Special Keiheuvel-edition!

Alphen aan den Rijn Monday August 8 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com

the airport on Sunday

Wonderful to have been back at Keiheuvel Airport. I just have the best memories on being there. Those days the Keiheuvel competition still was a week and we had a ball, flying and socializing. Nowadays, mainly due to the continuing restriction of airspace, specially around Eindhoven, but also in Belgium, it is only a weekend but a great weekend with still the same atmosphere, only a few less pilots flying.

The Keiheuvel Cup 2011.

Here is the story!
For the weekend of August 6 and 7 I really wanted to go back to Keiheuvel; just tasting another comps over there after so many years! I made arrangements for myself and Ans who started soaring with me in 1967 and quickly I found out that old good friendship NEVER disappears it remains till you die!
In no time a caravan was organised by one of the well known soaring families of Belgium; The Huybreckx family. Father Huybreckx, with his wife the first generation of this dynasty I got to know, still in great health being 83 and 81 now , borrowed us his “small”caravan as , grandson Jeroen[3d generation] used the big one in Musbach with his dad Rudy[ husband from Chrisje] and grand daughter Sophie [daughter from Eddy] the camper, with her partner Wim.Wim flew this weekend in the Nimbus 4D [ with transponder Sport XPDR class] with Maarten Baltussen importer from JS1, as you know. Chrisje,the only girl in the 2d generation family [with brothers Mark and Eddie , sadly enough Gert passed away many years ago!] , who owns and runs the fantastic restaurant “De Kei”, [with Rudy] , welcomed us straight away, dad and brothers Marc and Eddie followed.
The 4th generation , little Anna, from Gitte, nearly 2 years old now, is already interested in soaring. No girls talk, when her mum and I were talking, no she wanted to go to the CM. Not even 2 and she knows the call signs of the gliders within the family. So the future looks bright for soaring at the Keiheuvel , specially with a little son “arriving” this month.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon. The weather was great for walking 24 dgr. a bit sticky but nog good enough for soaring so we started socialising straight away.No BBQ this evening but chicken and salad yammie!

Yes socialising is easy with friends. Another great and warm Belgium soaring family is of course the Schmelzer family. Just back from wet Nitra , where Tijl and Bert sr. flew in the 2 seater class and Bert jr.in the standard class, with mum Hilde, not as TC this time, but as crew . We always pick up in our conversation, where we stayed when we ended the last time. This weekend Tijl flew the nimbus 4 d with Ken in the sport class. Dad Bert the ventus. Bert jr. had to go back to Zürich where he lives and works.

More socialising as so many good old friends were part of the chicken-evening. As the de Wachter family, Emiel and Godelieve, the de Coninck family, Eddie and Mia, and more 3d generation Huybreckx family members. And children who were small when I met them first.

On this last picture; Dennis H, Gitte H, mum of Anna and soon from ….. uncle Marc H. father from Gitte and Tim H. and uncle Eddy father from Sofie H. and Dennis H.

After a great night, Sunday would be the day to fly. Briefing at 10 and about 33 participants. The meteo announced a low cloudbase in the morning but getting better up to 1100 m., at noon. Only the wind up to 40 km/h . could be a problem , as well as some isolated showers. First start was announced for 12.30 but the base stayed a bit too low, so after an hour the skies looked great and the Scout and 2 Pawnees , yes the one we had in Holland at the Dutch Nationals as well, towed all pilots up for their task of 136 km in Sport class XPDR [ transponders] and 131 km for the club/sport class.

The skies looked better then expected but the pilots did not agree with us on the ground. Some had problems to go to the first TP due to a shower over there. They came back and started again. Some struggled with the 40km/h wind and a shower on the way home others had 2.5 lift up to 1100. Not an easy day. Several pilots had to go “au vache” so the price giving was at 8.30. No worries as a lot enjoyed a great dinner in the KEI, where the beautiful presentation of the food draws all attention. On top of that the food is fantastic!!!
5 Pilots from sports class finished at Keiheuvel and with a speed of 98 km/h Tijl Schmelzer and Ken Evens were the winners in this class. The standard Libelle finished as well and became 2d. Great job!!!
In the other class Wim Akkermans and Maarten Baltussen won with a speed of 60 km/h. Nobody else made it home!
The Albert Schmelzer prize for the best young pilot during this 2011 edition of the Keiheuvel Cup was for Tijl as well. Albert was first generation, Bert sr. is 2 and Tijl and Bert jr are 3d generation. Great to win such a prize with the name of granddad.

It was awfully nice to meet also friends who flew with us in Tocumwal in the past. I have Ewald and Emiel on a picture but not Patrick [sorry] , who I met as well. Of course Hilde and Bert were with us as well as Eddie Huybreckx who visited when he was young and Bill Riley still was the boss.

Some as Tim and Dennis worked for us. Tim, air traffic controller at Kleine Brogel is just back from Nitra so is Dennis, who is co pilot at KLM now .

Not for the first time pilots took pity on doggies at the airport. You know for sure Nitra the doggie with the 3 legs, from the German TC Rainer. This time we got to know Duke , also born in Nitra, who was saved after the pup was thrown away by a young person on a bike. After a visit to the vet the doggie is going to be the happiest dog in the world. A new little Nitra , from the same stray-mother-dog, is in Belgium as well.

By now you understand that we had a great weekend and if possible we will be back next year again. To finish I share with pleasure some more pictures. I hope you like this more private blog as well. See you on Wednesday with the regular news on Pocuinai, Rieti and Musbach.
Cheers Ritz

Stijn the very kind and good competition director