Goinav8n
Apr 09, 2004, 08:48 PM
Over the Labor Day weekend 49 contestants from around the USA gathered in the Mile High City to compete for a spot on the USA F3J Team to represent our country in the Worlds next year in Calgary Canada.
!A Look at F3J
!!Briefly what is F3J?
F3J is a timed, two-man-manually-launched sailplane event, with a total working time of 10 minutes. The goal is to land exactly at or under the 10 minute timer, within the designated location.
*Plane Requirements:
*Max wing area: 150 dm2
*Max flying mass: 5kg
*Req'd wing loading: 12-75 g/dm2
*Max radius of fuselage nose: 7.5mm
*Max tow hook msrmnts: 5mm width, 15mm height
*Landing scoring:
*30 point penalty for exceeding 10 minutes by one minute or less, plus loss of landing bonus
*Disqualification for exceeding 11 minutes
*Bonus of 30-100 points for landing within the 15 meter circle
!!Who is on a team?
A team can consist of a Pilot, 2 tow people, a team manager and a spotter. The tow people are a very important part of this team. They need to be able to run fast and strong in a short burst to launch the sailplane. The team manager is allowed to assist with the aircraft.
!!Explaining F3J in more detail
F3j has a total working time of 10 minutes. At the beginning of the work time a buzzer will sound signaling the beginning of the 10-minute time. At the buzzer 15 sailplanes are launched into the air at the same time. Now your flight time does not start until the line comes off the hook of the sailplane, so the launch can eat up around 3-6 seconds of your working time. So now if you fly perfect your total flight time can only be 9:57 if you only use up 3 seconds on launch, and land at exactly at the end of the 10-minute work time. There are also landing points involved. The timing is very critical and landing gives you extra points. The center is 100 points and it continues down to zero at the end. Now if you fly over the 10 minute work time you will lose any landing points you may have gotten, and are penalized 30 points for going over the time. This is a severe penalty, so being early by 1-2 seconds is not bad.
*So this is the sequence of events as a round unfolds:
*A 5-minute prep time is given for everyone to be ready with their sailplanes. A timer is keeping track of time and usually will give a count down time to the 10 minute flying time. Countdowns up and down the flight line can be heard.
*At around 20 seconds the line is stretched.
*At 1 second before launch, the pilot will signal the tow men to start running. The tow people hold the sailplane until the buzzer sounds.
*All at the same time, 15 sailplanes whiz up into the air and are catapulted up 300-400 feet.
*The tow person runs the lines down and get ready for another launch. They have a hard job.
*The pilot has to make a quick decision -- if the pilot sees that the air is not good and he can do better by launching again, he may elect to re-launch. Once again the tow people run.
*When the air is good the most pilots will be able to fly their full times.
*Now for the landing...
*The timer is counting down to the last seconds of the 10 minute window, and 15 sailplanes are all lining up to land at the designated circles.
*A beep every second for the last 10 seconds sounds by 1 long beep at the end of the work time.
*The window is over. All the sailplanes land within seconds of each other. It’s really something to see.
!!Equipment
Monofilament line is use for the launch. It extends from the hook on the sailplane to a stake that is in the ground 150 meters away. A pulley system is used to launch the sailplane, as shown in the photos.
@906776:This devise is used to measure the lines with tension on it. It cannot exceed 150 meters.
@906777:This is the end of the line with the pulley attached. The rope with shield is visible. This was one of the better setups at the team trials.
!Friday: Practice Day
Friday the Rocky Mountain Soaring association had their field open for everyone to practice. Lines were measured and planes prepared. Most of the teams were just fine-tuning their planes and practicing landings. Some of the teams were still arriving and coming to the field. As I looked around the field, I could see current and former World Champions, F3B team members, people that have won major events and people you read about. This was a very good turn out. I have never seen so many composite sailplanes at the same place at one time. The weather was very good for practice and I did not see anyone damage any models during the practice time. It was a very busy day, checking to make sure all the equipment is in working order. Tow people were organized and all lined up. Teams were organized and strategies were worked out.
