Several pilots are on their way to Uvalde already or are there to practise. Picking up gliders and driving them through different states in the USA, all for the main goal of performing well at Uvalde. As promised,  I spend my last two Sundays before I leave to write for the Soaring Café, with the latest news, small or big.

My Aussie friends are either looking around in the USA as Bruce and Anita who were earlier in Washington and “enjoyed” 28°C at 5 in the morning…or flying as David Jansen. And not bad either: David had three flights, one 722 km with 143 km/h. Good on him.

With a very good team captain as Mandy and a very experienced team coach Terry Cubley and most importantly, six top pilots,  the team has all possibilities to perform well.
For the last couple of days, however, the weather wasn’t too good over there in Uvalde.

Anita and Bruce.[Picture from last year]

The Serbian team has only one pilot but he is supported via Facebook by a lot of Serbians and I plucked a picture from FB for you. The text with it reads:
—“Meet The Pilots: Representing Serbia (and being the whole team) is Predrag Bogdanovic, seen here with his Ventus-AX. Predrag will be competing in the 15 Meter Class in Uvalde, and we wish him good luck!—”
So do I.

Via FB. Courtesy Natasja Niskic.

The Dutch gliders passed the Gulf of Mexico as you can see on the next picture taken by open class pilot Peter Batenburg. So not long and they can travel to the USA as well to hook up the gliders and drive to Uvalde. The Dutch TC is young pilot Rene de Dreu, who was already European champion and is the representative in the BENELUX for Schleicher. Busy times for him.

And our Peter Batenburg has been presented via the WGC FB site also;
—“Meet The Pilots: This is Peter Batenburg of Team Netherlands. Peter will be flying in the Open Class in Uvalde. We look forward to following Peter and his Dutch teammates during the 2012 WGC!—“

On the South African FB site Oscar Goudriaan is presented like this;
—“Meet The Pilots: Representing Team South Africa in the Open Class is Mr. Oscar Goudriaan. Along with other South African team members (in both 18 Meter and Open Class) he will be flying a product of his native country: the Jonker JS-1. Follow Oscar’s efforts as he competes in Uvalde in less than a month!—“

And more news from the South African team; they are VERY active on FB;
—“The first container with the JS gliders is expected to arrive in the USA this week. The first SA team member is also leaving for the US this week. AP Kotze (crew to UJ) will be leaving SA on Thursday and will arrive in New York on Friday.–”

Loved the video on the Belgium news [www.rtl.be] with Patrick, Arnaud and Pierre. Here is the picture from the open class pilots. GOOD PR!

Pierre , Arnaud and Patrick

From the Danish team: I heard from Arne Boye Möller. He left yesterday, drives to Houston today to unpack the gliders arriving from South Africa together with Bruce and Anita. And then practise starts.

Swedish pilot Börje Eriksson: I had a short message that he is looking forward to the comps and to “a new glider, instruments, logger sealings, etc”. A you can see on this picture which I plucked from FB he is practising real HARD at home .

Got a nice mail from Beryl Hartley—who doesn’t know her—from Australia. Here is a short part of it;
—“I am looking forward to Uvalde.
Just think you and I were there 20 years ago when we each had a world champion from our team. Let us hope it happens again. ”
She will arrive in Uvalde next week , while “her ”  pilot Mac was already in Georgia to collect his glider.

  The Jonker brothers, ready to “shine”.

Updates;
–I noticed that Peter Ryder will be president of the jury in BOTH 32d WGCs.
So he travels to Uvalde as well as Chaves.
–My friend from Narromine, Beryl Hartley, is the TC for Mac from Japan. Mac flew a lot in Narromine. This year he is the only pilot representing Japan.
–Bill Elliott from the Soaring Café and USA competitor in 18 m class has joined the grand-parent-family. He is a granddad now of Lila Jane Elliott. Congratulations to him and his wife Carol.
–the Dutch gliders have arrived .
–found a lovely video about the WGC in Uvalde in 1991 on YouTube; have a look.

For more meet-and-greet -pictures you really have to go to the Facebook site from the WGC. For other soaring news you can go to www.soaring.eu .

Only 13 days to go and I will be there, in Uvalde. CU then.

Cheers…Ritz