Nice weather today and the weekend fly offs are going to be gorgeous!
Totally too bad for all of you who couldn't come up to see it all. I
got to be a timer, and that's the best, cuz it puts you on the field right in
the action, where NO ONE is allowed other than designated team members, and the
timers.
You might never have the opportunity to see so many gorgeous sailplanes in
one spot.
I was totally blown away at the how much more skill and tactical strategy
is displayed at this level.
Keith Morrison, CD and organizer has been keeping a cool head and managing
to keep things on track. It is a tremendous undertaking with a huge amount
of personal responsibility to make sure that the money, time and committment by
teams will have been worth it.
The rain gave the teams and workers a like a chance to kick back at the Red
Deer Lodge to chat sailplanes, past World Championships and sailplanes.
JoJo Grini (Norway team, Pike Expert and in general nice guy) and JW had a
chance to agree to disagree and agree about rules and history, it was great fun
for all of us to share a pint of Canadian Beer in a round table grouping of
comfortable chairs!
Carl Strautin of the Australian team (sometimes known as the Clown
Prince of Soaring) brings a refreshing perspective to every topic and I had a
chance to meet his dad, a wonderful gent with a great smile.
I'll be going to England in Sept for two weeks and that made this really
Serendipidous for me since I was able to meet them in advance and to get their
contact info, and of course it provides them with a some time to get out of town
:-)
Looks like the plan is going to be slope and some F3J soaring!
Watching from the launch line, I had a chance to see and compare all the
sailplane soaring in the same air, and while certainly they were controlled by
pilots thumbs, I can see why the Icon is 'worth' the money. It really
seems to have a substantially better sink rate in neutral airOf course, JW's
thumbs not with standing, the Icon I saw was set up...and set up is everything
when you're talking degrees of performance advantage. So all you Icon
owners please keep as much lead in your Icon's noses as possible, you know to
keep them really stable, I am very interested in your soaring comfort ( and I
want more wood :).
JW is tough on me and other pilots who really are interested in learning
and improving their skills, and I appreciate it. He's a true champion and
offers his time and knowlege in direct relationship to your efforts.
HUGE respect to JW, Larry Jolly, Jim McCarthy for their tireless mentoring
to our juniors. What I observed was that they all care a lot more about
the juniors success than their own.
Tom Kiesling deserves to be on this team, he's done some excellent soaring,
and I doubt anyone can see his plane as far off as he can!
Larry Jolly has been at this I think for about 12 years and I'm really
pulling for him this year. All the guys are great and I am proud to have done
what I could to support the fund raising via the T shirt thing. The
expenses are tremendous and the team has to work their butts off ever day and
every nite, keeping lines and equipment in top condition. They 'earn' ever
penny we donate, and next season I'll be a lot more active on that scene.
I have the F3J bug now, thanks to Jim, Larry and our tow team! They
towed me up on the first practice day and let me see for myself what all the
attraction to F3J isSo I talked to Bruce Davidson and our tremendous
caller/timer/soaring partner Ken Marks about forming a team for next year's
Nats! So 'on guard' dudes :-)
Gordy
Next stop Denver's Contest Sunday
