The competition season is over
At the end of this competition season, the (still onofficial) results of Flanders Soaring Cup are known. After completing 3 intense competitions in Weelde, Kiewit and Keiheuvel, following pilots and teams are the winners in the different classes
.
Club class
1. Ward Gysemans, Mattias Rommens, Lode Vuegen
2. Michiel Herman
3. Yves Van Langenhove
Sport class
1. Joris Vanderputten
2. Koen Vanderputten
3. Geert De Palmenaer
Sport XPDR class
1. Dennis Huybreckx, Eddy Huybreckx
2. Wim Akkermans
3. Bert Sr. Schmelzer
Complete final results are visible at Beker Van Vlaanderen
Belgian Championships 2011 + National Ranking
According to the decision of the sporting committee, the results of the national championships have been adjusted in standard / 15m class.
This enforces the recalculation of the national ranking for the upcoming season. As soon as all the calculations are done, you will find the updated list on this website.
New champions in standard / 15m class are
1. Bert Schmelzer
2. Daan Spruyt
3. Jef Kell
Complete final results are visible at soaringspot
Belgian Masters 2011
This year the Belgian Masters suffered from poor weather conditions. The first weekend gave one flyable day, but the group of 20 pilots was forced to go "aux vaches" after 30 km, so no valid day. The weatherforecast for the second weekend was more optimistic and in the end everyone had a great flight on an beautiful task. Especially the last part from Bouillon back home was exciting in the encroaching warm airmass.
Like last year, this edition was characterized by a very informal atmosphere, good tasksetting and a very high level of competitors.
Thank you Yves and the entire team of ACRA.
1. Yves Jeanmotte
2. Jean-Luc Colson
3. Bert Jr. Schmelzer
Complete final results are visible at soaringspot
Strong final results at the Junior Worlds
Our Juniors are back from the Black Forrest with some very good results. After 7 days of flying in rather difficult conditions Niel, Jochen and Rik became respectively 15th, 20th and 40th in clubclass (44 competitors).
The best daily result was achieved by Niel on the 4th day: Second !
In standardclass 6 valid tasks where achieved by 37 young pilots. Jeroen managed to obtain a beautiful 17th place.
In two years the next junior Worlds will be held at Leszno (POL). Lots of talented young pilots are rising stars in all clubs, so maybe we might expect a complete team in 2013?!
EGC Pociunai 2011
The European Gliding Championships for the flapped classes where characterized by 2 completely different competitionweeks. 75 competitors had a first week with exceptionally good conditions. This resulted in a huge task of 685km for the open class. Average speeds were above 130 kph!
During the second week, more Belgian-like weather came in and tasks become shorter and outlandings more frequent.
After some issues with airspace Yves and Eric managed to keep up the good morale, supported by their crews and teamcaptain Sebastien Mathieu. They finished the competition with a 19th place.
EGC Nitra 2011
4 valid tasks, 8 hours of total flight time, lots of rain, no champion in PW5-class and many outlandings. That is the sad outcome of the European Championships in Slowakia. Despite the typically Belgian weather, our pilots could not completely connect with the good results from the past couple of years. But some nice daily results ensured the good spirit within the team.
Tim Huybreckx and Daan Spruyt became 20th and 27th in clubclass
Tijl + Bert Sr. Schmelzer became 12th in doubleseaterclass
Dennis Huybreckx and Bert Schmelzer became 20th and 29th in standardclass
3th place for Pierre and Arnaud at Hahnweide
During the International Hahnweide Competition (28/5 - 4/6) Pierre and Arnaud de Broqueville finished with a Bronze medal. Congratulations! The other pilots of the Belgian team who used this competition for training purposes were Patrick Stouffs, who finished 21st in the 18m class, and Stan de Broqueville and Louis Dresse who also finished 21st in the two seater class.
Belgian Nationals 2011 - Saint-Hubert
From the 21th of May untill the 29th the Belgian Nationals 50 pilots competed over the beautiful landscape of the Ardennes and Eifel. Like every year the strong and experienced team, directed by Philip Van Ishoven and Michel Pihard, was responsible for a nice weak of flying. Although the weather was not always easy (lots of wind and blue conditions), they managed the obtain 5 valid tasks.
Final standings
open class
1. Yves Jeanmotte
2. Jean - Luc Colson
3. Wim Akkermans
Final standings
15m class
1. Manu Litt
2. Bert jr. Schmelzer
3. Daan Spruyt (Robbie Seton was 3rd in the International competition)
Unfortunatly the club class did not have enough competitors to have a Belgian Champion.
1. Pieter Lievens
2. Stijn Vanden Boer
3.
Rik Vanden Boer
Challenge Grandjean won by Ken Evens and Bert Sr. Schmelzer
During the Belgian Nationals in Saint-Hubert, this prestigious speed-trophy was awarded to Ken and Bert for the fastest competition-flight of the year 2010: 114.6 kph at the Kiewit-Cup (23.05.2011). They made the flight in a Nimbus 4Dt, owned by the Evens - Family.
soaringspot - daily result
Competition for juniors in Switzerland
Andreas Allenspach from Switzerland invites a Belgian Junior to the Swiss Junior Championships. The competition will take place in Fricktal Schupfart from the 10th to the 14th of June 2011.
