They fly today!!!!!
8.30:
When I woke up I could smell it already…..You are not going to believe this. SMOKE EVERYWHERE.We have an Northerly today and I guess it’s the smoke from Sydney and or Canberra. It’s not too bad, though you smell it very badly.
In 15 minutes the opening starts and at 9.30 is the first briefing.
It smells horrible outside; my coughing started straight away.
Yesterday evening I visited the old WW2 hangar. It’s weird to see other people in the office, but I can only say it all looks PERFECT. Lumpy and Sharon did a great job. As did a lot of the members from the SRGC, they were running up and down to have it all perfect.
The garden is beautiful, the sun-room clean and sunny, the old dining room is a cosy family room now with sofa’s and comfortable chairs and a huge TV to follow the tracking.
“Our” old sun chairs ,once donated by the Snow family, are back under the veranda in front of the bar and the wisteria is cut nicely and in full flower.
The BBQ area is ready to go for the first BBQ donated by the SRGC on Wednesday evening.
Pictures later.
10 AM;
It’s a fact!!!!! I am old!!!
When I asked Ailsa how she could cope in the briefing room with, no table to put the map on ,she said with a laugh:” Common Ritz this is the 20thiest century, we use our phones”!!!!! And there I stood gobsmacked.
Before the briefing there was a special moment with 2 Aboriginal ladies who gave some kind of blessing and welcome to the guests. Sharon is for a small part aboriginal.
2 People from the Shire added their welcome, one of them Ross Bodey who was involved with Sportavia for a few years.
Briefing is busy now but I did not fit in anymore, did n’t want to take a place from a pilot, so time to write and to share pictures.
A nice but noisy plane , the “airtruck”, which I saw already in Benalla,just arrived and “made” it through the smoke.
That’s good.
” Off to Toc to become national towing champion for the hundredth time “
as shared by Charlie’s Soaring nice picture Charlie.
Other news; Diana finally got her visa and will travel home to Toc soon now. She might be here already tomorrow.
She was stuck in Singapore, misses the first day’s now ,but will fly during the Nationals. Good practice for the WWGC, as she had only 1 start on it before the JS 3 went in the container.
After the 1 month delay of the container, the glider is not yet ready either, but nearly now.
George withdrew as his glider is not yet ready either. Instruments which were supposed to be here 2 weeks ago just arrived and will arrive this week.
Will find out now what’s happening and then you are up to date.
Tasks have been set and it was funny the more elderly pilots use the sun-room to put their maps on the tables. I am not the only “old” one here.
Tasks for the official practice day:
18m. …330.91 km.…;29 pilots at the list at this stage and 1 in open Ron Sanders in his Nimbus 3D.
This class has the PEV today…. the Pilot Event Marker. Start procedure in use; 10 minutes wait/10 minutes start open.
standard class …271 km...; 12 on the list at this stage.Among them Ayala from Lasham in the UK.
15 m….271 km…;6 in this class at the moment.
Great picture from Don Woodward, who is not only a very talented glider pilot but also and awesome photographer.
More later!!!
12 PM.
Gliders are brought to the strip at 36.
18 m/open is upfront, standard /15 m. behind.
This airfield has an elevation of 370 ft.
First launch expected at 12.
Min. finish height is 300 ft AGL.
Landing at runway 27.
NO COMPETITION finishes today.
Just spoke with Charlie from the airtruck. He is here for only one day, and it was not too bad with the smoke. He even expects that it might get better when the inversion burns out. I will be 39 today.
Tuggies are going to 36. The practice day starts now.
Do I have time to do other things.
With a 15 minute delay they are on their way. And…guess what, the smoke is slowly disappearing and you can see direction East again. GOOD!!!
Bit of panic from my site, but when people spend such a lot of money to host the Nationals, it would be cruel if it was spoiled by smoke!!!
I know that happens.
2.30 PM;
Tuggies are ready they just pass by. Did my shopping and I can tell you,…it’s bloody hot !!!
In between Eddie shares news on this competition as well. Everybody in Toc is pleased the Nationals are here.
3.30;
Colin and George work hard to get Diana’s glider ready,as you can see.The wind is slightly changing to the S. and the smoke is gone. Hurray!!!!
4.15;
In between 4 gliders have landed long here at the field.
6.PM;
From one of the pilots I heard it was a ridiculous good day.Smoke was only here and in the East. With the wind change the smoke disappeared. GOOD!!!!
It seems speed of 160 km./h has been flown. The pilot I spoke to had 140 on the clock.
No results yet but they surely will come soon.
CU tomorrow a busy and not really good day here.
For results you can go to www.soaringspot.com