2020 Senior Soaring Championship

Practice Day
First, I would like to say sorry for the delay of the practice day results. As any of my fellow contest managers can attest to, the first day of the contest is hectic. However, if you saw the smiles of the pilots returning from their flights, it was worth it. Trailers had been coming in for a couple of weeks now. We had to open trailer parking up early because of the large number of early arrivals. Ken Goshorn got all the grass mowed in time for everyone. Karen did an outstanding setting out flowers, new grass, making the entrance much better than it has been in a while. Chris Carter did a great job in registration and preparing to take over CM duties while I get to go fly. We were also happy that 1E joined us again. Don Wasness is the only pilot that have attended all 30 Senior Soaring Championships, and he won the first one.
The practice day started a little slow but soon 49 ships were in the air. The start gate was open on a 2:45 min TAT that sent the pilots to Winter Haven, Streamsong (a great golf course in Central Florida), Wines, Gore, CFI Plant and Finish. John Seaborn, fresh off his win at the 18 Meter Nationals, continued his impressive flying by turning in a respectable 71.20 mph raw/61.59 handicap speed over 198mi. Second was Fernando Silva in his ship that hasn’t had all the plastic wrap taken off from the factory. Jake Alspaugh finished in third. All in all, a great day with more fine weather on the horizon.

Day 1
As everyone knows, corona virus has been in the news for some time. Disney and Universal are closed in the Orlando area, Sun n Fun has been postponed, and all professional sports have had their seasons suspended. As an organizer of a public event with about 140 pilot, crews, and volunteers, we wanted to provide the safest environment possible. We decided to cancel all meetings and provide the information via electronic means using email and WhatsApp. The first day could have gone better when both our email system and internet suffered some casualties. There was a frantic couple of hours to get everything out, but with the help of John Good and Rick Sheppe, we were 95% successful. However, the day did not disappoint. Cu started popping soon after the sniffer was launched. The fleet was launched and set out on a TAT that went to Avon Park, Bonnie Plant, Love Field (first time I'd gone there), and Finish. The run to Avon Park was fantastic. Good Cu, nice long runs under well formed clouds, and some markers on course. Going to Bonnie Plant was a nice street that took you to the maximum distance point in the turn area. Lift was very strong, averaging around the 5 knot range. Phil Gaisford won the day with a raw speed of 70.18 mph over 198 miles. Karl Striedieck again showed us his mastery of the skies, finishing second in an aircraft and nav system he just started flying with. Fernando SIlva, our 2017 Seniors winner, again flew great task and finished third. However, this time he submitted his log to the Scoreer vice his cell phone. Ask him about the story from the 2018 Seniors! We just finished the Welcome dinner in the DG hangar where all of our meetings and dinners are held. We were very lucky to have Ann Lafford and her husband Rick to join us for the Seniors. Before coming over to do the report, it was nice to see people dancing again. Thank you, Madam Chairwomen, for attending our event. Well, the weather is cooperating but our visiting tow planes are having a couple problems. Thanks to Russell Brown, our trusty A&P mechanic, that is working hard to fix these ships. Also, to Martin who has worked all day to find a mag for the Husky. It's late and time to charge some batteries. Let me know via text at 407-325-6500 if you want me to address other issues during the contest. Until tomorrow, good night.

On Saturday, 14 March 2020 20:33:06 UTC-6, wrote:
Practice Day
First, I would like to say sorry for the delay of the practice day results. As any of my fellow contest managers can attest to, the first day of the contest is hectic. However, if you saw the smiles of the pilots returning from their flights, it was worth it. Trailers had been coming in for a couple of weeks now. We had to open trailer parking up early because of the large number of early arrivals. Ken Goshorn got all the grass mowed in time for everyone. Karen did an outstanding setting out flowers, new grass, making the entrance much better than it has been in a while. Chris Carter did a great job in registration and preparing to take over CM duties while I get to go fly. We were also happy that 1E joined us again. Don Wasness is the only pilot that have attended all 30 Senior Soaring Championships, and he won the first one.
The practice day started a little slow but soon 49 ships were in the air. The start gate was open on a 2:45 min TAT that sent the pilots to Winter Haven, Streamsong (a great golf course in Central Florida), Wines, Gore, CFI Plant and Finish. John Seaborn, fresh off his win at the 18 Meter Nationals, continued his impressive flying by turning in a respectable 71.20 mph raw/61.59 handicap speed over 198mi. Second was Fernando Silva in his ship that hasn’t had all the plastic wrap taken off from the factory. Jake Alspaugh finished in third. All in all, a great day with more fine weather on the horizon.

