Not a lot happening this time of the year. The gliders are “travelling” to their overseas destinations, some even have arrived already in Africa.

In between we got to know a lot about the drought, not only bad in Australia, but also in several parts of Africa, whilst others, as South Sudan, suffer from flooding. A huge problem…this weather…the climate change!!!!

Of course I heard over the more than 30 years that I have been in Tocumwal, stories about the good and bad years. We even did not see some of the farmers in the drought period , for a flight, as they just had no money. Other years they arrived with a big smile in a brand new car.
A farmers life can be hell!!!To see your animals suffer, or see your crop getting more and more yellow, is devastating!!!

The worst thing , also in the in the Tocumwal area, is that there is water, the Murray is full, but due to allocation-rules it can not be “given” to the farmers ……TOO CRAZY for words!!!!
The TV station 7 News shared an item which was shared by my Toc friends and I share it with you.
“It’s been dubbed one of the biggest scandals of the big dry: While desperate farmers hit breaking point, 7NEWS can reveal part of the Murray River is overflowing and flooding a forest in the south as water flows out of the state.
The waste mandatory under the Murray-Darling Agreement.”

In the end a lot more will suffer, when there will be no milk, no meat no rice or barley. Businesses will close, job’s will be lost it’s all TOO SAD FOR WORDS.

Pilots going to Tocumwal, Corowa and Narromine and other soaring destinations ,will see this tragedy as well,…may I suggest to buy locally!!!!!

” The drought is overwhelmingly unrelenting and tough at the moment, especially for our Central NSW farmers. The worst in living history and things don’t look good weather wise over the next few month with the summer heat now. We did not get RAIN!”
At the picture the area close to Narromine.

The outlook for the weather between November and February looks pretty good for soaring but again devastating for the farmers, according to the Bureau of Meteorology on October 17 .
“Australia has recorded its driest January to September since 1965. So, what’s driving our climate at the moment?
A very strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole continues. This means high pressures, with dry and warm weather, is likely to be a dominant feature of Australia’s climate for much of the rest of the year. Find out more in our Climate and Water Outlook: http://ow.ly/B5Hu50wNhos

All kind of short interesting news;
FRANCE;
The French teams for the 2020 WGC’s have been announced and “strong” teams they have!!!
For the 36th WGC at Stendal from July 19 till July 31 in 2020;
open; Éric BERNARD / Philippe DE PECHY
18 m; Christophe ABADIE / Sylvain GERBAUD
20 m; Louis BOUDERLIQUE / Maxence STAWSKI

For the 36th WGC at Chalons en Champagne from August 8 till 22 in 2020;
15 m. ; Jean-Denis BARROIS / Maximilian SEIS
standard; Méric MOREL / Benjamin NEGLAIS
club; Antoine HAVET / Adrien HENRY
For them it is a “home -WGC”.
There are 7 replacement-pilots if necessary ,2 of them are girls!!!!!

SOUTH AFRICA;
Jonker Sailplanes announce their JS 4!!!
” The JS4 is setting a new standard in every way with a 5^th generation winglet design, an optimized low drag fuselage, a high wing configuration for improved climb performance and wing airfoils designed with new optimization algorithms which includes cross-country models. The JS4 will be available with the jet sustainer system as well as the new electric self-launch motor option which retracts into the fuselage for low-drag ultimate performance. “

And more news from South Africa, Potchefstroom in particular. Oscar was already runner up during the 15m nationals there, now, on October 19 he flew a 1.071,1 km distance with a speed of 161.8 km./h. / 1.051,8 km FAI triangle with a speed of 159.8 km./h.
In a 15 m. JS 3 conversion!!!! Must be a new record!!! A world record???????
A bit later Oscar’s news:” Did n’t know the 15m class had their own records.
So yesterday’s flight was a world, African and SA record. Previous record was 149.06, new record is 166.96 kmh ‘
Great start of the season!!!!
An out and return, also from Potch, by “our” former Tocumwal guest Uwe Thiele from 939 km. is worth mentioning too in a DG 808 B/18 m.
686 km./ 566 triangle in a St Cirrus by Jasom Adriaan is a great start of the season too!!!
It’s all happening again the 2019/2020 season is on!!!!

AUSTRALIA;
” Qantas‘ world first non-stop flight from New York to Sydney has successfully landed after 19 hours in the air! “
Last Sunday!! Big achievement.
16.200 km in time 19 hours and 16 minutes. That’s a big sit ,even in a Boeing 787-9 Dream liner.
Goal was to check how crew and passengers ,40 in total and 10 crew, would react on such a long trip , to see if it would be interesting in the future to start such huge operations.
Qantas has already direct flight’s between London and Perth in the West of Australia.

Good early spring /autumn OLC flights.
Max Stevens flew in NZ a distance of 646 km in his Ventus 2C/18m. from Wellington and Allan Barnes , down under, in an LS 8 533 km. from Lake Keepit .
The Alps were good last Sunday when a 1.104 km. was flown from Kufstein in Austria in an ASH 26E by German pilot Phillip Stahl. Wave was up to 6128 m. MSL/3168 m. AGL.

Not a lot to add. Next week 2 hospital visits and when I get the OK , I hope to be able to travel later in the month, when I still can find a ticket, to Tocumwal.

Cheers Ritz