December 28;
Noticed some clouds popping up at 12 , but they disappeared as quick as they arrived. It is very blue, but it looks like a good blue day as pilots, as I see on the ground, thermal at a nice height.
3 Tugs are going up and down here , not bad.
Yesterday evening we had a nice dinner with the Wilson’s, we know them already for years!
Annie Wilson and I at the Tocumwal golf club.
Picture courtesy Bruce Wilson.
Before we went out for dinner, Steven Wallace, the crew from NZ junior Alex Mac Caw , flying at the JWGC in Narromine arrived here.
In Benalla , HE will try to fly himself to a spot in the NZ team for next year .
“9 N.Z-Pilots for 6 places “, he said, so some will be disappointed.
With him Delio visited ….I did not know him, but I was VERY pleased to see him, as I had heard about the nasty accident he had a couple of years ago . Everybody was happy he survived that. After a long time in hospital , he walks again and even flies again. Good on him!!!He now owns a Hornet , flew it 2 days ago for the first time and yesterday he even out landed for the first time close to Finley airport. A few more pilots out-landed yesterday in the very blue conditions with only 6500 as height.So not as good as expected or hoped for but still a nice flying day.
The better weather was in Western Australia where pilots flew up to 959 km. in an SZD 55 from Cunderdin, but also in blue conditions and unfortunately not finishing the flight.Still a good one!
Carl Audissou had a real nice wave-flight ,as I saw on the OLC , from St Gaudens in France, in a DG 600/18 m.;1.269 km. speed 143 km./h.
Same day, same place another one in the ARCUS M by Robert Prat; 1.304 km. speed 153 km./h.
Off to Benalla for a short visit.
December 29;
Benalla was GREAT fun. Though there were not a lot of pilots yet, I met a few and heard from one of the scorers [Tim’s wife] that they are very pleased with the 50 participants in the 54th Nationals and the 30 from overseas practicing for next years WGC in Benalla.
Caught up with Beryl and son Mark, who both drove for over 8 hours from Narromine to bring gliders for the French team.[Duo Discus for Eric Napoleon]
They stayed over night and left back home already this morning.
Both Terry [Cubley] and Beryl were checking how we all found the JWGC and there is nothing bad to say about it ,a HUGE adventure for the young ones, who turned out very disciplined and learned more than at any other competition. They had experiences beyond their believe, so what do you want more???
The only “minor” point for some was the price , to fly down under was high, ” maybe too high, ” is what I heard from one of the TC’s . But that is inherent to flying on the other site of the world. The young pilots however LOVED every minute of it.
Some even did n’t want to go home and stayed longer, making many more good flights.
Narromine had extremely good weather this year, which was/is also a bonus.
Benalla with Jason, Sarah, John, Miles Beryl and Mark.
Like in Narromine the first visitors I met were the pilots from the USA.
Sarah and her husband Jason and John, the TC from the USA junior- team who traveled through Australia after the junior’s, finding the best spots to visit as Mount Kosciusko, Bright and Melbourne.
Sarah will fly as “captain” in the DUO DISCUS during the comps with John and Jason as co-pilots/ crew.
Jason was so kind to give me a link to his pictures, so I can share them with his permission, with you as well.
This time I made the picture
We were only there for 2 hours , but it was good to see several Aussie pilots already, as Gary, Andrew and Miles and as said Terry.
Will go back there for sure 2 times more!
Sarah from the USA, not in Uvalde Texas now, where we met in 2012, she was one of the tuggies there, but in Benalla [Victoria] .She was 4th at the WWGC in France .
Her husband Jason and John, both crew/co pilot.
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Another blue day here, but higher temperatures and hopefully better “organized” lift than yesterday.It’s buzzing with 3 tow planes, all good.
Got an invitation for the New Year’s Eve dinner at the SRGC-hangar. It will be a combined New Years/Xmas Party.Will not go to the dinner, but we will catch up with a lot of members ,with a good glass of bubbles in the hand, to wish EVERYBODY at the SRGC a good, happy healthy and SAFE year.Pictures and more news on January 1 2016, so NEXT YEAR!!!
Heard this morning that Ingo, the president of the SRGC , will participate in the Pre Worlds/ Australian Nationals as well, on invitation of a double- seater- owner.
Very pleased with that ,as he has n’t been involved with comps for a long time. He was one of the participants in 1987!!!
More later.
Cheers Ritz