Gliding Sport in Russia

last updated: 04/11/99

Gliding Sport in Russia

The Cup of Russia Prize and The opened Russian Gliding Chempionship of The Club Class held in July - August, 1999.

24.07.99 The author is Vladimir Bessarabov

14 glider-pilots take part in the Competition on a standard class gliders "Jantar-standart-3".

Two glider-pilots from Germany also have shared in the Competition. Here review of the German pilots about personal impressions of their taking part the Competition is represented to Your notice.

We are glider-pilots from Germany, Norbert Kalisch and Andrew Terpa. In Germany we fly in airclubs Pirna and Roitzschjora. In past year us have invited on behalf of the Russian airclub in Kazan for participation in a gliding Competition. The invitation we willingly have accepted. After successful passing of training on an evacuation from a site and day of technical training the competition have begun. Per the 1-st day the task was not played because of a bad weather conditions. Per the 2-nd day, on July 24, the 1-st task was held. In rather weak meteorological conditions we should fly by a polygon of length 258 kms. Some participants has landed on a country site, but the majority of pilots has reached up to final glide to the aerodrome "Boltachi" successfuly. For us was difficult to find turning points on a route, as here we had no add-in airborne GPS-logger in use, but with the help of a map and camera only.

The weather with each next day has worsened. The truth, some of the subsequent days to us put miscellaneous tasks, but up to the end of the Competition we have played 2 flight tasks. From the point of view of flights the Competition to us have added very interesting experience in gliding. In Germany we fly at such weak weather conditions very seldom. Thus, the small practices in soaring flights about 20 hours to us has left enough time to acquaint with hospitality of the participants and hosts of the glide-rport "Boltachi".

We would like cordially to thank the organizers of the Championship, and to the Chairman of an Kazan's airclub and all participants of cup of Russia of 1999 for that beautiful time in "Boltachi".

We still have most pleasant memories.
Norbert Kalish and Andrew Terpa.

Vladimir N. Bessarabov, glider-pilot and member of a Russian team, was participant in "Boltachi'1998" Championship, and here is his comment and summary of the "Boltachi '99" Championship.

The Cup of Russia Prize and The Russian Gliding Chempionship of The Club Class in Tatarstan has started on July-23-1999 on the basis of the Kazan republican airclub, on an aerodrome "Boltachi", which one is arranged approximately in 100 kms north-eastern of the capital of Tatarstan.

The Competition were conducted in conditions, when the top leaders of Russian gliding could not accept participations in the Competition, since thay were abroad, sharing in different international Competitions.

Nevertheless, 14 glider-pilots, including 2 pilots - visitors from Germany have shared in the given Championship all. Among the participants were as glider-pilots, young in a contest's soaring flights, and strongest foremans of the Russian gliding. The Competition have passed in conditions of an weak weather conditions, that is absolutely not representative of the given flying area: this year there was to the full successfully played only 3 tasks, though the previous 2 years here it was possible to play till 10 tasks in each of Competitoins (1997-98).

It is obvious take place abnormal weather conditions on all territory of Russian Federation this year.

In a task No 1 the flight on a polygonal route of 258 kms was played.

The winner became the experienced glider-pilot Alexander Masiukov /Novosibirsk City, Ciberia/;.

2-nd place were taken by glider-pilot Zakhar Khakimianov /republic of Tatarstan/;

3-rd place - foreman of gliding Sergey Kliuev /Central airclub of Russia/.

In a task No 2 pilots competed in a polygonal route of 320 kms.

The champion in the task became Sergey Kliuev;

2-nd place were taken by the foreman of gliding Victor Voytov /the Champion of standard class of Moscow 1998-99/;

3-rd place were taken by the sportsman Alexander Glinkin./Kazan City/.

In a task No 3, despite of a bad weather conditions, it was possible to play enroute flight of 180 kms.

The Champion became the foreman of gliding Victor Larin / Kazan City/;

2-nd place has taken Sergey Kliuev,

3-rd place were taken by the glider-pilot R. Gainulov /Kazan City/.

Sergey Kliuev became the leader of the Competition on the sum all-round on 3 played tasks. On 2-nd place R. Gainulov, and on 3-rd place the foreman of gliding Marina Kalaeva /she was a winner of the Competition, played last year./.

It would be desirable to mark previous histories of the Kasan's Championship. The previous years of a Championship in the glider-port "Baltachi", conducted at a more favorable weather, were very successful and it was possible to fly a large number of played tasks.

The competitive tasks were consists of a large enroute soaring flights on a range from 300 up to 500 kilometers and more. It is doubtless reaching of the organizers of the Championship, management and personnel of the Kazan republican airclub. The glider-pilots of Russia always considered for large good luck participation in the Kazan's Competitions and many from them hope, that can share in the future Championship, which one will be conducted on the glider-port "Boltachi" in the year 2000.

The glider-pilots being here, always feel a hospitable acceptance on the part of the hosts of a Championship. The flying area of the glider-port "Boltachi" attracts by the big spaciousnesses and pure ecology of the beautiful country. At a favorable weather conditions the thermal lifts here quite often reach 5-7 m/s strength, and cloud base of cumulus about 2000-2500 m hight. Probably therefore, per the last years here willingly there come the pilots from Germany to do soaring flying on gliders in interesting conditions.

PHOTOS

Sergey Kluev