CD's
Report
Many find the prospect of being CD at an aerobatic event too daunting to
contemplate. I never had the chance to contemplate, for I was thrown in at
the deep end of unlimited contest direction 14 years ago, since when the
experience has made the job quite easy. Not easy, however is compiling the
mandatory report afterwards… What can I say? Basically it is a sporting
event of dedicated participants all anxious to do well: some do, some don’t,
so that only the names change. I have even suggested that I devise a
template report at the beginning of the season and your website editor
simply alters the location, weather and names as required!
Elvington’s official length is 3500m (LHR is
3900), but it seems longer and is reputedly a designated alternate landing
site for space shuttles. The hardstand alone is 50 acres! Not surprisingly
the owners need to extract maximum utilisation from all that tarmac, so
often several events coincide, as they did last weekend. This resulted in
BAeA being banished ~ unexpectedly ~ to the remote west end of the runway,
with minimal facilities, no power, and worse, no connecting road. Good
managers insist there is always a solution, it’s simply a matter of knowing
what it is, and in this case “it” was John Wicks in his Range Rover who
hacked a circuitous route through the rain forests of Yorkshire and
established “WIXIS TAXIS” to shuttle personnel from one end to the other.
Flying started soon after the delayed
briefing at about 09.30 on Friday, with 5 Unlimited pilots then 11 Advanced
pilots flying the “Known” and “Free” with such expedition that we finished
well before the 18.00 curfew. At that time Tom Cassells led Unlimited and
Ron Allen, Alan Cassidy, Dave Kaberry and Gary Ferriman all held various
positions in the top 3 at Advanced.
Day two started with an 0800 briefing and
0900 start for 10 Intermediate pilots, followed by a third (ie. Unknown)
flight for each Unlimited and Advanced pilot, finishing with an Unknown for
the Intermediate lot. Leeds TAF had forecast “40% prob. 400 metres vis
with thunderstorms, hail and CB with 1500 foot base” so Chief Steve Green
recommended his judges to a working picnic lunch and his team continued non
stop from 0900 to 1630 in mainly sunny but cold conditions.
 Awards
were presented by a pretty girl ~ this time a reluctant Sharon plucked
randomly from the crowd ~ to those listed below. In addition Corinne Dennis
(incidentally fourth at Intermediate) was awarded the Newbold Trophy, which
she had won but not received at Sandtoft, whilst conversely Alan Cassidy
received no award for his being placed second in Advanced hors de concour.
Leeds TAF then arrived in the form of
thunder, lightning, torrential rain and hailstones at the very moment when
six little Pitts’s (including one open cockpit!) were waiting at the hold
for PMR’s big twin (such style!) to gracefully backtrack the 3 kilometre
runway.
This simple innkeeper then drove home and
half watched football on TV, whilst wondering what to write in his report.
Deep analysis of football incidents is fascinating: referees must make
instant judgments of whether a “foul” was intentional or accidental. Even
with the benefit of video replays one cannot be certain, but the penance
still applies: free kick, penalty, red card and yellow card. Aggrieved
players can object, which can worsen their position, although I understand
that in rugby and cricket players just do not argue with the referee.
Observers abhor such aggressive behaviour ~ often explained as gamesmanship
~ fearing that it has a negative exemplary effect on the lower levels of the
sport.
Comparable situations occasionally occur
in competitive aerobatics: enormously talented pilots ~ the best in the UK
and thereby amongst the best in the world ~ compete against each other to
win and ultimately to represent their country overseas: what could be more
honourable? Alas under pressure emotions vent and the “gamesmanship” applied
in order to achieve becomes, if not unfair, then certainly not sporting.
Watching the football I envied the
authority of the referee not only to send off a player but to prevent him
participating in the forthcoming international event he had worked so hard
to reach. Then I hoped that British Aerobatics would never have to
resort to such disciplinary procedures.
Eric Marsh |
