Post 1.442 on Sunday August 20 2023

Every year I try to visit that great airfield, not far from where I live, just over the border in Belgium The Keiheuvel. The kindest people and always a top atmosphere. I visit them since the 70thies.
That was obvious as more pilots than the 50 allowed wanted to enter .
On Saturday the “nice” weather just started too late for the comps. Some flew but the base was low after rain in the morning. But 2 former JWGC pilots, Robin from The Netherlands and Jeroen from Belgium [Keiheuvel] had a nice flight, but indeed the base was too low to send all 53 up.
The BBQ in the evening was busy and most of them had their tent/caravan at the camping area along side the club house, so if necessary crews could “roll “home.

On Sunday my brother and I arrived early at the field. Briefing was postponed to 10.30, so time enough to catch up with “mates”.

So many pilots that the tables , normally in this briefingroom did n’t fit in.

Party time first as CD Robbie celebrated his birthday with lots of pies for every body who wanted. The happy birthday song was loud.

Tasks were presented, gliders without a transponder cannot fly in The Netherlands so they stayed in Belgium, the other ones flew trough Belgium and The Netherlands .
3 classes; friendly with 13 pilots/teams and 142 km , Sportclass XPDR with 16 pilots had to go 250 km and open XPDR [ 23 pilots/teams] with 300 km.

Waiting at the field before start means time to catch up. This is Tim Huybreckx and Tijl Schmelzer, local pilots. Certainly when it’s still VERY BLUE!!! Tijl flew and was 9th in open his dad Bert sr was on 8.

First starts would be around 12, but it stayed very blue for a while, so it was waiting till 12.45. Clouds had popped up everywhere and the first gliders were in no time over 1200 m.
In between 5 tugs were ready to help all pilots quickly up in the air . I noticed the Keiheuvel Scout , flown by Pieter, a Husky, a Robin and a Pawney, the other one I missed.

It felt for a moment like in Australia; hot and bothered. 35 dgr.C, no wind but great clouds, more and more .

“Little” Leon , not so little anymore ,son from Gitte and Jeff , 11 already, was going to fly with uncle Eddy [Huybreckx] in the backseat. His first competition and he was pleased and proud. So he should….In a few years we will see him flying by himself!! Years ago this happened with ‘Little’ Jeroen, who flew over the last years the JWGC .

And a lot of young Dutch pilots , from several clubs were having fun under a wing , to have at least a bit of shade ,whilst waiting for their start. Some fly in 2-seaters as team Jelmer Vis/ Faber, team Robin Smit/Kyra Versteege, Team Robbie Seton & Klunder Nijland and Team  Aldridge & Sietske Bakker.
Jelmer, Robin and Robbie ALL flew JWGC’s in the past.

I walked back from the field to the club house for a cool drink before having lunch in The KEI, the restaurant from Chrisje and Rudy [Jeroens parents] . I was a bit unlucky as the door handle of the toilet in the clubhouse , was on the ground and NOT on/in the door.
For 15 minutes I was locked in making noise ,banging with that loose door handle on the door. As it was hot there , I shouted out loud too to get somebody’s attention and indeed after 15 minutes the kind lady of the bar opened the door and led me out. I was very grateful.

No worries,… on my way to the restaurant I noticed still the last gliders behind the tugs. AND, high circling other gliders in the air. But it was also time to go home again. So I had to miss the finishes, which is a pity but I knew that I could see the results on www.soaringspot.com.
A glorious soaring day, BUT let’s wait if that shows in the results.

The prize giving would be at 7 PM. Don’t know if that still happened .
In the end the day was not that glorious as several pilots out-landed.
But here are the PRELIMINARY scores from the Keiheuvel Cup.

Friendly class; 142.02 km …..was won by Eddy Huybreckx and his 11 year old nephew Leon [See picture above] GREAT result for both!!!! Together they must have got EXTRA wings. Anyhow as a local , Eddy started last [about 25 minutes later]and passed them all to be back after 1 hour and 56 minutes;speed 73.35 km./h. 2 KA6 E gliders started and finished together and both were runner up!
In the end 9 started and 6 finished.

Sport class with transponder; 250.88 km…… Dutch pilot Roelof Corporaal, who just won Bailleau, won the Keiheuvel Cup as well. In his LS 7 he flew with a speed of 94.18 km./h. Good on him.
Runner up Robin Selfslagh [B] with 791 points and Tim Kremers [Neth] was 3d
15 started and 6 were out.

Open class with transponder; 300 km.…Team  Bielen & Snyers in an ARCUS won the day with a speed of 93.29 km./h . They “got” 1000 points and 995 points were for Robin and Kyra in the Duo Discus XLT.
From 22 only 10 finished.

Another HOT, but very nice visit to many of my Belgium mates at Keiheuvel Airport. It was interesting to see that more Belgian pilots attend this competition nowadays. In the past it was about half Dutch now there were only 9!
SO…..another ‘Keiheuvel SPECIAL’.
AND…..Where would we be without the tuggies;

EXTRA NOTE:AND,……a bit more about the KEIHEUVEL; I asked last Sunday how many times this Keiheuvel CUP has been flown. At that stage they did not know. Bert Schmelzer sr. investigated this matter together with Stijn Jansen, who was for many years the CD of this “CUP” and the first one was in 2007. Before they had a full week. I remember as both Dennis and George flew there ,as well as Gerrit Kurstjens and Kees Musters. That was before 1987 as Kees and Dennis passed away in December 1987 and January 1988.
So there is a LONG history of flying at the Keiheuvel.
En passant Bert sr mentioned that in 2007 his son Bert jr. got the ” Albert Schmelzer junior Trophy “…a memory on his dad . The award was handed over to Bert jr. by his grand ma . In 2014 Bert jr became WORLD CHAMPION in standard class in Rayskala .
AND..during “the 8 days” in 2002 it was the new CD Robbie Seton, who got that prize .
As said before, there is a huge history at Keiheuvel, on the Schmelzer and Huybreckx familiesas well.
CU on Wednesday again.

Cheers Ritz