After all things were taken care of, we had a Pilot meeting at 5:00 PM at the local Courtyard Hotel. I believe they donated a room for us to use, and deserve a thank you for doing this. Questions were asked and answered. All pilots signed the paper work for the AMA. This eliminated any delay at the beginning of the first day of the contest. Phil Renaud the contest director gave us the plan of events that would take place over the next 3 days. JoEllen the volunteer coordinator warned all the contestants that the West Niles Virus was alive and well in Colorado so she advised everyone to wear bug spray with DEET. It was evident that everyone took precautions to prevent mosquito bites. The meeting was about an hour long. Short and sweet, just the way it should be!
!Day 1
At 5:00 AM I was awakened by the sound of very heavy rain. This was <b>not</b> good. But the Colorado weather is <b>always good</b>. I know because I used to live out here. I thought, "Surely it will only last a while then it will clear up." As we approached the field there were a few holes in the overcast, so flying would begin. Everyone was assembling their models and putting them under plastic. Drizzle entered the picture. After a while it stopped, and everyone set up their lines for flying to begin.
The first round was under overcast but there was lift. It was very light but there. Some planes made their times but others fell out of the air and some landed off field. Some teams did re-launches. For the guys that landed out other models were put into action. The beginning round was a tough one. Each round had 4 different groups. Two rounds of seniors were flown then 2 rounds of juniors.
Right after the junior rounds there was a break for 20 minutes to do some scoring and lunch. When we returned and the announcement for round 3 was called, Mother Nature struck us with Lightning in the distance, and Phil immediately called the contest for the day. Everyone was scrambling to get their models broke down before the heavy rain hit. The day was cut short and we would have to start really early Sunday morning. It was agreed we would try to start at 7:30 AM.
@906778:Early Saturday morning, rain and wind. Ballast was added for the first round.
@906779:The first mass launch -- 13 to 15 planes all launched at the same time.
@906780:Everyone was huddled under canopy tents attempting to stay dry. I don’t think anyone was successful.
!Day 2 Sunday
@906781:The field as we arrived for Sunday morning.
@906782:A couple of Pike Superiors, an Xtreme DP, 2 Tsunamis and an Emerald wait their turn to fly.
On Sunday in Broomfield Colorado we were encouraged that the sun was out and there was no wind. This was going to be a good day. As we drove toward the field and got through Thorton Co., the fog was very thick. As we entered the field it was so thick we could not even see the flight line. As I walked up and down the line, everyone was preparing their models. It was evident that we would once again have to delay getting the contest underway. Finally at 10:00 AM a little breeze and the sun burned off the fog and lines were set. Positions were assigned and flying began.
The first round of flying was tough, but after that, big air was everywhere. Some guys struggled but made their times. Others went out on their own and were able to find lift and speck out. It’s really something to see when 13-15 sailplanes are jockeying for position on landing! You must concentrate on your sailplane and keep your line on final approach. Sailplanes crossing inches from each other was very common.
Today we saw some carnage. At least one aircraft was lost on Launch. I was able to see the wing flutter down but did not see where the fuselage ended. My guess is somewhere near the moon, as these launches are very powerful.! On another occasion Jim Monaco and Tom Hoopes were circling in the same thermal down low. Jim was flying a Tsunami and Tom an Icon. They didn’t appear to be that close, but they did collide and both suffered damage. Toms plane had center section damage and Jim’s had wing tip damage. After the collision Jim’s plane went into a flat spin because one of the tips came completely off. Jim kept it spinning by using elevator. In my opinion he saved the model from further damage as it pancaked onto the ground. The tip was taped and he flew it again. I believe Tom was able to recover and fly his sailplane to the spot. Good flying by both pilots.
