BENALLA WGC 20017.
Today we start with new , as that will be the set up for the rest of the blogs! Hope you liked the 30 year old pictures, more to follow ,but it is a time consuming job, scanning them on the right resolution etc.
IT’S HOT DOWNUNDER 37 dgr. C.
Must be a great real Aussie feeling after all the wind and rain!!
You would say think that South African pilots are used to the heat??!! They look overheated even in the shade of the trailer.
Pictures shared by the SA team.
So day 3 was on with hot temperatures 37 dgr. C and a base of 3300 m. Good tasks again, but it looked better than it was it shows in the end, as there were many [virtual] outlandings!! Some said ;” A 1000 for pilots not competing”. But I looked at the OLC and no 1000 km. but a great day anyhow as from Tocumwal Lumpy Paterson [HPH 304 SHARK] flew 768 km. ,…his first 750 FAI triangle, after 20 years in gliding ,so congratulations to him. There is not always time for soaring, as we all know!!!!
In open class, 536.49 km. was set and only 7 finished and toppers were “au vache”, virtual or real. Still all practice, better now than next week. New daily winners as Lucasz Wojcik from Poland and Jim Acketoft from Sweden . Ricardo was 3d.
The 2 Aussies finished and 1 USA pilot Mike Robison, last added to the team . The other, Bill Gawthrop just missed out after 488 km.
The best speed in this class was 127 km./h.
Bruce mentioned on his Taylors Gliding Page ;
“Last official practice day, and another day of two parts. The first part was going south into the hills, which was pretty horrible. There was nothing happening in there, and I had no trouble convincing Andrew that there was no need for heroics. I flew back out onto the flat, clawed my way up out of the trees, and then we found another way to continue the task, going the long way around. The second part was the rest of the flight, during which we flew quite fast under some nice cu. The forecast was for mostly blue, but we were quite pleased that this was incorrect, and we worked climbs of 7-8 knots to more than 10,000 feet. Heavy cirrus overcast from the approaching front made the last leg a bit slower with some big deviations, but it was reasonably straightforward.
So, opening ceremony tomorrow, then we begin. The photos are of the general weather view on track, and my team mate Andrew Georgeson on final glide.“
Pictures shared by Bruce. Both he and Andrew finished.
18 M. class 517.21 km.; a great day for the Czech team with Roman [Mracek] and Petr [Svoboda] flying around with a speed of 150 km./h in their ASG 29.NZ pilot John Coutts missed out on a fraction [ 148.98 for 148.93]
Petr worked in the past as tuggy for Sportaviation and did some soaring as well so you can call him experienced in this area!! Nice fellow!At the closing ceremony last year we were neighbors.
Not all flew but practice shows it’s importance as some start TOO early, or have no valid start, some miss TP’s and that costs!!!!
15 m. got 488 km.;and Finnish pilot Hannu Halonen won the last practice day[speed 132.54 km./h. in his class closely followed by Dutch pilot Ronald Termaat. Their mates Timo [Fin] and Alfred Paul [Dutch] were on spot 5 and 4, with JWGC junior champion Matthew on spot 3.
One of the 8 finishers was USA pilot Erik who had a bit of a difficult day.
Paul Weeden shared this post from 15 m. USA pilot Erik Nelson [5 E] :”Super crew Noah Reiter, Dave Weaver, and Paul Weeden were at their best today, handling our poorly timed flat tire at peak heat (car was reading 37 C), on the runway, surrounded by a plague of flies. Just phenomenal work under very hard conditions–I can’t thank them enough for getting me airborne in time to enjoy a fun, high-yield day of racing and pair flying practice with XC. Thanks also to the crowd of fellow pilots who so happily helped lift our maximally ballasted glider multiple times–what a privilege to be part of this team and this wonderful sport.”
Hardworking crew!
As shared by team USA.
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So opening tomorrow, wonder if there will be an Aboriginal show again, was very spectacular last time, which brings me back to the 20thiest WGC in 1987.
Something went wrong,… a bit too much space no worries!!
A briefing in 1987. A full page from my book.
Briefing room with Argentinian pilots Rolf Hossinger and Marion Reynoso , who flew our Discus B MM and Belgium pilots Henri Stouffs and Paul Bougard
AND
2 d picture the Dutch team with upfront our son Dennis and Gerrit and still at the table Daan, Baer and TC Giep ]Fransen] .
AND
fun in the Mountains on a non flying day.
With our daughter Inge and other team members we visited Mount Buffalo, more specially the jump base for hang glider pilots.
Some other pilots. More of them tomorrow.
George Lee representing HongKong.
and
the only female pilot Eva Darocy from Hungary with team captain /coach and former WGC pilot; Sandor Pap.
CU tomorrow.
Cheers Ritz