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The Gunpowder Trophy - 2011 |
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 CD's ReportLeicester Aero Club is a great venue for an Aerobatic contest. The box is edged on one side by the main hard runway, the catering is excellent, the tower are helpful and efficient, and I could go on. However, coming just a week after the Junior Nationals the entry list for Standard and Intermediate classes was sadly, but understandably,  rather
modest. 24 hours before kick off it was further reduced by a trio of
withdrawals leaving just 4 Standard entries, 6 at Intermediate and a very
encouraging 4 Beginners.The plan was to get the Beginners flown first, but two of them were to fly Paul Stanley’s S2A which was weathered in at Shobdon. With Paul himself entered for Standard, we got the ball rolling at 9.30  with David Kean doing the box flights and starting the Intermediate Free.
There were bits of cloudmoving through the box just above 3,100` and a free break was in effect. It stayed in effect all morning. The 3 beginners present were briefed as Intermediate came to a close and the Standard  Class started to fly their known. As if by magic Paul Stanley
arrived in time to be briefed and fly the fourth and final Standard known.
His passenger (the fourth beginner) was briefed as he flew, and the
Beginners class was flown once Standard was complete.With the very efficient Ian Scott driving the computer and Brian  McCartney
running the Judging line, the fine tuning of the running order to
accommodate our late arrival was a non event. Probably helped by the fact that the briefing room, judging line and pilots were all within such close
proximity of each other!By 12.30 everybody had flown and with a darkening sky to the south it was time for the Judging team to have a  break and an
early lunch. At
1.15 David K launched for the Intermediate Unknown and
landed again, conditions were not good enough, and then it started to rain.
A second attempt some 35 minutes later was also in vain. But at 2.40 we were
back in business
with a cloud base well above 3,400' and the free break for Intermediate was
removed. By 4.30 all the unknowns were complete and we knew who the victors
were. A very stylish and assured performance from Lauren Richardson secured
her
 the Beginners Plaque. An ecstatic Chris Sills took a richly deserved win
at Standard and the Gunpowder Trophy, having flown a pair of very good
sequences in the Kimbell enterprises S2C. And for John Scott, an
intermediate gold medal for two delightfully tidy flights in his Cap 10b.At 5pm with our bills paid, Leicester’s catering supremo Jenny made the presentations amid much good cheer and we brought to a close a short but sweet event. Well done to all, good airmanship, camaraderie and sportsmanship throughout. Special thanks to BAeA member and Leicester based David Shutter, who on behalf of the Aero club, gave an excellent briefing on the Airfield procedures, and did much else as well.
Andrew Barlow |
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