—-During the AERO 2019, the General Aviation Safety AWARD was launched by EASA [ European Union Aviation Safety Agency ]
” The GA Safety Award recognizes the most safety-beneficial smartphone/tablet application for use by GA pilots. Its aim is to promote development of reliable tools to improve safety, encourage investment in this area, support and enhance visibility of valuable products and further enhance the GA community’s engagement to safety. “
Last week the 3 winners were announced;
1. 1st Prize – 8,000 €: Awarded to Sebastian Chaumontet for the Open Glider Network (OGN). OGN provides a unified tracking platform for gliders, GA aircraft, paragliders, drones and other small airborne objects. The OGN platform helps to reduce mid-air collision risks by connecting information from a range of iconspicuity devices. It also enables easier provision of weather information directly into the cockpit to help pilots to cope with changing conditions.
2nd Prize – 5,000 €: Awarded to the PocketFMS Foundation for EasyVFR 4 which provides a complete solution for flight preparation, route planning, and flight navigation. EasyVFR 4 helps pilots to manage the flight and reduce the risk of mid-air collisions through the provision of planning tools that also enable the identification of different types of airspace and links to relevant NOTAMs. It also helps pilots to cope with weather by providing weather graphics on the display in the cockpit.
3rd Prize – 2,000 €: Awarded to Flytool and their solution that provides both flight management and safety reporting. Flytool offers a Safety Management solution for the GA Community that supports the management of the flight and also helps to reduce general risks across all accident categories. It does this by providing a simple and easy occurrence reporting function that allows club managers to review occurrences and share lessons learned with the pilot community. It also provides other functions such as an electronic logbook and licensing reminders.
Congratulations to all. Thumps up!!!!!
—–Australia , Tocumwal ;in the early nineties, we had for several years a big family flying with us; the SNOW FAMILY. All of them lovely people.
Flying for them was fun, but later it turned out that this flying, had a great effect on them.
Terry Snow , head of the family, became the big “engine” behind Canberra Airport. Most what you see on the next link is built under supervision of the family.
https://www.canberraairport.com.au/
He also is the owner from a world class equestrian center set on 41ha on the South Coast of NSW.
https://willingapark.com.au/
Now the SNOW FOUNDATION donates 5.5 million dollar to Covid-19 research.
“The Canberra Airport owner’s Snow Medical Research Foundation will fund $5.5 million worth of projects to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the community.
The funding will be carried out to four projects, which include more accurate tracking of the spread of coronavirus, a national bio-bank of samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic cases and research into genetic markers of the virus.
The projects will be a collaboration of two infectious disease research institutes: the Centre of Research Excellence in Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Diseases Emergencies.” source; Canberra Times.
Thumbs up!!!!
—-The weather in the Scandinavian countries is still very good and they have started their flying again.
On Mai 7 already 7 flights from beautiful Rayskala and a total of 39 that day all over Finland. Even up to 670 km. in a DG 800B /18m.from Joensuu.
Sweden had 5 up to 428 km in a Ventus 2CT/18m.
—-Soaring in the USA:
One of those more interesting flights is always a goal flight.
” Barry Yeager and Dick Andrews launched from Fairbault MN this morning at 10 AM (!)[Mai 8] on a downwind dash. Word is they are aiming for National Multiplace Distance to a Goal record. “
They flew 1.034 km.
IF,…. Barry & Dick declared a Multiplace Distance to a Goal we may have a new U.S. National Distance Record in the making! “
” Dick and I had an amazing flight after a long time of preparation and waiting for the right weather. “
Big job for the 2 girls who picked them up and had to drive all those kilometres!! TOP JOB!!!!
They had great soaring conditions in the Minden area with 2 over 1000 km. wave- flights by Keith Essex in the JS 3 [speed 150 km./h.] and Jim Payne in the Nixus.
Whilst New Castle [USA] had a great “low” flight,…ridge-soaring…;1.059 km. in an LS 6 with a nice speed of 134 km./h.
Yesterday , Daniel Sazhin, I guess still a junior, but of course he soes n’t always stay a junior ,flew 794 km. from Blairstown in an LS 4 ;a 750 FAI triangle .
He called it an excellent soaring day, really really cool!!!
