KITTY HAWK - HALL OF FAME

Heinz McArthur* - NCSA	Robert Hills - PSS	Peter Pulfer - Foothills Regional	Roger Fowler-NCSA
David Walsh - Harrier	Ray Livengood - NCSA	Ken Bell - NCSA
Matt McKrell - NCSA	Charles Cook** - PSS	David Walsh - Harrier

* Number 1  **Only two time winner

July 21, 2007

My trophy-hunting flight was very nearly the flight that didn't happen! I'd been undecided about the forecast and I wasn't sure whether Saturday or Sunday would be the better day to fly.  I'd almost decided on Sunday when I got an email from Ray #4 offering to act as crew if I wanted to fly to Bahnson to pick up the trophies, so off I went to the airport.  On my drive down, the sky didn't look too promising with high cirrus blocking the sunlight.

Despite Ray's very generous offer, I was feeling negative about the weather on arrival at the airport, thinking I would do some fettling, then go home to cut grass and reserve Sunday for flying.  On mentioning my plan down at the launch point, the Colonel pointed out that we had grass to cut at the airport!  This "suggestion" turned out to be fortuitous as I watched the day rapidly improve from the seat of the lawnmower whilst cutting grass around the trailers.

By 1 pm the sky looked so inviting that I decided to give it a try, so I pulled the trailer out, assembled and got ready very quickly.  By 1:30 I was on tow but the first few minutes off the tow were not very inspiring as I dropped down to 1200' above ground before finally finding a thermal to climb.  By the time I got to 3300' I had decided to head for Bahnson, which is very brave for me.   I normally prefer to have at least 5000' before I set off on X-C but then it was very comforting knowing that Ray was already getting ready to set off and pick me up wherever I landed!

Just past Lillington I got up to 4500' and was feeling much more positive.  There were nice fluffy clouds out on track so I headed off, picking out the best looking ones that didn't mean a deviation off course by more than about 20 degrees.  I really didn't have any problems; there was a bit of a flat spot just past Siler City and I got down to 2000' above ground at one point but then found a thermal that took me back up to 3500 and later got up to my maximum height of 5800'.

I was very conservative on my final glide, arriving at Bahnson at about 2500' above ground.  Having observed the pattern I then bled off height and went in and landed.  It was a very nice flight - made all the better because I had almost gone home.  This just goes to show that you need optimism in this game!

The guys at Bahnson were very welcoming although they seemed, strangely, a little reluctant to part with the trophies.  I did hear some threats of them coming back today to pick them up again.  Just in case they do (and as I looked up from the lawn mower earlier the sky again looked beautiful, so they just might) I brought the trophies home to make sure I get my name engraved on them before they disappear.

Many thanks to Ray for such a generous offer.  As we drove back from Bahnson the sky still looked wonderful and I know he would much rather have flown than crewed, so I am in his debt.

Ken Bell

 

For more information on the Boomerang Trophy as well as a list of those brave souls that have kept it traveling over the years click on the below web link:

http://www.brss.net/boomerang.htm

 

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