The Golding Barrett and Roy Legg Trophies - 2009

CD's Report
Complacency has a nasty habit of creeping through the back door while you are out on the veranda admiring the view. So it is that I bimble carefree through leafy Cheshire on a beautiful late spring Friday morning, confident that we are in for a wall-to-wall sunshine competition weekend. Suddenly the phone rings: “We’re stuck in Bagby waiting for the weather at Sleap to clear. Cloud base 400 feet. We’ll give you a ring later.” “Waiting at Panshangar for a clearance…...on the ground at White Waltham.” This does not look good. Thirty minutes later I’m plunged from blue sky into fog and the last five miles into Shropshire Aero Club’s home airfield see my mood darken further. Surely this couldn’t be the only part of England to miss out. Not this weekend. We know Sleap has its own micro-climate, but they always organise nice weather for us.

Good weather or bad, there’s always plenty to get set up when you arrive, so I scurry round saying hellos and making adjustments to the plan. Shortly we are greeted with aircraft arriving overhead in time for the scheduled briefing, but unable to penetrate the fog below. To divert? “Hang on, there are some blue gaps appearing. We’ll wait upstairs for a bit.” Eventually, the weather relents and the skies open up to a swarm anxious competitors, all keen to attend the delayed but critical first briefing. I pledge not to give the Met Office another chance. The sole Beginner has decided that competing with himself is pointless and opted for some domestic brownie points. So the Stranded crew have the box to themselves this afternoon and will have to work a little harder to get us through an Unknown as well as the Known. Nick Buckenham rolls the dice on the box position and with a word from Sleap Radio and the admin team we have all the little ducklings neatly aligned for the flying to start.

Nick is stand-in CJ in the absence of Ian Scott. We are also deprived of a few other regulars, so it’s pilots to the rescue on the judging line, as the early arrivals for the Indeterminate class step into the breach. Nick puts them at ease with a thorough briefing on the judging niceties and Chris, Charlie and Brian join the Boss and Wixi to give out the scores. Competition is hot and the hottest of all is ScottDot in his Cap10, with some very nice figures and positioning. There are many on his heels though, including a gaggle of Mr Pitts’ finest. Scoring is high - a reflection of excellent flying as judges new and old struggle to deduct marks. If it’s flown right it’s a 10 !

In this sport, the gliding element often appears as a distant second cousin, rather than close family. Nice to see then, the crossover appearance of Emily Todd from the Sportsman Glider Class. Having only just been elected to fly with the Pitts G-ODDS, she nevertheless entered into the Spirit of Adventure with her first S2A solo, first hard runway landing and first powered competition all in the same week. Her final position is a commendable reflection on what such determination can achieve for you. Her petite stature added a further challenge when asked to wait at the intersection for a rather long time. You try holding Pitts brakes at full leg stretch for 15 minutes ! It hurts.

Friday’s dinner was in the inimitable company of Mr Cassell’s finest Slingsby pilots and pole man John Scott. The SKY-C team exemplify the good things about the sport, with a close camaraderie and a complete willingness to share costs equally and to work together to plan their sequences. Ex-submariner doc ‘Kerching’ Cumberlidge won the award for best improver, but each of the four team members put in at least one fine performance. A pleasure to have you with us as always, gentlemen.

Saturday failed to disappoint. 9999 CAVOK meant that all who were expected arrived, making for an unusual perfect roll call. With the Chairman and our International CJ, Graham Hill, in attendance and fledgling Unlimited pilot, Aidan Grimley, making a special trip over (thanks, Aidan), the judging line was a strong one. Intermediate Knowns launched into a stronger than anticipated off-judge wind, with the first few helping to wake some laggards on the Welsh Borders, before the adjustments were made and normal service resumed. Luke Goddard with the welcome reappearance of MAXG was pack leader.

Sleap’s wonderful runway layout usually claims a victim or two on spin exits or 270’s and this contest ran true to form. Some nearly escaped the judges’ eye, but ultimately it was several stunning 84%+ raw scores which determined the Standard final ratings on the 2nd Unknown. Marco ‘On Rails’ Kalweit topped the pile, but not without some close attention from the Leicester team of Barnard, Edwards and Welch, with Emily and John Scott in the mix, too. Watch out for those Leicester boys at the Nationals. With their luxury mobile office they’re looking serious. Intermediate Unknown was also well contested, but Luke fended them all off to take the victory. Once again, the East Midlands was well represented in the final placings, with Phil Burgess, Neil Bigrigg and Charlie Kimbell all showing well. Has Leicester, the home of the Pitts in the UK, finally come of age on the competition scene ?

It is poignant that some of our trophies are named in honour of those who have perished pursuing our sport. With this in mind it was a double pleasure to have not only the Golding-Barrett family in attendance, but also the brother and relatives of Roy Legg, sadly lost while practising for a Seething display in the early 1980’s. I sensed a tremendous pride as they joined us for the trophy awards, tinged with a hint of sadness that their loved one had been unable to pursue his passion for flying right through to retirement. At least this year, Veryan G-B did get to present the correctly named trophy, thanks to the help of last year’s winner, David Kean. That was appreciated.

We tidied up, said our goodbyes and waved off the formations of happy pilots as they headed for home. None of it would have been this way, though, if it wasn’t for our superb hosts at Sleap. To Len, Paul and Rick for manning the Radio and accommodating all our needs, my thanks. Mark, you and your team fed and watered us admirably. John, Nathan and many more, we thank you all. And well done Jordan, on your debut as assistant to the Chief Judge.
Steve Todd
BAeA Contest Director