We had extremely warm weather for the time of the year.On November 1, we had in the past sometimes frost- flowers on the windows, this year we were sitting outside, at a terrace, in T shirt ,in a “bloody-hot-sun”; 22 dgr.C.
The soaring season here in Holland is over. Gliders are already overseas or are going into the trailer or hangar or both IN trailer IN hangar.It was a nice season, with a few 1000 km.flights FROM Holland. Pretty special!
No such weather in Tocumwal where breaking news and a warning was sent for a TORNADO South from Tocumwal. Luckily it passed by Toc, but they could see the scary clouds and felt the wind, as I heard.Unfortunately towns VERY close by , as Strathmerton and Cobram were hit.
Courtesy Swiss Chris at the Sportaviation hangar looking South.
And this was the picture from Warwick Holding at Yerong Creek, NSW
” A significant tornado has developed and touched down in Northern Victoria leading to an approximate damage path of about 45km. The towns of Nathalia, Strathmerton and Cobram have all had reports and had confirmed damaged in their respective areas.
Wind speeds of an estimated 180-220km/h have damaged houses and flattened sheds leading to suspected EF2 damage. However after recent video evidence has come to fruition, there is the potential for this to become an EF-3 tornado post-damage analysis. That is due to a house reportedly being destroyed while several others have sustained significant damage. There are still no injuries to report as of 8am EST / 9am EDT on Monday, November 2nd (the day after the event).
This was all part of a severe squall line which produced widespread destructive winds over Southern NSW and Northern Victoria, large hail and heavy rain were also associated with these storms.”
For pictures of quite some severe damage specially in Strathmerton but also Cobram you can look at;
http://higginsstormchasing.com/destructive-tornado-rips-through-northern-victoria-11115/
Here is one.
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Another great picture,not a sad one this time!
Shared by Antoine Havet .”Just insane !! Wave flight.. 3400m… JS1C with Max Seis !” October 26!
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AFRICA.
As shared on the Bitterwassersite.
For more news and pictures you can go to; www.bitterwasser.com
It was a good week specially the last day of October.
In South Africa, Oscar was wondering, looking at the weather- graphics, if a 1250 would be possible .It WAS…. nearly!!!!!!Oscar flew 1.171 km. with 148 km./h “on the clock”.
5 Times 1000 plus from Potchefstroom and a great 873 and 862 by AP Kotze and Jaco Burger in their St. Cirrus and LS 1 f.
John Coutts, one of the 1000 km. pilots flew with a speed of 158 km./h.
Namibia ,with the same great fore cast; Reinhard Schramme started the season in a NIMBUS 3D with a 1000 from Bitterwasser.[134 km./h]
In Bitterwasser all 8 containers arrived. Already on November 1, they started for the first week AND for the first time with FLYING -WITH –THE- CHAMPIONS from Bitterwasser.Ludwig and Wolfgang , this year together with Dieter Schwenk , planned their first week from November 1 till 7 and the 2d week from November 8 till 14.Mind you there is a new AIRSPACE file available.
” The Namibian Airspace for Gliding Season is confirmed and we are happy that it is once again bigger.
More to the West to Direction Namib for Class G until FL195.
Details you get at the Initial Briefing at Bitterwasser.”
They started last Sunday.
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COROWA-season.
As shared on their site;http://www.australian-soaring-corowa.com/
The first guests have arrived in Australia as well. The gliders in Corowa, went smoothly , as always, through quarantine on the 27th of October and CIRRUS AG was the first OUT. Would it be the first in Narromine’s JWGC as well?
Pepe had his first flight for this season in his ASH 31/21 m. on the 29th, and straight away had a ” bon dia”;433 km.
I don’t know how many years Pepe has traveled to Australia, but he did so in the past flying with us already and he still does. Maybe 20 years, maybe even more??? Have to check with him.
Also Berry Fennis from the Amsterdamsche is back in Corowa and tested all instruments during a 352 km. flight in the DG 808B/18 m.
Good old Anders who flew with us as well, has arrived as the 2d long-time-Australia-customer and will fly his ASW 22 ‘QL’ .
The COROWA -season has started NOW!!!!
And it will be busy from now on too, with the Dutch juniors practicing for the JWGC there and after they have flown, some other pilots fly their gliders from Corowa during the rest of the season.
Annemiek , our female participant has already arrived there and made her first flight from Corowa. She flew before in Australia.
Anders helping with one of the Dutch gliders.
As shared on the site.
Charles Day from Benalla flew in the Kestrel 17 m. ;615 km. on a nice Cumulus-day and from Tocumwal Terry Ryan , flew his 2d 500 km.; 590 this time in his ASH 26E.
And ,..young Niklas Soll flew at Toc. his very first SOLO flight on his 15th birthday. Good on him. Happy birthday and congratulations to the solo, Niklas.
With chief pilot Eddie and his dad Stefan.As shared by Eddie Madden.