There was another Midair at very high altitude, but both models recovered. Carbon and Kevlar have a very bad sound when they meet in midair.
The last round was the most difficult of the contest. There was absolutely no wind and the surface was cooling off. The launch would make a difference this time. The last group launched at 6:30 PM. I was in this group. There was very little, if any, lift. All pilots involved used minimum sink mode. I’m not sure if anyone made the 10-minute max but at least 7:00 minutes was made by a number of pilots.
After all the fog, this was a great day to be flying. After all the scores were added up the top 15 flyers would advance to the flyoff on Monday.
!Day 3 Monday
We got underway at around 9:00 am. The weather was very nice with little to no wind. It seemed today would be the day 15-minute max would be easy to get. Since there were fewer pilots, the rounds were split into 2 groups: 8 pilots and 7 pilots. Lanes were assigned and you stayed there in position for the day. During the lunch break The CD Phil Renuald chose 2 lines from the ESL group, who consisted of Mike Lachowski, Tom Kesling and Josh Glaab, to have the lines measured. This was at random. Their lines were “Way short,” so they passed the test of 150 meters. This was the only check I was aware of. It may have happened again, as there was a large flight line.
Three senior rounds were flown followed by 3 rounds of junior flying. (More on these young guys later.) Watching the seniors fly was extremely good. It was really coming down to how fast you could launch and how close to the end of the 10 minutes the sailplane could be put down on the spot. No less than 95 points were needed. 100 were preferred.
It seemed that the top 7 were really close in the running. The scores were close from the previous 2 days of flying. There would have to be some very big mistakes to change the outcome. Unfortunately for us who wanted this, it just didn’t happen. We had some of the best flying done by the best pilots. We got a great team.
@906783:The F3J Team is Josh Glaab, Tom Kesling, Joe Wurts and Larry Jolly. Phil Renaud CD.
*The new F3J USA Team will be:
*Jim McCarthy, Team Manager
*Joe Wurts
*Tom Kesling
*Larry Jolly
*Josh Glaab, Alternate
I’m sure these guys will make us proud!
!The Juniors
The future of our sport starts with these fine young pilots. Being a junior only means that you are under the age of 18. These young men flew like 20-year veterans. I watched these young guys launch and land just as good or better than the seniors did.
There were 6 juniors competing for 3 positions. I had the privilege of helping Cody Remington from Colorado. This was his first contest and he has only been flying sailplanes for about 3 months. His skills are very good. He came without a team, so Jim Monaco invited him on his team. I was also a member of this team. One of the best things any modeler can do is help these young guys. He will be a real threat to the RMSA in the future. I think Paul Griebenow had the help of Joe Wurts. I guess you can’t get any better than that. Skip Miller and Dan Williams and Mark Howard helped Joe Newcomb. These fellows did a great job of coaching. I was unable to get down the line any further but these young men can be congratulated for doing such a fine job. Good luck at Canada.
@906784: The Junior team F3J Emanuel Gomez, CD Phil Renaud Paul Griebenow, Joe Newcomb. Missing is Casey Adamczyk.
*The Junior F3J team is:
*Paul Griebenow
*Joeseph Newcomb
*Casey Adamczyk
*Emanuel Gomez, Alternate
*Mike Lee, Team Manager
They also will do the USA proud!
!Rocky Mountain Soaring Association
Everyone involved with this club deserves a big THANK YOU. They did an outstanding job. Dr. Dan Williams did a great job lining up food vendors and organizing the field use. Tony O’Hare did a great job in the scoring tent. But there is one guy who stood out. Jim Monaco put his heart into this contest. His club members knew this and let it be known he did a fantastic job. The RMSA is lucky to have him as club member. I’m sure I am missing someone but thank you too.
!Memorable events
There were a few events that just had to be told. I am from Maine and do not get the chance to see American Bald Eagles. Well this all changed on Sunday. The crowd was looking up as a Bald Eagle was flying across the sky. A hawk was swooping down attacking him. He would fly inverted and try to protect himself from the intruder. The show lasted at least 5 minutes. It was really something to see. We had a repeat performance on Monday.
