Phill Bloom wins Flytec Race of Champions

[stebbins]

Our own Phill Bloom beat the best to win this elimination round type tournament. He survived three days of elimination and kicked butt on the third day.

Way to go Phill!

http://ozreport.com/blog.php#2007-4-25_11:04:37pm_EDT

http://flytec.com/race

[SHGA Communications]

Phill Bloom Crossing the finish line on his Litespeed. [correction: as noted below, it's really Jonny Durand, who placed second]



Here's Phill:



Phots courtesy of Flytec

[WingNutz]

Now that's the way to make goal. Just enough altitude to spare. The boy sure can use his 5030, can't he?

Oh yeah, he can also fly the shit out of a Litespeed.

You bad, girlfren"

[skygeek AKA Seabass]

I think thats Johnny going across the finish line not Phill.

[stebbins]

Note the windsock in the photo. I sure hope he is going as fast as it looks, 'cause he'll need the speed to turn around. Or he'll have to run very fast.

I agree. I don't think that's Phill in the photo.

Oh, and Larry, the way they do it is allow extra altitude and then as they get closer, go very fast to burn it off. The trick is not to have TOO much (or too little...) I have come in low before at a comp, but never that low. 125' or so was the lowest, and I was hauling ass, so I had some reserve. More and more, the comps are going to a radius instead of a line. That gives folks a bit more incentive to come in with a few hundred feet of altitude for safety. But not always, as you can see from the photo.

WAY TO GO PHILL!!!!

[DrJeff]

Way to go, Phil! You really do the club proud!

Dr. Jeff

[WingNutz]

Thanks for the comp-pilot mini-seminar on final glide in comps. As you may know, I am a comp pilot, too. I placed not last in the Big Spring comp in August 2005.

Actually, I knew all that stuff about final glide, and[ that's] why I said "he sure knows how to use his 5030."

A 5030 is a flight instrument combining vario, GPS and flight computer, and it can actually be programmed to tell you when you have enough altitude to make goal without having any altitude left to burn. So when a pilot comes in three feet above the ground, he has done it just right.

My 5030 comment sort of assumed that knowledge. It was intended for folks who have that knowledge.


Jeez, Johnny looks just like Phill with those shades on. Coulda fooled me. I guess maybe he knows how to use a 5030 also.

Mr. ATOS-tude

[stebbins]

Yea, thanks Larry. I know you know it. But some out there might have assumed you meant that they left the last lift just as the machine said they'd make it. That isn't the normal situation. Normally (as you know) there is margin, which you burn off as you get closer to goal. Do the burn off right, and you get there as the photo shows. Do it wrong, and you land 50' short. Ouch.

On the other hand, if you see good sky ahead, you might just leave early or without margin, especially if you need a big win to get ahead. That's why they are the "big boys" and you and I are "not last".