PRIBINA CUP .
After 2 non flying days they continued in Nitra with a small task. Early Easter means that the weather is not always too good and unfortunately that week was not the best and in this year March is very cold, certainly higher up for the pilots.
The organizers wrote for March 31;”The weather outlook for today:
There is fohn creating over the Alps that might effect the weather today. Due to the fohn effect the coming air mass will be drying up and warming which will lead to stabilizing the air (not what we would wish for). Therefore there will be higher temperature needed to create thermal activity. Accoarding to the predictions the maximum temperature should be high enough to create cu clouds with 1,5 m/s clims and 1600 m cloud bases. It means RACING TASK for all classes from 150 to 230 km and first launch planned for 12:30. ”
SO,… they set tasks and they flew. 154 km. in club class and 19 from 26 finished, Francois [Pin from the USA] being the last finisher .
In 15 m. Belgium mate Dennis [Huybreckx ] won another day; 187 km with a speed of 76.74 km./h. After 4 days he tops the overall list ahead of 4 German pilots and Jana Treslova. Good on her !
The 2-seater-class had 7 ARCUS gliders in the daily-top. 15 From 19 pilots flew the set task from 192 km.
In open/18 m, another EB 28 won the day, ahead of Matthias [Sturm] in his 18 m. ASG 29. 16 From 22 finished the 224 km. set task.
And,…then it is APRIL 1.But April started with a cancelled day. There was a strong blowing wind . The day had to be cancelled, though some pilots tried some ridge soaring,
April 2 had great tasks between 250 km. and 400 km. and sunny conditions ,BUT, the weather changed a bit and B tasks were handed out.
No flying in the end, as an incident , a mid air collision between an 18 m. class glider and a club class glider, caused the cancellation of the day. They straight away said; All pilots OK which was good for followers at home.
One pilot could land at the airfield, the other , 38 year old Czech pilot, jumped out of his plane before it crashed on the roof of a house. Luckily the family living in the house was out for lunch.The pilot had minor injuries on his nose and landed in the garden according to the Slovak News Now.
They flew 4 out of 9 days.
Normally I do not like to share pictures after incidents but as they were already on FB and nobody was hurt…… here we go . Maybe to learn from ??? Lessons in life?
As shared on FB by Mattheus Nube and Zweefportaal with the message ” A parachute is your best friend”.
TOP-Competition- Director Vladimir Voltin took his responsibility also in less easier times and informed all pilots and crews about the incident before the prize giving. Serious faces, serious listening.
As they wrote on their site;” The final speech of Vladimir was a heart talk that earned standing applause. For those who were there it was quite a memorable moment.”
Pictures shared on the NITRA site.
Courtesy ELFO.
Prize giving;
To the right my Belgian friends Bert and Tijl, Dennis and USA mate Francois Pin.
Courtesy ELFO.
Winner in club class Michal Lesinger from Czech Rep. in ASW 19.
1. Michal Lesinger,2. Stefan Delfs, 3. Zsolt Siket.
Courtesy ELFO.
In 15 m. Dennis Huybreckx .
1. Dennis from Belgium, 2. Thilo Scheffer,from Germany 3. Michael Buchtal from Germany.
Courtesy ELFO.
In 20 m former World champion Wolfgang Janowitsch and Mathias Wersonig from Austria.
20 m. winners; 1. Wolfgang and his mate from Austria, 2. Lasse and Hannu from Finland and 3. Tilo and Sebastian “Krumel” Nagel from Germany.
Courtesy ELFO.
In open /18 m. there was only 8 points difference between the winners in the EB 28 Enrique and Simon with runner up former world champion Matthias.[ASG 29/18m.]
1. Enrique Levin and Simon Briel, 2. Matthias Sturm, 3. Robin Sittmann.
Courtesy ELFO.
WARWICK EASTER REGATTA.
On the last day of March , a VERY nice day, the combined class flew a 3 hour AAT.
ONLY AAT’s during this regatta, to promote self initiative. Tom [Claffey] won the one and only day he flew with 368 km. in time 3.02.
In the Woolley family, Adam was this time the best and runner up with with 348 km. in time 301 whilst dad Chris was on spot 3 with 350 km. in time 3.04.
April started great here in Holland, with sun and temperatures up to 13 dgr. C , in the weekend even 20 !!!
But Warwick prepares for winter and still …….they had flights from up to 446 km. during their regatta [ASH 31/18 m].
But also the St. Cirrus- pilot ,Phillip Southgate,was impressed with the weather flying 355 km.
He mentioned ;” Another cracker day at the Warwick Easter Regatta …..it just gets better and better.”
Unfortunately April 1 had to be cancelled. NO joke.
April 2 , last day of the “comp” was good again with flights up to over 300 km.in gliders as St Cirrus, LS 1f, Speed Astir , ASW 20 and Lak 17/18m.
Everything was there again this year, time for speed/winning, coaching , learning, fun flying etc.
As they said;
” Team flying encouraged – this is a regatta to encourage XC – not a competition !”
Look for all the different scores in 7 disciplines after the 5 out of 9 days at www.soaringspot.com
Great OLC flights.
” ARCUS M solo, not the engine, the pilot ...” was the comment from Robert Prat on his wave-yo-yo- flight over 1.379 km. from St Gaudens.[Pyrenees]And a couple of day’s later he flew with Helen another flight from 1.252 km !!!! For a couple of hours,…. just racing at 5000 m. MSL.
SPEED:182.51 km./h. Great effort in the cold.
LA Cerdanya in Spain is settled on the same good wave line over the mountains and from there 3 x a 1000 was flown by German guests on MARCH 30, most of them on a Akaflieg Frankfurt Wave Research Camp. Klaus Ohlmann,flying the Stemme started 2.5 hours late due to ice on the wings and canopy but still flew 1.195 km. and the 2 the 2 ARCUS gliders just over 1000 km.
The weather forecast was better than they found but still a great day.
On April 1 the enthusiastic Dutch “young dogs” Mark Leeuwenburgh and his mate Alfred Paul Alffers, flew 553 km over flat- as- a- pancake Holland to Oerlinghausen in Germany and back. WOW, great early spring flight for Holland, flown from Soesterberg, with not the best thermals , but with nice “streets”. Both fly the ASG 29 E/18m.
From Innsbruck in Austria a nice LS 8 flight. Out and return from 936 km. by David Richter-Trummer!!!!
Yesterday the UK had some good early spring flights as well . From Lasham 2 good flights ; 440 km. by Gary Coppin in the ASG 29 E/18m and nearly 400 [398] by Dave Masson the LS 6/18 m..
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The Australian team for the Lithuanian WGC is announced. 5/6 Pilots are going.
Club class Tobias Geiger and Allan Barnes.
Standard class Adam Woolley and John “Butch ” Buchanan.
2 Seater class 2 TOP young pilots; JWGC Champion Matthew Scutter with his mate/co pilot a very talented young man Dylan Lampard.
All of them experienced in WGC flying only for Dylan it is a new experience though he flew the JWGC in Naromine in 2015. As Matthew said he was a great “right-hand”.
WGC is between July 30 and August 15 2016.
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Quickly off to Amsterdam. CU next week.
Cheers Ritz