With an original entry of 33 standard and 18 intermediate pilots - all to
fly three times in a day-and-a-half - this was destined to be a
competition to test the resolve.... in the event five entrants withdrew
and one failed to show, leaving just forty five souls to fight for the two
Champions' crowns on offer. Add a few judges and the other essential admin bods, and
even Peterborough Conington's substantial briefing room really couldn't cope.
Contest Director Nick Buck wound the
show up on the opening Friday and set it off promptly at 14:00 hrs with a
new slant to the usual approach, in which each pilot was given a copy of the flying-order and
placed on his/her honour to be be imminently ready to dive into the box as soon as the
preceding one called "Sequence complete!" on the radio. It was
rather like turning the traffic lights off and seeing the queues magically
disappear - in this case it was the judging line that had to keep up, a
cracking 12 flights an hour rate keeping everyone on their toes. Even with a
comfort break between the two levels for the judging line to stretch it's
legs all 45 flights were easily completed by 6.30pm, at which stage Eagle men Dave
Stobie and Richard Dauncey were separated by Aidan Grimley's Yak-52 in
standard, whilst at intermediate Gerald Cooper's final fling in G-IIIX was
pulling him clear of another closely matched pair of Eagles in the hands
of Tony Maxwell and David Cooke.
With a full day and 90 flights in
prospect the unprecedented (?) step of briefing at 07:30 and competing from
08:00 allowed CD-NHB to pave the way for all to be completed in the time
available. Once again
the assembled pilots stretched the judging line with a steady dozen
sequences-per-hour, sparkling performances by Stephen Wallace and John
Dixon putting them into the standard silver and bronze slots behind the
consistent Dave Stobie, whilst in intermediate young Cooper remained
firmly in charge, Tony Maxwell being joined in the chase by Pete Shaw.
Then precisely as the last Free was completed the threatened warm sector
swept through, the rain commenced and that was that. Despite a cautious wait until 2:30 to
see if a better prospect might show, the 1200ft cloud-base and occasional
drizzle was clearly stable and with two of the three programmes complete
the result was fixed.
So - congratulations to Messrs Stobie
and Cooper,and lots of appreciation to all pilots for the fantastic
rate of sequence flying that got us to the line just before the weather
got to us. Chief Judge Alan Cassidy stepped into the slot at the last minute
ably supported by Steve Todd, Ben Ellis, Patrick Rushmore, Tony Lloyd, Bob
Oliver, Dick Happs and Diana Britten. As usual Jen B twinkled the
confuser's ivories, and the Conington bar staff dispensed food and drink
at a creditable five-star rate. A superb - if curtailed - contest, two
excellent champions, and not a bad time was had by all.
Nick Buckenham
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