Day one, Sunday July 30th.
The team briefing for the first task was the usual stuff - lots of confusion, then a mass of questions, some really inane, but the message was conveyed in the official language of the competition (broken English). Deck take-off, then fly through 4 boxes looking for markers, then a predicted speed leg, then a photo spotting leg for churches, then more predicted groundspeed until a deck landing. If the task was complicated, then the scoring system is even more so, currently the scores are being re-issued due to the errors. Most team members did OK, although Matt and Jeremy suffered an engine failure - the big end bearing let go, but they managed a good landing in a very undulating field. So the team sprang into action again, they were picked up and brought back, then everyone mucked in to change the engine over - yes, Matt and Jeremy had brought a spare 582 with them, originally bought off Ebay! Paul test flew it last night and it’s since performed faultlessly in the next task.
Now the competing has started, the mood has changed a bit, although we are all still having a good time in the evenings. Two of David’s work colleagues have turned up to do the cooking - Naomi and Emma, who have since taken over the kitchen duties from the Chuckle brothers. They’ve settled in well and seem to be enjoying spending their holiday looking after 25 flyers… at least that’s what I think Naomi said after the 5 or so beers she’d sucked down…
The day ended with precision landings, starting at 1800 and the excellent marshal organisation (headed by Arnold, ex-Army) meant that it was all over by 2000, then the briefing for Monday’s flying…
Naomi and Emma - doing a cracking job looking after us all.