One of the Grumman Wild Cat’s is nearly ready after been restored. The other one still has a way to go. They are restored to be back in original state. Even the original bullits are still in. Look at the not restored and restored engine. Thank you to to Dan, the land lord of the…
Finally kissed/said hello this morning to Michael Sommer. Lovely fellow and the one defending his title! He flew in the past with us in Australia. Heard he lives now in China Shanghai , is about to be a daddy in a few months and might be the first ever pilot to win 4 consecutive WGC’s. Of…
Briefing is over and the grid time for pr.day 4 is 12.40 and the first launch is planned for 13.10 Tasks for 15 m. class is 545.9 km. 18 m. 548.7 km. and open 593.8 km. Tasks are a bit smaller to not wear out the pilots before it really starts. The weather is pretty…
It looks like a nice day again,…good morning! It is nearly 9 and there is a nice cool wind blowing through the big tent here, quite some high cirrus and the rest is bleu, as every morning. The meteo on TV said this morning it would be 100 F at 6 tonight. Let’s see if…
Short update; The weather was ” booming” today. Never saw so many “willie-willies”, as they call dust devils in Australia. And they looked “wild” and went “high” up. Did you know that –Lourens Goudriaan flies his 16th WGC… –that Bruce Brockhoff from Australia misses us all and says hello to those who know him –that…
The contest director opened the briefing a bit after 10. One of the people listening was 85 year old Bernald Smith, still going strong and here for OSTIV. Tasks today are 4.15 hour AAT’s , so distances possible over 700 km. in open class. It will be 1 dgr. C hotter then yesterday and due…
The mornings are absolutely brilliant here. A nice cool wind , blue skies and a sun not really working that hard. Only during the day it starts and we will have 100° F. It’s 9 AM now and pilots are preparing their gliders for a new day. Not everybody is flying, like yesterday, but the scorers…
The thermals “hitting” the ground and called “dust devils” here , are so strong that my laptop nearly went with it, a few things in the shop beside me went flying! Crews and TC’s quickly come back to find at least a bit of shade. One glider made a real bad landing coming back to the field. Some…
Sunday July 29 2012 12.00 PM; After a long trip to Uvalde, I was up from 4 in the morning till 2 in the night, Dutch time, and after being welcomed by Bill and Carol at San Antonio Airport, visiting the airport for a few moments, I straight went into bed in my cute “little house…
Last blog before I “see” you again from/in Uvalde. Hope if you are not there, you will virtually follow me/us again during this trip. Do you know what has touched me? The way EVERYBODY, who has been in Uvalde in 1991 , speaks with affection and nostalgic memories on the 22d WGC. In retrospect they have done…
