CD's Report
'It's a long way, y'know' was most people's response to the question 'are you going to Bodmin this year?'.
Well, maybe, but those that took the time and effort were rewarded by severe blue sky and a light and variable 2,000' wind in the box. Beginners took place late on Friday evening, local lad James Hughes in the Cornwall Flying Club's machine scoring well to beat Darren Fern in ex-Tom Cassells
G-SKYO.
Saturday was off to a prompt start (just in case the weather intervened). A couple of aircraft didn't make it - the Headcorn Stampe lay sick in the hangar at Compton Abbas and Sam's YAK is consigned to straight and level.
The Halton boys led the field at Standard and Tim Jenkinson was clearly in front at Intermediate, giving a clean sweep for G-IIIX. Howard Fawkes donated a new trophy for Standard (called unsurprisingly the 'Kernow Standard Trophy') to complement the Kernow Trophy for Intermediate.
As is becoming the practice, a second unknown was offered. Once again, 'IX did the business, but with a reversal of fortunes for the
two top drivers. Tim was the only Intermediate pilot able to have a go - Clive Butler's machine succumbed to the heat and wouldn't start and the rest had other plans - some kind of event at Kemble apparently attracting a few people.
We needn't have worried about the weather - a brilliant day all round. Special thanks to Steve Green as CJ, with Ben Ellis, Howard Fawkes and Simon as his lineup. Howard's good lady assisted Howard, helped with the scoring and dished out the prizes.
There were fewer errors in the second unknowns this year - does this mean that the sequences are too easy or are folk getting better at flying
three sequences in a day? Either way, there are mutterings that we ought to build in a
three-sequence competition when the field size allows. It would certainly give more interest to the competition. Plenty of debate potential there!
Ben Ellis,
Contest Director
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