December 21st 03, 12:03 AM
As received:
------------------
This e-mail goes to all the World Class enthusiasts in North America for
whom
I have an e-mail address, and to a few friends of the World Class over the
World. Please forward to whomever you think may be interested.
=======================
I hope this finds you in great spirits for the holiday season. 2003 has been
a good year for the World Class, despite the generally poor weather in the
Eastern US. Time to think about 2004. Here are a few news and plans.
- SSA Convention, February 5-7: Our typically well-attended breakfast event
will be on Saturday morning this year, instead of the Thursday spot we used
to
have. That is superb, as it should allow even more people to attend. See you
there. This year again there will be a PW-5 on display at the Convention,
thanks to Charles Yeates, and also possibly a PW-6. Everyone who has flown
this
two-seater loves it. At that price, you can't beat the fun for the buck, and
I
think it is going to become a great workhorse for many Clubs.
- Speaking about the ships: Rafal Mikke of Bielsko 1 recently sent me the
following: <<Good news is that we made progress with the altitude limit. The
structure passed the necessary static tests. There is a very interesting
video
showing the bent wings of our B1-PW-5 (we also made it for Swidnick PW-5s) .
Now
I am completing my project to build in a certified O2 system. All systems
meet proper MIL and MS specifications>>. Hopefully, we'll hear more news
about
that at the Convention.
- And further good news about the ships come from Charles Yeates: <<The PW-6
received its type certificate in the US, FAA Type Certificate No. G18CE
issued
December 5, 2003. Plans are for Dick Johnson to be doing his magic test work
on the PW-6 in Dallas following the SSA Convention.>> That is very great
news.
Look for the flight tests results in Soaring Magazine, probably in a midyear
issue. (As you are probably aware, the PW-5 received its type certificate in
the US some years ago. I changed mine from Experimental to regular
certificate
through a very simple process).
- For those of you who may want to try and fly in new horizons, our friends
from Poland have extended an open invitation to fly in their 2004 National
World Class Championship. The contest will be held at the University of
Rzeszow
gliding center in Bezmiechowa during August 7-21. Rafal Mikke tells me:
<<The
location near the Carpathian Mountains is beautiful - excellent for hiking,
fishing, sailing, so it is an offer not only for very interesting flying but
for
having good time by families as well. We can help you find at least 2
gliders
for about $75 per day, and of course accommodation, cars, etc.>> So, if you
are
interested, contact Rafal at:
- While we are talking about International events, some very interesting
news
concerning the proposed organization of the post-2006 World Gliding
Championship(s) came from Eric Mozer, our representative at the IGC bureau,
and was
also posted in the last issue of the british magazine Sailplane and Gliding:
The
future World Championships of the FAI Classes would be organized in two
major
events: a "Racing" WGC including the Open, 18m, and 15m classes, and a
"Sports" WGC including the Standard, World Class, and Club classes. These
two WGC
events would be held on even years beginning in 2008 with bids due in 2005.
Additionally, the report recommends a maximum of two pilots per class per
NAC.
I think this is very good news for the World Class, with a renewed
expression
of support from IGC. We showed a strong presence at this year's World
Championship of the World Class in Nitra (you've all seen the wonderful
reports of
Team Captain Conrad Suechting on the SSA Website, haven't you?), and from
the
growing enthusiasm of our members here, I am sure that we will continue our
strong support of the IGC and WGC events.
- A proposal to create a PW-5 ladder in the US was sent by Janusz Kecik from
Poland. In essence, this would be similar to the year-long ladder contests
held in several countries, in which pilots can fly cross-country tasks of
their c hoice from anywhere in the country, anyday, and submit their best
flights.
This would be for PW--5 only, and factors would be used to equalize regions
and
types of tasks. At the end of the season, the three best flights for each
pilot
would be used to calculate the pilot's total score. The yearly winners would
be recognized at one of the yearly events of the World Class Soaring
Association, maybe during the SSA Convention. What do you think? Would this
be of
interest to those eager to fly cross-country?
