Flying near Capetown
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20 November 2004, Worcester, Cape.
Five gliders from the Cape Gliding Club today completed a total of over 5.000km in what is the culmination of years of research and training. The gliders launched from Worcester airfield shortly after 10 a.m. into a light northerly breeze and completed routes taking in Renosterhoek (northwest of Citrusdal), Du Toit's Kloof Tunnel and the outskirts of George. All gliders completed the return trip to Worcester safely shortly before sunset.
“This is an unbelievable success” said Martin Grünert, Deputy Chief Flying Instructor and a strawberry farmer from Somerset West, who has pioneered the research with flights from Worcester to beyond George and Nieuwoudtville, “the Cape is one of the best gliding sites in the world – and this result will clearly put it on the map - we anticipate a surge in gliding tourism to the Cape and Worcester particularly”.
The longest flight, a new record for the club, was completed by Alan O’Regan (1171km) who is flying an LS8 standard class glider - the smallest and simplest of the five. Asked if this form of transport would eventually replace other modes of travel, Alan replied “The airlines are not yet quaking in their boots – but it is a breathtakingly beautiful way to travel. And it is not hard to learn because we have a superb instructor and support team at Worcester – I doubt there is a better training establishment anywhere in the world.”
Advocate Sven Olivier, with multiple Protea Colours behind him, also completed his first flight over 1000km (1007km) flying a ASW-27 15m class glider . “This is something the international gliding community will struggle to believe”, said Sven. Asked if he thought the experience could be repeated, he replied “Without a doubt. We have witnessed a step-change in our ability to read and negotiate microclimate around mountain ranges and we are able to fly much faster – sometimes at the gliders top speed of 280kph”.
The other flights were completed by pilots Martin Grünert, DG-500 (1001km), Reinhold Lawrenz, DG-500 (997km) and Peter Farrel, Ventus (824km). Three of the five pilots extended their personal bests by between 160km and 300km.
This multiple success has also ensured that the Cape Gliding Club has moved into first position overall in the international online gliding contest (www.onlinecontest.org)
For further information or pictures, please contact:
Peter Wooley (021 487 2451 / 072 699 6947),
Andre Leeb-du Toit (021 782 2362 /082 742 4743)
and www.cgc.org.za
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