Before I finish the story about the SSC, I want to call your attention to Dune Running; a phenomenon requiring a tough westerly wind hitting the dunes on the coast of the Nordsea in Holland last weekend and creating up-wind!
Go to www.soaring.eu for 60 pictures and a video. [Wednesday blog!]
Sunday November 27. What a way to spend your afternoon. Courtesy; Lars Kroon.
The final part of the SSC story…
All was said and done! In fact we had just moved from Holland to the Caribbean Island Curacao, but we followed our heart and started with the experienced staff and Jeff, a new chapter in our lives; SSC in Tocumwal.
Disaster struck again as not long after, on a great Sunday afternoon on January 5th, a happy Swiss guest pulled up on his last flight before returning home after a short but great holiday and flew straight into the belly of the Blanik [occupied by] Jeff and Kirsten. They had just gone up at 5:00 for a nice easy-going afternoon flight.
All three died instantly! Tragic!! The service at Sportavia for Jeff was unforgettable and everybody was there! But….life continued….again!
Ready for a day of good soaring!
We were alone now to run the business, but soon we found new partners in Ross and Glenda. Ross was very helpful in all sorts of construction and maintenance “things”. Glenda did a great job at running the restaurant and bar and made it an even better place.
The year after Matthias and Marie-Christine–frequent flyers at the SSC–joined in as well. They enjoyed it for a little while but Tocumwal was too small for them. There was some talk of Matthias taking over our aircraft refinishing business in Albury, but we couldn’t work out a deal that suited all parties.
But together with our staff, Brutus, Eddie, Don, Ingo, Peter and Bob, and our volunteers [tuggies, groundcrew at the field and in the building–in the high season about 15], we managed to create a top soaring resort. High quality gliders, also brought in by containers from Holland or shared with pilots as Thomas Gosttner or Graham Parker who put their gliders on line with us. A brand new pool with palm trees and more and more European guests, a bit sad was that we lost some Aussies. We had the 11th best read site in Australia. That was hard work for me as I wrote every day, also after a long-working day. But the life style was superb!!! You do not earn money, breaking even was already good, but meeting so many people from all over the world, speaking four languages in an hour and just looking at happy glider pilots in front of the bar after a good flight, was more then rewarding.
Founders Bill and Val Riley and all former owners of SSC: Ross, Margie, Don, Bill and George.
After a few years both George and I got tired and had split up in between. A long time guest, Richard, who had put his Duo Discus with us on line, wanted to cooperate. He put more money in the business, but also took most power to him. He wanted to be the sole owner. George retired, I stayed for the PR. In 2005 Richard introduced hang gliding at the field as well.
Lovely people those hang glider pilots but their sport did not match with gliding on our field. But that year of 2005 we felt super and happy, all of us. In April, Richard called all staff and we were pleased to hear what a great year we had had, but…he was not happy and fired most of us. I felt very sorry for Grant and Tove, two toppers in the hang glider world who were appointed as SSC managers and had given up their jobs, their home and part of Australia where they lived, to hear after one year that they were sacked. People, like Peter our glider engineer, had worked since SSC started and lost his job.
Peter Menhennit started at SSC with Bill Riley.
In October 2006, the assets of SSC were sold in an auction. What had taken 30 years to build up with blood , sweat and tears, but also with LOVE , WAS WRECKED in less then 18 months!!! All the gliders and assets were sold off for a pittance.
Of course we made mistakes as well and it was not always a bed of roses, but still having contact with so many guests and still hearing what great and unforgettable times people had with us, makes me still smile.
The day of the auction. With Bill and Ritz/ John, Margie, Bill, Johannes and Ritz
So, when you did not know…you do know now, why I look back often on moments of these great years, lard with very sad moments. SSC is no more and the story is MUCH longer.
Eddie, our former Chief instructor started on the south end of the field a new flying school on a smaller scale, together with his wife Cheryl [ www.sportaviation.com.au ] and Ingo and his wife Judy a flying club with about 70 members. [ www.srgc.com.au ]
Cheryl and Eddie Madden from Sportaviation and Ingo Renner [here with Dundee] from the SRGC.
Tocumwal and soaring are ONE!!!!! George still lives in Australia with his partner Diana [we all travel up and down to see each other] and after 10 years of being a visitor and another 10 years of running the SSC and living at the airfield, I am back in Holland now for five years, but part of me always will be “a Tocumwal-Aussie-girl!!!”