On Sunday I witnessed Larry Jolly do some of the most impressive flying I have seen. He popped off the line at about 50 feet. He hit a small bump of air and did flat circles for 5 minutes. You may not think this is real impressive but it all took place at between 50 and 100 feet. He then had the thermal break loose and made his time with a 100-point landing. Still not impressed? It took place at 5:25 PM. There wasn’t much air to work with. Everyone cheered him.
Larry Jolly strikes again Monday. If the last paragraph doesn’t impress you this may. Larry had a line break at the same time he threw his plane. The boom on his Xtreme broke in 2 pieces. It was held together by a little glass but was together. He launched and the boom drooped down and he popped off. Larry worked the lift with a broken sailplane, got his max time and 100-point landing. Larry deserves to be on this team. Well done Larry.
On Saturday I was flying a round with Joe Wurts. The air was big and I could hear people laughing. My spotter says Joe is doing loops and going up. A Hawk was also attacking him. Well I could see a little out of the corner of my eye but didn’t want to be distracted. Well I must have flown close enough because my sailplane was attacked also. It was a first for me.
It’s nice to see people have fun while flying. I witnessed Joe Wurts doing just that. Having fun. He saw an airliner flying overhead. It was real high. He was following the contrail and it looked as though he was catching up to the airliner. I could hear him say I have reflex in it. This all took place during the flyoff.
This event was a great time. I hope to see even more at the next Team Trials. Until then, Good Luck Team USA.
@906785:Team Monaco, Hal and Cody Remington, Jim Monaco,Tom Gressman, Jeff Carr, Mike Verzuh and Byron Blakeslee.
@906786:Team ESL sailplanes. They did very well as a team.
@906787:Another view of a mass launch. This was only half the field. Look at that grass. It was like a golf course.
@906788:The opposite end of the field. These tow people would almost come to a dead stop because of the tension put on the lines. They worked hard all day.
!A Look at F3J
!!Briefly what is F3J?
F3J is a timed, two-man-manually-launched sailplane event, with a total working time of 10 minutes. The goal is to land exactly at or under the 10 minute timer, within the designated location.
*Plane Requirements:
*Max wing area: 150 dm2
*Max flying mass: 5kg
*Req'd wing loading: 12-75 g/dm2
*Max radius of fuselage nose: 7.5mm
*Max tow hook msrmnts: 5mm width, 15mm height
*Landing scoring:
*30 point penalty for exceeding 10 minutes by one minute or less, plus loss of landing bonus
*Disqualification for exceeding 11 minutes
*Bonus of 30-100 points for landing within the 15 meter circle
!!Who is on a team?
A team can consist of a Pilot, 2 tow people, a team manager and a spotter. The tow people are a very important part of this team. They need to be able to run fast and strong in a short burst to launch the sailplane. The team manager is allowed to assist with the aircraft.
!!Explaining F3J in more detail
F3j has a total working time of 10 minutes. At the beginning of the work time a buzzer will sound signaling the beginning of the 10-minute time. At the buzzer 15 sailplanes are launched into the air at the same time. Now your flight time does not start until the line comes off the hook of the sailplane, so the launch can eat up around 3-6 seconds of your working time. So now if you fly perfect your total flight time can only be 9:57 if you only use up 3 seconds on launch, and land at exactly at the end of the 10-minute work time. There are also landing points involved. The timing is very critical and landing gives you extra points. The center is 100 points and it continues down to zero at the end. Now if you fly over the 10 minute work time you will lose any landing points you may have gotten, and are penalized 30 points for going over the time. This is a severe penalty, so being early by 1-2 seconds is not bad.
