ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN SUNDAY OCTOBER 2012
ritzdeluy@hotmail.com www.glidinginternational.com www.soaringcafe.com
VH-GVS;Near Mount Bogong in winter .
It’s ALL happening in Australia this time of the year.
Though ….on October 4 a Nimbus 3DM, flew 577 km.[500FAI triangle] in South Africa from Orient.
And….. Italian kilometer-eater Alfredo Giretti flew from Rieti a 500 km. as well in the ASH 31/21 m. topping the OLC list from 29 pilots who added their flight on the OLC list that day. Next week the new year starts for the OLC. And…it looks Alfredo will be the OLC Champion for Europe. [see blog on soaringcafe with more details.]
Got some news again from Mount Beauty , this time the September issue of the Alpine Flyer. Read in it that the new ASK21 is on its way to Melbourne, shipped on September 12 and the estimated arrival date will be October 25. The VH-GVA will be a great new toy for the club, so pretty clear they are all excited!
The VH-GVA from the Alexander Schleicher factory via container to Melbourne to be flown from Mount Beauty.
In the container is another AS glider as well also bound for Australia.
A syndicate of 4 Club members has an ASK 21 since 2008, this time mi, selflaunching, the VH-GVS. There are 2 one/fifth shares for sale at the moment in this syndicate, including an enclosed custom trailer; price per share ; 39.990, Australian dollar.
It has done around 970 flying hours for 100 engine hours.
So when you are interested , have the papers to fly such a glider and live not too far from Mount Beauty , here is your chance, as it will be stationed/based at Mount Beauty Airfield.
Thanks to Ian Cohn and Andrew Evans for their regular updates and sharing the picture and here is the new web address from Mount Beauty ;
www.mtbeauty.com/mt-beauty-gliding-club
Talking about Australia, good old George Lee flew a nice 535 km flight from the airfield with his name; George Lees Airfield last Tuesday.
One of the pilots flying the Queensland State comps [club and open class] in the St Cirrus, is Adam Woolley here is his comment on Tuesday’s soaring, which was day 3;
—“Day winner, just! Kingaroy pilots winning both tasks at the QLD States today 🙂
Stats for the day… 276km at 107.72km/hr; 5.7kts (17%); 51:1 for 22.4km glides at an average interthermal speed of 136km/hr (73kts); lost only 207ft in centering thermals, my best ever! 15km extra in deviations. Best climb: 7.2kts for 2400′; Best glide: 60:1 for 46km; Final Glide: 46km from 1,250′ below glide :—
These comps are flown from another airfield with the name of an owner; Maccaffrey Field.[SE of George Lees Airfield] Remember both dad and son McCaffrey pretty well ….only forgot dads name. Shane is the son.
Wednesday was a good day weatherwise, with a 405 km. flight in the Hornet, and good climbs. Though another Hornet pilot mentioned that it was a tough blue day over scrub; AAT 3.5 hours.
Pam Kurstjens won this day 4 in open class [391 km.] and unfortunately one pilot got 748 penalty points for an airspace violation.He was 1 overall over the first 3 days!! Tough! But…he got 1000 points in the pocket again on the next day as he flew 308 km. over a 3 hout AAT.[3.18]
No flying anymore for Adam as duty “called”.
The state comps pilots logged 7 pretty good soaring days and several hours in their logbooks. Not bad for early spring!
Winners in club class and open class; Ray Stewart [discus BT] and Pamela Kurstjens.[ASH 31/21m.] Congratulations!
Loved the comment on day 6 by Phil Southgate who flies the Hornet from Mccaffrey Field; Here it is when you have not read it yet and …you csan learn from it as well.
—“Qld State Comp Day 6. Ok what a day. Had to pull brakes before the start gate open so I didnt bust 6500′ then didnt get another climb. Had to grovel out low and struggled to get up into the lift band again. started just after 1pm while everyone had 30 mins head start – which meant a 3hr task would finish after 4pm (and the day would be almost over). Anyway I struggled off and had to stay under 6500′ until out of airspace but tried to stay in the lift band above 5000′ hence the little glides early. Then once away from airspace I could get stuck into it and the good lift was where i wanted it. All week Coach Blue dog has been egging me on to crack a 9knotter and I did between Leyburn and Pratten. It was going off ! Tried to pull out of the thermal core only to fly straight into STRONGER LIFT and bang PENALTY for being punched above 9500′ while I had the Hornet in a dive !!!!! Moral of the story – give yourself some room just in case. Then on to Millmerrin and into the usual grave yard that it is known for. I was near 9000′ and down to below 3000′ over near the Millmerrin strip before I hit a 1knotter. Scratched away and then headed to Broadwater only to scrape out over the big feed lot NW of Cecil Plains. I could see the cow pats clearly as I searched for the Hail Mary save again. Found it and was just happy to get home. What a day !!!!! —”
Yesterday an LS 8 pilot flew from Warwick , SE of Jondaryan on another splendid day a 600 km. flight. The season has really started!!!!
Got a nice tip about a dual tow with picture from Bart Konings. The picture was made on the airfield de Peel here in Holland, domaine from the ZES, where I flew in the past as well, with the same club. The tug is a PA 25 Pawnee.
My friends Tony and Jo from Australia are on their way to the MORNING GLORY. With 8 gliders and a group of about 20, they met at the border of NSW and Queensland ast St. George and travel and fly to Burketown for the Morning Glory. Jo will keep us informed about their trip.
Tony [TT] and Jo when we met last month in Amsterdam
Another long time friend from Australia is Ian Newman, Nimbus, for insiders. I noticed that he offers his plane to fly around the world to a now, just 18 year old young man, who wants to be the youngest pilot flying solo around the world in this FALCO next year. Look at the nice picture!He normally does n’t do so, but as he says “it’s a great kid”!Hope a good pilot as well, but Nimbus knows what he does!
The VH-SWF, what a nice toy!
Last but not least,…..we try to get ALL young members in our clubs and want to keep them. Here is a nice story in a Gympie paper I got from Jo. Gympie is in the East of Australia between Brisbane and Toowoomba. I drove that part a few times in the past, by bus going from Tocumwal to Brisbane in the far past, to visit my friends Peter and Sue.
http://www.gympietimes.com.au/story/2012/10/02/lydia-8-like-a-veteran-gympie-sports/
See you on Wednesday again, AND….HAPPY BIRTHDAY to 2 of my long time friends I got to know via Sportavia; Maria in Munich and Dieter Dundee in Oldenburg.cheers Ritz