9 AM; January 2 last official practice day!!
First a correction on what they spend in Holland on fire-works not 7,… but 77 million!!!!!! I don’t say anything!!!
An interesting evening and morning here in Keepit.
Did you ever hear of a tawny frog mouth????
It’ an owl and pretty difficult to spot, but we found 3 in the tree, listening to our conversations in front of the bar and club house.

In between a storm reached Keepit , you notice it on the picture and we saw a nice light show and heard interesting thunder and a tough wind.We could count the drops of rain , but they were there, we felt them!!!!
Before we heard a loud “BANG” …one car drove backwards in another car in front of the bar. Quite some damage on both.
The kitchen was cleaner as clean, great job from the French team.

No worries we had a good BBQ here so did part of the German team.

I slept in. Only woke up at 8.15, which was good as then, only 9 minutes earlier we had water again.
At 6 I heard the words “pump and water ” but I slept on. This morning I heard there was a major failure in the pump-house of the forest estate here. The whole estate also the camping’s at the lake were without water.
Compliments for those who worked VERY HARD , to give us water again for the shower, the tea and the toilets.

Briefing is today AT the field. After complaints from several TC’s they try today the hangar from the tugs. They had briefings last year during the pre worlds in the scruteneering hangar ,now they try the other one as it is all closer by and saves valuable time, in their opinions.
So not far today, not with the car but just walking to the hangar close by.

Back after briefing, which is at 11 today.
Just had a look in the tuggie hangar, …may I say, not as beautiful and big as the scruteneering hangar. Interesting to see what the TC’s will decide; a fancy airconditioned room on a 15 to 20 minute distance to get there and another to drive back or a hangar without airco, at the field close to the tie-down area and gliders at the strip.
They are moving the 2 tugs in it,…… out now!!!

Let’s wait and see.

12. PM;

Briefing is over,and though it was pretty hot in the old hangar , all ladies laughed more or less about it.The difference is BIG.
BUT,….8 of the 10 TC’s voted for a place AT the field.Tonight we know the result.
Let me start with the tasks as they are short today due to a small window but they want to practice a few more things as designated start and 20 km circles instead of 3 at finish.
A FINAL CHECK to see if all the systems are working.

18 m; 2 hour AAT
standard; 1.30 AAT
Club;1.30 AAT.

Due to problems to connect the monitor to the laptop, they send all pilots a PDF, but,…in the end they got it working.
Mandy and Anita both had a few issues to talk about.
The final logger- choices should be at the office today.
Most of them are already on the logger list.

As said they are practicing today a DESIGNATED start. So if the startline is open you can start with an interval of 10 minutes.
They try also the 20 km. circles, that might be necessary with special weather circumstances, when you finish.

Very interesting as well….. Bruce Taylor will fly in QR to keep an eye on dangerous situations. In case of emergency, p.e. as a smoke wall is coming in very quickly with the sea-breeze.
He will be “invisible” , does not fly the task, but can advise in such a situation where to land.
They have 4 big airfields allocated, where you can land with all classes if necessary.
Of course EVERYBODY hopes this is not necessary, but they are prepared as it happened before.
IF he advises an out landing for safety reasons , it will be a ZERO-POINT-day.
They also advise then pick up’s by trailer or tug.

Tomorrow is the opening at 10 AM.
It will be short, in the small terminal and outside between the containers where the flags are.
There will be “real” coffee and something to eat for a nice gathering.
Of course everybody parades in their uniforms.
The rest of the day is free.

The upcoming week shows temperatures in the low 40thies.
One day in the end of the week is cool ;38!!!! Cheer!!!!
The dew point is 16 so very moist here.Makes one tired.

About the same weather with 6/7 kts. and a ceiling just over or under 10.000 ft.
18 m. is upfront today followed by club and standard.
First launch expected at 2 PM. Day will not last long and there might be gusting wind at the landing.
Yesterday quite a few pilots landed 20.
No smoke expected today!

Forgot to tell you that yesterday’s pilots did well.
18 m; 9 from 14 flew the task and Jana from Czech Rep was in the JS 3 the best with 123 km./h!!! 4 “[virtual] outlandings”.
standard; great day for the Aussie girls being 1-2- and 3. They flew 404 km. in time 3.31!!!Then the 3 Czech girls with 336 km. in time 3.18.
8 from 16 flew.
club; Aussie Jo, USA Sylvia and Italian Elena flew all over 110 km./h.over nearly 300 km.
Sylvia started at 14.05 and Jo who won the day at 14.44.
12 From 17 flew and 6 were out

You are up to date now, back later.

2 PM;
They started launching the 18 m. class at 2 at the dot! 51 Liz from the UK and FQ, Melanie from France were the first 2 to go up.
Not a lot of girls use this last practice day, so with 6 tuggies they should be all up in a flash.
In between votes for the definite briefing room will be send by the TC’s via an app.
Modern times!!!!
2.30 PM;
Launching from Club is in progress! IIC just passed by.
18 m. was up in 20 minutes.
Standard will follow soon,,,,now as, CC just passed with Claire.

2.45 PM ;
Had a look at the skies for you. Up NNW huge “towering” clouds. To the E over development, but they don’t go there, but ….it seems to move here…. and to the W no clouds yet, but they form every where quickly now, also over the field….but some disappear as quickly as they arrive. One glider up high,…. finds lift in the blue!!!

3 PM;
very quiet now. Tuggies and field-runners and other helpers have done their jobs. Siesta – time ,… as it is “bloody hot”.

5 PM;
Nobody back yet skies look great , even over the field are beautiful MAJESTIC CU’s. BUT there is some less good weather coming tonight as we can see already.The mountains up N are pretty hazy now.
Just read about the fires far to the S.E from us here.
About the mass evacuations from over 10.000 people, from a area of 240 km from Batesman Bay,[ I know a few of my friends love it there as their holiday spot!!] to the border of Victoria.
Saturday will be even worse there with 43 dgr. C. and wind!!!
An area as big as Belgium has burned down already and 1300 houses are lost , ….381 over the last week,….and even worse they count till now 14 casualties.
” A fire is burning between Batemans Bay and Nowra and east of Braidwood. The fire is more than 258,000 hectares and is out of control. This large fire is burning between Nowra in the north, Braidwood in the west, and Batemans Bay in the south. “
https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/major-fire-updates/mfu?id=6025
I hope that this will stop quickly with lot’s of rain.
Maybe too much HOPE!!!

5.15 PM:
the first 18 m. gliders have finished at the field. Also LOT and CC, from Standard class just arrived back, whilst I was making pictures from the skies to the SW[ not looking so good] and over the field.
Also Bruce is back from his mission in QR.

5.30 PM;
Hope to have a radio from Jan. 4 onward to be even more informed and will interview some of the girls about their experiences here. So stay stand by over the next 2 weeks.
Due to problems, results were done by hand yesterday, big job, hope all works fine now.
www.soaringspot.com for the results from practice day 3….soon!
Will find Bruce to check what was going on today, during his flight.

5.35 PM;
Found Bruce , but he quickly had to tie down his glider as within 5 minutes the SW storm created no visibility over the field.
ZR who arrived back this morning had to be quick as well.

Have to leave my little room. It ‘s booked CU tomorrow from”somewhere” . Sean will be here today too

6 PM;
No worries ALL girls are back home. 2 Local Club class pilots practiced “landing in dust”, but as far as.I heard they did a great job.One of them was Jacques.

CU tomorrow after the opening!!!