COMBAT AND COMPETITION.pdf - Lakes Gliding Club

COMBAT AND COMPETITION
Tom's speech to the assembled multitude at prize-giving contained
one gem. "I've reached the age," he said, "When your wife says 'Do stop
standing like that! Hold your stomach in! 1 - and you're already trying
your utmost to do so!"
Its the sort of remark which makes you look at the speaker's
waistline - and Tom wasn't doing too badly. Then, of course, Chris
Day and I had to stand on either side of him, Chris reading out the
winners' names whilst I passed Tom the prizes. And I was consciously
holding my stomach in and wondering what Chris was thinking
because his need was greater than mine.
Confound you Tom, I've a terrible memory these days, but I've
never forgotten that. Every time I put on a bit of weight, and have to
stand up in public, it comes back to haunt me!
By the following year Marconi Avionics had become GEC
Avionics. A change which greatly pleased our sponsors - who
considered that the dated image, associated with the name Marconi,
had become a positive disadvantage in the United States.
After reviewing the previous championships, including racing
finishes and marginal final glides, Peter Hearne and I agreed that
safety must be paramount. For organisers and sponsor alike there could
be no question of tolerating any repeat performance and, even more
so, in a year when we were planning on 540 visitors.
Peter, wearing his sponsor's hat, started the ball rolling by firing
a warning shot across the bows of the BGA Flying Committee. His
message was clear and to the point. Get the safety aspects of starting
and finishing sorted out, and reduce the risk of airspace infringements
due to task setting, otherwise we shall have to reconsider our
sponsorship.
In the end there were new rules and penalties, a procedure for
reducing the start line crossing height in adverse conditions, and
guidelines for task setters. Peter's letter unfortunately provoked the
Flying Committee into a transparent attempt to impose pilot operated
starts during the coming season and I was invited to attend one of its
meetings.
To argue that this would significantly reduce the collision risk
seemed a nonsense. Thermal!ing close to the start line was by far the
most critical phase. Later, when it was seen that the gate could be
abolished, there was a real safety advantage. But, for the moment,
their proposal did not appear to address the central problem.
Time-base cameras were an essential part of the procedure and
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