*So this is the sequence of events as a round unfolds:
*A 5-minute prep time is given for everyone to be ready with their sailplanes. A timer is keeping track of time and usually will give a count down time to the 10 minute flying time. Countdowns up and down the flight line can be heard.
*At around 20 seconds the line is stretched.
*At 1 second before launch, the pilot will signal the tow men to start running. The tow people hold the sailplane until the buzzer sounds.
*All at the same time, 15 sailplanes whiz up into the air and are catapulted up 300-400 feet.
*The tow person runs the lines down and get ready for another launch. They have a hard job.
*The pilot has to make a quick decision -- if the pilot sees that the air is not good and he can do better by launching again, he may elect to re-launch. Once again the tow people run.
*When the air is good the most pilots will be able to fly their full times.
*Now for the landing...
*The timer is counting down to the last seconds of the 10 minute window, and 15 sailplanes are all lining up to land at the designated circles.
*A beep every second for the last 10 seconds sounds by 1 long beep at the end of the work time.
*The window is over. All the sailplanes land within seconds of each other. It’s really something to see.
!!Equipment
Monofilament line is use for the launch. It extends from the hook on the sailplane to a stake that is in the ground 150 meters away. A pulley system is used to launch the sailplane, as shown in the photos.
@906776:This devise is used to measure the lines with tension on it. It cannot exceed 150 meters.
@906777:This is the end of the line with the pulley attached. The rope with shield is visible. This was one of the better setups at the team trials.
!Friday: Practice Day
Friday the Rocky Mountain Soaring association had their field open for everyone to practice. Lines were measured and planes prepared. Most of the teams were just fine-tuning their planes and practicing landings. Some of the teams were still arriving and coming to the field. As I looked around the field, I could see current and former World Champions, F3B team members, people that have won major events and people you read about. This was a very good turn out. I have never seen so many composite sailplanes at the same place at one time. The weather was very good for practice and I did not see anyone damage any models during the practice time. It was a very busy day, checking to make sure all the equipment is in working order. Tow people were organized and all lined up. Teams were organized and strategies were worked out.
After all things were taken care of, we had a Pilot meeting at 5:00 PM at the local Courtyard Hotel. I believe they donated a room for us to use, and deserve a thank you for doing this. Questions were asked and answered. All pilots signed the paper work for the AMA. This eliminated any delay at the beginning of the first day of the contest. Phil Renaud the contest director gave us the plan of events that would take place over the next 3 days. JoEllen the volunteer coordinator warned all the contestants that the West Niles Virus was alive and well in Colorado so she advised everyone to wear bug spray with DEET. It was evident that everyone took precautions to prevent mosquito bites. The meeting was about an hour long. Short and sweet, just the way it should be!
!Day 1
At 5:00 AM I was awakened by the sound of very heavy rain. This was <b>not</b> good. But the Colorado weather is <b>always good</b>. I know because I used to live out here. I thought, "Surely it will only last a while then it will clear up." As we approached the field there were a few holes in the overcast, so flying would begin. Everyone was assembling their models and putting them under plastic. Drizzle entered the picture. After a while it stopped, and everyone set up their lines for flying to begin.
The first round was under overcast but there was lift. It was very light but there. Some planes made their times but others fell out of the air and some landed off field. Some teams did re-launches. For the guys that landed out other models were put into action. The beginning round was a tough one. Each round had 4 different groups. Two rounds of seniors were flown then 2 rounds of juniors.
Right after the junior rounds there was a break for 20 minutes to do some scoring and lunch. When we returned and the announcement for round 3 was called, Mother Nature struck us with Lightning in the distance, and Phil immediately called the contest for the day. Everyone was scrambling to get their models broke down before the heavy rain hit. The day was cut short and we would have to start really early Sunday morning. It was agreed we would try to start at 7:30 AM.
@906778:Early Saturday morning, rain and wind. Ballast was added for the first round.
@906779:The first mass launch -- 13 to 15 planes all launched at the same time.
