Alphen aan den Rijn                     Sunday April 6 2008

The flatland-thermal-soaring-activities have not yet really started , but the mountains are the place to be here in Europe.

Great flights in the mountains from Austria , Switserland , France and Italy.

The next Dutch Nationals were supposed to be in Holland. “We ” have the system that every 2 years the Nationals will be “at home”. Last year they were in Germany in Stendhal, not too far from Berlin.But….This year they will be again in Stendal. Reason!!! TRANSPONDERS!!!!!

The last 5 years “hot” negociations have been organized , between the Dutch authorities and specially the members of silent planes, unmotorized, as balloons, hang gliders parapentes and gliders, to carry a transponder.
Deadline was March 31 2008!!!!
From June 5 2008 onwards it is compulsery to fly with transponders especially in areas around bigger airfields as Eindhoven, Maastricht and Rotterdam.

With a -mode S transponder -these “silent planes” are better visible for fighters and airliners and…it is now an international obligation to protect aviation.Of course this is a safety issue! Due to the fact that it took 5 years of talking and negociating, not everybody is happy with it.
And…not everybody is ready and HAS a transponder in his glider, so as transponders are [not yet] compulsery in Germany they leave the Dutch National Gliding Center Terlet as it is and move to Stendhal for a “second-in-a-row-Dutch -National -Championship in Germany. No punishment I heard as they all had a great time in Stendal last year!

No news on the front of final entries in both Luesse and Rieti, so we have to wait and see how many participants will fly in both world comps! Surely they work hard to put the defenite entries on their site a.s.a.p.

Very busy, so a short story today as in an hour I have to be at the opening of another exhibition in our gallery. This time a teacher and his pupil. Very famous and now 90 year old early- Cobra artist Aart Roos and his pupil from many years ago Warffemius. It turned out to be a great decision to mix them on the wall.  Warffemius is a great sculpturist too. He makes trees from steel and cortensteel. As both artists will be here in Alphen, we expect quite a lot of guests. So I better rush to my next hobby.

Have a good week, Ritz