The Icicle Trophy and Icicle Surprise - 2009

2009 was forecast to have a good positioning Friday, followed by a bad flying Saturday: said forecasts were 100% accurate, but in the wrong order. Hence pilots struggled to transit with significant attrition on Friday, but those who persevered basked in blue skies with little white Saturday fluffy bits, and wind down their slot.

Initial briefing was on the dot at 0830, but under the previous days hungover clag was scheduled to re-convene “one hour before it clears”. Ageing sage CD Eric Marsh predicted clearance would occur at precisely 1000, so official briefing at 0900 was followed by first launch at exactly 10…. then again when the cloud reached minina an hour later.

But thereafter it was plain sailing. Twelve Advanced and five Intermediate sequences were flown until Nick Buckenham’s judging crew of 12 rebelled and insisted on being defrosted and fed at 1340. At 1420 they were prodded out again to finish the day just on 1700.

The “safety” or “emergency” frequency is now fully established and in regular use, and one wonders how serious was the risk without it: perhaps not so great in the days of slower aircraft and less competitive stress. Yet the responsibility must still remain with the pilot to be in control of his flying machine: at Sandtoft there were always at least two and sometimes three radios on the judging line, yet at the one bandit incursion which occurred the duty radio went u/s. Like I say, PIC must still ultimately rely on Mark I eyeball for his own welfare.

Notwithstanding its Arctic Equatorial weather, Sandtoft is still an excellent venue, not least because of the co-operative friendliness of its personnel. On behalf of BAeA, the CD thanked all for their contribution to the success of the event, and awards were presented by Sandtoft Airfield Operator Nikki Evans: the Icicle went back west to Ireland with Eddie Goggins, and the Newbold South to Suffolk with Captain Jenkins.
Eric Marsh, CD