Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday May 5 2010 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com blog 296
Today we, the Dutch people , celebrate their 65 years of freedom . On May 5 1945 papers were signed which stopped WW II . The day before , so yesterday May 4 we remembered all people who have died in the several wars where we were involved. EVERY year wreaths are laid at the National Monument on the DAM Squire in Amsterdam.
Yesterday was a bit hectic , different then normal, as a “lunatic ” known by police , disturbed the 2 minutes silence by shouting/praying out loud!!! People got scared and panicked , iron fences fell over and 63 people had minor injuries up to broken bones and twisted ankles. The disaster last year on our National day , queens birthday on April 30, is still in all our minds , then , we had another lunatic driving with huge speed trough fences and killing 8 including himself. The noise of the fallen iron fences, created heavy emotions again. The Queen and entourage were quickly brought away but came back , proud and strong to finish the solemnity. 20.000 People visited at the Square and 4 million looked at TV.
The TEAM is ready for the Dutch Nationals called CAE NLS NK. This upcoming weekend everything will be installed and prepared for the comps. We will arrive in a “happy Twente”, as the soccer players from FC Twente became National Champion, for the 2d time in their history, which means playing in the Champions League, which means ….money!!! Must say their party-after was huge and about 70.000 people joined in , and NO hooligans or ringleaders disturbed the festivities which is great. So …we are going to have fun,only the weather has to co-operate. Today is dry but cold 13 dgr. but the weekend shows rain again!!!
for pictures and results; look at www.nkzweefvliegen.nl
As promised I will keep you updated in English as well on this site. The comps start on Wednesday May 13 and go till May 23.
And now…. also my Scandinavian friends are enjoying some nice spring weather. Eskilstuna , where a few years ago the WGC was flown reported a nice flight with good circumstances and I noticed that Robert, who was the WGC director in Eskilstuna, enjoyed himself as well in his ASW 28 e/18m.
Norway and Denmark were also in the air , not to forget that Rayskala was active last Sunday too. They started around half of April with their first good flights , one by top pilot Antti Lehto who flew 543 km on April 14 in a Ventus 2 C /18m..
Antti had another super day last Monday with over 600 km. All perfect practise for the WGC, where he flies in 18 m class in Hungary. Flying in an ASW 20 from Rayskala and also making over 600 km. is not bad either, even when it is a polygon with 5 points all not too far from Rayskala!!!!!! Well done!
More sport……I had a busy weekend looking at TV ! This time snooker!!! Since I saw , many years ago a very young Steven Hendry , playing snooker, I was “into snooker”! For the first time in history an Australian player won the game in the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in the UK. 28 Year old Neil Robertson, kept his act together and created history by winning the world championship, for sure making snooker more popular now down under!!
He defeated 2006 World champion Graeme Dott; 18-13. It was a late night/early morning!
Problems with the “bloody ” volcano from Iceland again, as some airfields in North Ireland and Scotland have been closed due to the turning wind from direction North. More problems in Europe as cold , rain and snow created chaos in the N. of Spain and the S of France. The Pyrenees even had warnings for avalanches, which is “weird” in this time of the year. And talking about problems…Greece got as you know in trouble with their Euro due to the crisis , they are more or less bankrupt. Now Europe will support them, with milliards, but of course they have to “save” , read contribute, as well. Nobody is happy with that as they think THEY did NOT create the financial chaos!! So National strikes ” paralyse ” the country and most flying traffic has been cancelled due to the strike of p.e the air traffic controllers!
“We ” did some soaring as well after last Sunday. Even with all the bad weather in several parts of Europe! Yesterday our runner up during the last EGC , junior pilot Tim Kuijpers, had a fantastic practice flight to “shine ” later in the upcoming Nationals. He normally flies in club class, but “has ” a DG 800S/18 m. for the comps. This practise flight gave him spot one on the OLC; 710 km. all flown within Holland!!!! He loved , as he calls it the “miracle-world of 18 m. flying ” and “liked” the cloud street where he really could speed up.
And maybe even more important….he made some mistakes and learned from them. At his young age he has done a great job already , in flying the JWGC and being 2d at the EGC and I predict him a great future in soaring. As part of a soaring family[5 pilots including mum and dad ] he has ALL the support he needs and…he has the guts and capacities to be one.
Holland did well on the list yesterday with several good flights, out of 20.
I did not even come outside, too cold and too windy!!!
The great weather came with the wind from the North where Rayskala had that super day [ over 600 km. ] on Monday and also Lasham did not bad [over 400 km.] and Dunstable with 742 km yesterday; A nice big flight in an ASH 25/EB28 with top pilot Robin May in the back.
My Australian friends flying on the East coast enjoyed really nice winter- weather with flights up to 562 km.
Enough…though our minister of Traffic is proposing a more efficient European airspace, so that not 27 countries have to meet first to make decisions as over the “Ash cloud”, which takes too long. It means that all those countries have to give a part of their responsability/freedom away and some countries are not happy with the fact that lots of traffic controllers might be sacked. Will be continued…
One more time next Sunday from Alphen and then from good old Twente. CU then.
cheers Ritz