July 27, 2024: RC Soaring F5J Team Selects

By Mike Bergerson

6:30 a.m.—it’s chilly and damp, not the greatest conditions for setting up your sailplanes (I hate it when the tape won't stick), especially when you haven't had enough coffee, yet the pits begin to fill up with pilots and airplanes getting ready for the 8 a.m. start.

We figured that there were somewhere between 130 and 150 sailplanes on the field ready to fly. Most pilots had two ships ready to go and a third ready to setup. I was prepared to load up my standard airplane with ballast if needed, keeping it down to two airplanes set up and ready to fly.

Again, first round flights bring out the lightest airplanes. The air is buoyant, but the upper winds are moving. Launch as high as you dare, avoid a lot of penalty points, and try to surf it out. Lots of crabbing left and right, looking for anything that looks like lift. Ten minutes of “I'm not gonna make it” to “Oh man, that looks better” and “How're the other guys doing.” By the third round, you've got the low launchers and folks with 20/20 vision pulling it out low and ranging downwind to Illinois (the winds were predominantly out of the east). It did get hot, about 84°, which helped produce a nice thermaling day if you could find them. Muncie madness still put several airplanes on the ground early.

A bit later in the morning, Joe Dougherty, in an impressive show of his hand-launched flying talent, launched to 11 meters. Turning his sailplane like a DLG, he took his 4M Phoenix DF up and out for a max flight. I do believe he won that round!

A total of six rounds were completed, bringing the total rounds flown up to 12. The roster shifted around a bit, but with another day of soaring yet to come, it will all change again.

I met so many new people and listened to quite a few stories about the folks flying the F5J Team Selects. I wish I could tell them all …

The Colorado crew timed and coached Junior competitor Oscar Cytrynowicz for his third contest. His second contest was F3K earlier in the week. This young man is a talented flier and is already a force to be reckoned with. His father, David Cytrynowicz, is very supportive and a good pilot as well.

The California contingent came focused and prepared. The Jedi Masters flew, coached, and timed with their padawan learners with great success. More on that later.

The Arizona gang came ready for the challenge as well. Steven Wilcox Jr. missed out on the Junior worlds competition due to COVID, so this is his chance to show off his incredible talent as a soaring pilot. He certainly does not disappoint. He and his dad are great people and are very supportive of each other and the hobby. Steven is in flight school to become a commercial pilot.

Thirteen-year-old Junior pilot Rowdy Lee and his parents, Jared and Alyssa, are a soaring family. Several of the guys are helping coach and support him in his soaring endeavors. He is becoming a very good sailplane pilot. He flew the contest with his dad, while his mom did scoring checks on the flightline.

With the conclusion of the day’s flying, many of the competitors banded together to head out on the town for dinner and a relaxing evening after baking in the sun for 9 hours.

Tomorrow's start is at 8 a.m. to fly rounds 13-16. Same Bat channel, same Bat station (I might be dating myself … Lol!)

Blue Skies!

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