Gariep 2005

First Weekly Report (15 Nov. till 21 Nov. 05)

November started off with a big bang! Martin arrived early on the 2nd of November at 9 O'clock with a howling wind from the West. We had two extremely good days to put up the shade nets, Friday and Saturday. Saturday, 7 November Martin did low flying from shade net supports, misjudged rate of sink and broke his right arm. Had to be operated on in Bloemfontein. Arrived back at airfield on Monday with the electricity inverter blown (lighting) which had been over the weekend sorted out by Peter How. Everything now fine. On the 9 Nov first two containers from Germany via Port Elizabeth arrived and it took them 10 min to unload from trucks. For the rest of week quiet. Big Boss recuperating.

Monday 14th first pilots arrived and rigged gliders. Hilmar Peitz, who was on a business trip in SA popped in to help rig the gliders. THANK YOU HILMAR! Hope to see you soon.

On 15 Nov. pilots got the feel of the area and from the next day went full out. Check results on OLC (www2.onlinecontest.org) We flew every day so far. Total number of flights logged 32 and a total distance of 16 827km have been flown. That is an average of 526 per flight. Both Klaus Engelhardt (EE) and Klaus Wonneberger (99) did 700km triangle.

On 20 Nov. 05 Stefan Delfts in his Discus (4*K) did 909km. Klaus W. in Nimbus 3DT (99) did a 708km. Peter Gaida (KX) in a ASW17 did 609km. (Even old gliders and pilots can go FAR). Alex Wildemann (NX) did 616. Peter Wartig (WRT) in a DG500 20m manage to do 523km. Klaus Engelhardt (EE) did 830 but did not log on OLC. Not one did under 500km for the day. WELL DONE. Soon you will see the 1000km from Gariep.

Regards from THE TEAM

(Martin - Big Boss; Andrieka, Jacques, Phindi, Andries, Justin and Herman (der Junge Flasche)

Second Weekly Report (22 Nov. till 29 Nov. 2005)

The second week went well. Just check out the OLC website! For the week we have 42 logged flights. (There were more but some pilots come for a holiday and sightseeing so they do not log their flights.) A total distance of 27 469km was flown and that gives an average distance of 654km per flight.

Two more containers have arrived from. There are now 4 containers here at Gariep.One has still be opened and unpacked.

The arm of THE BIG BOSS is healing nicely. Thank you for all those enquiries.

Tuesday 22 Nov. Klaus Wonneberger & Lutz, Rolf Gerbendorf & Heinz, Klaus Engelhardt flew. Klaus Wonneberger in (99) did 870km.

Wednesday 23 Nov. Alex Wildemann, Peter Gaida, Rolf Gerbendorf & Heinz, Klaus Wonneberger & Lutz, Klaus Engelhardt, Gerd Quitter & Bruno all flew. Klaus Wonneberger again did 870km.

Thursday 24 Nov. Klaus Engelhard (EE) did 850km and Klaus Wonneberger (99) did 930km. The 1000km is getting closer.

Friday 25 Nov. Bernhardt Lippold and Arik in the DG500 (WRT) did some sightseeing. No one else thought it worthwhile to go up.

Saturday 26 Nov. 11 Gliders went up. A Good day ! Klaus Wonneberger (99) did his first thousand KM! (1039km) This is also the first 1000km for Gariep for this season. Klaus Engelhard came close with 950.

Sunday 27 Nov. 11 Gliders went up with and average of 695 km per flight and not one less than 500km. Hans Wiesenthal (HW) and Heinz Kaspari (HK) also went up in their self launchers to do sightseeing and familiarize themselves with the area.

Monday 28 Nov. 9 Gliders up as well as Hans (HW) and Heinz (HK) who again just flew some local flights. Manfred Scholz (OY) (986 KM - CLOSE!)and Georg Kirchner (KG) flew 900 km.

It looks like rain so we may have a day or two that is not so good for gliding, but then it will pick up again. Till next time.

Regards from THE TEAM - GARIEP

On 29 November we had 4 flights, Klaus Reinhardt, Georg Kirchner, Bernhardt Lippold (WRT). Average was 451,5km for the day.

On 30 November only Bernhardt in (WRT) flew and managed 245km. For the other pilots it was a no go.

On the 1st December 10 gliders took to the air. Klaus Reinhardt (99), Thomas (4*K), Gerry (AR), Georg (KG), Bernhardt (WRT), Klaus E. (EE), Manfred S (TOY), and Hans (HW), Heinz (HK), Manfred (OM). The average was 589,2 km.

The 2nd December was a very good day. Hans (HW) 1020 km, Gerd (WRT), 587 Km(Check web site for WRT; www.edcf.de), Manfred (OY), Klaus E. (EE) 1010 km {His first 1000 km for this season.}, Alex (NX), Klaus Reinhardt (99) 1087 km, Peter Gaida 805 km in his ASW17, Georg (KG) 1116 km, Heinz (HK) 972 km, Gerry (AR) 776 km, Manfred (OM) 1025 km, Daniel Rodic (DR), 730 km, Johan (LJ) 300 km, Rolf (RA) 650 km, Martin (TH) {first flight } 350 km, and Thomas (4*K) 1020 km. The average for the day was 808,81 km. Six one thousand km flights for the day. WELL DONE ALL!!

On the 3 December Gerry (AR) did 880 km, Hans (HW) 1044 km, Daan & Max (JR) 1050 km, Manfred Scholz (OY) 1030 km, Georg (KG) 1007km. Keith Ashmann took off at 17:39 in an ASH25 (09) and still manage to do a 250 km. Average for the day 760,64 km.

The fourth was not such a brilliant day. Average 160 km per flight.

The 5 December Twenty-one gliders in the air and Hans Wiesenthal did a 1050 km. Georg (KG), Manfred (OM), and Manfred (OY) all did more than 900 km. Daan Pare (JR) and Herbert Lackner (LH) did 1042 and 1050 km.

The average for the week was 716 km per flight!

Come and join The TEAM and pilots for a Good Gliding and FUN.

Third Weekly Report (5 Dec. till 12 Dec. 2005)

6 December 2005: Thermals were good but far between. Peter Gaida in the Nimbus 3DT (99) said it was not a day for great distances, but a good day to make a movie. The average distance for the 10 gliders was 415km.

7 December 2005 : Not a bad day. The 17 gliders had an average distance of close to 660km. So everyone had a good time.

8 December 2005: It was such a cold day that only Lodes and Mies, new pilots to Gariep, flew off in OM. Their distance for the - day 54km.

9 December 2005 : 14 gliders took to the air, but it was not a day for long distances. 8 gliders logged a total distance of 2245km.

10 December 2005 : We had 25 flights, including two check flights. But because of two out-landings Vinzenz Grabner (63) near Bethulie and AN (The Janus with Martin doing a checkflight!) in the nature reserve next to the airfield, most pilots did not log their distances flown. Ten pilots logged an average of 860km. So it was not bad at all.

11 December 2005: Though 15 gliders took to the air, it was to cold to do much more than sightseeing and some local flights.

12 December 2005: This was not a good day for soaring. 3 Gliders did a total of 57km. That is less than 200 km per glider.