April 14 2021 post 1260
—-When I left you on Wednesday, Italian pilots Alberto Sironi and Andrea Faggioni, flew their ARCUS T from Calcinate over 1.261 km. Like the days before the Alps were still working fabulous, so they flew straight there…. and then up and down from Aosta to far East. Racing over the mountain-tops sometimes at 150 m. AGL, but mostly higher and at some places with good wave up to 4914 m. MSL.[3101 AGL]
From Alzate a bit more to the East as Calcinate, also in Italy, Swiss pilot Rainer Crohnjaeger flew in his ASH 31/21 m. 909 km.

—I wrote already about the WWGC in August 2022 in Husbos [Husbands Bosworth] You can follow them now too via instagram
#wwgc2022#womengliding
https://www.instagram.com/wwgc2022/

Soaring in spring can be FABULOUS,…can be….when you can fly. The ice-cold air from the N. is good for great cu’s and fantastic visibility ,but it IS COLD!!!!
Some glider pilots have no problems with it and as it is for most of them the very first flight of the season, I share a few pictures from happy chappies in their gliders enjoying spring-circumstances.

Last weekend showed a few good flights and on the pictures you could see already that the UK had perfect , though cold soaring weather.
Last Sunday Gary Coppin and Andy Aveling, took the ARCUS T for another good spring -trip. This time 635 km. and topping the OLC -list that day.
In Wiener Neustadt ,where I spend in the past, a great time as TC for the Dutch team at the WGC in 1989 , Markus Gusenleitner even flew 904 km.in the Ventus 2cM/18m.
During the 1989 WGC,2 French pilots won the title and in 15 m. Bruno Gantenbrink in another Schempp-Hirth glider, the Ventus C.
Jean Claude Lopitaux won in open [ASW 22 B] and Jacques Aboulin in standard in the Discus.

Last Thursday was a good spring-day in Italy up to 725 km. and in Luxembourg where Guy Bechtold flew from Useldange in his Quintus M 728 km.]500 FAI triangle] and from France, Vincent Hayos flew in an LS 1 C 519 km!!
AND,…455 k. from Enemonzo in Italy in an ASTIR CS by Enrico Consutta, is worth mentioning too. A declared FAI triangle!!!!
AND,….a “Declared 300 km FAI triangle…. extended a bit the last leg
Super nice condition today, pretty soft on the mountains
Spectacular views, super scenic flight” in a SDD 54-2 Perkorz/20 m./WL in Romania.

Yesterday was an other fabulous soaring day with still the same polar air brought in by the NW wind , so cold, but great visibility again and huge cauliflower-type cu’s in parts of Europe and not to forget THE NETHERLANDS, without mountains or wave!!!
Monday was already good with a flight from 742 km. by Peter Millenaar in the ASH 26.
But yesterday was superb for many.
From Hoogeveen Peter flew in the same glider a distance of 833 km. He flew from the N of Holland to the E into Germany [Oerlinghausen and back via the S of Holland .
His comment; “Beautiful, but chilly day once again: I’ve seen -10,0C. Brrr.”

“Our” 2 ASG 29E long-distance-racers Mark and Alfred Paul flew from Soesterberg distances of 899 km. They mostly fly together and have a lot of fun. This was such a great day for them too, but with some difficulties in the beginning, as only after 2 hours it really” boomed” .
Showers and snow were involved and forced them sometimes to re-direct. BUT…as Alfred Paul mentioned “along the snow showers they found a nice convergence line”, so they could make speed. With the now longer days they landed at 8.
One of our younger pilots Lars mentioned that it was a bizarre good day! He flew from Terlet 751 km. direction past Paderborn in his ASG 29 [https://weglide.org/flight/47088] and till now his 2d farthest flight.
Hadriaan in the JS 1 flew from Lemelerveld 782 km.
One of those perfect soaring-days,…have a look at the OLC for all their traces.
48 Dutch pilots had time to fly on the Tuesday and 17 flew between 500 and just under 900 km. NOT BAD!!!!!!GOOOOOODDD!!!!!!
https://www.onlinecontest.org/
The UK was still good too;
“Pete Harvey flew a 604km declared task today” April 12 https://www.bgaladder.net/FlightDetails/88261

A great day out by many! That’s what soaring is all about,…AND the shared happiness for all of them by us on the ground.

On a more sad note, we share happiness and sadness, the next news;
“Črtomir Rojnik (1949-2021)
The gliding community has lost one of the greatest pioneers. A true aviator, inventor, visioner, genius, and entrepreneur.His ideas, inventions, products have changed the way we are flying today. Safer, faster, higher, longer. He was passionate about the sport he loved and spent his lifetime exploring the beauty of flying.He was an exceptional entrepreneur. His passion for flying and technology grew and evolved into LX navigation. Through his career, he helped other companies including LXNAV, Kanardia, Navteh, and LX track on their way to success and support dozens of individuals to grow in the gliding community and professionally. He selflessly invested his time and effort to support gliding and flying locally and worldwide.With great pain, we say our farewell to our friend. He is now, and forever soaring.Share your thoughts, memories and condolences: inmemoriam@lxnavigation.com

Cheers Ritz