Day 1
As everyone knows, corona virus has been in the news for some time. Disney and Universal are closed in the Orlando area, Sun n Fun has been postponed, and all professional sports have had their seasons suspended. As an organizer of a public event with about 140 pilot, crews, and volunteers, we wanted to provide the safest environment possible. We decided to cancel all meetings and provide the information via electronic means using email and WhatsApp. The first day could have gone better when both our email system and internet suffered some casualties. There was a frantic couple of hours to get everything out, but with the help of John Good and Rick Sheppe, we were 95% successful. However, the day did not disappoint. Cu started popping soon after the sniffer was launched. The fleet was launched and set out on a TAT that went to Avon Park, Bonnie Plant, Love Field (first time I'd gone there), and Finish. The run to Avon Park was fantastic. Good Cu, nice long runs under well formed clouds, and some markers on course. Going to Bonnie Plant was a nice street that took you to the maximum distance point in the turn area. Lift was very strong, averaging around the 5 knot range. Phil Gaisford won the day with a raw speed of 70.18 mph over 198 miles. Karl Striedieck again showed us his mastery of the skies, finishing second in an aircraft and nav system he just started flying with. Fernando SIlva, our 2017 Seniors winner, again flew great task and finished third. However, this time he submitted his log to the Scoreer vice his cell phone. Ask him about the story from the 2018 Seniors! We just finished the Welcome dinner in the DG hangar where all of our meetings and dinners are held. We were very lucky to have Ann Lafford and her husband Rick to join us for the Seniors. Before coming over to do the report, it was nice to see people dancing again. Thank you, Madam Chairwomen, for attending our event. Well, the weather is cooperating but our visiting tow planes are having a couple problems. Thanks to Russell Brown, our trusty A&P mechanic, that is working hard to fix these ships. Also, to Martin who has worked all day to find a mag for the Husky. It's late and time to charge some batteries. Let me know via text at 407-325-6500 if you want me to address other issues during the contest. Until tomorrow, good night.

Can you post the WhatsApp group name so we can follow on with what is sent to the competitors? Thanks in advance

On Sunday, 15 March 2020 08:57:55 UTC-6, Ron Gleason wrote:
On Saturday, 14 March 2020 20:33:06 UTC-6, wrote:
Practice Day
First, I would like to say sorry for the delay of the practice day results. As any of my fellow contest managers can attest to, the first day of the contest is hectic. However, if you saw the smiles of the pilots returning from their flights, it was worth it. Trailers had been coming in for a couple of weeks now. We had to open trailer parking up early because of the large number of early arrivals. Ken Goshorn got all the grass mowed in time for everyone. Karen did an outstanding setting out flowers, new grass, making the entrance much better than it has been in a while. Chris Carter did a great job in registration and preparing to take over CM duties while I get to go fly. We were also happy that 1E joined us again. Don Wasness is the only pilot that have attended all 30 Senior Soaring Championships, and he won the first one.
The practice day started a little slow but soon 49 ships were in the air. The start gate was open on a 2:45 min TAT that sent the pilots to Winter Haven, Streamsong (a great golf course in Central Florida), Wines, Gore, CFI Plant and Finish. John Seaborn, fresh off his win at the 18 Meter Nationals, continued his impressive flying by turning in a respectable 71.20 mph raw/61.59 handicap speed over 198mi. Second was Fernando Silva in his ship that hasn’t had all the plastic wrap taken off from the factory. Jake Alspaugh finished in third. All in all, a great day with more fine weather on the horizon.

Day 1
As everyone knows, corona virus has been in the news for some time. Disney and Universal are closed in the Orlando area, Sun n Fun has been postponed, and all professional sports have had their seasons suspended. As an organizer of a public event with about 140 pilot, crews, and volunteers, we wanted to provide the safest environment possible. We decided to cancel all meetings and provide the information via electronic means using email and WhatsApp. The first day could have gone better when both our email system and internet suffered some casualties. There was a frantic couple of hours to get everything out, but with the help of John Good and Rick Sheppe, we were 95% successful. However, the day did not disappoint. Cu started popping soon after the sniffer was launched. The fleet was launched and set out on a TAT that went to Avon Park, Bonnie Plant, Love Field (first time I'd gone there), and Finish. The run to Avon Park was fantastic. Good Cu, nice long runs under well formed clouds, and some markers on course. Going to Bonnie Plant was a nice street that took you to the maximum distance point in the turn area. Lift was very strong, averaging around the 5 knot range. Phil Gaisford won the day with a raw speed of 70.18 mph over 198 miles. Karl Striedieck again showed us his mastery of the skies, finishing second in an aircraft and nav system he just started flying with. Fernando SIlva, our 2017 Seniors winner, again flew great task and finished third. However, this time he submitted his log to the Scoreer vice his cell phone. Ask him about the story from the 2018 Seniors! We just finished the Welcome dinner in the DG hangar where all of our meetings and dinners are held. We were very lucky to have Ann Lafford and her husband Rick to join us for the Seniors. Before coming over to do the report, it was nice to see people dancing again. Thank you, Madam Chairwomen, for attending our event. Well, the weather is cooperating but our visiting tow planes are having a couple problems. Thanks to Russell Brown, our trusty A&P mechanic, that is working hard to fix these ships. Also, to Martin who has worked all day to find a mag for the Husky. It's late and time to charge some batteries. Let me know via text at 407-325-6500 if you want me to address other issues during the contest. Until tomorrow, good night.

