Alphen aan den Rijn August 31 2011 ritzdeluy@hotmail.com
Last day already of this month of August and what a wet month it was here in Holland and in more parts of Europe. The meteorological autumn starts tomorrow and it feels like that. We had a great spring and a “quickly-to-forget-summer” . Surely lots of pilots will book in winter for a good destination for soaring. So every disadvantage has an advantage![a quote from Johan Kruijff.]
Also last minute holidays to sunny destinations are HOT!
Hurricane Irene, hit the East Coast from the USA badly, as well as some islands earlier. Luckly the sting is out of “it” now and “it” tries to please us here in Europe, with some late summer weather by pushing the low away and the high into our direction.
Note; just heard that we had the dryest EVER spring in history , 49 mm. instead of the normal 172 and the wettest EVER summer with an average of 350 mm. about 100 mm. MORE then normal!!!!!.
The UK open class nationals finished on Sunday. They tried harder then hard last Sunday, to have another soaring day, they even launched after 3 pm. but pilots could not go far, as showers were active in their task area, so …they came back. It all ended after 5 , more or less marginals days with lot’s of outlandings.
1. Pete Harvey Nimbus 4T 3991 points
2. Steve Jones Nimbus 4T 3877 points
3. Andy Davis JS1-B 3703 points
Very good from Andy to be 3d in an 18m. glider in a class full of “big ones”, even ahead of the EB with also a top pilot Robin May. Also well done for Patrick Naegeli occupying a 7th place in the ASG 29 E/18m.
Steve talking to Ronald Termaat and Andy [middle] at Eskilstuna[picture archive]
Pete winning the bronse with Michael Sommer on spot 1 and Giorgio Ballarati on spot 2.[Eskilstuna picture archive]
At Husbos they managed to squeeze out a 5th day for the 15m. class pilots , also a dificult one, last Sunday, with only 5 pilots from 26 who finished. An interesting day however for the final scores as Dave Watt belonged to the non-finishers and Leigh Wells finished. So the former world champion won this class.
1. Leigh Wells ASG 29 3666 points
2. Dave Watt Ventus 2 3619 points
3. Steve Ell ASG 29 3568 points
Steve Ell won the last day ;241 km. with a speed of 80 km/h, that says enough of the weather. But good on him!!
Andy Davis, Leigh Wells, Phil and Steve Jones and Pete Harvey [Eskilstuna picture archive]
Leigh lined up as WGC CHAMPION to receive the cup in Eskilstuna [picture archive]
I read that last Sunday was a bad day for 4 people flying nicely in a Cessna and Dimona. One way or another they touched with their wings during landing at the airport of Zell am See, and crashed killing all 4; 2 from Austria and 2 from Germany. Tragic!
On the same day I saw on the German news a small green Cessna, that had landed in a street in the middle of a town, only hitting and bending a lamp-post and a dish areal on a roof. The couple overlooked the situation and was happy to have no injuries.The plane looked pretty bend!!!
In Holland we do have a lot of pilots flying with the very enthusiastic aeroclub of Friesland up in the Northern part of Holland.Yesterday I visited for the first time in my life the capital of Friesland,Leeuwarden. What a great town. I have seen a lot of the world, but missed out on some beauty in Holland itself. We had a look in the leaning, curved and unfinished tower from 1529. [www.historischcentrumleeuwarden.nl ] and of course the big sailing boats, “skütjes” , in the canals in Leeuwarden look magestic.
See you on Sunday again, cheers Ritz