Laura and Neil met early to rig the SZD-59 ahead of the 08:30 briefing in the hope of getting a good practice day before the comp on Saturday. The wind was stronger than forecast but aligned straight down the runway, making it manageable. While the upper cloud layer was comfortably high enough, some isolated cumulus lingered in the box. Nothing unworkable, but something to keep an eye on.
Club flying took a little while to get going, so it was close to 10:00 before the first aerobatic flight. Neil was first up, flying his Advanced Free Known sequence with Andy Cunningham observing from the ground as part of the British Aerobatics Flight Evaluation process. With the aerobatic box at Dunstable capped at 3,000 ft due to Luton airspace above, a split sequence was required. The flight went well and provided a solid baseline.
Graham Saw arrived shortly afterwards with a welcome upgrade - two brand new, highly polished wing triangles, which were quickly fitted to the glider. They looked the part and immediately improved visibility.
Laura followed, flying the same figures as Neil, then Elliot did the same. A steady start to the day, with everyone settling back into the rhythm of flying sequences in the Dunstable box.
As the day progressed, the cloud lifted slightly, now sitting comfortably above the 3,000 ft limit. Charles Baker moved down to the judging position to provide feedback on the afternoon flights. Each pilot then flew again, this time completing the second half of the sequence, using any spare height at the end to work on rolling turns.
This quickly highlighted a common challenge - the SZD-59 proved more prone to flicking in rolling turns than expected. All agreed this was something to step back from and rethink before pushing further. But, positively Neil, Laura and Elliot all passed their Advanced Flight evaluations - there was now nothing stopping them from flying at Advanced level in this year's competitions.
Through the late morning and into the afternoon, Simon Smith and Dave Rendall arrived, both taking flights in a Dunstable K21 to practise Sports-level figures. Traditionally, the Dan Smith competition isn’t one that pilots prepare for in advance; part of its early-season appeal, but after a winter of poor weather and limited flying, no one objected to a few practice flights to shake off the rust and reacquaint themselves with the box.
Flying continued through the afternoon, wrapping up around 17:00. With the glider packed away and covers on, the team headed to the local pub for a well-earned meal.
The real business begins tomorrow with the 08:30 briefing.
Saturday - competition day. A reduced field of five pilots meant the competition would be tight, with all entrants either current Advanced team members or pushing hard for selection. With strong soaring conditions bringing plenty of cross-country pilots out, operations were busy, but with dedicated tug capacity and a competition K21 available, we were able to integrate smoothly into the day.
Flying began around midday once the cloudbase lifted above the 2,900 ft limit of the Dunstable aerobatic box. Neil drew first slot — courtesy of his own randomisation system — and set the tone early with a clean, well-flown Known sequence. Positioning proved challenging, with a strong crosswind across the box catching out the first few flights, but the benchmark was firmly established.
Simon followed with a steady performance, before Dave improved positioning having had the benefit of watching the earlier flights. Elliot was next and flying strongly, until an uncooperative stall turn resulted in a costly error. Laura closed out the first round with a composed and well-positioned flight, leaving the scores tightly grouped at the top, with little separating her and Neil.
After a short break — and a chance for the judges to thaw out in the still-brisk conditions — attention turned to the Unknown sequence. The revised flying order placed Neil last.
Simon and Dave again delivered solid flights, but it was clear the competition for the top spots would come down to Laura, Elliot and Neil. Elliot flew third and returned to form with a strong, high-scoring sequence. Laura followed with another precise and consistent performance, maintaining pressure at the top of the leaderboard.
Neil, flying last, started strongly but a single silly mistake, a quarter clover flown the wrong way, resulted in a zero that ultimately proved decisive, despite an otherwise good recovery.
At the close of flying, Laura took a well-deserved win with an impressive overall score of 81%. Behind her, the rest of the field was tightly grouped, with errors proving costly in what was otherwise a high standard of flying throughout.
The Dan Smith has always been a low-key but important marker at the start of the season, and this year was no exception.
A hugely enjoyable day — and a strong start to the season.