Can you post the WhatsApp group name so we can follow on with what is sent to the competitors? Thanks in advance

Just saw the FB on how to accomplish this. Thanks

Day 2

After a great night at Seminole-Lake with live music from Sol Varrion and a very nice dinner from Texas Roadhouse, it was time to go flying again. The day did not disappoint. Sunny skies and a nice breeze greeted the pilots.. Bo Michalowski was out early as the official Seminole=Lake photographer taking pictures of the early sunrise. We are still in corona virus lock down, meaning limited large gatherings and no pilot’s meetings. We did put out coffee and donuts this morning, and they all got taken! It is a different world being at a contest where there is limited personal contact. One of the reasons we find this so enjoyable is that we get to be with friends doing something we love. We are lucky that Seminole-Lake is in a rural area so that the possibility of catching the virus is a little lower. A good number of locals called to see if we actually were having the contest and were happy that their kids come out and watch again.
Seminole-Lake Gliderport is very happy to host one of the best attended contests in the US. We value the support of our neighbors that invest their time to make this event and this location perfect for the contest. There is a couple we owe a lot to, that lives nearby. Billy and Karen put so much time into performing gelcoat repairs, gear door replacements, grid painting and maintaining the property in a manner that is truly outstanding. Ken is our lawn cutting specialist and has received a number of comments on how great the property looks. It’s always better to rig your glider in short grass.
Today, the pilots started launching a little early due to the good weather. Climbs were 3-4 knots to about 4,300 ft at the start. The 2:45hr TAT took us for a tour of southern Florida. First, we went to Myakka Head to the southeast, then Frostproof, Gore, CFI Plant (by Tampa Class B airspace), Grass Roots and Finish. Phil Gaisford set the pace today by winning another day! His raw speed was 65.20mph over 183.44 miles. Second was claimed by fellow Brit, Bob Fletcher with Tom Holloran in third. Overall, the standings are Phil Gaisford in first, Tom Holloran in second and Rich Owen and Ken Sorenson tied in third. The discussion in the office today is when we are going to call a rest day. As you know, this contest is for those of us 55 years old or older. We need our rest. My vote is Wednesday since St Patrick’s Day is Tuesday! Stay tuned.
All of us at Seminole-Lake hope that you and your family are safe and well tonight. We hope to keep you entertained via our posts. If you want additional information about the contest, just let us know.

Thanks for the report!

Has the rest day been announced yet?

On Tuesday, 17 March 2020 09:44:42 UTC-4, wrote:
Has the rest day been announced yet?

Today (Tuesday March 17) was the rest day.

On Tuesday, 17 March 2020 09:44:42 UTC-4, wrote:
Has the rest day been announced yet?

Today (Tuesday March 17) was the rest day.

Thanks Jim

On Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 10:03:06 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Today, the pilots started launching a little early due to the good weather.
Climbs were 3-4 knots to about 4,300 ft at the start. The 2:45hr TAT took
us for a tour of southern Florida. First, we went to Myakka Head to the
southeast, then Frostproof, Gore, CFI Plant (by Tampa Class B airspace),
Grass Roots and Finish. Phil Gaisford set the pace today by winning
another day! His raw speed was 65.20mph over 183.44 miles. Second was
claimed by fellow Brit, Bob Fletcher with Tom Holloran in third.

Actually, YO was third, with a raw speed of 70.00 ;-)
Started first and flew alone all day!
https://www.ssa.org/ContestResults.a...Date=3/15/2020
Trifecta for team New England ;-)
Unfortunately my POS Antares had a complete hydraulic failure yesterday
and I've withdrawn.

It was great to see everybody and a real privilege to get back in the air,
especially with these fantastic conditions.
Thanks to Rich, Chris, John, Rick, Sean, and the entire crew for
a fabulous event.

See ya, Dave