Anyways, after breakfast quickly to the airport, to start with a pilot briefing. After that the managment tent was converted to static judging area. This in itself was a spectacle at times. A tent, occupied by multipe israelies, and all think to be pretty much right, and if not, close enough to be right anyways. And the nett result is a tent full loud people, and then they multiply. The tranquility, when the actuall judging started and all additional people where ushered out, that tranquility was close to devine... (yes, 2 days in the holy country, and perspectives get broadened...)

During the static judging, I was able to update the website, and started the 2009 web report. Before you would know, it was 17.00, the teams came back to the airfield with alll the supporters to enjoy a very nice buffet. A terrace has been build (at least one settlement I like...) and everybody enjoyed the good food and drinks in the airco restaurant tent, or under the parasols on the terrace.

At 18.00 the Opening Ceremony started. All the teams marched in, accompanied by Israeli children. After the teams, the judges, flightline director and yours truly marched to the flags, due to the scoring program being developed in the Netherlands, the dutch flag was present, next to the USA flag (JWM2011 organiser) and Australia. Of the participating nations, the flag was raised while the national anthems were played. Bert Hazeborg, judge, had the honor to raise the dutch flag.
Ofcourse there where several speeches, also from the event organiser Avi Ambar (and unlike Avi, it was a brief speech...).
Avi and his team have put in a tremendous amount of work to get the event organised. After the usual startup problems, it all starts to fall in place. If the opening ceremony is measure for the rest of the event, it will be a great Jet World Masters.

After the speeches there where some very nice demonstrations, a large F-15 in israeli colors, then some other demo's that did some hair raising aerobatics.
By 20.00 everyone was back in the hotel, where everyone is hiding behind a beer or a laptop. This "5-star" hotel (in price, sure...) has internet, but only in the lounge area... Oh well, then I don not have to sit here alone ;-)
The only nasty habbit of the personel, they close the lounge early, suddenly the light wnet out. Outside, a clock says 00.09, and 32 degrees C... It can be a lot worse...