- Youth Support Program: This year again, we have several Youth
Sponsorships,
including the Paul McCready Sponsorship, available to support young pilots
in
participating in the World Class National Championship. The Sponsorships
cover all registration fees, including up to ten tows. Pass the word around
to
young pilots who you think may be interested and tell them to contact me at:
-Also, FOREIGN FRIENDS, WCSA will have several sponsorships this year to
specifically support our FOREIGN FRIENDS who want to join us and fly in this
year's US National contest and the 2nd America's Cup of World Class Soaring
that
will take place together in Hobbs, July 20-27. Contact me if interested, and
please pass the word around. I'll send more info about the 2nd America's Cup
soon
(remember the 1st AmCup took place in Uvalde in 2002 and was a great
success).
-Other Sponsorships: Remind those who may be interested that the US Women
Soaring Pilot Association also has sponsorships to support women flying in a
World Class or 1-26 Championship (contact: ). Also, the SSA
Youth
Program (contact John Campbell at ) has sponsorships to
support young pilots in contests.
- Speaking about our Youth Program in the World Class Soaring Association
(WCSA), I have recently received the following, which gives an example of
the
impact that the Class has on our young pilots of the future.... (and quite
an
encouragement to continue our efforts in the Youth Program...): Posted by
Mike Glatiotis on November 05, 2003 at 13:54:38: In Reply to: <A
HREF="http://www.sac.ca/wwwboard/messages/4739.html">Encouraging Young
Competitors</A> posted by Charles Yeates on SAC November 04, 2003 at
20:13:46: << The world class ships make sense, and not only for those young
competitors. The fleet of PW5's that was imported to Invermere has been a
large part of
the catalyst for club growth and pilot advancement. Several have already
traded
hands with the original owners moving up to advanced ships, all the while
building the club base of active cross country involvement. They certainly
have
attracted the favorable attention of the young members of the club, who for
the
most part drool at the potential of being able to fly them.>>
WCSA has no fees or dues, but donations to our Youth Program are always
welcomed to allow us to support even more young pilots. Contact me if this
is your
time of year to think about donations. WCSA is a non-profit organization, so
your donations are tax-deductible. WCSA, 4917 West Summit Circle, Knoxville,
TN. 37919.
- Contests for 2004. Make your plans:
(1) After the dreadful weather that practically shut down our National in
2003, the 2004 National will take place in Hobbs, New Mexico, which is
legendary
for its superb weather. As announced in Soaring Magazine, the dates are July
20-29. I think this is going to be a great one.
(2) After organizing the first and very successful World Class Regional in
2003, Frank and Jayne Reid have offered to do it again in 2004. With the
National taking place in the central region, this will be our "2004 Eastern
Regional"
(also called Region 5 World Class Regional) and should take place in May at
Bermuda High, South Carolina. Knowing Frank and Jayne's hospitality, this
will
be a great place to be in May. Contact: , or:
Other details to come soon in Soaring Magazine.
(3) The Western Regional was organized this year in conjunction with the Air
Sailing Sports contest (which Jim Gager and PW-5 won, by the way. Well done,
Jim). Should we try and arrange the same for 2004?
(4) I understand that Frank and Jayne have also placed a bid with the SSA
Sit e Selection Committee to host the 2005 World Class National. That is
wonderful. Thanks, Frank and Jayne. (And guess what? The rumor has it that
they have
"World Championship" in their mind for the future...).
Just to give us good winter dreams, our friend Keith Willis of Australia
sends us news from the beginning of their season there: <<In the last 5
weeks, I
have flown over 60 hours in the PW-5, trying to pass the 1000 hrs, during
our
Summer, only need 67 more hours. Longest flight was 7 hr and 30 mins, and
best
height above
ground was 15,100 feet. Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Regards from Keith.>> Ah!! I've got to find a way to spend my winter
vacations
in the southern emisphere...
More news to come soon after the Convention. Looking forward to seeing at
the
WCSA breakfast all who can make it there. Until then, all my best wishes to
you for a wonderful Holiday Season and a new year 2004 filled with many
happy
flights.
