Departure Lounge

It is EARLY in the morning, the rain has starting coming down since late yesterday afternoon, rather heavy, and I am now sitting in the departure lounge, Cape Town International. It feels a bit like Leonard Cohen. The coffee shop is not yet open, it is winter solstice after all. Well this afternoon i will be in the summer solstice ;-)

Last night we spent a family evening. The girls wanted sushi so Christelle and I took them out. They did really well in their exams (both academic and dancing) so there was a lot to celebrate ;-)

It was a real rush (in the work sense) to get here - for weeks i have been slaving away, only able to see on the internet how the Rieti pilots are flying in overseas contests (and on OLC - Patrick Gai had a real nice (and fast) flight two days ago).

So i am really glad to be on my way, keen to get to Rieti and looking forward to really enjoying Italy.

Ulf, i am on LH2955 (ex Cape Town) and i only have SMS on my handy (till we get Italian simcards). Watch out for Spotmessenger tracking later today

On the flight i will be reading some literature courtesy of Bill Elliot (who won the 18m USA nationals) - thanks Bill.

regards for now

Sven

ULF FLIES OF THE HANDLE

The South African Team Captain, Ulf Dallmann, in impeccable style, flew to second place on OLC in EX yesterday, covering 950 odd kilometres in northern Germany. They had to send out a Nimbus 4M to beat him. WELL DONE ULF.

In the meanwhile back home the clock is ticking. On Sunday, in non-soarable conditions, i did an hour of outlanding practise in the Rotax Falke under the watchful eye of Mike Pascoe.

Regards for now

Sven

Spot Tracking Page

Hi all

the link to my SPOT messenger tracking page is

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?&glId=0QljvEYOeTTGRLzBuhnCT9AZhfyXWBG3R


I will only be activating the tracking when in Europe (and mostly only when airborne ;-)

I depart Cape Town 20 June and hope to be flying soon thereafter (i will test the tracking driving down to Rieti)

SPOT Messeger's support team is working on activating tracking for Southern Africa


EX

Final results in the Czech and Slovakian champs

In Slovakia Lubor Kubovick (1st) and Vladimir Foltin(4th) showed that they are ready for Rieti, whilts in the Czech champs Pavel Louzecky (1st) and Jaroslav Tomana (2nd) were streets ahead of a very competitive field. They must be looking forward to Rieti.

EX

Mike Young takes an emphatic win

Mike Young won the British Overseas Nationals with an emphatic win, well clear of the field. Russel Cheetam in an ASG29e is reflected as outlanding on the second last day and did not fly the last day - sounds like something went wrong on the turbo, but i have no details. Both Gill Spreckley and Dane Dickenson finished well and must feel prepared for Rieti.
Slovak Republic SI (Vladimir Foltin) and DI (Viliam Kubovcik) are 2nd and 4th (with two days to go) in the Slovakian Championships and they must feel equally prepared for Rieti.
Pavel Louzecky yesterday took the Czech championships in JB - and must also fancy his chances in Rieti. His compatriot Jaroslav Tomana in GX placed second and they will make a formidable team in Rieti.
I can feel the tension building in the air for Rieti.
With us it is cold and wintry as the front is passing through and the best i could do is to go to gym every day in the last week. Tomorrow i hope for some post frontal weather and a last opportunity to do some setting up of my instruments.
I am on a Lufthansa flight on the 20th and Ulf and I will travel down to Rieti via Schempp Hirth.
regards for now.
EX

THE BRITISH OVERSEAS NATIONALS

With just three days to go the British Overseas Nationals at Ocana, Spain is heating up. Whilst the ASG29's are at the top seven place bar one, it is Gill Spreckley in a LS1f in eleventh spot who should be causing some concern for those pilots who are flying in Rieti. Immediately above her on the overall standings is another pilot on his way to Rieti, Dane Dickinson - in an LS8 he is also having a great contest and no doubt gearing up for the Grand Sasso.

Thanks to some local (printing) support I now have some really cool printed maps for Italy - thanks to Peter Wooley. Also spending a lot of time in gym - to make up for the lack of competition flying - but i did some post frontal flying over the weekend.

EY

Christine WINS day 3

Christine Burki wins day 3 of the Swiss Nationals Standard Class. She is flying a LS8 with call sign 8C - if I recall correctly that is the LS8 Peter Hartmann flew in Leszno in 2003. WELL DONE Christine. The results are at http://www.sm08.ch/index.php?site=resultate&date=30&class=standard&ranking=day
She is 6th overall http://www.sm08.ch/index.php?site=resultate&date=30&class=standard&ranking=total
Keep it going Christine