For some pilots, their heart beats faster when they only think of Namibia. We all know that Namibia is not only Bitterwasser, or Pokweni or Kiripotib, but over the last years Veronica makes hearts beating faster as well.
The container arrived there and from November 8 onward you can find flights.
Looking at the OLC some great flights have been flown already by Bruno [Gantenbrink] and Dieter Prang on November 12. Indeed in great gliders as ETA and ASH 31 /21m, but still…over 1000 km. and nearly a 1000 triangle. Those longer 1000 km flights for sure will come.
On Veronica-Flying.de you can find more info over the next weeks.

Some of my friends have arrived in Worcester, a place they love and return to, every year. 2 Flights over 700 k in the ARCUS M since November 9, by Marcus and one of the German top girls Stefanie Muehl, are promising for the season there.
And Orient had already nearly 700 km. flights as well.

Down under in Kingaroy flights from 878 km. by David Jansen on November 11 in the ARCUS T , though , as he shared, smoke spoiled the last 100 km. and 743 km by Adam in the Ventus 2CM/18m on November 15.
It’s great to see that Chris Hostettler , as you know I call him Swiss Chris, moved, now he is retired temperately from Tocumwal to the East “KINGAROY,….What a great place to fly over winter and in spring especially this year. Great club, members and food . I sure will move to QLD over winter again next year. So far statistics say 16 flights, 60 hours and 6000km. Never had a spring like that in Australia – but partially that’s the benefit of retired life“.

Tocumwal hopes to be active as always again asap;
Here is a message from Tocumwal Soaring Centre
“There is still uncertainty around if and when all the borders will be open again.We are still working to ensure all our friends and customers will be looked after and be able to continue to fly with us at TSC once normality returns. Our LS4 GNP is in the final stages of its complete refinish and is looking awesome. The recovering of MPG ( super tug Callair ) is almost complete as well. We have added yet another glider to our fleet during these quite times and caters to our Schempp-Hirth fans. Along with our 4 x LS4’s and Cirrus in standard class, we can now also offer a Discus B. All of our gliders can also carry water if your looking to add some speed to your tasks.”

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The NSW State comps started last Sunday in good old LAKE KEEPIT!!!
They continue till the 21 with a presentation dinner that evening.
Wonder if that is in the club house, where I had my little but perfect room during the WWGC.
22 Pilots will “fight” for the highest honor, in 2 classes,11 in sports [club, standard, 15m.] and 18m/open. [12] Among them Brad Edwards, Bruce Taylor, Mac, Alan Barnes and some of the new friends, local pilots, I made there, as Chris and Lindy Bowman, Tim, Jay, Nick, Jacques , Dave and more !!!
Presentation of scores will be amended to two groups only: ‘Sports’ (Club/Std/15) and ’18m/Open’. The final awards for the 5 class-based winners and state champions won’t be affected.
FINE!!!
Casey is the “organizer, scorer and “social media dude” operating from Hong Kong where he lives and has to stay due to COVID-19.Mac flies and keeps an eye on the weather. Bruce flies and is task setter.

Open;
Task 1 had a 339 km set task and was won by Bruce [Taylor] with a speed of 123 km./h. flying the 18m ASG 29 .Followed by his mate Brad Edwards in the JS 3 and when Brad is there, there is music and singing as well.
Day 1 winners;

Task 2 was a good one, much better than day 1 .
“A trough with high cloud-base was forecast to the NW so a 4hr AAT was set. Windy and started in the blue, got to the clouds NW of Narrabri and had a great run West then North to the top of the circle. The climbs were much less strong on the way south, at least there was a tailwind. It looked like to door might shut with rain and heavy OD before I got home but got a climb onto final glide at Mt Kaputar. Worth the price of entry!” as said by Matthew Atkinson flying his 18m Ventus 2C.
Some 12 kn. thermals were mentioned up till 12.000 not bad!!!
Daily winner Bruce [Taylor] with 616 km. in time 4.33.
Task 3 ,with a set task of 253 km was won by Mac; 132.29 km./h, BUT Brad and Bruce were on his tail; 132.14 km./h and 129.51 km./h.
Casey mentioned ;”Weatherman Mac Ichikawa (1M) gave regular updates to the grid as temperatures climbed and cloud departed the tasking area.  He reported conditions for the most part following the forecast.”
Task 4, today, was indeed on a great soaring day!!
501 Km. was set and Mac’s combined skills in both disciplines, fabulous soaring and knowledge of weather, “translated” in a speed of 142 km./h, in his JS 3 !!!!So preliminary another day-win!!!
Bruce was runner up with 139 km./h .He still tops the overall scores with 3.429 points after 4 good soaring days.
Mac is runner up with 3.244 p.