Young German pilot Simon Briel is still practicing in Narromine for the JWGC and flew nearly 500 k.;495 in the LS8. One day earlier he flew 547 km.topping that day the worldwide OLC.
Mac drove to Corowa and arrived back one day later in Narromine. He picked up an ASG 29 and with some strong lift he raced over the 478 km. One of the owners , Francesco, tested the brand new ASH 31MI/21 m..
Flying over Corowa as shared on the Corowa site.
courtesy Annemiek Koers.
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Not long ago he was in Germany , talking at the OLC day about his long-distance-wave -flights, this week Jim Payne added a long ferry/commute flight from Minden to Rosamond; 1.623.2 km. Wave up to 0ver 6000 m. MSL. The ARCUS M is a great glider for such an occasion.Speed ;161.2 km./h. Not bad???!!!So November started with a good distance on the OLC for day 1.
November 3 was not bad either. You had to be in France , to be precisely in St Gaudens. Robert Pratt flew 1.150 km. with a speed of 130 km./h. And Carl Audissou flew in the DG 600/18m. a distance of 1.073 km. His 2d great flight from St Gaudens. On the 27th of October he just flew over 1000 k as well.
Wave available this time, up to nearly 6000 m MSL.
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The AUSSIE JUNIOR TEAM.
The boys and girls ready to go for it in their home country, with TC Mandy and coach Butch.
4 of the youngster fly the Lake Keepit Nationals next week as well. Good practice!!!
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More news from Australia.
The 2 Seat Nationals are on again in Narromine from 14 – 21 February 2016. It’s already the 5th time that Narromine is the host.
Practice on the 14th , start of comps on the 15th.
The comp site is now up and online entries are open. Grab your 2 Seater and get going! If you don’t have a two seater go rent one from your club, Narromine has 2 x Duo Discus for hire to approved pilots.
http://www.narromineglidingclub.com.au/NarromineTwoSeat/2016%20TwoSeat%20Nats.html
It is going to be a good comp with some serious players driving the two seaters. So far we have Two Duo’s from Hunter Valley, a Duo from Lake Keepit, another Duo from Kingaroy, a DG1000 from Southern Cross in Sydney, a Nimbus 3DM and maybe even an ASG32 from somewhere secret.
We have a comps Facebook page which will also have regular updates withn ews and information from now and throughout the comp.
Don’t wait, register now!
Have fun, ROSS
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In the past when I lived in Australia I got more and more interested in the MELBOURNE CUP; the race that stops the nation. It was yesterday , the first Tuesday in November and a lot of my friends will have been be glued to the TV to see with glasses full of champagne , how the “poor” horses are racing to be the first over the line, making their owners “crazy from happiness”. For one day they are in the spotlight, so is the horse and the jockey.One of the biggest days as in sport and social happening in Australia.
BUT,there is “the other side” as well. I read that in ONE year 127 horses died during races ,THAT IS TOO MUCH, so I have to change my mind about horse races. I always felt sorry for the horses ,but loved the CUP RACING ADRENALINE, it remains special,…but knowing all of this, NO adrenaline anymore!!!!
By the way the less favorite horse, Prince of Penzance won this time , I believe the 154 d version, with a female jockey Michelle Payne, the first ever girl to win.
The other site seen through the eyes of Animals Australia;
” Today, as the crowds cheered and the champagne flowed, Melbourne Cup favorite Admire Rakti collapsed and died in his stall from a suspected massive heart attack or internal bleeding. Later in the day, another horse Araldo was euthanised after becoming frightened and crashing through a gate, shattering a bone in his leg.”
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The last GLIDING INTERNATIONAL for 2015 arrived and I started reading straight away.
Just to let you know what you can expect;
—First the FULL story by Aldo Cernezzi about the Versvs from Stefano Ghiorzo.VERY interesting!
—The German Nationals for 2-seaters,….. through the eyes of Markus Geisen.
—The unique setting from the FAI Conference at the SS Rotterdam, an old steamship from the Holland America Line.
—Elke Fuglsang-Petersen writes what to do after getting your license.How they do cross-country training in Germany.
—Instrument news…the latest!
—Looking back on the 43d Vintage Gliding Club Ralley in Holland at Terlet. Next year in Finland.
—In my report you can see the answers I got from Morgan and Tony , both participants at the WGC in Popcuinai, about why we should have a 13.5 m. class and if it is true that these gliders are too expensive for their performance!!??
—“Stop the drone panic” is a modern/global story by Miles Hynde.
— Jim Payne writes as chief pilot about the Perlan Project; Testing begins,…
—What about scrubbing the worst day of your competition???
—Global warming….
—LOTUS,….a helicopter, electric plane or motor glider????
—Looking back at the Grand Prix Final in Varese with 2 French toppers.
—The average age of the gliding population and MUCH more!!!
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To finish a
GREAT PICTURE SHARED BY SCHEMPP HIRTH.[Bernd Weber]
ARCUS x 200!!!!!!!
What a mile stone!!!!
CheersRitz
CU next Week.