30 July, Day 4For the fourth day, all three classes will fly area tasks. Each class today will fly with 3 areas with a Minimum Time of 2 hours. Fear of late afternoon thunderstorms drives this decision, which makes for a short day of flying and a de-valued day, pointswise. Rain is predictedtomorrow, although the…
Author Archive for Bill Elliott
Bill is a Soaring Cafe Co-Founder and the Publishing Editor. He is a two-time U.S. 18m national champion with extensive racing and cross-country soaring experience. He represented the U.S. in the 18 meter class at the 2010 and 2012 FAI World Gliding Championships Bill earned his airplane rating in 1981, but was looking for new challenges by 1989 when the lure of motorless flight induced him to join the Huntsville Soaring Club. After soloing in a Blanik L – 13, Bill began soaring cross country in the club 1-26, then bought a Duster followed by an HP-18 a few years later. It was with that HP-18 that he won the Region 5 South Sports Class Championship in 1995, his first championship.
Ascendance — A Beautiful New Video
by Bill Elliott •
Ascendance from Julien Jauffret PLUS 1 day ago ALL AUDIENCES Les jours de beau temps à l’aérodrome de BUNO sont synonymes de planeur. Une bande de passionnés s’en vont toucher les nuages à bord de leurs machines. Un mot d’ordre, le plaisir de voler. Translated: The good weather at the aerodrome BUNO is synonymous with gliding. A band of enthusiasts…
Morning Routine
by Bill Elliott •
The sun rises in Leszno about 4:00. We sleep a little later than that, but SS and DB are usually on the airfield between 6:30 and 7:00. By7:30, the entire U.S. team has arrived and is assembling. It is to the advantage of the big-winged planes to weave through the trailers and to the scales sooner rather…
U.S. Team WGC 2014, Opening Ceremonies
by Bill Elliott •
At the 2012 World Gliding Championship in Uvalde, the U.S. team contrived to be first in the parade by walking under the sign “America.” This year, the U.S. team was last, strangely, behind team Uruguay. One hundred thirty two pilots, and many more crew members, marched down Ulitza ? to the Rynek, or Town Square.…
1104 km across the Wild West – MP chases for Records
by Bill Elliott •
MP, alias Mitch Polinsky, obviously enjoys another big summer in the Western US. Launching from Ely, Nevada on Friday, he flew a straight out task from Nevada across Utah and the South Eastern corner of Wyoming, kissing the Nebraska/Wyoming border to finally land at Torrington Municipal Airport where he probably had to wait a bit…
Practice speed 144 km. /h. Not bad!!! Party time in Belgium! My last weekly_SUNDAY_CAFE_BLOG!!!
by Bill Elliott •
They had 2 official practice days in Leszno and then it started to rain. Time for more “job’s” on the gliders and doing the “finishing touch on everything necessary” , as the opening ceremony was yesterday and now TODAY ,the real action starts.And believe me , they will fly and make days even on days you…
A new Standard Class World Champion 2014
by Bill Elliott •
Bert Schmelzer answers Soaring Café’s Questions Bert, you are the first Belgian glider pilot ever to become a World Champion. What a feeling?! Even three weeks after the competition is over, it is still difficult to realize what it exactly means to be World Champion, but I can tell you that crossing the finish line…
On the Fly — WGC 24 July 2014: Team USA
by Bill Elliott •
Today is the third of four official practice days, and the rain is relentless. Captain Dennis Linnekin took advantage of the weather to call a complete Team USA meeting: all six pilots, full crew, and interpreter Greg Swiderski. Then he made a few observations and exhortations. The runway situation is great. There is a well-marked…
Klaus Ohlmann flies 7 World Records with e-Genius
by Bill Elliott •
The electric two-seater e-Genius just spent a week in Serres (France) a location which is also known as Klaus Ohlmann’s home airfield. Further evaluation and – if possible – some records were on the to-do-list. Seven records were achieved! As you might remember from former Soaring Café articles the electric glider e-Genius was built by…
WGC in Leszno, PL – Follow the Serbian Team on GlidePort
by Bill Elliott •
A WGC for sure needs a lot of preparation, and even when you have it all sorted out some little issues can still get into your way. You just have to know how to handle them. Pedja Bogdanovich, who lives in the US but as a Serbian citizen qualified for the WGC and now flies…
