Benalla,…. on the way to the event…. part 1.

Benalla on December 29 2016,

…..but only next year is the WGC .Still 8 days to go,…… It will be all right!!!
As shared by the Claffey’s.

AND
The UK team  unpacking the container.

      

“Unpacking the container between showers! Heavy Showers!”
As shared by the British Gliding Team.

   

“Most of the team rigged and assembled. Waiting for Uys & Attie. No damage to anything.”

 

South African gliders “over water” arrived in good condition. Team is waiting now for the JS 3 which came “by air” .
Shared by the SA team.

AND not long later in front of the Gliding Club Victoria hangar …no worries they arrived in good condition as well.

YES,…. they arrived with the message “Curious to see the new generation that has arrived”
as shared by the SA team.

AND
This is the French container. The pilots and crew arrived on December 30. Picture made by team UK.
In the container according to the excellent Garry Brasher, working in the harbor office and  shipping in and out already all his life,[ he even worked for us in the past and knows EVERYTHING about glider carnets etc] ], everything is ” neat and tidy.”

   

AND
this is Dutch pilot Jeroen, in Benalla, as always relaxed.After he picked up his glider in Corowa, he is  ” Ready to rock” in all ways.

   

AND
The USA team already in the scrutineering hangar.

      

When the weather ,……is ready Bill is ready.
Bill Gawthrop, F8 passes his scrutineering.
Photos by Cean Sheerwood.

———

Benalla on December 30….

    

Shared by the Claffey’s  and the Goudriaan’s and Polish pilot Sebastian Kawa [struggling in the mud].
“Must be a gliding competion going on at Benalla Australia. The locals say it is normally very hot and dry. HaHaHa” [Oscar]
IT IS OSCAR!!!

The Benalla-weather is still OFF. VERY MUCH OFF, with pouring rain and hail, but I know it will get better. WAIT AND SEE!!!!!
I heard that in 2016 55 % more water/rain  fell on the dry land than in 2015!!!!!!
Guess the farmers who always pray for rain, will be really happy now, but,…..maybe it’s TOO wet now. What did not came down over the last couple of dry years fell this year!!!
On the other side,… in the East of Australia… , Jacques Graells flew from Lake Keepit, in his LS 6 a 500 km. FAI triangle and a total of 733 km.

Arrival from Andrew Maddocks at the Benalla club house, with the words.”  It’s now a sailing race.” 
courtesy Andrew.

In between Aussie -team- pilot Tom has cleaned his glider IN the hangar and of course he put the kangaroo on the tail, as usual at big comps.

      

AND

some are happy chappies as UK crew Baldrick who was upgraded for this long trip.

Picture shared by Baldrick.

AND

Anita and Aussie- team- pilot Bruce mentioned on their site Taylor’s Gliding Page ;
“Ahh, it is so exciting to have new gliders to look at. There is the JS3, the V3, and the EB 29R. All different classes, but the continuing development of the sport is fascinating. Here the JS3’s are going together, after their air freight trip from South Africa.
Big storm here early this afternoon, which has curtailed any flying today… once again. Frustrating, but tomorrow looks to be OK.”

    

Packed and unpacked.
JS 3 RAPTURE,…
As shared by Bruce and Laurens.

In between in Holland, MIDWINTERSOARING at the Venlose gliding club [VZC]where pilots from  Venlo and Eindhoven [EAC] now fly together; from January 1 2017 it is VEZC.
After 70 years of soaring the EAC pilots were thrown off the airfield from Eindhoven due to more heavy aviation by many airliners.
They moved to several other airfields in the area and were welcomed warmly at all of them, but Venlo [ a bit more to the S.]was most popular. It seems satisfactory for all. Good!!!
Malden got several new guests as well.
Superb weather on this winter-day, resulting in 108 Starts ,  22 with the Piper Cub!!!Whilst we here, were “sitting in the fog”.

   

Tug ready for midwinter- launches.
As shared by Frits Urselman.

Benalla on  December 31, last day of the year 2016 !!!After rain there is sun. Hurray and,…as expected!!! Very nice blue skies!! I wonder how the overseas- first -time- in -Australia- pilots feel when the full 45 dgr. C sun comes out!!!!
Still wet ground/paddocks after the heavy downdrafts and pouring rain.!!!
Bruce could try out  Brad’s glider;
” In the air, and not a cloud to be seen. B3 is flying beautifully, and we tootled around 350km without any pain at all. This shot was from just west of Yarrawonga, looking West down the river towards Tocumwal.”

With the MIGHTY MURRAY RIVER.

A small wrap-up from the 116 gliders at this WGC under supervision of competition/championship- director Terry Cubley a long time friend.
In 15 m. of course the new JS 1 RAPTURE is the EYECATCHER flown by owners and builders Attie and Uys Jonker. But we still have to see how good this glider is against the Ventus in several 15 m conversions , the Diana [with Polish pilots Sebastian and Lucasz]  and Versus FES [Stefano from Italy] and the ASW 27 and the ASG 29 in several conversions.
In 18 m. class lot’s of ASG 29’s some Ventus types including the VENTUS 3 , another hot-shot-glider, flown by several pilots [ the 3T by former world champion Wolfgang Janowitch and his mate Andy Lutz has one too] and a few JS 1’s and one LS 10.

Brandnew Ventus 3 after technical inspection at WGC
Shared by Boerje.

In open class the new EB 29 R. flown by 2 former German  world champions Tassilo Bode and Michael Sommer. Michael knows the area very well. He flew at Benalla and with us in Tocumwal. Also a Quintus M ,an Arcus M,  an ANTARES 23 t, several types of JS 1 and an ASH 31 MI.
It’ s going to be VERY exciting.

Other exciting news from the end of this year comes from the FAI and is shared by Tijl Schmelzer from Belgium.”

Tijl; Received this notice from the FAI today:

http://www.fai.org/…/42748-aviation-and-space-diary-notific…

A bit too much honor I think, but very cool to be in a list with Charles Lindbergh, Chuck Yeager, Amelia Earhart, Bertrand Piccard, Felix Baumgartner and Laika 🙂

I’d like to use this high note at the end of this year, to wish you all the best for 2017!”

CONGRATULATIONS Tijl so much deserved!!!!!On January 6 2015 Tijl flew in Africa with high speed over a triangular course of 100 km – First to pass the 200km/h barrier using thermals rather than mountain waves.” as the FAI mentioned in the above link.
In between his parents flew on December 31, nearly 1000 [972 k] in an ARCUS M from Veronica.
I noticed , looking at that list, that on my birthday December 16 in the year 2012, one of my Japanese friends Ken Ueyama had a spectacular note on this list as well . Aeromodelling;  on a radio controlled flight he flew the model with a speed, of 219.85 km./h. in a closed circuit.

Another interesting flight that day but now down under, by an old friend Gerrit Kurstjens, who flew the Benalla 1987 WGC. He reached in his Quintus M a height of 5390 MSL.[5187 AGL]

To avoid TOO long blogs in for me and glider pilots exciting times ,[ as a WGC is the top to see how you fly against other pilots and to check what glider really is the best] , I will try to write more blogs .So stay tuned!!!
Cheers Ritz