Post 1.447 on Wednesday EVENING September 20 2023

After spending 25 summers in Tocumwal, [ since 1984] avoiding the Dutch cold and living for just over 10 years over there, you must forgive me that I am still enthusiastic and fond of that little town on the Murray River, in Australia. Less than 3000 inhabitants and on the border of NSW and Victoria, but IN NSW. When we visited first there were only 1250 people living in town.
We started as guests with the Riley family as owners…Bill Riley [R.I.P.] was the founder of the SSC…then still as guests we got to know Don Escott, [R.I.P.]Jeff Close [R.I.P.]
We took over from Don when he retired and worked together with Jeff BUT, when Jeff unexpectedly died after a mid air collision, we were “all alone”.
After being for 10 seasons guests, running the Sportavia Soaring Center with a good team for another 10 years, was TOUGH but a great “life style” and I can only think back of it with huge pleasure. Our guests were the most interesting people from many different countries , …I still have contact with a lot of them….our staff was good and always helpful to all of them. The chef’s in the kitchen sometimes were a problem, but we really had good ones among them, creating food one day for 150 people sitting everywhere at the premises, as the dining- and breakfast room was too small. Glenda was the “engine” behind all of them.
OF COURSE Ingo Renner was “gold” for Sportavia already from the beginning with Bill. The nicest instructor and person in the world. As well , to be honest, as the best” marketing tool”.
Peter During “Brutus” for his friends helped us out in the office for several years and he was gold as well, absolutely reliable.
Our tuggies and instructors were TOPPERS.
As in every business there were up’s and downs but more up’s than downs for me.

Lumpy Patterson, since a few years the new owner of “our” SPORTAVIA hangar, [it’s now called Sportavia Tocumwal and they are doing well] has the time of his life in Tocumwal too. Certainly now with the airshow.
I know the “buzzing” feeling of an Airshow at the field and it gives energy, a feeling of being very proud and very involved.
On Thursday he was already busy to get planes to Toc;
“Great day in the office, getting planes to Tocumwal for the big air show on the weekend !
Awesome weather for the trip to Maitland and return
Cruising along with the team from Paul Bennett Airshows“

Australia will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
At the 2023 Tocumwal Airshow, we will commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who served in Vietnam with flying displays by three aircraft that served during that conflict.
The Royal Australian Air Force Cessna A-37 Dragonfly
The Temora Aviation Museum Cessna O-2 Skymaster
The Tocumwal Aviation Museum Cessna O-1 Birddog
See these historic aircraft display at the 2023 Tocumwal Airshow

A common sight in the country is aerial application using the iconic yellow Air Tractor.
Aerial application is the broad term for a range of aviation activities that include the application of material from aircraft, including spraying of pesticides, application of liquid and granular fertiliser and trace elements, sowing seed such as rice and firebombing of bushfires.
With great thanks to Tocumwal local Mick East, Field Air will be bringing an AT-402 Air Tractor to the 2023 Tocumwal Airshow and demonstrate the capabilities of the aircraft as well as the exceptional skills required to operate these aircraft at low level.

I have seen MANY of them during the 10 years I lived at Toc airport. Also during comps in Narromine we saw them often.
2 Of our former tuggies Glenn and Charlie, are now flying these big machines. One of the most well- known Ag pilots in our time/region was Gary Macstead. Still going strong , most probably not anymore as Ag pilot, as he should be around 80 years old now.

The weather was TOP;Blue skies, light winds and 26 degrees, what do you want more for an Airshow.

Of course a glider had to be part of the show as well at the Tocumwal airfield with a few glider clubs/business as most important venues. Lumpy himself flew in his JS3.

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This was not the only great airshow as Romain Fhal mentioned, there was also one in Europe;
“I’m very happy to fly at Skopje Airshow celebrating 100 years of Aero Club Skopje, one of the oldest air clubs in southeastern Europe. The occasion is even more special since this is the first big airshow in Macedonia after the dissolution of former Yugoslavia in 1991.”
This was on September 16. Too late to go too but interesting info.

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—–The Brasilian weather was good last Wednesday for pilots flying records and long distances from the well known airfield Luis Ed Magalhaes.
Claudio Eduardo Schmidt flew with French guest Baptiste [Innocent] in the ARCUS M a distance from 900 km.
Henrique [Navarro] flew a new out and return record over 500 km;
“Brazilian 500km out & return speed record @140kph. Ventus 3TS/15m. “
Just a few days earlier Henrique flew another record;
“Brazilian speed record, 300km FAI triangle @143KPH. Flying the Ventus 3TS with 15 meters tips is just like flying a rocket.”
On September 14 more news from Henrique;
“I just beat the Brazilian speed record in a 750km FAI triangle at 152 hph, in both 15 meters and open class. The Ventus 3 TS with 15 meters tip flies like it has knives instead of wings.”

—–I have shared many pictures from above ,looking over the Tocumwal area, now I share one looking over the Kingaroy area more in the East of Australia.

—–AND,…the season is ON Down Under both in the West and East, also in the South.

—–In the Netherlands the National women day 2023 for pilots was in Soesterberg and 100 flying ladies attended. Many young ones. GOOD!!! I was supposed to say a few words over there, but travelling is getting more difficult nowadays.

That’s it! You are up to date. Not a lot of comps at the moment but the E5 GLIDE started in St Auban.
They fly between 17 September 2023 – 23 September 2023.
More next week. Tilo [Discus 2c FES 18m] won day 1 and Aussie Matthew [ LS8E/ 15m] flies as well. Task 2 [132 km] was cancelled and task 3 on Sept 19 was promising with 265.55 km. Matthew won!!
By the way, last Sunday was a perfect long -distance-wave-day in France for an out and return over Spain France and nearly Andorra. Carl Audissou, flew from St Girons 1.621.14 km in an ANTARES over many kilometers in the Pyrenees.

Cheers Ritz, just back from 2 days in Amsterdam. Very enjoyable!!!!