Racing on Micky's is something I've not enjoyed for a long time and racing in the sunshine on Micky's feels like such a rare thing. Combined with catching up with some old friends and life was good! There was enough of a breeze that you were unlikely to land out but the warm sunshine generated a regular cycle of ballistic thermals and sticky sink, perhaps my first flight summed this up, a 68 run followed by such an epic thermal whilst I was going to land that my Harrier was climbing with the CROW out.
For the last year I have been loving flying my Harrier and that's meant a lot of air time. Until you're up against the clock and other models on the same slope you're never quite sure just how quick the model is. After Saturday's racing I feel that we have proved what we already knew- if you have the lift you will go fast, if not you won't. Having flown the Harrier for a good number of hours I felt prepared to react to lift coming and going during a run and reacting to this. It became clear that those other pilots flying 1 model were generally in a similar position.
Those switching models in order to try and attract a thermal seemed to do less well. I was really pleased with the rounds where the Harrier ended up in 2nd/3rd and 5th position but just about all the runs felt settled and straight. The Harrier was just easy to fly. I think my 1 cut may have cost me a top 6 place but the Harrier turned really well.
Pete Gunning was simply fastest and smoothest all weekend- you can't fault him.
The other models on show that caught my eye for some very different reasons were the Shinto- a beautiful elliptical plan form and John Philip's Impulse 2- the sheer simplicity of the planform and tail remined my of my own models and it's can't half go!
A great weekend, I can look forward to the next one confident that the Harrier can mix it with those more expensive models.