09/06/2006

The 9th US National Microlight Championships
As Reported By USUA EVP, Dale Hooper

9th Nationals Logo The 9th US National Microlight Championships are now part of the history books, and quite a bit of history was made indeed. This year we have a new National Champion and a newly invigorated competition environment. And all this came about as a result of the cooperation between different organizations, careful planning, and the enthusiasm of the competitors. It is evident that future cooperation between USUA and ASC, especially in the Competition arena, is beneficial to the growth of the sport. And, from my perspective, the experience was extraordinary. Politics were not present at the 9th US Nationals, only flying for fun.

The unparalleled cooperation between USUA and ASC set the stage for what resulted in a highly successful championship and stronger ties between the members of both organizations. At the Championships, there was no division between the members of the organizations, only the healthy competition between pilots. And that, is worth it's weight in gold, silver and bronze.

The careful planning came as a result of the hundreds of hours of preparation put forth by Competition Directors Dan Grunloh (Classic Classes- Fixed Wing & Trike) and Dave Rogers (Paramotor Classes- PPG & PPC) in their quest to provide challenging and rewarding tasks for the competitors. By designing their tasks at their homes in Illinois and Florida, and drawing from both Fédération Aéronautique Internationale guidelines as well as their own unique experience in World Class Microlight Competition (Dan is two-time US National Classic Class Champion, and has represented the US in International competition for many years; Dave was Bronze medal winner in the last US Nationals), and following through with many more hours of on-sight pre-event flying to fine tune and mark local navigational checkpoints, they were able to provide an exceptional contest.

Additionally, the sport of Microlight Competition was enriched by this event. Classic Class competitor Dave Ahlberg commented, "It was the FUN Nationals! ...As a World Championship competitor, Dan Grunloh brought a sampling of the type of flying done there and yet kept it simple enough for us mere humans to fly the tasks. A thoroughly enjoyable experience."

World Class Microlight Competition involves a level of precision piloting and navigational skills that can only be gained by practice, and dedication. Many of the attendees and spectators to the 9th US National Championships were unaware of the tasks scheduled for the event, and the skill level required to successfully compete in this arena. And many (upon first interaction with the contests), may have been confused and hesitant about the validity of this type of competition. Perhaps they were more familiar with the Sportsman Competitions and events that are more prevalent in ultralight club activities. And, a few thought that this thing called World Class Microlight Competition was a waste of time and fuel. However, after seeing the intense concentration of the competitors, and by attending the pilot briefings before each task and gaining a more thorough appreciation of the beast, virtually everyone in attendance quickly realized the importance of the event. And by experiencing the enthusiasm (and sometimes frustration) generated by the pilots and crews, soon more and more became caught up in the excitement of the contest. By the end of the event, even the most hesitant were openly discussing the tasks, and sharing how they would handle the situations should they be flying the planes. Next time, maybe they won't have to speculate- they could participate.

This year's Championship brings to the forefront a new Single Seat National Champion. After many years of faithful participation in World Class Competition and intimate involvement and sacrifice for the sport, Steve Bensinger rose to the top of the list of venerable contenders and claimed this year's Gold Medal. After receiving the Silver in the 2004 Nationals in Scottsburg Indiana, Steve never lost sight of his dream to be National Champion, and this year- his dream was realized. He successfully flew his Hawk to victory in Michigan- his home state. USUA, and all who know him (he's also USUA Region 4 Representative) congratulates Steve in this accomplishment. The standards he has set for competition excellence, combined with his humble attitude and immense love of the sport, provides inspiration to us all. We would all benefit if we learned from and emulated Steve's outlook and unassuming attitude.

After meeting with unfortunate setbacks in the 8th Nationals (such as equipment failure and an unscheduled trip through a soybean field), Dave Hempy finished a disappointing (to him) 7th place. But the drive and perseverance of Dave's competitive nature was rewarded this year with an outstanding Second Place finish. Still having engine problems early in this year's contest, Dave never let his concentration waiver, nor his desire for excellence wane. Dave returned home to Kentucky proudly wearing a Silver Medal around his neck.

Historically, there have been a few died-in-the-wool competitors who have faithfully attended, competed in and perpetuated the sport with little assistance or enlistment of new participants. This year, a new and budding talent has joined the ranks of these hardy individuals in the unassuming (but highly talented) form of eighteen year old Phillip Halsmer from Indiana. Not only did he meet the challenges and exhibit the skills of precision piloting and expert navigation, he surpassed many of the more seasoned individuals competing against him. And his reward for his actions was the Bronze Medal. Remember his name. You'll be hearing a lot about him in the future.

