Post 1.474 on December 20 2023

—-Packing containers; preparing to go home for the Overseas teams, is a hell of a job after partying ,so quite a few skipped the party and started packing straight away.

—–RENTED cars have been brought back and cleaned, busy ,busy times for all.

—–Last words from Tony Leah and Peter on this WGC;
“Today we left Narromine and the WGC. One final stop at the blue Heeler coffe shop and we were off to Tocumwal to drop off the Discus. Along the way we even enjoyed the classic Aussie Errol station meat pies.”
Nothing better in the world than in Australia MEAT PIES!!!!
They traveled to the Tocumwal Soaring Centre to bring the glider and trailer back. Via Canberra to see the capital.

——Australia has showed it’s potential for gliding and as you have to strike ,when the iron is hot, Lumpy invites you to his place, our place in the past:
“An awesome Australian gliding experience!
We are based in Tocumwal, 2 1/2 hrs drive north of Melbourne and with some of the best soaring conditions in Australia.
Tocumwal was the home of Sportavia gliding for nearly forty years and I’m sure people will remember the fun times.
Tocumwal Soaring Centre is a commercial operation and operates seven days a week for eight months of year.
We have the biggest fleet of gliders with something to suit every pilot,
4 x LS4’s, Discus B, Ventus B, Ventus 2CXT, Ventus 3M, 2 x Duo Discus, Nimbus 4t and lots more!
Great on site accommodation
Check us out of Facebook page or our website:“
www.tocumwalsoaring.com

——–In the past they had several female tuggies in Tocumwal ,Inge and Diana both flew in Tocumwal as a tuggie, to make hours for their aviation careers.
Lumpy keeps the tradition going and Millie is there now, just fresh young and new as tuggy.
Millie; Yes daughter of Dennis and Kathy and grand daughter of Patsy and Gary!!! An real original Toc /Finley family. When we visited Tocumwal first in the eighties , I walked with founder Bill Riley through the WWII hangar and he introduced me to a young man called Dennis. Dennis was his tuggie for the season and Bill told us “this young man will have a great future as airline pilot. ” And,..he was correct.
He was a “born pilot” .Bill was lucky as he had a few born pilots. He knew how to choose them.
So Dennis was tow pilot , then later also his brother Michael, [Moo for friends]in the same period as Inge. They are still friends. And now there is the 3d generation Millie ,together in Toc with OUR 3d generation , Indya. Both 20 years young! Indya flew in the weekend , the St. Cirrus NS in which Diana flew the WGC .
Lovely to see how families, who know each other for a long time ,from soaring, years and years later enjoy soaring at Toc airfield again via their children/grand children.

…….And then it IS quiet again,in Narromine...back to the normal procedures, but for sure with a good and proud feeling!!!!!

—-Striking when the iron is HOT, that’s important for the Diana 2 as well. With a DIANA 2 winning the standard class in Narromine with Sebastian in it, it’s hot news.
WeGlide had an interview with Avionic, the Polish company behind the successful Diana 2 glider who are now turning to 18m class with the Diana 4, an electric self-launcher.
All to be read on; https://magazine.weglide.org/avionic-polish-gliders…/

—–At home Adam looked at his statistics;
“My Statistics for the WGC with thanks to SeeYou, & the flight map overlay thanks to WeGlide
Over 10 tasks I flew: 4554.1km flown at an average speed of 123.1kph.
I climbed in an average of 5kt climbs for the entire event.
Cruised at an average of 101kts (186.6kph) at 48.5:1.
In sinking air, I averaged 105kts (195kph) & in rising air, I averaged 88kts (164kts).
My usual big deviation style stayed true, I covered an extra 501km, which equals a staggering 11%!!“
Adam Woolley’s Gliding Adventures

——The French team is back in Sydney , don’t have to tell you where. They are all lovely people and Kevin is young enough to be world champion in the future.

——Luckily this gorgeous trophy stays in Australia, with James. Easier to be taking home in a car as a plane.

—–-I missed pictures from the Paul Bennet airshow but I found 3, here you are;

—–-On Sunday I will publish an old story about the war and pilots ,shared and written by Frauke Elber from the USA, who writes for the Women Soaring Pilots Association.
She is WSPA’s editor for the Hangar Soaring newsletters.
Christmas 1944…….unfortunately still actual.

I keep hoping for PEACE ON EARTH too.

Cheers Ritz