Alphen aan den Rijn Wednesday Januari 12 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Last Sunday we finally had a nice day here. It was DRY and we had sunshine , blue skies and…temperatures up to 13 dgr. Days are getting longer as well, …but I do realize winter is not over yet, neither the rain.
A real disaster however in Toowoomba. Got news from Gerrit, who lives in Toowoomba with his wife Pam and both just finished flying in South Australia at Waikirie , but cannot go home due to this “flash flooding”, as they call it in Toowoomba. Even worse; a mini-inland- tsunami!!! Maybe for the best, that they were not home!
Bridges are missing, and parts of roads just disappeared! Cars are one ONE big heap!!! And worse, people are “washed out of them “!!!
I received the links, you cannot believe your eyes!!! You have to copy and paste them to see the disaster! Worst of course is, that at this stage, 9 people have drowned and 72 are missing!!!!!”
Who would have ever expect such a flooding in the higher regions in this area of Australia. Busses to Brisbane and up North travel trough Toowoomba , but all is suspended now. And…it is such a nice town!!!
Feel very sad about it!!! And now the 3d biggest town in Australia is waiting for what is going to happen to them, as water flows to them now.
More news also on www.ninemsn.com.au with an incredible video made by amateurs about a parking place where all cars but one, are just ” washed away ” in a flash by the power of the water. Shocking! And on
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/11/3110857.htm Thanks Vanessa!
Here are the links from Gerrit,THANKS!
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/photos/galleries/flooding-hits-toowoomba-101/#num=66
http://www.thechronicle.com.au/photos/galleries/flooding-hits-toowoomba-101/#num=66&id=flooding-hits-toowoomba-101> &id=flooding-hits-toowoomba-101
Between Toowoomba and Brisbane is the town Ipswitch and they expect a rise of water of 22 meter on Thursday!!!!
In Argentina, at Azul, the Nationals are in progress with 81 competitors in 2 classes.It is the 60thiest version and last Sunday Damien Goldenzweig, top pilot and still very young from Argentina,with a bright soaring-future ahead of him, was on top in the mixed class.He flies an ASW 20 . The comps are on till the 14th and the runner up on Sunday only missed out on 67 points, after 4 days of flying.
In standard class brother Lucas is flying an LS 4 and he was on Sunday 5th after 3 days.
On January 10 both classes had flown 5 days and top pilot , certainly in my time, Mario Reynoso , shows he still can fly with an 8th place overall. On day 5 he flew the biggest distance of 294 km in a standard jantar , but he flew 20 minutes longer then the set 3 hours.
Damien seems not to beat, but it is only over on the last minute of the last competition day.Well known pilot Javier Gaude won day 4 and 5 and is 3d now,with less then 200 points behind Damien.
Horatio does not have the best run, though he was 2d on day 4, but sometimes he is nearly with one hour out of the set time and that costs….But he is still young and will fly the Junior WGC in Musbach this year .I noticed on their site, well kept by Katja , that there are 69 preliminary entrees at this stage, 37 in club and 32 in standard class.
In Benalla last Sunday was a practise day. Some rain spoiled the practise for the 48 competitors in 2 classes with several well known names. On Monday was the first day of these Nationals for club-and sports class and the comps continue till January 21. Will keep you informed in between those dates.
Rain spoiled also day 1!Expectation is , as I heard that there will be no flying till Saturday!!!!!Rain, rain, rain…..
The OLC season 2010 counted 102.187 flights which is less then in 2009 with 107.194.
28.290,894 kilometers were flown and in 2009 , 28.691,130.
In 2010 13.212 competitors added their flights on the OLC and 13.424 in 2009.
2.256.349 users “used “46, 621.299 pages and in 2009 , 2,023.859 used 40.104.668 pages.
[source annual statistics OLC]
And then some other news , I received from Australia; sorry to see some soaring friends struggle with the flooding!!!
——Hi folks
You’ve probably heard the news that Dalby is flooded again. As many of you know, Darling Downs Soaring Club is east of Dalby by 30km and has a creek on its southern boundary.
We have already had one flood (just post Christmas) when all the private caravans and most trailers went under and we now have another. The airfield is completely cut off (the access road has been gouged out by a raging torrent) but so far the water is about 300mm below the post Christmas peak and a metre below the hangar floors.
More rain is forecast for today/tonight, but the last dump passed just east of the field.
We were trying to organise a working party to go up and put the gliders up on concrete blocks – but the Warrego Hwy is cut below the Toowoomba range and again at Jondaryan (just east of the club – by the creek that is currently flooding the club). Now we hear that the access road is cut and so all we can do is to cross fingers and watch the radar…—-
And when you always wanted to fly a competition in beautiful Lake Keepit , then here is your chance, I really loved Lake Keepit:
Hi Everyone,
A quick plug for the upcoming Keepit Regatta, being held from 20th to 26th
February. The Keepit regatta is a fun, friendly and informal mini comp, with
entries restricted to 30 glider. The basic idea is that this is a mentoring
event where pilot pairs are scored together around AAT tasks. We match up
early cross country pilots with a seasoned pro, and they compete together as
a team, either in two gliders or in a twin.
This is a great opportunity to introduce budding cross country pilots to
competition type AAT flying, while not getting caught up in all the formal
competition hoo-hah. It will be run in a low key and relaxed way, all the
while making sure people have fun.
Full details are available on our website www.keepitsoaring.com or on the
attached information page.
We still have a couple of seats in Keepit two seaters available, and our
Jantar Junior is now available following an overseas cancellation. At this
stage we have received 24 entries so we’ve 6 spaces available. As well as
many Keepit entrants, we have pilots coming from Alice Springs, Qld,
Narromine, Temora and Hong Kong.
If you or someone you know would like to participate, please contact me for
further info, or send the entry form through to me at
comps@keepitsoaring.com – We would love to have you join in.
Just received the next message also from Australia;
Due to the continuing poor weather in Queensland the decision has been made to move the 18m Australian Qualifying Grand Prix venue from Boonah in Queensland to Lake Keepit in NSW and run it the week immediately preceding the NSW State Comps (to be held at Lake Keepit).
Lake Keepit will provide a spectacular venue for the Grand Prix and you are encouraged to apply for a spot in the competition. Entrants are limited to a maximum of 20 aircraft and the top two placings are guaranteed an entry to the FAI World Grand Prix.
Expressions of interest should, in the first instance, be emailed to Ross McLean at rossmcl@bigpond.net.au we will then get back to you and advise further entry requirement details. We hope to have the web site operational asap.
If you had previously entered in the Boonah GP please just reconfirm your entry with me, your entry fee will stand or you can have an immediate full refund if desired.
Best regards, ROSS
Enough comps-stories, so see you on Sunday again with other news.And….good luck to all friends in Queensland specially my friends in Brisbane who are expecting the worst and Toowoomba, who have to find their families first and then see what’s left of their belongings.And this happens in a country where the drought in many places, has been so tough over the last years. The tropical cyclones , started already in December with heavy rain and due to the drought-of-years, the soil cannot handle all this rain.
Cheers Ritz