Tilo Holighaus, soaring at Marfa, west Texas USA

Tilo Holighaus, the managing-director of Schempp-Hirth sailplanes in Germany and Andi Lutz, the brilliant young Austrian designer of the Quintus 23 meter wingspan sailplane, flew their Quinti from Uvalde to Marfa, Texas after the World Soaring Contest, staying (Andi is still here) for 10 days of soaring fun in the high mountain scenery of southwest Texas. Also joining them were Alan Barnes (LS-8) of Australia, currently on a five month soaring safari around the USA with able crewman Dave Holbrook. Charlie Barnes (Germany) arrived after the WSC with his Ventus 2a (race # Ei) and is racking up OLC points. Other visitors included Ingrid and Knut Kjenslie, Ross Briegleb and Sherry Reed, Steve Parker of Odessa, and many tourists and potential glider pilots who took introductory soaring flights with me in my new ASK-21 or my DG-1000T.

It has been a long time since our "Sun Ship Game" summer of 1969 and the WSC at Marfa in 1970. Finally, Marfa is again a destination for international soaring enthusiasts!

Fly your sailplane or train with me here - year round. (Just let me know when you are visiting.) Next, I'll host my "Octoberfest" meet OCT 7 - 16 at Marfa Gliders Soaring Center -- just an informal gathering to fly OLC and enjoy our good fall soaring weather, our excellent restaurants and hotels, the big sky mountain scenery and our friendly natives. (Please RSVP.)

Here's an excellent video interview of Tilo Holighaus and the Quintus at Marfa by our soaring-friendly "Big Bend Sentinel" newspaper / the Big Bend Now blog: http://bigbendnow.com/2012/08/video-...-visits-marfa/