The Glider vs. Power Team Match - 2008

Memorable changes in the Associations' pattern of events don't come around too often, so well established is our rich heritage of contests built around a history now over a third of a century in the making. Last year we ran the inaugural glider versus power Team Match, and it would have got off to a rocket start if the late season weather hadn't preferred otherwise. The power chaps had a bit of a party too, and some thought that this year it all just had to be different. For a start the realisation that consistently good sequence flying only comes from consistently hard training seems to have spread from the power mob to other ears, and with a little help and guidance some valuable steps in the right direction are showing results. More cockpit time in the Swift is also having the right effect on its drivers, and with Lasham keener than ever to host this fascinating match again the signs were all pretty good.

Friday's free-for-all practise sessions were a good thermometer for the affray to come. Truly beautiful late autumn weather with deep blue skies above the hazy landscape made a great setting for the watchers, all craning to take in the Swift's rapid descent from box-top to whistling circuit barely three minutes later and compare it with the harsh noise of the CAP-232 making near 3,000ft verticals and super-high G corners. This is of course the one and only time in the year when we collect together all our best performers for a head-to-head contest, and with the added glider vs. power and team aspects thrown in for good measure. Lots to play for, lots to lose ....

Friday's first casualty came via telephone from White Waltham ... power advanced champ Julian Murfitt's Extra-230 had just folded it's undercarriage to no good effect at all, and only some rapid calls to advanced pilots a little further down the pecking order was able to avert a re-drawing of the battle line. Alex Smith however was able to make plans to transit his Edge from Yorkshire in time for the next day's briefing, but if anything the glider team had gained a slight advantage. Would it show? We would see ....

Although Saturdays weather was fine at 0600 ... by briefing time the ground mist had twice cleared and reformed and thereafter took quite a while to sufficiently clear. Some lounging around and ritual tea drinking soon solved that however, and Tom Cassells kicked proceedings off with a superb growly flight - heading his paired glider man Mike Newman by just enough to make it 1-0 to the noise brigade. It didn't last long though, a succession of well flown glider sequences providing a shock 4-3 verdict over the powered team at the lunch-time half way point. The announcement over Lasham's public address system by scorer Jen-B came as a bit of a shock to more than a few pilots and observers alike, and some smiles began to form in the most unusual places. Could they do it? They'd certainly try.

Whilst the morning's sequences had all been the 'normal' seasons knowns, for the afternoon a set of unknowns had been devised to provide a sterner challenge. In power land the unknowns are always accepted as the ones to sort out the men from the boys, and consequently much effort goes into the business of solving them in good style. Maybe this wealth of practiced routine led to a better power-team approach to the situation? Who knows, but as the afternoon wore on a strong success rate shift toward the power pilots emerged and the tables were most effectively turned. At a late stage the weather took a hand too, forcing Brendan and Patrick to reluctantly abandon their slots - even after waiting an extra hour or so for the clag to disappear as the evening cooled.  After we had removed the two paired power flights to balance the proceedings the final reckoning showed a dramatic change to 8-4 in favour of the power pilots, and so once again the Baldwin Trophy and the gongs for the highest percentage scores went to the Lycoming brigade. Great try, no cigar.

It was however a far better result than the last time, and bodes very well for the next. And oh yes there will certainly be a next one if we can - Lasham were delighted, a good crowd of spectators had a superb days aerobatic viewing, Dick Happs ran a sparkling flight line, the judges enjoyed a diverse challenge, all the pilots loved it, and there's an even bigger score to be settled now.
Nick Buckenham Contest Director	Photos: Martin Götz, Paul Johnson and Nick Buckenham