Mon Jul 01, 2019 4:39 pm
#1703063
My intention is to use this topic as a kind of running diary of my adventure at the WIAC 2019.
A couple of forumites asked if I could keep them informed, so I thought that this might be a nice way to do it. This won't be just a trip report, which is why I haven't posted it there. I hope that is ok?
I was very pleased to be selected to represent GB in this competition as part of a team of 6 pilots. The competition is being held at Breclav in the Czech Republic and starts, officially next Sunday with practice days from Thursday.
However, I am writing this from the Czech Republic now, 4 of us, plus our team Manager, John Royce, and plus one of our coaches, Nick Buckenham, decided that we would make the trip out early and setup a training base at another airfield. (A bit like how the England Football team go to a posh hotel with WAGs for training at the big championships, except our hotel is not that posh and we don't have WAGs with us (For the Football uninitiated WAGs = Wives & Girlfriends))
That trip itself was a big deal for me. I generally fly for 30 minutes at a time spending quite a lot of that time pointing in some, for most pilots, unusual directions and pulling (or pushing) fair amounts of G. I am much less used to flying for the purposes of travel, other than to get to a competition. I am also, to my shame, not that well practiced at the more procedural aspects of flying, I mostly fly in class G and don't spend a lot of time on the radio. This was my first flight abroad.
I spoke to people, asked questions here (thanks for all the help), read lots of stuff, both general advice and refreshed myself on the regs. I practiced flight-planning with SkyDemon and in the end set off, in company with a friend, and team-mate, from White Waltham on Saturday 29th July for the Czech Republic.
We flew in formation all the way, via Kortrijk in Belgium, Worms in Germany, a lovely little airfield and small-ish town not far from Manheim where we stayed overnight.
The following day, we set off for Movsca Trebova (CZ) via Burg Feurestein (DE). Two great, small and friendly airfields.
The people at Burg Feurestein waived our landing fees because we were on the way to the WIAC and flying interesting aeroplanes. Nearly every pilot there came up to chat with us it seemed.
Here is a photo sequence of some of the journey.
Preparing to leave Waltham.
Clearing Customs and refuelling at Kortrijk.
Flying in formation over Germany.
Overnight at Worms.
Team Beer to combat the heat
Friendly welcome and met RBAR pilot Martin Sonka (on the right with the little boy) who is training at our training base, in his case for the Unlimited World Championship in August.
4/6 of the British Team has arrived and here are our planes.
A couple of forumites asked if I could keep them informed, so I thought that this might be a nice way to do it. This won't be just a trip report, which is why I haven't posted it there. I hope that is ok?
I was very pleased to be selected to represent GB in this competition as part of a team of 6 pilots. The competition is being held at Breclav in the Czech Republic and starts, officially next Sunday with practice days from Thursday.
However, I am writing this from the Czech Republic now, 4 of us, plus our team Manager, John Royce, and plus one of our coaches, Nick Buckenham, decided that we would make the trip out early and setup a training base at another airfield. (A bit like how the England Football team go to a posh hotel with WAGs for training at the big championships, except our hotel is not that posh and we don't have WAGs with us (For the Football uninitiated WAGs = Wives & Girlfriends))
That trip itself was a big deal for me. I generally fly for 30 minutes at a time spending quite a lot of that time pointing in some, for most pilots, unusual directions and pulling (or pushing) fair amounts of G. I am much less used to flying for the purposes of travel, other than to get to a competition. I am also, to my shame, not that well practiced at the more procedural aspects of flying, I mostly fly in class G and don't spend a lot of time on the radio. This was my first flight abroad.
I spoke to people, asked questions here (thanks for all the help), read lots of stuff, both general advice and refreshed myself on the regs. I practiced flight-planning with SkyDemon and in the end set off, in company with a friend, and team-mate, from White Waltham on Saturday 29th July for the Czech Republic.
We flew in formation all the way, via Kortrijk in Belgium, Worms in Germany, a lovely little airfield and small-ish town not far from Manheim where we stayed overnight.
The following day, we set off for Movsca Trebova (CZ) via Burg Feurestein (DE). Two great, small and friendly airfields.
The people at Burg Feurestein waived our landing fees because we were on the way to the WIAC and flying interesting aeroplanes. Nearly every pilot there came up to chat with us it seemed.
Here is a photo sequence of some of the journey.
Preparing to leave Waltham.
Clearing Customs and refuelling at Kortrijk.
Flying in formation over Germany.
Overnight at Worms.
Team Beer to combat the heat
Friendly welcome and met RBAR pilot Martin Sonka (on the right with the little boy) who is training at our training base, in his case for the Unlimited World Championship in August.
4/6 of the British Team has arrived and here are our planes.