Alphen aan den Rijn Saturday 14-02-2009
With still 12 big fires burning, the firebrigade in OZ deserves for each fire fighter a medal. One of the agg-pilots I know is flying 6 hours a day to help distinguish the fires from above with water bombers. On the news here is , that the weather at this stage helps the fire brigade as temperatures are 20 dgr. less ,the wind decreased and some rain falls, not much but all water helps…..
On the other hand I also heard , that temperatures are going to rise again, with the wind picking up and the expectation of thunderstorms, where lightning can bring new fires. Unfortunately it seems to be ,not over yet.
As one of my friends wrote; ” I think that we will all be touched in some way by this disaster.”
At this moment , I hear, they fear for 300 people dead and 2000 houses lost!!! I don’t even want to know anymore, how many animals have been killed too. It is all too sad for words, but ….if you wish or not, life continues…..
The Horsham week is on, so pilots have gone to more or less the last competition of the OZ season. Horsham , NW of Melbourne, always has a very friendly finish of the gliding season with nice tasks, friendly people , more or less the sub top , plus some toppers, no stress to win , just relax and fly , enjoy your friends and the good food they are well-known for.
On google earth I found a site to check where the fires are and this site is updated by the fire brigade. On it I saw also fires south west of Horsham, but pilots are busy with day 5 , so they seem to have no problems ,also not with the smoke, which in some areas sometimes only gave 2 km. of visibility.
The season in Africa was already over , now the season in OZ is over too, though I know from experience that you can fly great flights with good to fantastic conditions till Easter.
The Corowa pilots have packed their gliders in the containers and one of these days they will be shipped back to Holland, just in time for their owners to start with the European season.
Today is such a nice day. At 10 AM it was blue and very sunny , though cold with 3 dgr. but I got some tan. At noon…. great clouds and high …and at 2 some overcast , but it looks and smells like “things are going to happen again”. The first motor glider flew over my house!!!
New soaring-guests however still visit Australia, as I heard that longtime Sportavia guests Jochen and Hans arrived for some good soaring in Tocumwal at Sportaviation. They had a good season , which pleases me. Also Benalla picked up so did Narromine. Great!
Best of course was Corowa and specially January made their season.Lots of long cross country flights, also from my friends Daan , Harry, Vincent and Pepe , made them as airfield pass the 500.000 km. mark which is fabulous!
In Europe preparations for the JWGC in Finland are in full swing . At this stage 36 prelimenary entrees have been received in standard class and 42 in club class with 18 different nations participating!!!!The comps will be flown from the 24th of June till the 3d of July, unofficial training on the 21st of June and official on the 22d and 23d of 2009!
SORRY …I just lost ALL statistics I evaluated ” checking the OLC.” I start again but it will be shorter now!And ….just take it please, for what it is worth, as some pilots can stay 4 months overseas, “using ” the bad, good and hammerweather- days and some have to fly in a shorter time -their holiday-, so it is all a bit “coloured”.But still…..very good results!!!!
First the REAL flying , which of course is the OLC-FAI;
Champion–Mannie Mc Lauchlan from South Africa , flying his ASG 29 from mainly Gariep Dam and Welkom [ SA Nationals].Great effort , good pilot! I met him in Eskilstuna during the WGC, but do not really know him. Anyhow…congratulations Mannie!!
The best FAI flight is made by “mate” Terry Cubley in his “old” LS 3 from Gawler. What an effort! 1043 km. with a speed of 114 km/h.
I know Terry and his wife Vicky,since 1984 when we met first in Rieti during the pre-worlds. Before I knew him , he was already “great” in soaring, he still is and we talk 30 years later.And…he still flies world comps , he was in Rieti last year and….WHEN Narromine would win the bid for the 2012 comps, for sure he will be there again, flying in his home -country!!!!
Looking at all the flights; the best this season are made by Hans Wiesenthal , both in FAI -OLC or OLC.
He flew the unbelievable amount of 33.235.13 km. in 43 flights from Gariep Dam in South Africa.
If you look at the FAI-OLC only, he flew over 9000 km. more then the runner up , who had “only” 5 flights less. Yes ,..Hans stayed for a few months in Gariep Dam, but…he is 70 years ‘young’ now and this season with the many hot days, he had to fly nearly every day, a great effort and you really have to be fit then. Luckily he is!!His wife Ute is his very devoted crew, for many, many years.Well I think everybody agrees ,he truly deserves to be the number 1 pilot from the best flights for the 2008/2009 season.
Of course the very long flight from Klaus Ohlmann, made him the champion of the OLC with the best flight too. You know how I think over these kind of flights, but…..flying 1806 km. in a DG 400 , makes it very special again!
The best club was the Gliding club of Victoria [Benalla] and it pleases me a lot that Benalla is “hot” again. They hosted the State comps and the Nationals, both flown in great weather and with a good organization. Many pilots , I heard, had the old-Benalla feeling again.
Last but not least Corowa managed to fly a fantastic record of over 500.000 km. cross country in 879 flights . Cool!!!!!Their concept of shipping the pilot ‘s OWN glider in a very safe way, for 3 months to Australia, is a great success. Lot’s of our Sportavia guests have moved to Corowa ,after the demise of Sportavia and it pleases me a lot , that I hear every year better stories of their soaring holiday.I can only say, job welldone and congratulations to Grietje [with 2 small children!!!! ]and Francesco with their team.
cheers Ritz