Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday October 10 10-10-’10 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Wow, we have just the perfect autumn weather here. Still up to 22 dgr. yesterday, but slowly going back now to 17/15 , but no worries it will be dry and sunny and maybe … frost at the ground in the night!!!
What’s happening more. We have a new government, at-least it looks like we have. About time. Not the most favourite combination, the Liberals and Social democrats with 12 ministers , with… allowance-support from the party for freedom [read -against islam- so very right-wing!] But let’s see what happens and give them a chance. Both the liberals and democrats should be able to keep the freedom party in a “healthy”grip.
Further on Holland was shocked by the suicide of one of their dear very charismatic actor’s/singers, who started as a soap actor 20 years ago. Only 44 years old was Antonie Kamerling and EVERYBODY knows/knew him. It seems he was depressed. How that is possible with such a lovely wife , great gorgeous looking kids and an outstanding career, will remain a guess for all of us , except for the ones who were close to him. RIP.
Dalby -pilots had their 3d day at least standard and 15 m. class had, with small AAT’s with a time frame of 2 hours. The window was small due to expected showers and storms.
Alan Barnes well-known- Aussie -kilometer-eater won the day with 161 km in exact 2 hours, being 2d overall after 3 days and only 7 points behind number 1;Dave Shorter.
In 15 m. class it was the family Trotter who did well. Peter [LS 8]won the day in 2 .08 and with 187 km. His wife Lisa [ASW 20] who started 45 minutes earlier then Peter was 3d and Miles in the middle! The decision at what time to start was important that day!
After 3 days the same order in the overall scores as in the the day3 scores.
No flying on Friday! SOOOOO much rain fell that it might take a few days to dry out. I hear some pilots have left already as they expect it will be all over. Not good, as we talk Australian Nationals mate and…the comps only finish on the 15th!
Yesterday …no flying but it was a dry day with heavy overcast and the wind helped to reduce the water from the tie-down area ,which looked like a lake. Over the last time, the whole flying area, has had lot’s of rain, so it is wet everywhere. The bad thing is that the expectations are not too good and certainly not for the last day, Friday. Let’s hope, wait and see, as they need 4 days to call it a valid competition!
Benalla in the South of Australia on the contrary, had good spring weather with great clouds and a nice 408 km thermal flight in an LS 4. Also Tocumwal and Corowa had super-looking-skies and in the West at Adelaide they had already fun as well with soaring.
It seems, India is going to buy 250 up to 300 very advanced Russian fighter jets. The Russian company Soechoi is going to co-operate with the Indian business Hindustan Areonautic in developping and producing the new planes. On top of that they are going to co-operate in building a new transport- plane and 45 will be going to India. Lot’s of money involved; at least 21.5 milliard for the first order.
Slowly Africa is waking up from their wintersleep. In SA, from Potchefstroom , 2 pilots and very well known ones, Mannie and Oscar, flew yesterday just over and just under 600 km in ASG 29 and JS1 Revelation, with a speed of 116 and 119 km/h. On October 2 several nice 400/500 km. flights were flown as well.
The continuing story of the crime passionel in Belgium;in court this week the parachutist S. and he was very clear ; he thinks that his second lover ,killed his lover number 1 by cutting her straps/belts of the parachute.In 2 weeks we will know if this lady E did it out of jealousy, yes or no. The parachutist feels VERY guilty, so he should! What a mess!!!
Then there is out of the blue , on Thursday, only 1 day later, a letter with the anonymous accusation , that the parachutist S. , who by the way is Dutch… has done it. The story the court got was, that S. was drunk ,when he told this to somebody else.
The husband of the lady who died was in court as well and he thinks lady E did it , as she behaved very weird after the accident and at the funeral. But no prove yet that she did it , only words. Will be continued as more investigations will follow! When it was not SO sad, it would be good/interesting entertainment!
Though I do not know the 40 year old pilot living around the corner here, I was very sad about the fatal accident he had last weekend and the funeral last Friday. Maurice happily drove his motor bike , but a drunken [ 4 times more then allowed!!!] 64 year old lady drove for a moment on the wrong site of the road , killing him. She might be accused of an attempt of murder, but the grieving widow and his family ,” do not buy anything for that. ” Bikies from all over Holland , visited the funeral.
Maurice was in the past a member of the 312 squadron and nowadays a KLM City Hopper pilot, flying the Fokker 50 since 2005. May he rest in peace!!!
By the way, the Dutch Antilles DO NOT EXIST ANYMORE from today on ;10-10- 2010 at 6.00 !!! Aruba , Curacao and St. Maarten have the status- aparte [independent] and St Eustastia, Saba and Bonaire belong to Holland as a special province . I lived for nearly 2 years on the isle of Curacao and it was happy/relaxed living over there. Hope it all works out well. In the past all 6 were part of our kingdom.
VERY pleased to see that the 33 miners in Chile are nearly free now!!! Sitting in a dark small hole since August 5 is not a nice way of spending your time, but luckily the rescuers found signs of life on August 22 and since then they worked hard to free them. Tomorrow might be their day , a day of breathing normal again ,but …..with dark glasses to protect their eyes!!!It will be an awesome day for the miners and their family and friends.
Ritz