Re: A vent about Wright Stuff

From: leop12345 <leop_at_lyradev.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:28:24 -0000

Bill,

     As a fellow Wright Stuff coach I can symphasise with you. When
we
reserve the school gym, often members of little kids basketball
groups
who have the gym reserved over an hour later come in early for
practice. It is no use asking the kids (or their parents) to use
just
one hoop in the corner. The WS team has to quit or risk the planes
being hit or run over. The regional site for last Saturday's
competition for the JV team had a ceiling height of just 14' and
narrow
width. At least the students knew about this advance and could
practice for it. And, the Indiana state competition this year, at IU
Bloomington, will not be able to use the usual sports pavillion (a
76'
clear space to the girders) as the football team has it reserved, not
for use but as a backup in case it rains on their outdoor practice
field.

     But with all these annoyances, there are good things, too. The
regional site for last Saturday's competition for the Varsity team
was
a new multipurpose room in the new student center at IUPUI in
Indianapolis. I was worried about a fourth floor room that was said
to
have a 21.5' ceilin and a 34' width. However, the room was a great
flying site. The room separation curtain was opened (into pockets in
the wall) and the smallest dimension was actually more than 60' and
the
ceiling where WS flew was closer to 24'. The best part was that the
air was very, very good. The team flew much longer flights than they
ever flew in practice at that height in the school gym. The air, to
me
at least, was better than that at the last year's Johnson City USIC.
It was great seeing the smiles on the team's faces as their plane
flew
on and on, bumping the ceiling panel edges, falling several feet, and
rising back up again and again.

     So, even with all the adverse things that often happen in Wright
Stuff, the good times make me sad that there probably will be a few
years without Science Olympiad Wright Stuff competition. I just hope
that the local
high school keeps up with the informal flying club. I know I will
continue to help.

Leo
Bloomington IN
Received on Thu Feb 14 2008 - 10:28:27 CET