OLC 2013! Dutch female glider pilot races in SOLAR CHALLENGE! Bahia Gliding in Brasil!!

Leeuwarden bij Emmo Koetje

Love great pictures and here is one to start the blog with, shared by  Emmo Koetje  who flew with Jeppe over Leeuwarden in Friesland [the North of Holland] .
We were blessed in the beginning of October, with nice weather,  with temperatures up to 22 dgr. not bad for fall.But in a couple of days we have to do with 11 and wind and rain!

The overseas areas show already a good beginning of the season.
In New Zealand , from Springfield Max Stevens flew last Sunday nearly 600 km. [594 km.] in a Discus!!!
Orient in South Africa had flights up to 603 km. in a Ventus 2CM / 18m.One day earlier a distance of 713 [705 FAI] was flown there.
And I liked the comment from Chad Novak flying his ASW 20 from McCaffery airport in Queensland Australia:
First time I have seen a 14,000ft cloudbase on the Darling Downs.  Great fun.  Extended my original task to go play.”
Only a few days and the OLC will change to 2014,when I am correct on October 11.

This are the winners from the OLC-PLUS 2013 season:
CLUB; the Dutch glider pilots from the Gelderse Zweefvlieg Club. Good on them!!
OLC CHAMPION; who else than Jim Payne.
BEST FLIGHT; Pierre Alain Desmeules [ 2.182,39 with 177 km./h.  Nahuel Huapi]
ALL FLIGHTS; Axel Nuss
BEST AIRFIELD; Bitterwasser

SPEED OLC;
CHAMPION; Jim Payne
BEST AIRFIELD ; Puimoisson
BEST CLUB; Again the Gelderse Zweegvliegclub!!!!!!!Something to be proud of!!!! Around 12.000 points more than the Gliding Club of Victoria who is a great runner up.
For all results points and flown kilometres and the pilots you can go to:
http://www.onlinecontest.org

It ‘s that time of the year again; THE SOLAR race in cars, the WORLD SOLAR CHALLENGE! As always they drive through the Australian desert on sun-energy, from Darwin to Adelaide. 38 Teams from all over the world are spending there time over there and follow the cars over 3000 km.!!!!
The first day was won by Team Holland from the famous technical university of Delft. It’s there 7th participation and they won already 4 of them.
They started on day 1, as number 13 [!!??] in their  NUNA 7, but overtook the other drivers in temperatures of 50 dgr. C. So pretty tough on the drivers, as these cars are not made for comfort but for speed by good aerodynamics.
This year the Delft University opted for a car with 4 wheels instead of 3, like last time.

Solar race

The Nuna 7, sponsored amongst others by NUON,[I get my electricity from them]  as shared on FB.

The Delft student team building this car consists of 15 members and one of the drivers is a girl and a glider pilot as well; Annemiek Koers. As Delft-student she was  involved in the aerodynamics from this car. Keep that name in mind ,as she is a keen and good cross country/competition pilot as well.
She was even selected by the Dutch NAC, to fly in Issoudun at the WWGC , but opted for her study and project. For sure whenever she has time she will fly at the WORLDS!!!

Annemiek Koers
Annemiek.
As shared on the Dutch Gliding site;
www.zweefportaal.nl
They also keep an eye on her on:
www.nuonsolarteam.nl

After 3 days the Dutch are still upfront , 80 km. ahead of the Japanese team, with the name TOKAI.
Will keep you informed!

The next invitation is from Gawler;
“The State comps will be held at Gawler from Thu 26Dec (practice day) through to Tue 31st Dec. Great practice period for  the club class nationals, [held in Waikirie in the beginning of January] experience the great Flinders ranges during the main 1000km period out of Gawler.

Details and entry through our comp blog spot.

http://sastatecomps13.blogspot.com.au/

Any questions please contact Terry at terrycubley@bigpond.com

I have written a few times about LIVNO, but there are more upcoming interesting new glider fields as I heard; Bahia gliding  in Brasil is one.
On October 7 Branco Stojkovitch, who is a fellow Canadian pilot/mate from Art,  showed a video on You Tube and wrote with it;

This is a video record of my second trip to Bahia Gliding in September of 2013.
Bahia Gliding is up-and-coming gliding resort located just outside of Luís Eduardo Magalhães in the Bahia province of Brazil. The coordinates of the Bahia Gliding runway are  12°10’7.02″S,  45°49’4.98″W. It is located on the “Alcatraz” farm.
The owner/operator and the driving force behind the Bahia Gliding resort is my very good friend Guilherme Purnhagen – Gugui. His plans for the next season are very ambitious: to make improvements to the runway, the hangar and other facilities at the airfield, to acquire a towplane and several additional gliders for rent and to overhaul the Tost winch.
The weather at Bahia between the months of May and October is good or great, with over 90% of soarable days, which in Bahia means XC flights of 300 km or more. Late august to Early October is the prime time, with the cloud bases reaching and surpassing 4000 meters ASL, (3,300 meters AGL).
More information about Bahia Gliding will soon be available at:
www.BahiaGliding.com.br
www.facebook.com/BahiaGliding
Thank you to Art, who pointed this out to me!

Branco flew the last WGC in Chaves [representing Serbia] and Guilherme did so as well ,representing Brasil.
Out of all of this , there was the invitation from Gugui asking  Branco to fly at his resort. Great flights were the result as an 809 km. flight in a St. Jantar on September 22. With several he topped the OLC list.
Look for all those super flights at;
http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightbook.html?sp=2013&st=olcp&rt=olc&pi=16187

and a nice video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9nq0eZQcQ4

And Uli Schwenk, from Jaxida,  is so kind to remind us on the upcoming winter conditions and offers special prices for the covers of your glider, so if you need one this is the time to buy:
http://www.jaxida-cover.de/

You are up to date, enjoy the week and CU on Sunday “in the”  Soaringcafe and on Wednesday again here.
Cheers Ritz