Posted on 06/21/2005 8:04:46 AM PDT by Dashing Dasher
Tomorrow marks the beginning of a little known international sporting competition.
The US Aerobatic Team takes on the world at Burgos, Spain. I would like to share my interest in this sport with my FReeper FRiends. I hope you find this interesting.
I am getting updates from three of the team members on a regular basis - plus there is a website that will have scores, updates, pictures, etc. keeping all of us FANS involved in the day to day competition going on in Spain.
This competition is held somewhere in the world every other year. Last time (2003), it was in Lakeland, Florida, USA. Trophies are given out for individuals and for teams. In 2003, the Russians placed 1, 2, 3, with the highest ranking USA Pilot, Robert Armstrong, coming in fourth place. The team results were Russia, France, USA.
These are the best (competition) aerobatic pilots in the world. The United States has a team of ten - six men and four women - who will be representing us.
Other countries we know will be bringing teams include Russia, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, plus - who knows who else will show up... There is word we will see pilots - but maybe not whole teams from Finland, South Africa, Australia, Sweden, and Czech Republic. A minimum of three pilots is necessary to form an actual team.
The US Team will be flying several different airplanes. The American Made Zivko Edge 540 will be flown by Vicki Cruse, Janet Fitzke, and Kirby Chambliss. Also American Made is the Panzl S-330 which will be flown by Allyson Parker Lauck. Debby Rihn-Harvey has competed in the Worlds three times and David Martin, another WAC Veteran, will be flying the French made CAP-232. Robert Armstrong will be flying a CAP-231. Hubie Tolson, Michael Racy and Zach Heffley (our youngest team member at 24) will be flying the Russian Sukhoi 26.
Each competition starts with a Known also known as a Compulsory or Q program. Each pilot will fly the same sequence of maneuvers and will be judged by an international panel. The next program is the Freestyle. This allows each pilot to put together a sequence of maneuvers of their own creation.
Once the first two programs are flown, the first of the two Unknowns begin. These are a set of flight sequences designed by committee and given to the competitors 24 hours before they need to fly them. This is very difficult and is really separates the wheat from the shaft, if you know what I mean.
I will continue to update this thread to keep everyone up to date on what is happening in Spain. Please feel free to visit these websites for additional information – or if you have specific questions – let me know. I’ll try to answer them for you.
http://www.usaerobaticteam.com/htmlfile/index.php
http://events.fai.org/aerobatics/calendar.asp
I was asked to "talk" you through the Unlimited Known -- see the post above this one and refer to the diagram.
Bad weather has delayed the flying until tomorrow.
Ping to #80 on this thread.
ping to #80
How long will it take to wash that out? LOL.
That's what I thought, too!
Thanks for the ping & translation. I got that take-off manuever down pat ... ;)
And thanks for the RedBull link! Awesome!!
Isn't it great!
My friend, Mike Mangold won last weekend in Austria. He's in the lead by one point over Besenyei.
Silly.
;-)
What is it?
It's a flight plan, but that's not important right now. And don't call me Shirley.
That is the Unlimited Known for 2005 which the World Aerobatic Championship participants are flying as their first flight this week.
If I'm boring you - just go start a thread about sex and ping me.
;-)
Dasher
Sounds like a missyme stream of conciousness thread. I better bow out! ;o)
Wait - I thought this whole immelman/backslide discussion...uh, nevermind.
Dirty mind(s).
I have never read one of those. Sorry I missed it, actually.
Na, und? (So what's your point?)
It was way over my head.
You never bore me, Ms. Dasher. :o)
Can you start a sex thread anyway!?
I'm passing the baton to you. I hope to get a couple of good ones this week still, though. ;o)
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