Horsham week, an annual notion.
When you fly during a competition in February, a few over 500 km. tasks in gliders as PIK 20, St Cirrus and St Jantar , you can call the weather GOOD!
That’s what happened in Horsham during their special WEEK on day 2 with a 4 hour AAT in 15 m. class.
The Gawler, Stonefield, Horsham area ‘ s, all situated a bit in the W. still enjoy super summer conditions in February. Stunning good conditions up to 15.000 ft.
” Forecast blue, but trough made it to the east and provided the moisture, so we had cu’s to 15k with 10kts averages. great day.” was the comment from Craig Vinall flying an 18 m.ASG 29 in open class during these comps; 601 km. in just a few seconds under 4 hours , so a SPEED of 150 km./h.!!!
The 3.30 AAT for the clubbies was won on day 2 by a TWIN ASTIR flying with a speed of 110.5 km.h over 386.8 km.
Runner up was another 2 seater the JANUS 18.2 m.flying 421.6 km. and the Sparrow Hawk from Morgan was on spot 3!
By the way Morgan won day 1; a 3 hour AAT .
But after 2 days with great weather and soaring ,they stopped for 2 days and continued today [the comps go till February 8] with 280 km. for 15 m and not all are scored but it looks like a difficult day.Some called it hot and low!
For todays scores you can look later at www.soaringspot.com
Not in the competition but ” just” a nice flight from Gawler on February 2; Matthew [ Scutter] with 910 km.[811 FAI] One day earlier 792 km. busy, busy in the weekend!
” Long and slender glide from FL140 through a tiny gap in the rain yesterday. Fortunately very buoyant air all the way in.”
As shared by Matthew.
Also the S. East had great conditions on the ” free” Sunday and Brian Du Rieu flew from Narromine 987 km. in the LS 8.
When you drive from Toc. to Narromine you pass West Wyalong and yes the pilots having a camp/” outing” over there had some good soaring there as well. You don’t hear about WW, too much so here an extra mention; 3 over 750 [2 over 800 km] flights, direction W. by their guests from Bathurst and Benalla.
Also Allan Barnes [normally flying from Mc Caffrey Field in Queensland] flew from WW and mentioned:
” First pair-flying flight with Matt. [ normally flying at Benalla in Victoria] 750km O/R to Boundary Bend. Great day.”
One of the active former Aussie JWGC pilots, flying in the 2009 JWGC and 2 times National Junior champion is Nathan Johnson.He flew on Sunday , S. from WW, from Temora in his St Cirrus WL, 736 km !!!
Like Nathan , Grant is a member of the Wagga Wagga gliding club and he took his old Slingsby T-59d-Kestrel out for a “ride” from Temora; 805 km!!!
You can call that good weather INDEED!!!
Francesco from Corowa took the opportunity to fly their glider 3W for the last time through the Aussie skies as it is sold to a new European owner.
“ I have never been so high in Australia and it was my longest final glide ever. (152 km)” is what he said.
Is n’t that a real worthy farewell to a good glider.[ASH 31/18m.]
They put a picture on FB and on that you can see all the places I mention in my blog today as Wagga Wagga, Temora and the road via West Wyalong via Forbes ,Parkes and Dubbo to Narromine.
Did that many times to be at the Narromine Nationals or just to visit friends over there!
Great satellite-picture Grietje! Thanks!
By clicking on the picture it will enlarge and yo can see a busy area for pilots from different areas around it.
Courtesy Grietje Bruinsma-Wansink
Bitterwasser , no doubt was the overseas place to be this season. Look at this,….. as published on their site:
719.348,46 flown Kilometer, and this, you will find nowhere in this world
236 flights over a minimum 1.000 KILOMETER
113 flights over 900 Kilometer
137 flights over 800 Kilometer
112 flights over 700 Kilometer
174 flights over 500 Kilometer
151 flights up to 500 Kilometer
10 Palm-flights and planting of palm tree
world record flights, national records flights and continental records
Congratulations to the Bitterwasser- team, a huge team, but so to see all very devoted to their different jobs. Guess with these statistics next year will be even more busy!
copy from a great picture on the Bitterwasser site
http://www.bitterwasser.com
I am a HUGE fan of sport and the Olympic Games will have my full attention.
Belle Brockhoff , the 21 year old daughter of one of my friends, will compete in the fast-paced sport of snowboard cross at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Belle is the daughter from Bruce who in the past was a great Aussie glider pilot and the winner of many Aussie Nationals and other comps and still a great mate!
I am going to check of course all snow board issues on TV, as some Dutch snowboarders will be her concurrent.
May the best win!
And a MUST for all Dutch people is looking at speed skating. That’s where our GLORY should be in Sochi.
To finish a link to a fantastic sportsman , hang glider pilot Johny Durand who flew on January 18 2 world records on ONE day.
Here are the records:
Sub-class :O-1 (HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight
shift)
Category: General
Type of record : Speed over an out-and-return course of 300 km
Course/location : Nullabor National Park (Australia) Performance : 71.28
km/h Pilot : Jonny Durand (Australia) Hang Glider : Litespeed RX 3.5 / Moyes
Delta Gliders Date :28.01.2014 Current record : 56.59 km/h (12.02.1998 –
Rohan Holtkamp, Australia)
Sub-class :O-1 (HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight
shift)
Category: General
Type of record : Speed over an out-and-return course of 100 km
Course/location : Nullabor National Park (Australia) Performance : 90.41 km/h
Pilot : Jonny Durand (Australia) Hang Glider : Litespeed RX 3.5 / Moyes
Delta Gliders operated by Date :28.01.2014 Current record : 75.73 km/h
(09.01.1998 – Tomas Suchanek, Czech Rep.)
And don’t forget to look at the impressive link about Jonnies flights with great pictures and a flamboyant story.
http://www.redbull.com/au/en/adventure/stories/1331631648107/jonny-durand-boomerang-one-day-two-world-records
Cheers Ritz
On Wednesday February 5 2014.