With the Senior Soaring Championship at Seminole Lake from March 12 till 18, the USA started it’s soaring season as well. Straight after, between March 20 and 26 , Seminole also organizes the Seminole Lake OLC Camp.
So the seniors , always very active and glad to see each other again after winter arrived with 63 confirmed pilots , one of them Karl Striedeck and on the waiting list still 10 pilots.A VERY popular event !!! On the practice day 68 participated
Pictures shared by Seminole-Lake Glider Airport and courtesy to Bozena Michalowkski.
AND
Practice by the seniors.
Day 1 with a 1.5 TAT ,was won by nobody else than KARL STRIEDECK in the Duo Discus. He still knows how to fly, so 1000 points for him.
Dennis Linnekin [ASG 29] was 3d and Sam Zimmerman 5th [ASH 31 MI]. I know both mainly from Uvalde. Gary [Carter]was on spot 46, he was Bill Elliott’s crew in Uvalde 2012.
Day 2 had ” few well defined cumulus under a diffuse overcast. The forecast is for storms in the late afternoon.” Due to the quickly incoming thunderstorm, they cancelled the day during the launches.
Day 3 yesterday, was better with clouds and later going blue. 3 TAT’s [Turn area task] were set so with A [minimum time 2.15] or B [2 hours] or C [1.45] they surely would be able to fly. The unofficial scores show that Ken Sorenson won the day in the Ventus cxa in time 2.27.
Karl was 6th with 911 points still good enough for spot 1 overall.
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The Air Expo in Abu Dhabi.
Kathrin , as I wrote in my last blog is there and after we saw great pictures from the Ritz, a beautiful stand in the Expo building but last Wednesday her news was less good:
—“ Today we had a very bad thunderstorm @ about 12 a.m. on the AIR EXPO in Abu Dhabi. Some aircrafts are damaged and the airport around the buildings looks in some places totally destroyed. All people have been evacuated quickly, because the tents wasn’t anymore safe. What a chaos!!! So fare we was very lucky with the Stemme aircraft, because it is protected between two large helicopter. Still raining in Abu Dhabi. Many trees crashed, the roads are floated.—“
This is how it should be; selling art at the exhibition.
Kathrin and Peggy at work.
Picture shared by Peggy.
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Keith Essex was flying in NZ in February and flew a nice 1000 there and many more good flights. Back in good old Minden he flew , maybe with the overseas experiences, on March 10 1.609 km. with a speed of 251.58 km./h in a SW wave , high and fast in the ARCUS M!!!!!! WOW!!!Flying N of Minden, passing Minden going to the S. , he mentioned in his OLC report;” Lots of moisture north, blue and soft to the south, good in the middle.”
A flight from Air Sailing, NE of Minden , by Robert Spielman in an ASW 20 finished with a speed of 192.71 km./h.over 712 km. When the weather is good, the weather is good!!!
THEN,……on March 13, Minden explodes resulting in awesome flights one of them 2.053 km. by Jim [Payne] in the ARCUS M; 178. km./h.
This time his mate Dennis []Tito] flew the DG 1010 M and for him 1.651 km.: speed 150 km. /h.
Fabulous MINDEN-WAVE!!!
Jackie , Jim’s wife added:
—-“Yesterday Dennis and Roger Tanner soared over 1600 kilometers in the DG 1001 landing at Inyokern. Third best flight in the world thus far this year. Jim and Miguel Iturmendi soared just over 2050 kilometers in the Arcus landing at Rosamond. Four Perlan pilots wave soared almost 12 hours each for excellent wave experience.“—-
The next day Jim tried a fast 300 declared km. out and return from Rosamond flying the 300 between Inyokern and Big Pine, during their legs on a 1.223 km. flight . Here is Jim’s OLC comment on the flight.
—-“” The forecast said the wave would be weak early with winds and lift increasing in the late afternoon.
During the first lap, the wave was not good between Cindercone and Manzanar…the turn was covered in cloud.
During the second lap, the lift was better…the speed was 278 kph.
By the third lap, the lift was ripping and the clouds much better…the speed was 305.12 kph (189.62 mph)…”—
As Jackie said in her report;
“300 km O&R is not a world category only a national record category. The fastest world record is 306 kph set in Argentina.”
Dennis started from Inyokern and flew another 1.135 km. flight.
They both LOVE their long-distance-wave-flying and are on a mission!!!
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21 Pilots from the Italian National team registered to fly this week from Varese for their first 2016 meeting.Unfortunately day 1 on March 14 was cancelled and in the end 3 pilots in the 2 seater class [ 2 x ARCUS and 1Duo Discus] and 7 in 15 m. class and the rest in 15 m. , 18 m. and open were ready for the “fight” .
Day 2 was cancelled as well. So early in the season March behaves sometimes not as you wish.
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Lot’s of young German pilots have their mountain camp in France. It’s that time of the year again.
Some fly from Serres as Benjamin , who shares so now and then a great picture, others fly from Puimoisson , Vinon, or La Motte . Also Fayence and St Auban are active with mountain [wave ] flights. Around up to 500 km. flights…not too bad.
Benjamin [Bachmeier] shared this great picture, flying from Serres La Batie over the area there!
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The Bailleau competition is NOW on line.
This is what I got from France and be aware, this competition is very popular, so when you want to participate there, you should be quick.
—“Hello ! From the 2nd to 12th of August, this summer, will be held the 42nd Bailleau International Gliding Contest, a classic flat-land gliding contest.
And like every year for 19 years now, Bailleau International will be accompanied by the now famous “Amical” Contest, one of the best ways for a pilot to take his first steps in competition …
The website http://2016.planeur-bailleau.org has just opened, you will find there all useful information and the online registration form …—”
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Still NOT fit, off to the doctor tomorrow. He has no time due to all flu cases. I am one too but it’s over ONE month now!!!!!!!
Cheers Ritz