PWC 2006 - Reunion

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Reunion was chosen this year again after the year of 2003, when overall winner was Achim Joos (Gradient Avax) in face of Alex Hofer (UP Targa). Before this last round Alex had huge lead before Achim, but tricky island conditions mixed up ranking during last tasks lot. Any pilot in the leading group could win, much depends on tactics and luck as well!

After previous events in Brazil, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia a swiss star Chrigel Maurer (Advance Proto) is leading the field ahead of Czech Tomas Brauner (Mac Magus) and french pilot Gregory Blondeau (Mac Magus). In women ranking is first swiss pilot and Chrigel´s girlfriend Karin Apentzeler (Advance Omega) followed by Japonese Keiko Hiraki and Noriko Mizunuma.

And currently second Tomas Brauner brings hot news right from Reunion...

Vienna 1. 11. 2006

19:00h - 11 members of our czech team run madly around Viennese airpoirt along with the stuff of Austria Airlines and looking for the representative of Mauritius Air to get our air tickets...
19:30h - The engines of Airbas A300 destined to Mauricius are running already and our air tickets are not still here! And without them we can´t board! By some miracle and with help of director of local branch Mauritius Air we are allowed to get on the airplane without the tickets. Uf...
19:50h - yuppee :-)), we are starting for the 12 hours long flight to the Mauritius, where we can expect similar exercise in persuation. After another four hours of discussion we boarded the plane from Mairitius to the Reunon - again - without ticket! /So, it means there is possible to fly by hitchhiking! :-). At this time most participants of our trip bying a cheap Portsmouth in case it could happe anything more...!

There wasn’t any other plane at the Reunion airport where we landed after 1 hour flight. We saw only a small helicopter and a flagman who led us to the miniature airport hall. We used the one hour on the plane to get drunk and at the customs it looked like a country pub after midnight. The custom officials were suitably impressed and let us thru without any problems releasing us in balmy climate of the island.

Today we have to find some accommodation and then we can have the first practice flights tomorrow.

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