As you can see , on the picture put on FB by the youngest participant of the Dutch team Steven Huiskes, the gliders are on the way to Uvalde!
I also found the Facebook accounts from Australia and South Africa so Uvalde starts “to live” now. Holland added their FB account and site as well.
One of my Aussie friends has arrived already and even has started flying/practising . David [Jansen] is a pilot to really consider, certainly with hot/fast circumstances ; fast, faster,fastest!
But luck/ being on the right spot on the right time, is a factor as well and of course there are at least 10 who can win the WGC, in 18 m. class, but it is nice to analyze already now . I will miss Giorgio as he would have been one of those 10.He is still on the list of participants , maybe……..
Only 27 days to go and 35 for the first competition day on August 5!!!
A long time ago John Seaborn was the first to mention to me the Uvalde WGC site in between saying ” thank you ” for all my news. He is practising well for the WGC and will fly in 15 m. class in the Ventus 2 bx for team USA. Last week [June 23] he flew his first 1000 km . flight for this season , 1.128.70 km. to be precise, with BIG speed 154.34 km./h. from Boulder.
Looking forward to meet him in Uvalde!
Lot’s of great flights last week from lot’s of airfields in the USA, as Ely, Moriarty, Parowan and more.
From Parowan,where he flew a nice 500 triangle [620 km] in the Ventus 2ax, Ken Sorenson shows he has no nerves at all in the preamble -period to the 32d WGC in Uvalde, where he will be the Championship Director.
With good managers as Linda and Kerry he does n’t have to worry, his busy time will be there when it starts!
When you got interested in the story and pictures from the Schmelzer family, you can read more in my blogs and here are more pictures;
Flying over the Atlas mountains and a huge canyon.
For all pictures from Bert jr. of this serie :
https://picasaweb.google.com/101367179377196465151/26062012ChasingConvergencesAndDodgingRainshowers
He called this 2d serie of pictures “Chasing the convergences and dodging rainshowers”. Love them, that’s why I share them with Bert’s permission!”
Dad Bert sr. is happy too;—“fantastic landscape, terrific thermals and lots of rainshowers = an exciting place to fly—”
Bert sr. flew several times with his wife Hilde with us in Tocumwal in the past. After they moved to Bitterwasser and this year they “discover” Morocco. Would they be thinking of Morrocco East [ from Peter Reid] and West in Australia when they there? Coming in from the West at Tocumwal Airport they flew over 2 huge farms with that name. A few pilots even landed there when there final glide was too short.
Also Bert’s serie 3 is more then beautiful with a glimpse on life, in what it looks like the beautiful town of Quarzazate. You might have noticed as well; NOT a lot of places for out landings so an engine seems compulsory there.
Enjoy more here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101367179377196465151/27062012AFast500KmFlightAlongTheAtlas
In May we had on the OLC days with up to 2855 added flights [ May 13] . June was not such a good month, not one day over 2000.
Nice flights this week however , in Scandinavia with a “good one” from Jan Ola Nordt; 785 km. from Lidkoping, flying in the Discus 2T. Though the European Championships athletics in Helsinki had pretty bad weather.Enough sport to look at, as the European soccer final will be tonight, Wimbledon is great and the Tour de France started yesterday.
Yesterday was veterans day in Holland to honor the veterans. Prince Willem Alexander and Premier Rutte were in the Hague to see the march-past , which started with the most beautiful Fly Past.
And even better before the Prince saw it , I saw it already as they flew STRAIGHT OVER my house.I was so stunned /excited, that I forgot to get my camera.
A few minutes later I saw them on TV and knew exactly what had passed by;
first 8 helicopters amongst them, Cougars, Apaches, and Chinooks as well as a police helicopter.
Immediately a huge smile on the Princes face, so he REALLY loves aviation.
Then 2 Harvards, followed by 4 PC 7’s [ trainers] .
A nice DC 10 accompanied by a DC 3 and something I had never seen but seems to belong to the police as well.
To finish LOVELY NOISE, with a Hawker Hunter [fabulous] and 4 F16 fighters. My day was good!
Today after 6 months, the astronauts will return back on earth. First the Soyuz capsule will land again in Kazakhstan where they left from 193 days ago as well and then they go to Houston [ESA] not too far from Uvalde. One of them is Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers who has really shared a lot of his experience with all of us here on earth. A very interesting guy!!!!
Got the new Gliding International today with lots of new news. I thought I knew nearly everything but…I see I miss out on things, as the crash beyond repair from the Nimeta from Bruno on May 17, when during high speed stress test manoeuvres a part of the left wing separated. The test -pilot jumped out, the rest you can read in the part; World Aviation News for Glider Pilots.
Also a good article from Jean Marie Clement about Patagonia at its very worst,—-AND a story about The Perlan Project,—-“around the world in a motor glider “by Graeme Porter AND as well written by him “What fuel for your future tug?” —, a story about Terry Delore written by Rod Dew,—a very interesting article about refinement of glider aerodynamic design by chief aerodynamicist Johan Bosman [also Dutch by the way] from Jonker Sailplanes AND….the whispers that there will be an open class JS1 flying in Uvalde, totally new news to me,–maybe a new museum to preserve the glider heritage at Lasham,—and much more!!!
As Gliding membership losses over the last 7 years and Gliding Fatalities per 1000 members. And…congratulations to Tilo and Brigitte Holighaus and Biggo Berger from Schempp-Hirth handing over the 600th VENTUS!!!!!Hope to see all 3 of them at Uvalde.
Severe weather hit the USA and Europe, with heavy wind gusts destroying a lot of trees and houses and thunderstorms with dangerous lightning. That happened in Germany over the last couple of days. Tragic was that 4 ladies happily playing golf there, were surprised by a storm , but luckily they found a shed to hide. Then lightning hits the shed and 3 ladies died, one is badly injured.
Washington has 40 dgr. and no airco and millions [Virginia and Maryland and surroundings a total of 8 States!!]] are without electricity. The Power of nature can be too destroying.
With over 40 dgr. in the South of Europe, the weather might be violent there as well.From Uvalde I only remember one day with heavy weather and that storm arrived when the gliders finished AND …..that it was hot , but not unpleasant!!!!
Last but not least I got a mail from Gariep Dam. No it is not yet winter but if you want to go overseas you have to make plans in time. I will come back on this item later as well.
Here is the latest news!
—“We are pleased to announce that – after 10 years , the airfield at Gariep Dam is now exclusively owned and operated by Gariep Dam Aviation. (owned outright by Mr. Gunter von Versbach.)
Mr Lessle has moved operations to Douglas (his business is still called GariepGliding / gariepgliding.com)
Please update your website and links to http://www.gariepdamaviation.com which is the new website for Gliding at Gariep.—-“
I just got myself a subscription, so they will send me updates with all the latest from Gariep Dam Aviation in South Africa. So you all will be informed as well.
Enjoy your week, cheers Ritz
