October – November 2004
It’s been a good year for UK Juniors: most of the British Nationals championships in 2004 have been won either by Junior pilots or by recent graduates from Britain’s superb training ground: the Junior Nationals. Leigh Wells came fourth in the Europeans and won the 15-metre title; Jez Hood won the Standards and the 18-metres while Owain Walters clinched the Club Class. This issue of S&G has reports from Jez and Leigh as well as a look at the top ten under-26s aspiring to follow in their footsteps – complete with the usualbrilliant photography from www.whiteplanes.com.
Away from the racing scene, we have the story of a very different competition: the contest to win the ten-thousand-dollar Küttner Prize. This visionary award was created by wave pioneer Joachim Küttner for the first pilot to achieve a 2,000km flight in one direction. The battle was fought in the skies over New Zealand and South America and New Zealander Marty Taylor, who has flown with top wave pilots in both locations, tells the story. It is accompanied by his stunning photography.
Back in Europe, Jochen Ewald is tempted by a Carat – the Carat A, a single-seat motorglider just going into production in Slovenia; Nick Gaunt describes some Enterprising flying; Ian Dunkley reports on a Camphill Vintage & Classic Rally that was a double celebration; andLemmy Tanner reveals how Russell Cheetham – the first pilot to fly a solo 1,000km in the UK – brought back theEuropean Open Class Gold Medal in the face of stiff opposition from a German team that included the current world champion. Meanwhile, Keith Goldsmith explains why his first ventures across country feel like the top flights of the pundits.
All this and more in the October-November S&G – enjoy.
Helen Evans
Editor, Sailplane & Gliding
Tempted by a Carat?
Jochen Ewald tries out an early production version of the Carat A, a single-seat motorglider that is now being manufactured at AMS in Slovenia
Russell’s golden year
Russell Cheetham capped his 1,020km UK free distance record in June with a win in July in the European Open Class, against a strong German team that included world champion Holger Karow. British Team Manager Lemmy Tanner reports
Andy goes out in style
Andy Perkins tells the story of how he won his last Juniors
Lasham’s new simulator
On display for the first time at the nationals this year was Lasham’s new simulator. Barry Woodhouse reports
Well done, Wells Jnr
Most pilots would be delighted to come fourth in the Europeans, but Leigh Wells was a little disappointed. He put that behind him, though, to win the 15-Metre Nationals – in a Standard Class glider
Winning on the wave
New Zealander Marty Taylor relates the history of the Kuettner Prize for a straight-line flight of 2,000km, and describes how top pilots planned and flew for victory in South American wave. You can see more of Marty’s photographs at www.extremegliding.com
Double winner
Jez Hood, who is currently the Junior World Champion in the Standard Class, won the same class in the UK nationals at Aston Down. Cotswold GC’s Jane Randle reports.
One point in three days…
… but Jez Hood still managed to win the first of two senior titles as 18-metre champion. Here he explains how
My personal 1,000km
Keith Goldsmith explains why his first ventures across country feel like the top flights of the pundits, and hopes that his story will inspire other less-experienced pilots
Salutary Soaring: the sudden shock this battery gave
Our anonymous contributor describes what he did when his local soaring flight was rudely interrupted by the right aileron’s failure to respond…
Damphill revisited
Ian Dunkley reports on the 2004 rally commemorating both the 70th anniversary of Camphill and the 50th of the 954 Worlds – and introduces the new Gliding Kiwi
Enterprising pilots beat the rain
Nick Gaunt describes the kind of soaring that can sometimes call for Ordnance Survey maps alongside your air charts…
Flying fun in Italy
Jerry Pack and Ian MacArthur share some of their photos from Rieti – a trip they went on courtesy of the Ted Lysakowski Trust
Also in this issue:
British Gliding Association news; your letters; BGA Tehnical News; BGA Development News; club focus (Staffordshire GC); club news; obituaries; BGA Badges; incident and accident summaries
Tailfeathers: Gormless Pilots’ Salvation Revisited…
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