Thanks to all you guys for the fine turnout this weekend! Saturday we saw about 8-10 guys come out (1 day early!) and just have a good time and do some sport flying. Fay brought us scattered rain showers, so it was a good thing the testing session was on Sunday!! We got the field set up, and installed the new single pole-in-a-hole pylons; these replaced our portable pylons with the legs, so now there is no danger of hitting a pylon support!
Sunday was a nice, sunny calm day with plenty of Florida summertime heat! We had about 17 or 18 424 pilots there, with about 1/2 having very little to no previous racing experience. Jim Purdue and I gave a 1 hour discussion on pylon racing and fielded any questions anyone has. We discussed a lot of the basics, got a little more in depth on some key points, and maybe went a little overboard on some things!
We gave out some documents to really explain the away all the mysteries of racing, with probably more information than some were ready for. We also hade about 12 428-422 jockeys who helped with teaching the guys as we broke up into small groups and put a very experienced racer with each new guy. These pro pilots gave the 1 on 1 learning that we all need as a new pilot. I want to thank all the guys for pitching in and freely helping all the new guys. I hope this gives each one of them a good feeling and a heads up on what they need to do. I can never than you enough for helping out!
After lunch, we set up a few heat races with the guys that wanted to try it, and I think we all had fun with it! Tim Yousey actually flew a 424 plane in a heat race and really showed the guys how to get around the poles. He laid down a 1:39 and change on the long course with a borrowed plane with no practice! Dang Tim, way to make me feel bad!!
I spent my time during these heats as a turn 1 judge and I now have a much healthier respect for the guys down there pushing those buttons. I thought as a racer it would be a piece of cake; was I ever wrong! I will never again get P.O.ed for a guy anticipating my light and missing a short cut. I think I missed my first 2 cut lights on a lane because I anticipated the plane making it there! What an eye opener that was! [:@]
I have all these documents in a single PDF with bookmarks to sections available for reference to any and all who would like them. These are everything from current rules, rule changes and all the basic information we almost all use at any race. If you would like to have a copy of this document, please email me to the location in my signature or PM me here at RCU and I will make sure you get it.
Thanks again for all who made this first time event a success, and I hope it benefited all of you. I hope to see all of you and MORE in Markham Park September 20-21 for the 2008 season final race, and the 2009 opener in Mulberry October 11-12.