@906780:Everyone was huddled under canopy tents attempting to stay dry. I don’t think anyone was successful.
!Day 2 Sunday
@906781:The field as we arrived for Sunday morning.
@906782:A couple of Pike Superiors, an Xtreme DP, 2 Tsunamis and an Emerald wait their turn to fly.
On Sunday in Broomfield Colorado we were encouraged that the sun was out and there was no wind. This was going to be a good day. As we drove toward the field and got through Thorton Co., the fog was very thick. As we entered the field it was so thick we could not even see the flight line. As I walked up and down the line, everyone was preparing their models. It was evident that we would once again have to delay getting the contest underway. Finally at 10:00 AM a little breeze and the sun burned off the fog and lines were set. Positions were assigned and flying began.
The first round of flying was tough, but after that, big air was everywhere. Some guys struggled but made their times. Others went out on their own and were able to find lift and speck out. It’s really something to see when 13-15 sailplanes are jockeying for position on landing! You must concentrate on your sailplane and keep your line on final approach. Sailplanes crossing inches from each other was very common.
Today we saw some carnage. At least one aircraft was lost on Launch. I was able to see the wing flutter down but did not see where the fuselage ended. My guess is somewhere near the moon, as these launches are very powerful.! On another occasion Jim Monaco and Tom Hoopes were circling in the same thermal down low. Jim was flying a Tsunami and Tom an Icon. They didn’t appear to be that close, but they did collide and both suffered damage. Toms plane had center section damage and Jim’s had wing tip damage. After the collision Jim’s plane went into a flat spin because one of the tips came completely off. Jim kept it spinning by using elevator. In my opinion he saved the model from further damage as it pancaked onto the ground. The tip was taped and he flew it again. I believe Tom was able to recover and fly his sailplane to the spot. Good flying by both pilots.
There was another Midair at very high altitude, but both models recovered. Carbon and Kevlar have a very bad sound when they meet in midair.
The last round was the most difficult of the contest. There was absolutely no wind and the surface was cooling off. The launch would make a difference this time. The last group launched at 6:30 PM. I was in this group. There was very little, if any, lift. All pilots involved used minimum sink mode. I’m not sure if anyone made the 10-minute max but at least 7:00 minutes was made by a number of pilots.
After all the fog, this was a great day to be flying. After all the scores were added up the top 15 flyers would advance to the flyoff on Monday.
!Day 3 Monday
We got underway at around 9:00 am. The weather was very nice with little to no wind. It seemed today would be the day 15-minute max would be easy to get. Since there were fewer pilots, the rounds were split into 2 groups: 8 pilots and 7 pilots. Lanes were assigned and you stayed there in position for the day. During the lunch break The CD Phil Renuald chose 2 lines from the ESL group, who consisted of Mike Lachowski, Tom Kesling and Josh Glaab, to have the lines measured. This was at random. Their lines were “Way short,” so they passed the test of 150 meters. This was the only check I was aware of. It may have happened again, as there was a large flight line.
Three senior rounds were flown followed by 3 rounds of junior flying. (More on these young guys later.) Watching the seniors fly was extremely good. It was really coming down to how fast you could launch and how close to the end of the 10 minutes the sailplane could be put down on the spot. No less than 95 points were needed. 100 were preferred.
It seemed that the top 7 were really close in the running. The scores were close from the previous 2 days of flying. There would have to be some very big mistakes to change the outcome. Unfortunately for us who wanted this, it just didn’t happen. We had some of the best flying done by the best pilots. We got a great team.
@906783:The F3J Team is Josh Glaab, Tom Kesling, Joe Wurts and Larry Jolly. Phil Renaud CD.
*The new F3J USA Team will be:
*Jim McCarthy, Team Manager
*Joe Wurts
*Tom Kesling
*Larry Jolly
*Josh Glaab, Alternate
I’m sure these guys will make us proud!
