Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday September 5 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
While reading the statistics in the paper about the summer in Holland in 2010, I was quite correct that it was a good one , even for soaring, but…..as said in my last blog the month of August spoiled the total view on it. According to the meteo, we had a warm and sunny, but wet summer. We enjoyed 692 hours of sun while 591 is normal ,BUT we had 270 mm. of rain instead of 202 mm. But enough of this summer, we look ahead at a nice after-summer period with hopefully still some nice soaring, not only in Holland but all over Europe.
Rieti still has some great weather with a flight of 898 km in the ASH 25, but also the DG808 did well with a declared and flown 822 km flight on September 1. And…great to see that , on that same day, Francesco Bernardinetti flew his first 300 km in Rieti in an LS 4! Well done!Yesterday 683 was flown from Rieti, while one of the USA pilots had a super day flying “for fun -no task set” a 908 km in a Discus, with over development in the morning and super weather in the afternoon from Frederick.
And…in FLAT Holland we had a very nice cross -country- 500- km -day , with super visibility and good streets, but also showers to avoid.So nice after-summer-weather!
Received a mail from Ron and let’s see if we can help him. This is his question!
—I am looking for a second hand cobra or Swan or similar trailer for a 18 metre glider with four piece wing ie 15m trailer will do with some holders for the extra wing bits. Of course I have been looking on Segelflug.de and the UK advertising sites but would like to widen my search so do you know the web addresses for sites in Holland Belgium France Austria etc where gliders and instruments and trailers might be advertised for sale??—-
The new Gliding International dropped on my floor- mat yesterday and after looking at it and reading in it, I was very pleased to see the new lay out ,the bigger seize of the magazine and the interesting contents, including the news that on August 5 was recommended that 20 m gliders can enter the WGC in 2014 while the world class will disappear .
The 13.5 m class will have its own WGC to be held fort the first time in 2015!!!
At-least these are the recommendations accepted by the IGC Bureau and they will be formally proposed to the IGC Plenum in 2011 for adoption.
I am not sure about another WGC as 2 at 2 several places is already a lot, but let’s wait and see.This WGC would be biennially in odd years with 4 entries per N[ational A[ero] C[lub] with a “try out” in 2013 and the first “real one” in 2015.
By the way the proposal for class entries will be as follows; 2 entries per NAC in standard class and club class and ONE for 20 m. class.
I also liked the interview with the Polish National Coach, as indeed those Polish pilots are “pretty” successful and the story about the VFR flight from North Africa to Germany; the INTERCONTINENTAL motor glider.
Hope John, the editor of GI and his wife Chris are OK after the 7.1 earth quake and ……the aftershocks and the 130 km.h wind. Was sad to hear also that a plane with 9 sky -divers crashed in NZ , killing all of them.
The first Belgium Masters had another soaring day with a 199km. set task. This time the task was flown by most of the pilots so a VALID day.Yves Jeanmotte won the day with 114. km /h. , together with Louis Bouderlique; same speed and both got 495 points for their effort. 2 Pilots out-landed and 4 did not start, under them Rene de Dreu and Tijl Schmelzer.
Never a boring moment when you read stories about the “boss” of price fighter Ryan Air. He thinks one pilot is enough to fly the plane and in case of emergency a stewardess or steward could help out and bring the plane safely down,he thinks by the way, that she/he needs a course first to do so!!!!!I don’t think I will fly Ryan Air anymore!!!!
Tha’t s it for this nice sunny Sunday. Cheers Ritz