Sports class;
Task 1 was a prey for Allan [Barnes] He flew 318 km during the 3 hour AAT in time 3.03; 104 km./h.
He was 10 km./h. faster than runner up Kel Burgess in a Discus 2.[94 km./h over286 km.]
Task 2 had a 3.30 AAT and AGAIN Allan was the best in his LS 8. ;361 km in time 3.32.
Kimberly , who did the social media during the WWGC , flew her PEGASE to a nice 4th spot.
Task 3, 235 km and as they are used to see by now on spot 1 was Allan, with 112 km./h, BUT the runner up was interesting; Chris Bowman in his LS 8.
He departed half an hour earlier [14.23 for 14.01], and flew around with just over 100 km./h
During the WWGC he was busy as a bee with organizing nearly everything not in the least the total financials. When necessary HE took Gisela, Frouwke and me to the big hall where dinner was served every day for the staff.
So it pleases me now to see that he was runner up. Casey was pleased as well;
“Chris Bowman (PO) had a stellar day and perhaps achieving a personal best at 100.6kph, a mere 134 pts behind Sports day winner Allan Barnes (S7).  Chris reported: “It was a good day with fantastic thermals.  8-10kts repetitively with the only complaint being large areas of equivalent sink.  The sky was completely blue but no matter what we did, we kept managing to blunder into strong climbs.  I tracked along the edge of the Pilliga scrub, looking down on others more cocky than I that ventured deeper into that unlandable terrain.  It was a great day and tomorrow promises to be even better!“
OH,…I remember all those names so well; Pilliga,Pine Ridge Narrabri…

Task 4 with 382 km. was NOT won by Allan, but by Paul Dickson in the LS 3; 107.95 km./h. Runner up was David Turner in an ASW 27 and Allan in his LS 8 was 3d. No problems for his overall scores; 3.423 points for 2.990 from Paul. So a nice comfortable lead!!!
As they flew today the scores are preliminary.

The next couple of days you can follow the scores on www.soaringspot.com

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“Happy 100th birthday Qantas. Times are tough, but don’t forget you’ve been an amazing part of so many people’s lives, and will do so again in the near future! Thinking particularly of all the Qantas and Aussie tourism staff doing it tough at the moment.” written by one of my Aussie mates.
I hope this COVID-19 is over soon and the world including aviation turns back to normal.

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Talking about history here is a Dutch story, with a 54th birthday.
54 years ago TRANSAVIA, the company where George flew and Inge still flies, flew for the first time to Naples in Italy on November 16.
This week the HV 6411 flew again to Naples, 54 years later!!!!
Transavia in nowadays a 100% daughter of KLM.

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The NEW November Gliding International, the magazine I have written for , for several years because I found it a magazine with all kind of interesting news , not only technical also empathic, had a beautiful Polish cover. A photo-montage from a glider and Leszno…..THE place to be in Poland for soaring.
Further on news on the
—–LS 8 E- neo with FES; High performance paired with a lot of security.
Lot’s of data and pictures.
Good to see that Holger Back is the CEO there. I remember how he, after the WGC in Benalla in 1987 ,flew his first 1000 km from Tocumwal.
—–“Fly like a girl”…a film which is more than a film. Most inspiring!!
7.9 % of the total pilot population in the USA is female! An interview with Abbie, Abigail Harrison, an astronaut at the Kennedy Space Centre Visitors center.
—–The Purdue University developed a new white paint that can reflect over 95 % of sunlight.
—–a beautiful story about the epic flight from Hanna Reitsch in 1937 from Salzburg to Pieve di Cadore. An excerpt from her book “Fliegen mein Leben” translated by Aldo [Cernezzi].
–—-great pictures in the PHOTO ALBUM.
—–The Wilga 32… tow plane. When I saw a WILGA for the first time I was truly amazed to see how high “it stands on it’s legs”.
–—-How do you judge when it is better to stay at the ground?
——Could your canopy be the source of power for your motor glider?!
—–The federation of aeronautical sports of Russia and COVID -19.
An interview with Sergey Ananov, President of the Russian Federation of Aeronautical Sports.
——-Flying away – The experience of flying away from home by George Frost and where of all paces??? In Iran.
–—-And lots of International Aviation news for glider pilots AND of course “things with wings”.
For subscriptions; www.glidinginternational.com

That’s it for now.
Next Wednesday the final results from the Queensland State comps in LAKE KEEPIT and what’s more interesting for all of us.
By the way, this morning I saw on the news the fires not far from Reno and south of it. When we were in Minden Nevada, for the pre worlds, there was one problem. Finishes HAD to be stopped when the fire bombers had to go out. We all understood why,…but that’s the main reason the WGC was moved to Uvalde in Texas.
Seeing those fires now I even understand better!!!
Cheers Ritz