It's going to be a looooong day...

Good thing I took a nap at home yesterday...  The bus left Pori at 1am, and good thing that s, that I got some sleep....  So far so good. Well in time at the airport. Got to the gate and.... Delayed. An hour first... Maybe 2. Ok... 2 hour delay, we still have an hour in London.

Let's board everyone in. Just in case we get an earlier slot...  Well, 3hours later we're still in Helsinki. Got served juice at first, now we had breakfast. Our connection Will be long gone when we get to London... 

Oh well, the sandwich was pretty tasty...
This should be interesting...
Maybe, if we're really lucky well get to texas today.

T - 14

WWW.wac2031.com

Nordics, part 2

Contest is over. I am in Helsinki-Vantaa waiting for a bus to home. 4 hours more and then few hours sleep and back to school. Please, please let there be enough coffee tomorrow.

About the contest. Power competition was valid. Glider contest not. The weather was really tricky. It was raining from time to time, the clouds kept hanging over our heads and on the last day the wind blew us out of our minds. But we have results.

Glider, Advanced
1. Lis Arneberg (DEN)
2. Daniel Ahlin (SWE)
3. Jukka Pelto-aho (FIN)
4. Jyrki Viitasaari (FIN)
5. Janne Nyyssönen (FIN)

Power, Sportsman
1. Daniel Eriksson (SWE)
2. Peter Rasmussen (SWE)
3. Morten Hartwig Hansen (DEN)
4. Sanna Hedin (SWE)
5. Kenneth Jeppesen (DEN)
6. Henrik Lassen (DEN)
7. Pekka Havbrandt (SWE)
8. Jan Riis (DEN)

Power, Intermediate:
1. Per Noren (SWE)
2. Ulrik Hassle (NOR)
3. Malle Andersson (SWE)
4. Odd-Henrik Aasen (NOR)

Power, Advanced:
1. Lars Najbjerg (DEN)
2. Patrik Sjöberg (SWE)
3. Joakim Grepe (SWE)
4. Ivar Dyrdal (NOR)
5. Tor Andre Fusdahl (NOR)
6. Marius Skauen (NOR)
7. Steinar Østby (NOR)

The contest was well organised and nice. The athmosphere was calm and cosy, and the facilities at the Skive airport were good, clean and working well.  Only thing that really was wrong, was the weather. The gliders managed to fly only one flight, so there is no "official" winner in Nordic aerobatics. Then again, Lis is winner to all of us! In Power, they managed to fly even second unknown. The weather was really challenging and I must say, we saw some really funny hammerheads or loops - just because the Bellancas were gone with the wind. I swear, at some point their ground speed was 0. Or even negative. 

On saturday evening when we finally finished the flights, there was closing dinner and awards. Contest Director Søren really liked giving out prices so there was also given out stuff to the winners of "glider versus power", which was won by gliders. They calculated the average scores and the higher score won that. Also the "THE Sportsman" price went to Tor Andre Fusdal for a great sportsmanship during the contest. And then of course, the official prices for the top three in each category. 

The theme of the contest was "wild west" and that showed. The winners got black cowboy hats and there was line dancing group performing  - and teaching us. First the judges had to dance to the pilots and then vice versa. And then everyone together. Must say, I haven't tried that before, but that was hilarious :D Good idea, very fun!

After all that it was time to say goodbye, head to the hotel and pack the bags. 

Sunday I jumped on board with the 4-whiskey-team - Finnish and Danish Glider pilots and drove to Copenhagen with them. A big thank you guys for the ride. We had few hours time in our hands, so we ended up to Tivoli, got ourselfs multi-ride passes and went to get some more G-vitamin from the rides. That was fun!

Photos will follow later when I get them out of my camera.... 

Nordic Championships 2013, Skive, Denmark

No posts about World championships in Oripää this year. No time to do that. Not at all... So, let's move directly to Nordics in Skive, Denmark. 

I was invited here as a judge by Jan Maxen. I have been in Denmark about gazillion years ago, when I was a little kid, and I have never judged in the Nordics, so it was wasy to say yes. Actually, I was quite honoured.  

On wednesday morning I arrived to Copenhagen. I had few hours time before my ride to Skive starts so I did some touristing around Copenhagen. Afternoon I met Daniel A. from Sweden and we hopped in a car with Contest Director Søren Dolriis who drove us to Skive. After hanging out at the airfield for a while, it was rather late and we head to the hotel. It is really nice place, a big old building with clean rooms and a lot of stairs. 

Yesterday morning we drove to the airfield and had a briefing. Then after some waiting, we started the contest after opening ceremonies.

The President of Danish aviation accosiation kept a nice speech before declaning the contest open.

 

Flags have been raised and the teams are ready to go

CD Søren Dolriis

Visitors, from the local airforce. Two F-16 made a low pass over us! 

2/3 of team Finland waiting for the weather

CJ Jan Maxen and her wife, my great assistant on the judging line Annelise and the boys

and this is what is going on now.... 

AFC2013 aftermath

It's been a week since I came back from Prague. I must say, event was really nice.

On saturday, when the real action was happening, the weather was nice and shiny, sun was really warm and there was few clouds on the sky. No rain, like it had been raining for the previous 3 weeks in Prague, causing flooding and a lot of problems. The flooding was still visible there, but it was under control - or so it seemed.

In the morning we were taken to airfield and soon after we moved ourselves to the public area. We had access to the VIP tent, where there was food and refreshments. And right in front of it, our judging position. Before the contest started, there was an airshow. We had some extra time in our hands, so after a brief walk around the event area, Chief Judge and my colleague judges Gabor, Viktor and Svetlana were taken to Simulator. Our host was Jiri Koberle, a living legend in Czech aerobatics. Very nice gentleman, he was also the jury in the contest.

Anyway, we visited this simulator and flew with it. First time with motion on and even I was only a co-pilot, it felt really cool. After we went back to VIP area, had something to do and watched the airshow. Then it was our showtime. Well, pilots. Not really ours. :)

7 Pilots flew their known program and right after, the freestyle program. We graded them, and since the scoring system was tablet based and online, we got the results right after the last flight. Of course there was some technical problems, but there isn't any event, where nothing happens. Everything was solved quickly and the prize giving ceremony was held.

After the contest we had a bit of time to have a shower in the hotel and change clothes and then back to the airfield. There was an Jägermeister after party, with lots of good food, some drinks and we were all given some gift bags to take home. Left the party rather early and got some sleep, since my flight back home was rather early-ish. And I didn't want to travel very tired.

All the organisations went well and it seemed like a professional event. TV worked fine and broadcasted live to TV Fanda. After the event here should be some clips and broadcasts in Eurosport 2.

Now few weeks and then Power nationals, glider nationals, an air show in Jämi, the world glider aerobatic championships and another airshow in Oripää. Quite a busy time ahead of us....

Viktor Chmal at judging line on friday.

Judging line on friday. Gabor is taking it easy and UK pilot Gerald Cooper is doing something  - maybe trying to convince Svetlana and Viktor :D

Morning briefing before the contest

We found a nice stand at the event area, which sold awesome paintings and drawings...

Something from the airshow

Pilots from the left: Marek Hyka, Artur Kielak, Pierre Varloteaux, Oliver Masurel, Aude Lemordant, Fraincois Le Vot and Gerald Cooper. What a team!

And some aftermath photos... 

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.

The museum

More info about the museum under the link

And now to the airfield!