Rehearsal

Friday was the rehearsal day. Most of the day was just hanging out and waiting and spending time,
but eventually in the afternoon we got to go to the judging line and watch some flights.
There was some problems with Svetlana and Viktor and their Russian licence and Czech aircraft so they can't fly after all. Too bad, I was really looking forward seeing them in action. Something about the insurance etc...They join us at the judging line, which kind of gives me some stage fright. I am in a good company. Me, a newcomer compared to all others. Just trying to build out the self confidence. Philippe Küchler is working as Chief Judge, and the third judge is Gabor Talabos jr. It has been pleasure to meet some of these people who I only knew by name before. Actually, I have been on the judging line before with Gabors father and sister. Their whole family is involved in this :)

TV crew was also there, so we listened what they wanted and pilots acted according to that.
Please, fly there, not up here, so you fit in the tv. Start that way, do a low pass before the landing, wing wags here, not there... Have fun, fly well, fly safe.

I got a local assistant, one of the crew, Radim Bagar. It worked nicely. I met him the first time in
Dubnica few years ago when he was flying warm-up flights in Europeans. And some funny aerobatics. That what he is doing also in the show here, so I might have another assistant then. We'll see. After 6 pilots we had a small debriefing and I looked the scores. And decided that I have to take a look to the sporting code, since I clearly have some issues in grading figures 2 and 3. It was the same figures every time. But I think this is a life-long learning process. Actually, there were figures that are not even in the catalog, so we needed to kind of invent how to grade them. Like the flat spin. I think tho, that this is not that much about the classic aerobatics but the publicity and media. And we all know, what the public want. Smoke, noise, low flying and rolls. And we got to see some of the best aerobatics in the world. I mean, these pilots are really good.

On the flightline, there are 7 pilots now. We have the Czech pilot Marek Hyka who has a lot to do with the whole event. Then the French guys Francois Le Vot, Pierre Varloteaux, Aude Lemonrdant,  and Oliver Masurel. And from UK Gerald Cooper and Poland,  Artur Kielak. Along with all the other program there is today, this should be a very good event.

It is also nice to see people here, that will be joining our World Championships in Finland this year too. Race Director Vladimir Machula is joining the Czech glider team to Finland.

So, now it is time for todays briefing and time to start the days work.