The flying area is very interesting, especially to train for the upcoming WGC for Juniors in Musbach. Tasks will be set in the "Black Forrest" and in the Swiss Jura. Besides a possible Belgian participant there will be also 3 French juniors.
Finally a little bonus: + NO entryfee for foreign competitors.
+ Tows will be (partly) sponsored: 0 - 25 € up to 600-700m
+ NO landingfees
+ Breakfast probably free of charge
More informations on www.jsm2011.ch
Interested juniors can send an email to belgianglidingteam@gmail.com
First competition of the season, young pilots on top
Flemish Glidingclub Phoenix (VZP) organised for the first time their "Grote Prijs Geraardsbergen" on the 7th and 8th of May.
Despite the sunny but rather stable weather 10 pilots could make flights as well on Saturday, as on Sunday. On Saturday only Johan Lievens on Duo Discus T could make it to the finishline. After a couple of cold Belgian beers and a nice barbecue the other pilots where also happy again.
The task on Sunday, though not easy, was manageable for 4 pilots. In the final standings Koen Vanderputten became first. The team Jelle Vandebeeck and Bart Huygen was the runner-up, and on 3rd place was Daan Spruyt.
More informations on this website.
Teams for 2011
The national team for the upcoming international championships (2011) has been elected by the national ranking.
The WGC for juniors will be held in the German Black Forrest from the 5th untill the 20th of August, more precisely at the airfield of Musbach. Belgium will be represented in standard class by Jeroen Jennen. In club class Jochen Schoeters, Niel Deijgers and Rik Vanden Boer are up against the best pilots in the world, younger than 25 years. For these four young and talented pilots it is the first time that they participate in an international championship. However, they have proved in regional and national competitions that they can stand their ground. The team captain for Musbach is Paul Vanden Boer, the right man for the right job.
For the elite teams, the European Championships are being held in Lithuania and in Slowakia.
In Nitra (SK), two Belgian pilots are participating in club class: Tim Huybreckx, who has the area in good memory from his participation in the Junior World Championships in 2003. Daan Spruyt is the second pilot in this class. As reigning Belgian champion, it will be his first competition at this international level. In standard class Dennis Huybreckx and Bert Schmelzer take part. Together they could gather valuable experience in this area during last years WGC in neighboring Prievidza. In double seater class, an experienced teams is at the start: Tijl Schmelzer is the pilot and he will be supported by his co-pilot and father Bert Sr. Schmelzer. They have extensive experience from previous flights and competitions in the mountainous countryside of Slovakia.
The teamcaptain will be an experienced competition- and cross-country- pilot from Aeroclub Keiheuvel, Marc Huybreckx: father of Tim and uncle of Dennis.
The second EGC is held in Lithuania. Pociunai is a huge airport amidst the forests in a hilly landscape.
Yves Ruymen will be the only Belgian participant in the open class with a Nimbus 4DM. His co-pilot is Eric Vandewalle, also from Royal Aeroclub "De Wouw".
The teamcaptain for the Belgian team in Lithuania is a young, but competition-experienced pilot from "De Wouw", Sebastien Mathieu.
In addition to these pilots, a part of the team will be preparing themselves for the upcoming World Championships (2012). They participate in the pre-worlds in Uvalde (USA) and A.G.Chavez (ARG). This group includes familiar names such as Yves Jeanmotte, Pierre de Broqueville and Beaudoin Litt.
Pierre and Arnaud de Broqueville became third at the World Gliding Championships in Szeged, Hungary.
This top performance proves once again that Belgium has a team that can compete on all fronts and goes for the medals. Congratulations!
Besides the bronze medal in the open class, the Belgian team in Szeged finished the competition in a strong 5th place in the country rankings. A huge contribution to this result are the 2 day victories in this difficult World Championships. They were achieved by Pierre de Broqueville (open class) and Yves Jeanmotte (18m class)
Young Belgian team in Slovakia excels with great final results.
Bert Schmelzer and Wim Akkermans showed a strong performance with a 6th (standard class) and a 13th place (club class) in the final standings. They were supported in their advance by their fellow teammembers, Dennis Huybreckx and Yves Ruymen, for whom this was the first competition in the mountains.
Diest Aero Club is the first Flemish club to buy a Duo Discus.
After Royal Verviers Aviation's Duo Discus this is the second glider of this type owned by a club in Belgium. This high performance glider will allow the members of the club to achieve even bigger and faster flights starting from the Belgian flatlands. At the same time, the performance-oriented training for the large group of talented young pilots is assured.
Scoop: 2 Belgian "father - son - teams" at WGC in Szeged.
The two Belgian pilots in the 18m class were as well a team that was composed out of father Yves (former vice-European champion) and son Michaël. Both of them flew with a Ventus 2cxT. At the end of the competition, Yves managed to achieve a beautiful day victory and so they finished in beauty.
Son and father, Tijl en Bert sr. Schmelzer, flew together in a doubleseater Nimbus 4DT. They participated for the first time in the open class and achieved a good final result during their first common participation at a World Gliding Championship: 15th out of 43 competitors.
With this result, they left three former world champions behind them.
Of course one cannot forget the Stouffs familly. Father Henri and son Patrick flew in the past several major championships together and achieved great results at European and World Championships.
