42 dgr. yesterday! 40.8 today at 3PM!

SPORTAVIATIONS RECEPTION  ROOM on Monday January 7 2013

Yesterday was not as hot , but still over 40 dgr.
NO clouds, but pilots still went out for 300 km. records. Feel sorry for Gerrit as he has some problems with his glider [Quintus] , that’s why you missed a 1000k. by him!Of course he would have flown one!

I did a lot of writing yesterday in Sportaviations reception room and  I really appreciated using the room. Forgot to tell you that you can see pictures with text at www.sportaviation.com.au

In the afternoon I had lunch at the river under a nice tree, egg-and-bacon roll, forgot how nice it was. Dundee, who wants/offered to be my PA as in personal assistant and he is a GOOD one, came with me.

After walking along the river I saw a small yellow mini-moake and recognized it as Stan ‘s!It was his,  as well as the by him built house- boat. Stan was a well know person at Sportavia in the past, having too many skills to mention.
He was very much involved in maintenance from vintage cars and planes as the Dove and the Albatros, still in “our” old WWII hangar.
For that reason I was Sad to hear that he , at age 79 going to 80 this year, has decided to resign from ALL aviation- industry- jobs he had.
He is/was a real TOPPER in the aviation industry.

beach and boat 004  beach and boat 006

beach and boat 009

He showed us around on his little house- boat he build in his spare time through the years.

Ib and Werner had a low and slow day but great practise and good for Werner to see Australia from Not TOO high.” Counting sheep ” can be , sometimes, fun as well. Though, when they reached the clouds about 125 km. up NNE, they reached 12.000 ft. Not bad. Coming back was a challenge, but as said good practise and they made it!

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Ib and Werner from Denmark.

A very blue day yesterday . Some reached the trough again as Ingo but coming home was difficult and he landed at Berrigan.Still flew 668 km. in the Discus A.
Werner [Meuser] flies XX today, his last flight from Tocumwal, tomorrow they are off to Sydney and than to Germany. In the end he did not fly.
Heard from Maria [from Dieter] it is raining LOT’S in Munich.

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Werner trying to find some shade under the wing of the tug.

Today is 40.8 dgr. again. I am sitting here with Mac in the reception room at Sportaviation. We just mentioned that the normally dry heat here, feels now similar as in Uvalde!Too humid!

Gerrit is busy with his glider , one of the problems is solved which is good. Will talk with Pam later , as promised.
Visited this morning Liz, who is the journalist for the local paper here in Tocumwal for years. She has an open foot due to diabetes and is in hospital already since October.But,…she is on the meant.

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Gerrit “fiddling”around with his glider.

No long distances today but some of the Geelong friends are still here using an extra soaring day at beautiful sunny Tocumwal. It’s really nice to see the “stirring- up-game” between some pilots  now cu’s pop up N. and W.
They want to do a fast 300 k. Would it be possible today? At 4 the sky looked so beautiful to the N and W , that Mac HAD to go.

Have to give you some news from Chaves too. Maybe it was a good idea to go to Tocumwal instead of Chaves?! I am pretty sure when I read all the news and I quote you the nbews from Graham , TC for the UK.
—”Well it’s been an interesting and eventful afternoon.
Everyone, I mean the whole comp has landed out.
So Liz has gone for Ian, Rich has gone for Jez,
Howard landed in a field with 23 yes 23 club class gliders and is now getting a
lift with one of them back to the airfield
All the team captains are trying to work together to lend and borrow trailers, i don’t think there are any teams with a full compliment of trailers and cars to gliders, we have a promise of a
Dutch cirrus trailer to get Ken when the cloggies get back. Thanks to the Dutch
team for that! 
The French team are going to lend us one of their Discus 2 trailers to fetch Howards so huge thanks to them too.
Fun and games in Argentina!
Don’t hold your breath or stay up all night waiting for scores
will you???—”
Poor UK TC Graham, but even such a first day belongs to a WGC. The Dutch pilots all have  a trailer which is good , as well as the fact they borrow their gliders to others! That ‘s the way!
A first day to not forget quickly as I remember something quite similar happened to Benalla  in 1987.

I guess I have to thank Bill Elliott for the fact that my pictures can be added without problems now. So here one from 2010- and from this year taken nearly on the same spot on the River Murray.

Australie2010 004  Australie 2013 014 Australie 2013 013

And about the fires in Tasmania:Here is some news from a friend.
—”Unfortunately we got caught up in the East Coast of Tasmania fires! All safe but
horrendous conditions down here….I have never experienced anything like it in
all my years of traveling to Tasmania. Hope you have a great season in Toc—”

Mac just said thank you to the tuggie so off he goes!It’s 4.40 PM., “maybe” the best conditions of the day.Will tell you later/tomorrow!

Cheers Ritz and back from the library tomorrow.Thanks to Cheryl and Eddie for their hospitality.