F3K master, Ben Stewart, with his 5J Ultima 2 working the south course for his runs down the road.
By Mike Bergerson
Day 2 of Cross Country Soaring: No rain, the heat index was hot as… well, you know. First thing in the a.m., I ran up to the Nats farmhouse to check in with Yolanda and get my stuff. Two seconds later, the majority of the XC guys are there with the same idea. Just get it done, get a new hat and a shot glass… I’m definitely gonna use that!
Back at the high school, we set up for another day of fun in the hot sun. The thermals were there, but tight. Getting up on a wingtip to thermal in the proverbial straw worked well for several of the pilots.
Winch and electric pilots we're enjoying some nice flights and did make it out on the course several times. Taking the north course meant you were working into the wind and could take advantage of the wind on the way back. The opposite being true taking the south run.
The AMA crew of Lee Ray, Terry Dunn, and Fitz Walker spent some time getting to know and understand Cross Country for “Nats Newbs.” We had a blast getting them setup in the pickup for a run down the south course with super CD, Ed Dumas, making his second run for his LSF 2K electric task. Ed worked it for quite a while, but the brutal sink everywhere ended that bid with a bean field landing 1.2 miles in. Upon our return to the field Lee, Terry and Fitz interviewed Ed regarding Cross Country. Ed answered many interesting questions from Fitz and Terry. You can see this interview on the AMA’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CM2ytX5Ba/?mibextid=wwXIfr).
The flying never stopped during their visit. Anitol Polillo broke out his classic Zenith Thermal Duration (TD) ship and put on a how-to regarding this aircraft hopping thermal to thermal for a long satisfying flight. Ben Stewart, F3K competitor and recently minted F5J pilot, flew his Ultima 2 with excellent results over the course of the day. He managed to complete a 2K fly-and-return with Anitol spotting for him. He then left to practice for the F3K US team selects taking place at site 4 on Friday, July17 through Sunday July 19, 2026.
Wayne Wimbish graciously helped several pilots sort out their electronics issues prior to the US F5J team selects. Ron Smith continued to fly his F5J Edge with great success. He drove the pickup on several runs as well and spotted pilots a few times too. Anitol set out on the course a few times after his 2K fly-and-return goal. Alas, it probably is difficult to navigate the sink in a sea of tight spotty thermals, but he did add to his distance total.
I managed to get my flap servo plugged back in and proceeded to put the Supra back into the wild blue. I finally added an ounce of weight to the nose after a couple of flights and that straightened it right out. Most times, the answer is just that simple…. It must be the heat!
By the end of the day, everyone was medium rare and ready for some quiet contemplation regarding the day’s events. Discussions about the weather for the final day of the event were many. Can we pull off three straight good-weather days? Stay tuned for day 3 results and who is gonna be the total distance Cross Country Soaring champion!
Blue Skies!
Lots of accoutrement.
Lee Ray videos Ed Dumas as he works for his 2K fly-and-return on the LSF soaring south course.
Lee Ray filming a Cross Country run from the back of the pickup.
Lee Ray, Terry Dunn, and Fitz Walker came to check out Cross Country soaring at Monroe Central High School in beautiful Parker City Indiana.
Cross Country!
