—–Back on track with the regular blogs from now on again and,….looking at a pretty white world. Horrible weather with thunderstorm, strong wind, big hail stones and wet snow, which disappears today as quickly as it drops, but the expectation for tomorrow is snow everywhere and it STAYS.
Our hot family holiday was exciting , healing and awesome, so I guess this tells you we had more than fun.
—–My flight back home was uneventful, which is what you like whilst flying . The 777 and the Boeing 787 on the way home, are comfortable planes.
—–Of course I looked back at what happened over the last couple of weeks and a few flights were really remarkable
First of all the claim for a new world record flown from Potchefstroom on January 6 .
4 South African pilots , Oscar, Pieter, Attie and Uys ,each in a JS 3, declared a 1.250 FAI triangle and Pieter, flew it with a speed of 166 km./h. which was not done before; a WORLD RECORD over this triangle and it “smashed” the old one with more than 15 km./h..
The boy’s flew OVER 1.300 km .Attie 1.259,53 km.
All 4 flew the OLC distance with a speed of over 153 km./h.
Congratulations to these friends!!!!
As shared by Bertus Le Roux. Absolutely love the African language!!!
It’s an extremely good season which means many happy pilots. I resume again..
On December 25 my friends Karin and Marcus flew in the ARCUS M from Worcester a yo-yo flight from 1.259 km. with a speed of 157 km./h.
On December 27 the Kiwi-friends Dane and John flew from Bitterwasser a declared 1.250 Fai triangle with a speed of 140 km./h.
On December 30, Keith Essex flew in the ANTARES 23 a distance of 1.358 km [1000 FAI triangle] He gave up on his declared task.
On January 13 Max Leenders from the Netherlands flew the JS3 in 18 m. version over a declared 1.250 FAI triangle from Douglas Backhouse!!! Speed133.km./h. Good on him, congratulations!!
Jonker Sailplanes reacted on the flight from Max;
“Max Leenders, one of the Netherlands’ top pilots showed today why he such a great record flying pilot.
Max completed a 1250 km task in conditions less optimal for big tasks. The day started very slowly – his first leg of 464 km took him 4hrs 22 mins, with average climbs below 2m/s.
Max never gave.up, completing the 1250 FAI triangular task 5 hrs after reaching the 1st turnpoint! Amazing what can be achieved with only 2.5m/s climbs..
This is only the 5th 1250 km FAI declared task completed this year. And all in the JS3.,,, makes you think! Well done Max!”
My Lasham friend Roy set a 1.270 km FAI triangle but the weather spoiled his plan. He still flew 1.178 km.in the 20 m. Antares from Bitterwasser.
The day before he flew with Chris Starkey in the ARCUSM an 1.100km FAI triangle declared and completed.
” Another stunning Namibia day with Chris Starkey in the Arcus M.
We declared and completed an 1100km triangle @ 149kph then extended after the finish to make 1.212km OLC distance.”
Roy had a fabulous time with his Lasham mates;
“The sixth ‘holiday of a lifetime’ is over.
13 possible flying days, 12 days flying, 88 hours of flying, 11,424km. Average flight 952km @ 129.8 kph,” GREAT EFFORT!!!!
On the same day Tobias Welsch set an even bigger triangle but also his plan was disturbed by showers. He still flew in the ARCUS M a distance of 1.364 km!!!!
The weather in Namibia holds on, though the showers start to win terrain, but there are still many 1000 km. flights .It’s an unbelievable and long season there. Also South Africa was blessed with SUPER -weather during this season!!!!
Picture shared by Roy; “But a few showers on the homeward leg were not a problem.”
On January 15 Worcester had 5x a 1000 km with as Sven mentioned;
“ridge – thermal (4m/s from 2500ft msl to 7500ft 
final glide onto Klawer ridge – down to 1500ft from 7500ft – weak ridge in the east – drop water and scrape away connect thermal wave to 8000ft to make it back to Kleinfontein and Worcester.”
–—-With 7 out of 8 days the 56 Campeonato Nacional y 13 Andes Open, was flown from Municipal de Vitacura in Chile between January 2 and 10. Sebastian Kawa won the comps in a JS1 C with 5.929 points.
Runner up was Rene Vidal with 5.899 points in a Ventus 3T.
