA still has great soaring weather and several 1000 km. flights have been flown. Finland has what I noticed on TV every day 27 dgr. and I looked if this was great soaring weather as well, and…it was , great flights in Finland!!! Also Spain had nice flights with another 1000 km flight from Fuente by Pepe .For sure you kept an eye on it as well.

The National comps in both Austria and Germanyare still in full swing.Did you keep an eye on that too???? Hope so it looks very interesting with the top pilots up front at this stage. Was very impressed with the day winner on Friday Sicco, from Holland flying in the 18 m. in Lüsse. He flies the JS 1-b with registration GPS and it looks “he found  new/extra wings himself ” flying it. Sicco was always good in the past and still is now. I remember a day he just made it home in/before a thunderstorm somewhere in Sweden or Finland. I was the TC and talked him more or less home , stayed at the radio, after warnings I should let go. No… I first wanted to know if Sicco made it in safely. He did! Then the lightning hit close and I did not know how quick I had to put the radio off.  With other words Sicco is very talented but gave competition flying away for in his eyes more important things in life.

Both Lüsse and Austria have world -level-pilots flying in the Nationals. In Lüsse the first 3 days were cancelled but then it started on July 5 with 2 hour AAT’s up to over 300 km.! They even had 400 km. days. In open class Michael Sommer is still TOP!!!! He flies the EB 29, but also Tassilo Bode [runner-up at a WGC ]and Holger Karow {WGC champion in 1999 and 2003} are in winning-mood/ condition.
Yesterday, was a TOP day with an AAT of 3 hours in 18 m. class between 220 and 628 km.
Open class had between 243 and 458 km. and 3 hours and 19 pilots had between 900 and 1000 points.Best distance;342 km.
In 18m. Sicco had a less good day loosing 400 points on the number 1, dropping from 4th overall to 13.

In Austria they flew in 6 classes. Yesterday was their last day.I am always interested in Wolfgang Janowitsch, cause I got to know him pretty well. He flew the Ventus 2 cxa and won with  500+ points ahead of the runner up after 4 days of flying. He won EVERY DAY!!!!
In club class they had only 3 days and luckily  last day’s weather made up for the less good days.
In standard class they had 5 days and good old Reinhard Haggenmüller won.
Also 5 days for 15 m. class and another friend Heimo Demmerer won. He won 3 days and runner up Peter Hartmann 2.
The 2 seaters had 4 days and the open class as well with Mr. Eder winning. Sven Kolb [Antares] who I met in Rieti was 2d.
As said the last day was a real competition day due to good weather.

The 36th International competition at Issoudun, where in 2 years the ladies will fly for th WWGC- cup, has indeed an international caracter. 15 Pilots from France, Belgium, Holland, Germany,even S.A/UK, with the combination Brian Spreckley/Dick Bradley, sharing the Standard Libelle in club class. That little glider remains a great and good “toy”. Brian and Dick are first overall after 6 days of flying.
In open class most of the pilots are from Holland, so on spot 1 at this stage is Ronald Kaay. Natasja is doing super! She is on spot 4 with the LS6. Great practise for the WWGC in 2013. Most distances/tasks were around 300 km.
In the same time the French Nationals are flown for 18 m. class in Vinon.

 Natasja as deputy director at the Dutch Nationals.

That’s it for now , have to look after 3 guests so see you on Wednesday. Cheers Ritz