RIP Tomas Reich - SGP Chile

Thank you,

So sorry for your loss.


At 03:15 31 January 2018, wrote:
On Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 10:59:41 AM UTC-3, Paul Agnew wrote:
From Facebook:
=20
Sad news from the last race day;
Local Chile pilot Tomas Reich had an accident on the ridges south of
Sant=
iago. The Chile SAR recovered Tomas and took him by helicopter to the
hospi=
tal in Santiago. Unfortunately Tomas died during the evening from the
injur=
ies he sustained during the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are for
his
=
family and friends during this tragic time.

Hi to all,
I am one of the pilots that flew the GP in Chile and friend of Tomas, who
s=
adly died on last day of competition.=20

On training day, there was an accident during a final glide ridge soaring
b=
ack home (about 20 km) and at least +500 m above Vitacura as arrival. The
n=
ew and very complex OGN antenna system we made for the mountains, made it
p=
ossible to find him on time. Mountain ridge slope was not as very high
moun=
tain side, where we have never had an accident in 70 years (since the
origi=
ns of our gliding activity in Chile). Probably we need to analyse and
filte=
r pilot=C2=B4s personal accident record to start with. No rule, no task,
no=
weather, no risk involved on that manouver explained the
accident...howeve=
r it happened. Why?.

On last competition day, we had a terrible fatal accident that is under
ana=
lysis of course, but the terrain where it happened is not the high and
"ter=
rible mountains" as some pilots are trying to define for this country. An
8=
00 meters airfield at 4 Km distance and +1100 meters altitude as arrival.
W=
hy it happened???. That is the question we need to answer but probably
will=
never know. We can guess only and cry in the process.

We know racing has a risk. We need to be responsible in managing the
risk:
=
rules, tasks, safety devices, etc., but we will never be in the pilots
head=
, who finally manages all the factors.

On Varesse GP Final there were big complains from a very well known pilot
b=
ecause minimum arrival altitude rule was too accurate without margin. IGC
c=
reated a 5 m buffer. In Chile same pilot arrived 2 meters bellow the new
bu=
ffer altitude (7 meters) and wanted to make a protest for 2 meters. Why
pu=
shing hard?. Pilots know they have those 5 meters in the pocket and want
mo=
re. It is the same in all IGC rules...there is always a downside from the
p=
ilots.
=20
On Varesse GP Final a pilot complained about wing load limit of 52 kg/m2
im=
posed for two reasons: to equal glider performance and to improve glider
ma=
neuverability. He wanted IGC to erase this "stupid rule" and to free the
wi=
ng loading in order to make ASG 29 more competitive against JS1. Flying
com=
petition in mountains with 56 or 57 kg/m2 is even more dangerous!!!, not
52=
.. Now in Chile he says this is the most dangerous competition?.

We have to be responsible with our declarations and the consequences,
speci=
ally taking the opportunity to blame organizers just when a fatal
accident
=
happened. It is not fare for Tomas, and the gliding community he will
alway=
s be part of.

One pilot here mentioned to check Kawa=C2=B4s flights but those in Chile.
I=
t is not fare for us and it is an insult for all mountain pilots with
thous=
ands of hours and in any other mountain like Alps, Pyrenees, etc. He
flies
=
in Chile with the same risk than any other competition pilot during the
GP.=
None of the other 18 pilots flew with more risk than him. He knows how
to
=
fly better the thermals, the final glide is better, he is just better
menta=
lly and that is why he won.
Kawa said in his book that flying in Chile was boring (back in 2010), but
f=
ew days ago he told me that he wants to take that back after a flight we
ha=
d together and found to be the most fun and exciting flight he had.

Now I am not only sad for our loss, but for the way our Country and the
off=
icials have been treated in a famous interview at opensoaring.

Chile is one of the best places for GP competitions.

Have a nice flights and hope you all can fly our beautiful Volcanoes,
glaci=
ers, lakes and multicolor mountains one day.