By Don DeLoach
Wednesday's flying at the Kibbie Dome was a flurry of activity. The first three rounds of the US F1D Team selection took place on the east end of the dome. You could sense the tension as the eleven hopefuls gave it their all in every round. Snapped motors, high hang-ups, and dicey steers were the norm. By the end of the day, John Kagan, Kang Lee, and Emily Guyette were leading.
Meanwhile, the international F1D contingent of about twenty fliers was wrapping up the middle three rounds of the F1D World Cup, and the F1D Nats event was concluding. High time in the Nats F1D went to Brett Sanborn with a two-flight total of 58:21 by a huge 5-minute margin over John Kagan.
Over on the west end, the third and final day of AMA events wrapped up and about a dozen new National Champions were crowned. Four were repeat winners from last year: Tim Batiuk in Hand Launch Glider (HLG; 2:38.9), Don Tang in Standard Catapult Glider (3:11.3), Stan Buddenbohm in Unlimited Catapult Glider (3:23.2), and this writer in Limited Pennyplane (15:12).
Other event winners from Wednesday were Josh Finn (F1R, Helicopter, A ROG, Intermediate Stick, and HL Stick), Dima Silin (Electric, Ornithopter, and F1L), Don Slusarczyk (Autogyro, Cabin, Manhattan, Pennyplane, and Easy B), Chuck Andraka (F1M), Hamish Christie (A-6), and Nick Ray (MiniStick).
Day four of five of the 100th anniversary of the first Nats commences tomorrow at 8 a.m. This will be the first day of FAC ABD Scale events, plus the F1N-HLG World Cup, and it will be the final day (rounds 7-9) of the first inaugural F1D World Cup.
Bud Layne of Kentucky looses his Limited Pennyplane in the tense final hour on Wednesday
Josh Finn and his winning F1R.
Caleb Finn captured first place in Junior HLG and second place in Junior Unlimited Catapult.
The HLG podium. L-R: Don DeLoach (2nd), Tim Batiuk (1st), and Bruce Kimball (3rd).
The Standard Catapult podium. L-R: Don DeLoach (2nd), Don Tang (1st), and Stan Buddenbohm (3rd).
Josh Finn and his winning F1R