Check flight in an ASH 25 EB 28!

It will be more then 40 years ago that I met the Schmelzers Bert and Hilde . First at the inofficial European comps called the ” 8 Jours d’Angers,”  and later at the airport of Keiheuvel in Belgium just over the Dutch border where I lived. During their marriage they got 2 boys,  Bert jr and Tijl always with their parents at the airfield in the weekends and holidays , first playing at the playground later flying with their parents and still later their selves.Lovely family!
We still are great mates but do not see each other so much anymore, but when we meet it starts again where we finished last time.
By the way in that time I met also members from another great Belgium soaring-family the Huybreckx and when Chrisje Huybreckx married to Rudy Jennen, they “got” little Jeroen who got injected with the soaring-virus as well—how could that be different, living at Keiheuvel airport —and he now flies JWGC as well and is a super talent.

I like the way the “kid’s” have grown up now. Of course gliding has been in their blood/ live for ever, but you never know if they are still interested when they are older and THEY ARE ! They like to share their news with all of us and in a very professional way.On top of that they are very NICE young men.
Both finished their university first ;Bert jr in architecture and he works and lives now in Zürich, Tijl studied management and engineering of environment and energy and is involved now in the start up of  a consultancy for finance-technical and risico analyses for new energy-technology.

They always continued their soaring, took part in JWGC’s and WGC’s and fly their Nationals and the good thing is they shared their gliding activities with us. Bert jr. makes the most wonderful pictures from his flights over the Alps and Tijl, now in Morocco, from his first impressions from the airfield of Quarzazate, where we do not know much from other then long distance flights in open class gliders.

I asked him to give us some impressions about Quarzazate and now we know that they have a brand new big temporary hangar, that you can have sand storms there, that at the moment the SOLAR IMPULSE plane is over there, all with pictures. Here are a few and the story for those who do not read my blog.

Tijl;
—” First day in Ouarzazate, Morocco. Never thought I would say this, but the thermals are too strong. Good weather combined with strong wind from the Sahara means sandstorms. We did a short checkflight today. Couldn’t see the fantastic cumulus clouds on top (at ca 3000+m?) until 750m ground. And from 1500m the ground bellow started to disappear. We did the wise thing: stay VMC, and flew a bit around …the airfield. Visibility got even worse after landing. Small world indeed). Great guys. They showed us around the plane, and helped us out with a small repair on the glider.

The Solarimpulse team is here as well (here for promotion of the MASEN 500MW CSP solar power plant). The team consists of mostly Swiss guys (of which I already met one before.

The plane it self is impressive. The logistics are equally impressive. I ll let the pics do the words for that.—“

 

 

Tijl has a fantastic season with already 3x 1000 km. flights. I wrote you about them and as I said I am pretty sure,  this has never happened before in Belgium. Pretty unique.

The last wonderful pictures from Bert jr. are from his flight from Hausen Am Albis to Dachstein and back;782 km. He put names with the mountain tops so we can all learn more, so professional, as most of us will never see these “cols” from above.
enjoy!

 

And to finish great clouds in morning and evening atmosphere.

 

I know Bert and Hilde are very proud on their sons, so they should.I am very proud on them too,  as a friend!
The rest of last weeks stories , including the EUROGLIDE , you can read on www.soaring.eu
CU next week, only 34 days to go to catch up with lots of friends at Uvalde.I will arrive on the 28th!
A miserable grey and rainy day here in Holland. cheers Ritz
picture above; Tijl with Bernd Dolba ready for a check flight in the ASH 25 EB 28.