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| Dick Butler Open Class |
Ron Tabery Open Class |
Bill Elliott 18m Class |
Gary Ittner 18m Class |
Dave Leonard 15m Class |
John Seaborn 15m Class |
Dennis Linnekin Team Captain |
The Team Photo from our Spring Camp at Chilhowee (photo by Robin Clark)
The Home Stretch! The Real Deal Day 13
We have made it to the last day here in the U.S. Team room! And after yesterday's performance, what a success to begin on! First and foremost, a big congratulations to Dick Butler (DB) and Ron Tabery (SS) who took open class yesterday with first and second place. It was ... ∞
Gena Tabery, On the Fly: Teamwork
The United States team operates at a disadvantage, compared to other countries, because its contest rules specifically forbid team flying. Most U.S. pilots have not flown collaboratively with a teammate until they ... ∞
All US Team pilots have started. Today's cumulus field is even and widespread and covers the entire Uvalde task area. Task distances today: 15m: 618k, 18m: 652k, and Open Class: 685k. Based on their start times, we expect the Team to return between 1845 and 1930 or earlier. ... ∞
We are in the final two day push towards the finish of WGC here in Uvalde! But among the U.S. team, optimism reigned all morning for contest day 12. As Bill Elliot (WE) put it, "Glider pilots are always optimistic. Even at 500 feet, there is always lift ahead." While ... ∞
Looking at Spot Tracker information and listening to radio transmissions it's clear that Leonard and Seaborn are still flying as a pair and both just reported 30 kilometers out on final glide. We can see and hear Butler and Tabery and they are still together as well with about :35 ... ∞
The satellite shows very few cumulus along the first legs of today's tasks so it's a good day for team flying. Looks like all three pairs of US Team Pilots are doing just that. Seaborn and Leonard started together at 1436. Butler and Tabery at 1451, and Elliott and Ittner ... ∞
[caption id="attachment_15376" align="aligncenter" width="600"] WGC 2012 Uvalde - Pilots' Meeting: TC Dennis Linnekin, Dick Butler, and Ron Taber[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_15383" align="aligncenter" width="600"] WGC 2012 Uvalde - Pilots, crews, and volunteers assembled in the Team USA office[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_15384" align="aligncenter" width="600"] WGC 2012 Uvalde - 18 meter pilot Gary Ittner in Team USA ... ∞
Day 9 was a day of long distances and fast speeds. Germany’s Open Class Michael Sommer’s (EB) speed of 157 kph (97.5 mph) was the third fastest of the contest. On Day 5, ... ∞
Blue right... The sky's view from the grid this afternoon was packed with clouds, to say the least. It is nowexpected to blue out later in the evening. Here in the team room, they are waiting for the pilots to hit the start gate. Already there is coming some positive ... ∞
Success! Everyone made it to the team meeting this morning after last night's international party! And what a night it was. The U.S. Team's tamales were great, and it was even better watching people attempt to chew through the corn husks...Dennis is now briefing the team before launch. It will be ... ∞