Francois
--
Chet
--------------
------------------
This e-mail goes to all the World Class enthusiasts in North America for
whom
I have an e-mail address, and to a few friends of the World Class over the
World. Please forward to whomever you think may be interested.
=======================
I hope this finds you in great spirits for the holiday season. 2003 has been
a good year for the World Class, despite the generally poor weather in the
Eastern US. Time to think about 2004. Here are a few news and plans.
- SSA Convention, February 5-7: Our typically well-attended breakfast event
will be on Saturday morning this year, instead of the Thursday spot we used
to
have. That is superb, as it should allow even more people to attend. See you
there. This year again there will be a PW-5 on display at the Convention,
thanks to Charles Yeates, and also possibly a PW-6. Everyone who has flown
this
two-seater loves it. At that price, you can't beat the fun for the buck, and
I
think it is going to become a great workhorse for many Clubs.
- Speaking about the ships: Rafal Mikke of Bielsko 1 recently sent me the
following: <<Good news is that we made progress with the altitude limit. The
structure passed the necessary static tests. There is a very interesting
video
showing the bent wings of our B1-PW-5 (we also made it for Swidnick PW-5s) .
Now
I am completing my project to build in a certified O2 system. All systems
meet proper MIL and MS specifications>>. Hopefully, we'll hear more news
about
that at the Convention.
- And further good news about the ships come from Charles Yeates: <<The PW-6
received its type certificate in the US, FAA Type Certificate No. G18CE
issued
December 5, 2003. Plans are for Dick Johnson to be doing his magic test work
on the PW-6 in Dallas following the SSA Convention.>> That is very great
news.
Look for the flight tests results in Soaring Magazine, probably in a midyear
issue. (As you are probably aware, the PW-5 received its type certificate in
the US some years ago. I changed mine from Experimental to regular
certificate
through a very simple process).
- For those of you who may want to try and fly in new horizons, our friends
from Poland have extended an open invitation to fly in their 2004 National
World Class Championship. The contest will be held at the University of
Rzeszow
gliding center in Bezmiechowa during August 7-21. Rafal Mikke tells me:
<<The
location near the Carpathian Mountains is beautiful - excellent for hiking,
fishing, sailing, so it is an offer not only for very interesting flying but
for
having good time by families as well. We can help you find at least 2
gliders
for about $75 per day, and of course accommodation, cars, etc.>> So, if you
are
interested, contact Rafal at:
- While we are talking about International events, some very interesting
news
concerning the proposed organization of the post-2006 World Gliding
Championship(s) came from Eric Mozer, our representative at the IGC bureau,
and was
also posted in the last issue of the british magazine Sailplane and Gliding:
The
future World Championships of the FAI Classes would be organized in two
major
events: a "Racing" WGC including the Open, 18m, and 15m classes, and a
"Sports" WGC including the Standard, World Class, and Club classes. These
two WGC
events would be held on even years beginning in 2008 with bids due in 2005.
Additionally, the report recommends a maximum of two pilots per class per
NAC.
I think this is very good news for the World Class, with a renewed
expression
of support from IGC. We showed a strong presence at this year's World
Championship of the World Class in Nitra (you've all seen the wonderful
reports of
Team Captain Conrad Suechting on the SSA Website, haven't you?), and from
the
growing enthusiasm of our members here, I am sure that we will continue our
strong support of the IGC and WGC events.
- A proposal to create a PW-5 ladder in the US was sent by Janusz Kecik from
Poland. In essence, this would be similar to the year-long ladder contests
held in several countries, in which pilots can fly cross-country tasks of
their c hoice from anywhere in the country, anyday, and submit their best
flights.
This would be for PW--5 only, and factors would be used to equalize regions
and
types of tasks. At the end of the season, the three best flights for each
pilot
would be used to calculate the pilot's total score. The yearly winners would
be recognized at one of the yearly events of the World Class Soaring
Association, maybe during the SSA Convention. What do you think? Would this
be of
interest to those eager to fly cross-country?