I call it COOL too!!!!
In Holland soaring started last weekend too and quite a lot went for a flight, as we could see on the OGN.
Saturday had nice conditions with 27 dgr. C. here and you could feel the thermals.BUT only 2 added their flight to the OLC.
In Amsterdam Alfred Paul [ASG 29] started with 80 km. blue air, but then he had a nice run in to Germany and came back with 658 km. in the pocket.
A total of 573 pilots worldwide flew that day so soaring is “on” again.
In Switzerland Bert Schmelzer jr. [ASG 29] flew 700 km.
Before on April 25 he flew already 819 km.Quite unexpected as he mentioned in his comment, but those flights always feel good, no better or maybe even the best.
” Slightly unexpected: a great day between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Säntis.
Strong climbs, rain showers and overcast, beautiful convergence lines everywhere and 2800m (!) cloudbase in the Swiss Mittelland. “
Germany had flights from over 800 km. as well.
Last Sunday the weather was much cooler here …a drop of 10 dgr. The change brought some wild weather at places.
Germany even had snow and gusty winds destroying trees and roofs.
Last Monday the cold polar air made several pilots very happy again.
Hans Christian Christensen flew in Denmark from Arnborg, his LS 1-c over 900 km.!!!!He nearly covered the island from N to S.
Many great flights [27] from Denmark.
Germany had last Monday a 1000 k in an ARCUS M [Munster Osnabruck] and Austria as well this time in ASG 32MI from St Johann in Tirol.
Yesterday the weather was even better at some places and more 1000- early- spring- flights were flown.All just over 1000 and all in “fancy” gliders as ARCUS M, [Tobias Welsch] EB 29 [ Alexander Mueller] EB 29 R [Enrique Levin]and Nimbus 4M. [Wilfried Grosskinsky]
11 OVER 900 km. flights as well on a total of 373 flights [at this stage] for the day.
“A nice cold and sunny day “,was what Czech pilot Ivan Harasta had to say after his 696 triangle in an ASW 15!!!!
AND, a flight in an LS 4 WL from Nastaetten[Germany] is worthwhile mentioning too.
The new Gliding International is “out” the May June issue. I had some problems reading the digital version, so it has to wait till next week.
Terry Cubley the Aussie TC from the 2020 WGC was allowed to say what he had to say as he thinks he was not heard enough.
BUT,…what is there to be heard ,…when you use a compulsory- competition-tracker without the 15 minute delay …breaking this way a local rule!!!
You can be angry on the IGC as the new rules for OGN are not yet in the annex, you can blame the jurors as they might have not let you say 2 or 3 times what you had to say but only once in face of all TC’ s world wide, BUT…..abusing the system is JUST SO WRONG!!!!! And that happened!!!!! SORRY!!!!!
I am going to investigate the story as I think it’s not totally correct, maybe even totally incorrect.
And to finish a few words about a disaster in Holland yesterday. Lot’s of glider pilots like surfing as well. Yesterday 5 surfers died in the Nord Sea. 2 students from the Delft university and 3 very experienced life guards from the beach in Scheveningen.
Just an evening in the sea ,,body surfing,..with the team before the season starts. TRAGIC!!!!
The official message from the surf association;
“ Last night May 11, 2020 a drama took place at the Northern Havenhead of Scheveningen. It concerns a group of very experienced watermen (surfers / swimmers), all great lovers of water sports and the sea. They were robbed due to the exceptional circumstances and fate has struck: 5 of them tragically died. We express our sympathy to the relatives and everyone involved. In the surf community in Scheveningen and far beyond there is great defeat, we are in deep mourning for this loss. We would like to express our big thanks to the rescue workers (KNRM, fire brigade, police) who have done everything they can and have constantly searched with man and power. We understand there are many questions. We will let the experts do research in peace in the coming time. Finally, we hope that the privacy of the relatives and involved will be respected and they will be awarded the peace they deserve. “
Message: https://www.hsa.nl/holland-surfing-association-12-mei-2020/4340/
Take care, the virus seems less, but it knows it’s way now and we remain “just” people, when the sun shines we all run out side.
I think we might be stuck with it for a long ,long time.
cheers Ritz.