Several European pilots flew in Chile during these Nationals, as practice for the FINAL OF THE SGP.
As shared by Sebastian on FB.
—–Straight after the Nationals on January 14 the SGP WORLD FINAL started in Chile as well. First with 3 practice day’s from which the last one was cancelled ,as the weather was not strong enough.
During practice one of the German pilots had a lucky escape after he crashed his JS 1 on a mountain. He was OK,… the glider a mess.
” We are delighted that Klaus is ok and recovering, probably partly due to the safety cockpit structure of his JS1 sailplane and the bushy area he hard landed in.”
There is a video from the recovery of the plane by an helicopter on You Tube.[ sgp.aero]
7 Days are scheduled for all the toppers, winners from qualifying GP’s in different parts of the world.
Race1; was won by young German Pilot Sebastian Naegel. He received the 10 points flying over 266 km. with a speed of 143.8 km./h in the Ventus 3 T.
“A real race “foot on the floor”, as Brian said in his competition comment. Sebastian had wave [2100 m.] before the start and departed at the maximum altitude!!
Werner Aman from Austria was just a tad slower with 143.4 km./h and Sebastian Kawa was on spot 3 with 139.6 km./h.
The next day was cancelled.
Race 2; 305 km. and a scoring speed from 144.7 km./h…..and again young Sebastian was the fastest. Good on him!!!
Just a tad slower was the “other” Sebastian [JS 1C] ; 144.5 km./h. and German pilot Mario Kiessling was 3d flying a Ventus 3 T.
6x A Ventus 3 in this final Grand Prix and 3 other Schemmp-Hirth gliders.
So a total of 20 points now for Sebastian N. and 15 for Sebastian K. 14 For Werner, who was 4th with 142.6 km./h.
More next week.
As shared by the organizers at www.sgp.aero
—–The 56 th Australian Nationals In Waikirie continue till the 19th . Not the very best weather and till now 2 cancelled day’s and one task scrubbed.
Task 3 was long and created problems for many. In open 488 was set and 1 from 8 finished.
In 18 m. it was 480 and 2 from 14 finished, one of them Norm in his brand new JS 3.
15 m. Had a 488 as well and NOBODY finished though Stephen O’ Donnell and Brian Hayhow managed to fly 433 km. still receiving 1000 and 999 points.
St class with 426 km. had Lisa Trotter as winner and with her 2 more pilots finished from 14.
A tough day special for the scores of some.
Then 2 day’s off and 2 day’s of flying with hotter , higher [5000 ft.] and blue conditions with between 300 and 400 km. tasks.
Yesterday and today flights up to over 500 km.
TODAY;
St class…475 km and Don Woodward won the day in his ASW 24.His 3d daily win and he leads at this stage this class with 5.668 points. the Runner up James Nugent has 5.244 and not far behind young James, is Peter Trotter who is “an old hand” in the Aussie soaring scene.[5.201]
15 m class ; 475 km. and the daily win was for Danish pilot Bjoern Rechinger. Stephen, who was in the unlucky mid-air at the Benalla WGC was runner up but leads the group with 5.754.
No idea if all these O’ Donnell’s are family but there are 5 in this class!!!!!
18 m.; 517 km for the 10 starting pilots in this class and Norm in his brand new JS 3 won the day. After he arrived back from an intercontinental flight, Norm who is an airline pilot, had only one or 2 days I heard, to sit in the new glider look at it and,…off he went.
Peter Temple another “old hand ” in Aussie competition soaring is at this stage leading the class with 5.612 points with Norm as runner up with 5.401 points. Adam is 3d; 5.115
Open; 517 as well and winner was Scott in his ASH 25. Diana did well, she flew the distance and finished too. Scott leads this class with 5.685 points and runner up is Andrew in the JS 1C./21 m.[4.918]
More next week.
—–The 64 th Argentinian Nationals are flown as well between January 15 and 26 from Chaves with 70 pilots, in 2 classes; 36 in the combined st. class and 34 in the combined 15m/open class.
Not the best weather yet, but it will surely improve. They started with 2 hour AAT’s ,
More next week.
That’s all for now still a bit wobbly on the legs due to jet lag.
Cheers Ritz