Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday November 2 2011
picture; courtesy Kai Monkkonen.
ritzdeluy@hotmail.com www.glidinginternational.com www.soaringcafe.com
October finished on “a high” here, with at some places 20 dgr. Terraces in Amsterdam were full , the skies blue and the sun fantastic and without “a bite”. Even day 1 from November was partly sunny and very pleasant. I walked through the big Beatrix park in Amsterdam yesterday and “loved” the colours of the leaves of the trees. Nearly as beautiful as the “famous for its autumn -colours ” town of Bright in Victoria [Australia]
Dieter , for friends Tocumwal Dundee, left Germany for Australia after troubles and stress with his visa [all ok on the very last minute!!] and with the tought “would Qantas fly again on November 2 ? ” [all ok as well on the last minute]. On Monday November 7 he will settle in , in his “house” at Tocumwal Airport.
Talking about Qantas. What a situation!!
BUT…. they started flying again on Monday and from yesterday onwards flights were on schedule again. Not that the problems are solved, but Fair Work Australia ordered a termination of the industrial action and to talk to “get together and solve the problems within 3 weeks.”
The big carriers in Holland are KLM [bleu] Transavia [green] and Martin Air [red].On Monday the last Martin Air passenger-flight arrived with honors at Schiphol. Martin Air stops flying with passengers and continues “in red ” with freight only.
We also had a smaller company here; Amsterdam Airlines. I wrote about it a while ago. Till yesterday. Just read in the paper that they have finished all their actions , “the operational license has been stopped immediately “and all employees were sent home . 2 of the 3 leased Airbuses are on a chain, because of problems with payments. Sad very sad as people I know are the victims.
In Taupo in New Zealand a competition has started with 10 participants in one class; the Central Plateau 2011. They started with a 2 hour AAT and one pilot finished. All other pilots landed back home some coming back with 120 km. I do not know any of the pilots but having been in NZ last year, I know the places where they come from as Hastings, Rotorua and Auckland and of course I visited Taupo. No …unfortunately not the airfield but the fantastic LAKE.
On the main road A1 passing Auckland and visiting Hastings.
In South Africa Sven Olivier flew a nice 750 – a bit on October 29, from Worchester, claiming it was a “fantastic day”. Speed ;107 km/h in an ASW 27.
9 Containers have arrived in Bitterwasser, so enough guests to make long flights this season and enough joy for us to follow the OLC, this is , when the weather co-operates. The start has not been bad with a 1000 km and a 750 so early in the season in SA. The first flight from Gariep Dam is a fact as well.
Sven Olivier , well known competition pilot.
The 20thiest FAI World Precision Flying Championship was also held in South Africa from October 23-29 . It was organised by the South African Power Flying Association and the Brits Flying Club.
2 Polish pilots , Michal Wieczorek and Boleslaw Radoski, were the best in Brits and for that reason Poland won the team cup as well, before the Czech and French team.
56 Competitors representing 15 countries tried to be the best in navigation and landings in Cessna 150/152/172.
When you are not interested in Formula 1 you can skip this last part, but…..As you know one of my favourite sports is Formula 1 and I am a big fan from Vettel, no news either. I was impressed with the new circuit in India , shocked to see the difference in poor and rich over there [ I have never been in India]and pleased, the pretty rich drivers, donated money to some of the poorest. A drop on a heat plate I know, but they were not forced to do so and did it!
It was the 16th pole position for Red Bull and the 13th pole for Vettel. And being already WORLD CHAMPION, he is still eager/hungry to win, so races are still interesting to watch.
“Red Bull gives you wings”, is what’s written on the back of Seb’s outfit. He won again; the very first win during the very first , “inaugural ” GP from India in New Delhi. SUPER.
It has put India on the [racing-] map as everybody loved the circuit and with a cricket-god waving the checked flag , it was a happy day for nearly all Indian people.
Credit to the 3 winners , dedicating the first GP to their by recent crashes killed “mates” Dan [Indy car races] and Marco [ MotoGP] . All 3 were pretty emotional/ very human.
Off to the southern part of Holland [Den Bosch] for a high-tea-birthday-party from one of my highschool friends.
Cheers Ritz