Just a short and early blog due to circumstances. Next week more.
On March 1 the meteorological spring started with autumn temperatures , lot’s of rain and tough wind, spoiling a lot of carnival pleasure. After the 3 glorious days with up to 21 dgr.C.,[ a drop from 21 to 8!!!!] it felt as a “cold shower”, but for sure the spring temperatures will come back.
Time enough to read the on.line-version of Gliding International with ,as always lot’s of news.
On the cover of the March/ April issue from Gliding International is a great picture from the JS 3 with the words ;” the choice of champions!!! A success story!!!”
Jonker Sailplanes started with the JS 1 in 2006. Since the maiden flight they produced 126 gliders from this type. The JS 3 was later but already this month the 50 thiest JS3 will be handed over to a happy customer.
It took them 8 years to sell 50 JS1’s and now just over 2 years to sell this JS3. That say’s enough about the interest and trust in this glider, as mind you,those gliding-toy’s are not cheap.You have to think about it first.
“Part of JS vision and mission is to release a new product or variant every three years. The JS2 SL, SelfLauncher version of the JS1 with an improved fuselage design, is now in its final stages of development and completion and first flight is scheduled for mid-2019.
From 2020 the JS2 SL will be made available to the market which will be an exciting new entry for JS into the recreational gliding market.”
For their newsletters you can go to ; https://mailchi.mp/287…/jonker-sailplanes-newsletter-1585601
And much more news as
—the dittolog…a wireless automatic flight-sheet …more in the magazine and at a www.dittolog.com
DittoLog is an invention from Ernst Ditges who flew in the past with us in Tocumwal. He moved from Germany to Australia and still happily lives there. The Business was sold to Bob Flood recently and Bob is the one who writes about it in G.I.
—-ASG 32 got the problem under control; they released an A.D.(Airworthiness Directive) for its two-seater ASG 32.
—all you need to know about flying in the 4 soaring mecca’s in Namibia.
—Gariep Dam, never really gone but more prominent back on the map again…due to many German pilots.
—LS 4, LS 3,LS 10, …all gliders from Lempke Schneider… and now the “L” is not more. Wolf Lemke died on December 1.
—Germany and Australia join forces to increase research on global warming.
62 Pages of great , informing and interesting reading.
I also looked at the pilot ranking on February 28 2019 and the first 6 pilots are between 990 and 1000 points;
6. with 990.2 Sjaak Selen from Holland
5. with 990.7 Mac Ichikawa from Japan
4. with 990.8 Felipe Levin from Germany.
3. with 996.0 Wolfgang Janowitsch from Austria.
2. with 999.6 Michael Sommer from Germany.
1. with 1000 points Sebastian Kawa from Poland.
https://www.facebook.com/glidinginternational/
————-
LAKE KEEPIT…WWGC news
9 pilots will participate for Australia.
Club Class: Jenny Ganderton, Jo Davis, Kerrie Claffey.
Standard Class: Cathy Conway,Clair Scutter, Lisa Trotter.
18M Class: Ailsa McMillan, Jenny Thompson,Lisa Turner.
As I heard lately there will be, at this stage, no participating pilots from Holland, which would be very sad. Hope this will chance.
At this late time in the season, the weather is still glorious in Lake Keepit. The Regatta is on and they enjoy the good weather to the fullest.
“The gliders go soaring one by one, hurrah! Hurrah! – Keepit Regatta ‘19“
——————
Tocumwal still has great ,now- already-autumn-weather- conditions and guests.
March 2; Chris Davison, flew 848 km. [832 triangle] in his 21 m. JS 1.
Grant who I see more and more back in soaring,[he is /was? a great hang-glider pilot ] flew 677 [558 triangle] in his St. Jantar and Kari is back in Toc from Finland and flew in the ASW 27 456 k.This was his last flight for the season and with 12 flights in the pocket [ since January 24] he travels back home.
Conditions were superb; 10.000 ft and cu’s here there and everywhere.
Bruce Kerl flew a declared 500 !!! Mind you it’s AUTUMN!!!
Bernard Eckey flew in his ASH 30 819 km. from Balaklava.
A total of 8 flights over 600 km. also from Temora, Benalla and Lake Keepit.
What about Lake Keepit?? Doing something else/different in autumn??
Allan Barnes and Harry Medlicott flew a goal flight from Lake Keepit to Horsham;1.004 km!!!
March 3; the good weathercontinued.
What about a 750 FAI triangle in a PIK 20 by Bernie Sizer with 102 km./h.!? A total of 769 km. this late in the season…chapeau!!!!Tough to come back but he made it and said “well worth it”!!! TOP!!!!
Lumpy with 822 [766 triangle] in the JS 3 also from Toc.
Bob from Benalla in Ventus 2CT/18m with 635 km [600 triangle]
770 in the ARCUS M with Allan and Harry from Horsham this time; a long goal flight back from Horsham to Narromine. Only less than 250 to go now!!!
“We originally planned on stopping overnight in Tocumwal, then Temora, then finally Narromine as conditions continued to improve from the hot, sweaty, weak, windy, overcast conditions at Horsham. “. BUT,….they passed by all those places to nearly do it all in one day!! Good on them.
16 over 500 km. flights down under. And,….2 over 800 that weekend from Toc. Not bad.
Of course I lived for quite a few years in Tocumwal, hence a “bit” more news than about other fields.
Last Saturday the SRGC said farewell to their life Member, Dieter “Dundee” Albrecht. He is 82 now , has some problems with a knee, but I guess that after an operation he might be back next season.
However, when Ingo spoke at the lunch for Dundee at the Golf Club, he mentioned;
“When the club first formed, Dieter made his single seat glider , the ASW15, VH-GES, available t o the club free of charge. For a long time this was the only single seater the club could offer to our members.
Dieter donated this glider to the club last year and would also like to donate his other assets to the club before he leaves.”
That does n’t sound like coming back. Don’t know which assets, but I hope not “his/my” house, as I have the first option on it. But for sure that’s taken care of. He will be home in Germany today, time to see/hear what’s up.
Dundee in his car which brought him EVERYWHERE and with his best mate Ingo; “bier um vier.”
Cu next week.
Cheers Ritz