- Youth Support Program: This year again, we have several Youth
Sponsorships,
including the Paul McCready Sponsorship, available to support young pilots
in
participating in the World Class National Championship. The Sponsorships
cover all registration fees, including up to ten tows. Pass the word around
to
young pilots who you think may be interested and tell them to contact me at:
-Also, FOREIGN FRIENDS, WCSA will have several sponsorships this year to
specifically support our FOREIGN FRIENDS who want to join us and fly in this
year's US National contest and the 2nd America's Cup of World Class Soaring
that
will take place together in Hobbs, July 20-27. Contact me if interested, and
please pass the word around. I'll send more info about the 2nd America's Cup
soon
(remember the 1st AmCup took place in Uvalde in 2002 and was a great
success).
-Other Sponsorships: Remind those who may be interested that the US Women
Soaring Pilot Association also has sponsorships to support women flying in a
World Class or 1-26 Championship (contact: ). Also, the SSA
Youth
Program (contact John Campbell at ) has sponsorships to
support young pilots in contests.
- Speaking about our Youth Program in the World Class Soaring Association
(WCSA), I have recently received the following, which gives an example of
the
impact that the Class has on our young pilots of the future.... (and quite
an
encouragement to continue our efforts in the Youth Program...): Posted by
Mike Glatiotis on November 05, 2003 at 13:54:38: In Reply to: <A
HREF="http://www.sac.ca/wwwboard/messages/4739.html">Encouraging Young
Competitors</A> posted by Charles Yeates on SAC November 04, 2003 at
20:13:46: << The world class ships make sense, and not only for those young
competitors. The fleet of PW5's that was imported to Invermere has been a
large part of
the catalyst for club growth and pilot advancement. Several have already
traded
hands with the original owners moving up to advanced ships, all the while
building the club base of active cross country involvement. They certainly
have
attracted the favorable attention of the young members of the club, who for
the
most part drool at the potential of being able to fly them.>>
WCSA has no fees or dues, but donations to our Youth Program are always
welcomed to allow us to support even more young pilots. Contact me if this
is your
time of year to think about donations. WCSA is a non-profit organization, so
your donations are tax-deductible. WCSA, 4917 West Summit Circle, Knoxville,
TN. 37919.
- Contests for 2004. Make your plans:
(1) After the dreadful weather that practically shut down our National in
2003, the 2004 National will take place in Hobbs, New Mexico, which is
legendary
for its superb weather. As announced in Soaring Magazine, the dates are July
20-29. I think this is going to be a great one.
(2) After organizing the first and very successful World Class Regional in
2003, Frank and Jayne Reid have offered to do it again in 2004. With the
National taking place in the central region, this will be our "2004 Eastern
Regional"
(also called Region 5 World Class Regional) and should take place in May at
Bermuda High, South Carolina. Knowing Frank and Jayne's hospitality, this
will
be a great place to be in May. Contact: , or:
Other details to come soon in Soaring Magazine.
(3) The Western Regional was organized this year in conjunction with the Air
Sailing Sports contest (which Jim Gager and PW-5 won, by the way. Well done,
Jim). Should we try and arrange the same for 2004?
(4) I understand that Frank and Jayne have also placed a bid with the SSA
Sit e Selection Committee to host the 2005 World Class National. That is
wonderful. Thanks, Frank and Jayne. (And guess what? The rumor has it that
they have
"World Championship" in their mind for the future...).
Just to give us good winter dreams, our friend Keith Willis of Australia
sends us news from the beginning of their season there: <<In the last 5
weeks, I
have flown over 60 hours in the PW-5, trying to pass the 1000 hrs, during
our
Summer, only need 67 more hours. Longest flight was 7 hr and 30 mins, and
best
height above
ground was 15,100 feet. Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Regards from Keith.>> Ah!! I've got to find a way to spend my winter
vacations
in the southern emisphere...
More news to come soon after the Convention. Looking forward to seeing at
the
WCSA breakfast all who can make it there. Until then, all my best wishes to
you for a wonderful Holiday Season and a new year 2004 filled with many
happy
flights.
Francois
--
Chet
--------------