Saturday December 9 2016.

Just back from Benalla. The tuggies have done their job, pilots were up in the air starting from 12.45 onward , for a hopefully better day than yesterday, so we could go home again, as Dieter prefers to drive home during the day.Will be back there on Friday for the last day, taking my laptop to keep you informed.

Today we were right on time to attend the briefing and it was “cool”  to catch up with a lot of international pilots practicing in Benalla now for next year. AND..the Aussie pilots who have to qualify for the BENALLA WGC 2017 , during these 54 Nationals.
The briefing was in a majestic new hall at the field, a bit like the big university hall in Uvalde [Texas].
This however is,  the BENALLA PERFORMING ARTS AND CONVENTION CENTER.

    

Tim Shirley, the CD now, [next year it will be Terry Cubley,] welcomed the pilots ,…. a hall FULL…., with a smile and an excuse for the day from yesterday. It was a difficult day, a real struggle for some, but looking at the amount of out landings it was n’t too bad.

There were safety notes ….landing long and manage your energy….and CD notes.
One was interesting, as when we were there the police arrived and I was wondering if at the field speed would be punished, as some might have thought ,they were on a racing circuit.
It seems that the car park is under normal driving laws. That includes drinking laws , seat belts and talking on phones while driving.

The other one was about a rest day!!! They started with day 4 today and according to the rules they could still  give a rest day next Thursday, when they expect RAIN, even pouring rain.
BUT…as a good CD , Tim looks at the fatigue of pilots as well, so we have to wait and see.

With a max. temperature of 34 dgr. C,… it felt MUCH hotter,….. and an expectation of lift up to first 5000 ft, later 6/7000 and more up north 8000 ft. , NO clouds so very blue again, the pilots were send to their gliders ready at the grid at the far end.
They also got the message that for the upcoming days a weak through is developing.

BUT before leaving  the 77 pilots heard from the winning pilots from day 3, how that all happened.
First the open class was mentioned and with Sylvain Gerbaud from France [Nimbus 3T/24.5 m] as a good 3d, Matt Cage in his ASG 29 on an even better second place, it was Scott Percival/Ingo Renner who were the daily winners in the ASH 25 M!!!.
Ingo only said that he is “ballast” and that it is all Scott’s “fault”, but Scott had other ideas. He brought some kind of tribute to Ingo, who won 19 National titles and 4 world titles.
He invited Ingo to fly with him in his ASH 25 and felt privileged when Ingo said yes, though”  he finds himself TOO OLD NOW” added Scott!!!!
For Scott it is the high light of his flight career.”He still is sharp “,  he said, and it is a pleasure to fly with him.
They both got a standing OVATION !!!!
In open class 15 pilots finished.
Here’s Bruces view on yesterday;
—“What a struggle that was! A tough, blue day where you need all the heating you can get, and we had heavy patches of cirrus passing overhead all day. Thermals ranged between 1 knot and 7 knots, with (for me anyway) a high percentage closer to the bottom end of the scale. It was an AAT of 3 hours duration. I won’t go on about how I flew, but I wasn’t too happy when I got home. All the way to the finish line it was hard work, and I went way too close to outlanding as we came south over the Murray River.
Good news is that the water ballast seal has remained in place. We found a new spare one, and I glued it in, never to move again.
The weather looks to be a little better tomorrow, and then much better Sunday/Monday. Here’s hoping.”—-
Today they went on track with a C task. 369 km. I hope it will be better, Bruce!!!!!

Matt number 2 and his crew Ailsa, who performed so well at the JWGC in Narromine,when she talks about it she still “shines”.

18 m.
In this class yesterday , 2 “girls”  unfortunately out landed, the rest finished.
Peter Temple, won the day with a speed of 109 km./h. That shows it was n’t easy!
416 km. in 3.49 during the 3.30 AAT.
Peter flew mostly by himself and had no reference how good or bad his day was. Sometimes frustrated with the broken thermals, he did well and won the day!!!
Today they fly 389 km.

15 m.
28 from 31 finished in this class. Number 3 was Stephen in the LS 8, number 2 Tobias , a local top pilot, and on spot 1 it was Bryan Hayhow, one of the coaches  from the young Aussies at Narromine’s JWGC.
Bryan told the pilots that in his opinion yesterday was a day,  really suited  for hang glider pilots.He was pleased that Matthew got the gaggle going and Stephen showed him  a great cu with top lift.
Matthew might have less happy he finished on a 12 th daily spot.
Today they have a C task as well. They were the first to be launched.

Trailers lined up.
     

Bruce [Taylor] and David [Jansen ] with their wives and Ian ” NIMBUS” Newman long time …no see.

A happy Austrian pair ; former World Champion Wolfgang with his mate Andreas.
By the way I WAS WRONG!!!!!!! Wolfgang did not fly in Benalla in 1987 , he was too young!!Sorry I was so sure, but it was another Benalla competition.
No worries,…. we are still great friends!!!!

Talking about 1987, I made some pictures and it is nice to see that,  Ib Wienberg,  who arrives soon here in Tocumwal , was one of the Benalla-1987-pilots in 15 m. class. He is on the list below!So is George who flew with our son Dennis in open class.

     

On the way back home the weather in Tocumwal was a bit so-so. Skies not as blue as in Benalla, but more “milky”. Enough willy-willies however along the road at the paddocks. Pilots will pass by and I hope , Toc being about 100 km. more N. …that they reach the 8000 here.
You can follow them at ;LIVETRACK24.COM

By the way there are some interesting tugs there. One is a TRANSAVIA AIRTRUK, a real weird -looking tug ,used as AGG plane and built in Sydney, as I heard from Graham.
He advised me to google it which I did:
—“The Transavia PL-12 Airtruk is a single-engine agricultural aircraft designed and built by the Transavia Corporation in Australia. The Airtruk is a shoulder-wing strut braced sesquiplane of all-metal construction, with the cockpit mounted above a tractor engine and short pod fuselage with rear door. The engine cowling, rear fuselage and top decking are of fibreglass. It has a tricycle undercarriage, the main units of which are carried on stub wings. It has twin tail booms with two unconnected tails. Its first flight was in 22 April 1965, and was certified on 10 February 1966.—“

The other is a yellow ” modified”  Pawnee, and when it passes it does n’t sound like a Pawnee. reason; It has a V 8 car engine and it tows well.

Back to today as some have finished;
In 15 m. the pilots started for a set C- task from 411.39 km.
Adam [Woolley]  is in and seems to have done well. The preliminary scores show a speed of 124 km./h.
Matthew has 117 .07 km./h at this preliminary stage and Norm [Bloch] was just a tad faster.[117.24 km./h]

In open class the 381 km.C- task was flown with a speed of 133.79 km./h. by Ian Craigie, and with that he tops at this stage the preliminary results.

In 18 m. class it’s waiting for the first pilots to arrive from the 389 km long-set- task.There are a 3 in now at 7 PM; Peter Temple, speed 110,68 km.h.
For all scores you can go to www.soaringspot.com

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Interesting things happening here as well in Tocumwal.We celebrated the approval by the GFA from Outback Soaring here in Tocumwal and the new instructors; CFI Simon and level 1 Jeroen.

Diana, George, Simon and Jeroen.

Today Jamie, who worked with us as lamy in the past on tug’s, Dove and Albatross, as well as tuggy before we were here , is back and flies in and out with his nice toy.

      

AND
last but not least!!!!
Mr Du had his first SOLO FLIGHT in the ARCUS M.
3 hours and 51 minutes of pure joy so to see at his face!!!

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cheers Ritz