Post 1.485 on February 28 2024

—–The Lake Keepit REGATTA is still in full swing and with a “light , but fierce” competition always great fun. Great place too as they have their airfield at the LAKE.
Nice accommodation AT the field as well and a good club house , I know , as I slept in the back of it in a nice room, always full of laughing friendly people, the club house NOT my room.
Nearly no water in the lake , when I was there last with the WWGC in 2019, but it has filled up again.
Wish I could send ALL our rainwater to that Lake. TOO MUCH RAIN HERE!!!!!
Talking about that WWGC, another pilot participating there Ayala from the UK, flies in this REGATTA and Kathy from the USA has just left them again.Good to see them back down under.
They flew good tasks, as said task 1 was a 3 hour AAT, but not all had arrived back from Tocumwal. Good winner though; David Pickles in a PIK 20 D;356.67 km/ 111.11 km./h.
Task 2 , another 3 hour AAT straight away showed the practice Allan [Barnes] had already during the National 2 seater comps and he won the day in his LS 8, but David [Pickels] in his ASW 20, who won day 1 was equal on spot 1 now, both with 115 km./h and Ayala [LS6] was on spot 3 all flew around 350 km.
Task 3; 2.30 AAT …again 3 WGC pilots in the top; Allan, Brad and Ayala...but also a nice 4th place for Nick [Singer] , not a world champion pilot , but a great instructor at Keepit.
Task 4; 3 hour AAT, but no scores yet.
As the Toke-pilots arrived later the overall scores now are David 2.629 p, Ayala 2.495 and Nick 2.483 p.
They continue till March 2.

–——Talking about the WWGC in Soria here is the latest from the FAI – World Air Sports Federation
“Alena Netušilová has been named as FAI Gliding Commission (IGC) Champion Pilot of the Year 2023, for winning the 18m class at the 2023 FAI Women’s World Gliding Championships in Soria, Spain.
Yet her career as a glider pilot may never have taken off at all, if it hadn’t been for her courageous attitude…
Back in 1986, she and a classmate noticed a flyer saying that the local aeroclub was recruiting “brave boys” for glider pilot training. Together, they decided to sign up and show that gliding was not just a sport for men!“
Alena has already achieved a lot!!!
“She has been competing in the European and World Women’s Championships since 1993 and has stood on the podium no less than six times, twice winning the title of World Champion. In total she has flown 4500 hours and over 120,000km in competition.”
More on https://www.fai.org/…/Alena-Netusilova-IGC-champion…
CONGRATULATIONS ELENA!!!
By the way, she flew the WWGC in Lake Keepit as well and was 5th there.

—–The 2024 UK convention is over and the BGA also invited Schempp Hirth;
“thank you BGA for inviting us during your 2024 convention. It is Always a great event with good balance between serious things and entertainment.
Big thanks to all the Southern Sailplanes team family, our local dealers, and Southern Aero Supplies, for all the help to get the 2 Ventus-3 (3ES prototype and 3M) displayed in perfect conditions. We had the honour to be invited also to make a 20 minutes talk and many conversations indicate the technical choices/solutions/compromises made on the prototype of the Ventus-3ES are going in the right direction to make a real life great glider. Thumbs UP for our technicians and Engineers and thank you all pilots who made us many feedbacks during these last seasons.
Next step? Let’s fly this New beast! More infos soon.’

Their next stop is the 2024 Friedrichshafen Aero-event between April 17 and 20 in in Hall A1..
This picture with Ralf [Holighaus] Wolfgang [Janowitsch] and Ludwig [Starkl] is from last year .

—–Not long anymore and the OSTROW JWGC starts;AND,…they, the young UK pilots, were at the BGA conference as well.
I read that Oliver is only 18 years old and a member of the Oxford gliding club.He feels well and truly honoured to represent his country.

JWGC combined or parallel with the 13.5 m; July 13-27 2024.

–—-The meteorologic spring starts here on Friday, so time to look ahead at hopefully dryer and more sunny weather. The prognoses are pretty good, with here in The Netherlands, soon 20 dgr, C…they say,… I hope.
After the 17 mm of rain on 1 day, last Monday, we are fed up with grey skies and rain!!!!
Worse is the situation in the South of Australia where temperatures in the 40 dgr. C cause huge fires, forcing people to leave their houses.
Every year again…so sad!!!!

Cheers Ritz