Even though there was only one PPG present for the contest, Jeff Goin did not lay down his mantle of excellence. Finishing with every possible point earned in every task but one, Jeff proved to all in attendance, that his virtuosity was never in question. And, after competing in the World Class Competition, he entered the Sportsman Class as well. Much can be said about Jeff's professionalism and skills, and he remains one of America's best Air Sports Ambassadors. Never was he too busy to answer questions, or demonstrate his love of Powered Paragliding to any who would ask.

When the weather between New York and Michigan began to look as if it would not allow Igor Kolpakchi to fly his plane to the Nationals, it was more than just an inconvenience- it was a challenge. Igor, an Olympic gymnastic Instructor (who lives and breathes competition excellence) could not stay at home. By using the piloting and navigational skills learned from past US National and World Championships, he surprised everyone when he and his Navigator Yuri Koziy landed in Marshall Michigan. And when there was no other competing two seat crew, he proved that it didn't matter. Like their counterparts in the other competing classes, Igor and Yuri performed to the best of their abilities, and proved that the contest is of utmost importance. Their reward was the Gold Medal in the Two Seat Exhibition Class. And we must not forget that this is Igor's first year flying Fixed Wings. His past years of experience have always been in Trikes.

Dave Ahlberg and Jon Jacobs have been neck and neck in the competition world for years. Finishing third and fourth respectively in 2004, they have taken their good natured rivalry to the ends of the earth, or at least to this year's Nationals. Dave has been organizing and directing his own World Class Event (WigWag) for the past few years and has been a key player in the past few National Championships. Jon is the same. Though planning on sitting this event out, when it looked as if their would not be enough competitors to create a valid class for competition- Jon quickly flew home to get his competition airplane and made it back in time to round out the field. It is this spirit that embodies World Class Microlight Competition in the United States of America. And every competitor on the field exudes this spirit. Including ASC's Jim Stephenson, who couldn't help but be a part of the fun.

But the activities of the pilots and the Competition Directors were only part of the equation that made this Championship so successful. Jack McCornack was originally scheduled to fly in the Nationals. But when the day came, there sat Jack- with no plane. His Dac never made it in from Pennsylvania, so he wasn't able to compete. At the same time, the official scorer for the event reported that he wasn't going to be able to make it until Day 2 of the festivities. Jack, promptly proceeded to make lemonade. He volunteered to be the scorer, and things proceeded without a glitch. With his vast knowledge of FAI Competition, and the intricacies of the scoring and recording of the GPS tracking required for this type of meet, he proved to an invaluable asset to the team of officials. With all due respect for his past accomplishments, it appears that Jack has found a new calling.

In her role as Chief Steward, Sharon Westcott could have had a relatively easy job. But that's not like Sharon. She pitched in at every turn, aiding the Marshals and observers as they performed their duties, ferried the sealed GPS units back and forth from the pilots to the Scorer, and generally was indispensable. Her attitude is indicative of the overall perspective exhibited by all who worked so hard on this event.

Marshals K.C. West, George Smith, Carmen Rogers, Bill Czygan and Dale Bryant and were the backbone of the competition. Without their help, accurate scoring and record keeping related to their observations on field would have been impossible. While many in this group have never filled this capacity before, they were quick learners. I would suspect that when the call goes out for Marshals at similar future events, these individuals will be in great demand.

With all of these glowing reports, there is still room for improvement. Where were the Powered Parachutes? Some say that the events are not geared to their type of flying. USUA representatives are working hard to overcome this problem, and any others that might cause this venerable category of Microlight aviation from being excluded from World Class Competition. It is our hope to have a valid class in all categories- including PPC- for the upcoming 10th US National Microlight Championships in 2008.

It is my pleasure to report the official results of the 9th US National Microlight Championships:

L-1 (Combined Single Seat Classic Classes- Fixed Wing & Trike):

PF-1 (Powered Paraglider: Foot Launched Exhibition Class): 1st Place- Jeff Goin, Illinois (3300 Points)

AL-2 (Airplane Land, 2 Seat Exhibition Class): 1st Place - Igor Kolpakchi (Pilot), Yuri Koziy (Navigator) (4500 Points)

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