!The Juniors
The future of our sport starts with these fine young pilots. Being a junior only means that you are under the age of 18. These young men flew like 20-year veterans. I watched these young guys launch and land just as good or better than the seniors did.
There were 6 juniors competing for 3 positions. I had the privilege of helping Cody Remington from Colorado. This was his first contest and he has only been flying sailplanes for about 3 months. His skills are very good. He came without a team, so Jim Monaco invited him on his team. I was also a member of this team. One of the best things any modeler can do is help these young guys. He will be a real threat to the RMSA in the future. I think Paul Griebenow had the help of Joe Wurts. I guess you can’t get any better than that. Skip Miller and Dan Williams and Mark Howard helped Joe Newcomb. These fellows did a great job of coaching. I was unable to get down the line any further but these young men can be congratulated for doing such a fine job. Good luck at Canada.
@906784: The Junior team F3J Emanuel Gomez, CD Phil Renaud Paul Griebenow, Joe Newcomb. Missing is Casey Adamczyk.
*The Junior F3J team is:
*Paul Griebenow
*Joeseph Newcomb
*Casey Adamczyk
*Emanuel Gomez, Alternate
*Mike Lee, Team Manager
They also will do the USA proud!
!Rocky Mountain Soaring Association
Everyone involved with this club deserves a big THANK YOU. They did an outstanding job. Dr. Dan Williams did a great job lining up food vendors and organizing the field use. Tony O’Hare did a great job in the scoring tent. But there is one guy who stood out. Jim Monaco put his heart into this contest. His club members knew this and let it be known he did a fantastic job. The RMSA is lucky to have him as club member. I’m sure I am missing someone but thank you too.
!Memorable events
There were a few events that just had to be told. I am from Maine and do not get the chance to see American Bald Eagles. Well this all changed on Sunday. The crowd was looking up as a Bald Eagle was flying across the sky. A hawk was swooping down attacking him. He would fly inverted and try to protect himself from the intruder. The show lasted at least 5 minutes. It was really something to see. We had a repeat performance on Monday.
On Sunday I witnessed Larry Jolly do some of the most impressive flying I have seen. He popped off the line at about 50 feet. He hit a small bump of air and did flat circles for 5 minutes. You may not think this is real impressive but it all took place at between 50 and 100 feet. He then had the thermal break loose and made his time with a 100-point landing. Still not impressed? It took place at 5:25 PM. There wasn’t much air to work with. Everyone cheered him.
Larry Jolly strikes again Monday. If the last paragraph doesn’t impress you this may. Larry had a line break at the same time he threw his plane. The boom on his Xtreme broke in 2 pieces. It was held together by a little glass but was together. He launched and the boom drooped down and he popped off. Larry worked the lift with a broken sailplane, got his max time and 100-point landing. Larry deserves to be on this team. Well done Larry.
On Saturday I was flying a round with Joe Wurts. The air was big and I could hear people laughing. My spotter says Joe is doing loops and going up. A Hawk was also attacking him. Well I could see a little out of the corner of my eye but didn’t want to be distracted. Well I must have flown close enough because my sailplane was attacked also. It was a first for me.
It’s nice to see people have fun while flying. I witnessed Joe Wurts doing just that. Having fun. He saw an airliner flying overhead. It was real high. He was following the contrail and it looked as though he was catching up to the airliner. I could hear him say I have reflex in it. This all took place during the flyoff.
This event was a great time. I hope to see even more at the next Team Trials. Until then, Good Luck Team USA.
@906785:Team Monaco, Hal and Cody Remington, Jim Monaco,Tom Gressman, Jeff Carr, Mike Verzuh and Byron Blakeslee.
@906786:Team ESL sailplanes. They did very well as a team.
@906787:Another view of a mass launch. This was only half the field. Look at that grass. It was like a golf course.
@906788:The opposite end of the field. These tow people would almost come to a dead stop because of the tension put on the lines. They worked hard all day.