@ Twente — the CAE NLS DUTCH NATIONALS Tuesday May 11 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com blog 298
First of all the news from last Sunday when the ash cloud from Iceland, really disturbed the Hahnweide competition. In the morning the 20 m. and club class was cancelled, due to the marchinal weather. Then the message about the total closure of the airspace . 15 m. class was cancelled in the air ,18 m. class and open class were in the air ; pilots were already at TP1 , but the airspace was closed south of Stuttgart and no VFR flights were allowed!!!! Just after 4 PM open class pilots arrived back at Hahnweide , just before the rain started. 6 From 21 made it home. Very good! Alexander Mueller, Pierre and Arnaud de Brocqueville, Steve Jones , Marcus Gauman ,Stephan Beck and Michael Sommer . No competition day in 18 m. class!
I would have NEVER imagined that an ASH cloud , could stop a competition. Amazing!!!! Hope we do not get into the same situation here! Would Hahnweide go in the books being the first competition “hit” by an ASH-cloud in Europe !?
Later in the day , the airfield from Munich was closed as well.
Yesterday was cancelled, rain…lots of it! Today they fly small tasks,….but they fly!
Look for the news at www.hahnweide.de
And then….WELCOME @ Twente! If the weather co-operates, this is going to be a real holiday. The NC hotel is fabulous, the bar is “inviting”, the restaurant is super, big but still cozy! We use dinner with the fire-brigade, military police and military people working here at the former air-base. Slowly the pilots arrive here, but like in the rest of Europe the weather is not too good, though I woke up with a bride sun.
But it seems that rain will follow this sunshine.
A not too good forecast for tomorrow either, but then we just have the openings briefing in the evening.
But…after that, the weather seems to improve.
I stayed over the years writing for several competitions, never ever had to complain, everything was fine , even better then that, but here it really is super with a flat screen TV on the wall. In the morning I can look at the news/read weather and do not even have to jump out of bed! During the contest , I am sitting high up in the TOWER, looking over the field and already now I look forward to see the first finishes here. The field is wide and green cause of all the rain from the last days.[weeks]
The Belgium National Championships @ St. Hubert have started on May 8 and will be flown till May 15 with 48 pilots in 3 classes. They had 2 flyable days and 2 cancelled till now. Lots of friends flying there.
Also in Denmark, [ Danish FOR- DM 2010 / open class ] where they flew till now 2 days out of 3 and Sweden [Eskilstuna International Open] competitions are in progress at the moment. Cancelled days here as well.
A pity after all those nice days, the weather is just sh….!!!
But …..pilots arrive here with trailers and the registration is in full swing.
More news tomorrow!
Cheers Ritz