Alphen aan den Rijn Sunday March 18 2012
ritzdeluy@hotmail.com www.glidinginternational.com www.soaringcafe.com
On Friday the difference in temperature in Holland was more then 10 dgr.!!! And…Holland is small as a stamp.
In the South they enjoyed OVER 20 dgr. 20.7 to be precise and we here in the mid West had about 16 and up N only 7.6 and no sun.
The KNMI, [Dutch meteo] has new computers now to predict weather even better and faster then in the past.
After a few less good days in the beginning of this week, good conditions in Puimoisson again , where the German squad including their trainers are enjoying a mountain stage. Former sport soldier [2009], pilot at junior Worlds [club class and runner up in Musbach] and just an active glider pilot enjoying his soaring to the fullest, is Alexander Späth. Over the last couple of days he topped the European OLC list flying his 18 m. Discus 2T every time over 500 km. Good on him!
Enough sad news this week.The “bus” keeps the world and certainly Belgium and even more Lommel [just over our border ] busy and me as well. 28 People on their way home with great stories about their ski-holiday—22 children dead under them 6 young Dutch kids and 6 grown ups and 24 injured . Lommel is going to sadly miss 17 inhabitants !!! A whole class nearly wiped out.
Too much to comprehend.
Leuven lost 7 children , the school teacher and a lady helping out during the holiday.
Belgium military transport planes [Hercules] brought back the families , children and the coffins.
Talking about Hercules ! One with 5 crew aboard from Norway which disappeared last Thursday from the radar, somewhere North of Sweden, has been found yesterday, on a glacier in a mountain area [2100 m.] . All 5 crew members died . They were involved in a European NATO exercise, together with 16.000 military men/women , from army/navy/air force, from 15 different countries, practising in arctic circumstances.
Even the search is difficult due to snow heavy wind and possibilty of avalanches. This part of exercise , they surely would have not wished. SAD!
The farewell drink at Papendrecht close to Arnhem was great. Specially because it was confirmed that the Dutch Magazine Thermiek will continue in another format. So the last Thermiek by Frits, will be on the mat soon and after nearly 50 years, it would be too sad for words as ONLY digital soaring news would be available.
Very nice, to catch up with several people I had not seen for ages, but as normal with a farewell of a 65 year old, lot’s of grey people!!!
Missed the Formula 1 race in Melbourne on TV, but a lot to come now the season has started.
Off to my guests, and to finish pictures from a serie I showed you already some from by Per Carlin.[Eskilstuna Sweden 2006]
cheers Ritz
