It’s interesting how you, just by being the lady-in-charge of  the ladies program at the IGC last weekend, get lots of news related to things I have written.
Today I share a story I received from Frauke Elber, which she published in Hangar Soaring, written by Fred Weinholz.
As Frauke mentioned:
—“I met her first at the Worlds in Waikerie and then again in Hobbs. I later corresponded with her because I wanted her book. She told me that I had to come to Cambridge to get it since she was not going to put it in the mail. When I finally in 2001 or so got to Cambridge _I was visiting friends in England, but she wasn’t home. I finally found the book in a used book store in California. The day the book arrived here, Ann died. —“

Ann Welch—Grand Dame of Soaring

 Ann Welch, called the Grand Dame of Soaring, was born in 1917. She was fascinated throughout her life by all that flew and by all that made it possible for people to fly. She dedicated her life to the art of flying.

She took her first flight at age 13 in a tri-motor biplane. This must have triggered the up-to-then dormant bacillus, which seemed to have always been with her. From that moment flying became the focus of her life.

At age 17 she got her power license in a Tiger Moth. Three years later she discovered soaring. That year, 1937, she flew her A,B,C badges, her 5 hour flight and received her instructor rating. 50 years later she wrote about that time: “I discovered the fun of teaching others to fly.”

During World War II, the then newly wed Ann, as a ferry pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary Corps, flew Spitfires and Hurricanes (fighters) as well as Blenheims and Wellingtons (bombers) from the factories to the operational units. The births of her daughters ended that career. In 1955 a son completed the family.

After the war Ann totally immersed herself in soaring, especially as an instructor. On a short visit to Germany she completed her Silver C.

In 1948 Pirat Gehringer invited pilots to the International Soaring Competition in Samaden, Switzerland, which later was declared the 2nd World Championships. Ann was captain of the British team but did not anticipate how much this would influence her future life. She led the British International Team until 1968. In the 1954 and 1965 World Championships, both held in England, Ann was Competition Director and was very successful in that position.

Preceding the 1965 Worlds, she was invited to the Soaring Commission of the FAI, CIVV in Paris to discuss the rules for the upcoming World Championships, which she was going to conduct.

Due to her knowledge, she was invited again to Paris as an advisor for the Code Sportif. Finally she succeeded Phillip Wills as delegate of the British Gliding Association (BGA) to the international governing body. A short time later she was named Vice-president and Chairperson to the subcommittee on contest rules. Also she was named FAI representative of the Royal Aero Club of Britain. There she was a member of the Rules Committee CASI, became vice-president of the FAI and published its annual bulletin.

From 1970 until 1989 Ann was a jury member during the World Championships. She also published the contest bulletins. She simply was part of it and she was considered a positive influence on these international competitions.

She defined the new class of “Motor-gliders” and the integration of “sailplanes with auxiliary engines” into the Code Sportif  is credited to her.

In later years Ann followed the development of hang gliders with keen interest and consequently became the founding president of the “hang glider commission” in the FAI. Influential members of the BGA were not happy about her association with hang gliding. At this time, even though already slated to continue her appointment to the ICG, the BGA withdrew her nomination. She, describing that action as a “loss with great compensation,” went on to become the essential force in the FAI for hang gliders and later ultralights. Everyone simply relied on her expertise.

Awards

1973 Lilienthal Medal, the highest FAI gliding award

1981 FAI Gold Medal, the highest FAI award

1989 1st recipient of the newly created Pelagia Majewska Medal

So far some info on Ann. It ‘s a great way for our younger pilots to see how much work  has been done in the past for soaring by ladies not only by men, though I am honest enough to say men did more but, more men were involved in soaring  than women, certainly in the past. But during the last IGC meeting I was pleased to see quite a lot of women!
This all fits in the International Womens Day  this week on  MARCH 8.

Now in 2013 , it’s time for Marina to step in Ann’s feet to be one of the five good vice-presidents in the IGC bureau. And she will … she was already devoted to annexes and rules, when I met her years ago. In that time she was also dreaming about what she is starting to do now, this was her to-reach-goal  and as she told me Ann inspired her as well.

Marina already has won her spurs in Italian gliding, is a regular visitor on EGCs , WWGCs and WGCs as , TC for the Italian team or as steward or  juror and in Issoudun this summer, during the WWGC,  she will be the chief steward.

Of course on top of that  and priority number one, she is the very devoted spouse of Giorgio and mum from Chiara and a caring friend to a lot of us.

Marina last Saturday on the NIJAC evening.

Compared to these ladies I am totally unimportant, but there is a nice story as well.

On March 27 , we will have a 50 year lustre from my “old” club ZES. Not a lot of the young new members know that I was the first girl flying with the club ZES in 1967. Pretty special as before the voting started to allow a GIRL in the club and one not studying at the Technical University of Eindhoven, one who could “upset the male rhythm,” I was not sure if they would allow me.

In the end I had the best time of my life, feeling very protected and kind of a mascot for the club. That’s the beginning of who I am now in our soaring world. Never have been a good glider pilot due to lack of orientation—three times thermalling and I was lost, having no clue where the airfield was, so after only five solo starts, that was the end of my career, but a new one started. Funny isn’t it?

Now they do have quite a lot of girls in the club and I am proud that I contributed a tiny little bit to “women in soaring in Holland”  as well.

1968 with Kees Musters ready for a competition flight in our “best” glider KA 7.
Our other club gliders in that time: a Grunau Baby, I went solo in that one and a Rhönlerche, our instruction glider.
In 2013 several of the “kids” from my friends in that time, fly competition here in Holland and on the world level and they have gliders up to JS 1.
A lot happened in 50 years!

One of the “kids” !
This is Maurits, son of Willem, who was in my time a member from the ZES.
He now is a member from the GEZC and flies at the National and International level.

The latest issue of Gliding International has arrived all the way from New Zealand in my house here in Holland. On the cover, the smiling face of Sebastian Kawa, an awesome picture taken by Maria Szemplinski, and it took me a few minutes to get my eyes from the picture to read the magazine, but I “managed “.

In the Magazine news as:

• the 22 m. 2-seat-Diana,
• the Italian Silent electro,
• what happened to George Lee,  who like Ingo Renner lives in Australia and has an airfield with his own name in Queensland. This open class WGC winner in 1976-1978 and 1981  has just written his autobiography “Hold Fast to Your Dreams”. The book is available worldwide through Amazon, bookshops and primarily for customers in Australia and New Zealand, through his website; www.holdfasttodreams.com  from mid April as well as in e-book format.
• world gliding statistics from John over 2012, as every year something to study carefully, with one page about members, one about fatalities and one about clubs and sailplanes, with his clear/honest/to-the-point and eye-opening commentary on each of the topics.
• my look at Chaves, with help/input of my friends Horatio [Piombo from Argentina crew from Damian Goldenzweig], Sarah [Arnold Kelly from the USA , female participant ] and Art [Grant from Canada involved in the organising team on the technical site] as well as Graham [Garnett TC from the UK] .
• being arrested is not how soaring pilots expect to end their day,
• and in world news a “terrible” picture from a black burnt and partly melted Nimbus 4DM [fire in the engine bay of the glider] and more…..

Hope the people behind the project  “WINGS OVER SWEDEN”  receive the goal of 34.000 pound to start it … they are just so close and only a few hours to go. For their website and ALL other news from last week, you can go to www.soaring.eu

Cu next Sunday. Cheers … Ritz