USA team selection 2009 - day 3

From: john_kagan <john_kagan_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:57:28 -0000

As much as Sunday's air was worse than the weather reports predicted, Monday's was better. A slight decrease in wind speed and change in direction, along with a little warmer temp and bit more sun changed the flying conditions from difficult to good.

The finals concluded with a lot of excitement and great flying.

Ben Saks started the finish line sprint with a 30+ that bumped Iacobellis out of third by less than a point.

Zaluska responded with a backup for his 35+ that got him solidly in third.

Then it was up to Sanborn. After his choice to fly later on Sunday backfired (the air didn't do the usual "Lakehurst magic" in the evening, but instead deteriorated from the already tough conditions), he decided to go up early on Monday. He needed just a 32+ to move into the team slots - definitely acheavable for someone who has done an unofficial 39+ at Lakehurst. He wanted to stay at a safe altitude, but his first flight was much too low, and landed with just under 28. His second was too far in the other direction and hung up at about 10. With only one shot left, Brett had to call upon all his competition experience, and, as it turns out, a whole bunch of luck.

He broke a long series of motors before getting his last remaining one wound. Finally launched, the model climbed strongly - higher than his partials has predicted. At about the same 10 minutes, the model started bumping the girders. It came around underneath the center catwalk and every so gently caught the prop and hung. One second. Two. Three. Four. Five. Then it dropped free! One large withdrawal from the luck bank.

After a decent tailslide, the model was back at a high but relatively safe altitude. But now it started drifting toward the side wall...and a location dubbed the "suck zone" that had twisted and dropped Steve Brown's model 60' on a previous flight. Brett decided to attempt to steer it away from the side. His first attempt found the balloon too low, and the model bumped off the side. On the second he got on the stab and ran to get the balloon clear. Unfortunately, the balloon was too close and it squashed down on the model which broke the tailboom into a 90 degree angle and crushed the rudder. It also looked like the prop had gotten caught under the wing and stopped turning. Miraculously, the boom popped back straight, the prop started turning, and the flight continued on. Withdrawal number two.

Much fretting - but no steering - later, the flight passed the 32 minute mark to put him in third. Then 34 minutes to earn second. Finally landing at 36+.

Ben Saks made a final "all out" effort but hung. He timed it down after freeing it, and it would have been around 36 minutes also.

Tom Iacobellis put up the final flight of the contest as the light faded. At 32+ it didn't put him in the top three, but it bumped him up a place and proved that he is in the thick of things in the USA F1D elite.

The 2009 USA team is:

John Kagan
Brett Sanborn
Steve Brown
Max Zaluska - Alt
Received on Tue Sep 08 2009 - 04:57:44 CEST