From: kymsteph@chariot.net.au Subject: More from SWK Date: 30 July 2004 10:24:32 PM To: newton@atdot.dotat.org
Got up at 0630 (a bit later than normal) to have a shower before the crowd starts. Usually I would then fill the water containers for both teams, but Keith did it last night. The facilities for filling the gliders are a bit limited here. There are about 10 taps along the south fence of the club house but it is a tight squeeze to get more than about three gliders in there. Since there are 17 in standard class and 14 in 15m it can become a little conjested. Usually I then go back to the Geyer encampment and help with their gliders. After this, we normally sit down to a good breakfast and wait till the two Lisas turn up around 08:00.
Everyone is getting into their routines now and we can usually have both LS4s on the grid by around 10:00. Briefing is at 10:15. Today some advertising material was handed out by the sponsors. This comp is sponsored by a number of industrial/engineering organisations, some well known like Seimens and others less so.
Today is a blue day with no cloud to help with thermal locating. The Germans generally don’t like this as it makes the days a little harder and people tend to gaggle more when they see other gliders turning. The standard class have left on task, about a 270 km triangle.
Tonight everyone (at the comp) has been invited to a cook up by the aeromodellers club in the south west corner of the field. Last night we had a barbeque, with the all our german friends and the Australians.
Sabena, Ralf and myself did the shopping for it, while the pilots were away and then we rushed back at the expected ETA (see Cathys report to find out why we had plenty of time anyway). I was thinking about a noodle salad but do you think the Germans sell Thousand Island Dressing, not on your life. So I made do with a savoury tomato sauce.
Also if you want pork in this part of Germany, no problem, any concievable cut. You want it, you can have it. For poultry there is a pretty fair selection of turkey too, other meats are either rare, (more) expensive or both. These are the details which really highlight the differences between Australia and here. Ralf did most of the cooking on something which looked like the cross between a round gas barbeque and a wok and we continued to socialise till late.
I may have mentioned it before but it isnt really getting dark until about 22:00 and this can trick you into thinking it is still early.
I then took the opportuniy to go to the breifing room to send some emails. This kept me up till after midnight (that's why I slept in a bit this morning). They were playing Pirates of the Carribbean on the big projector screens used during the briefing with the volume turned up full bore, in German of course.
Regards SWK