Kathy Jaffe Challenge 2010 Part 3

There I was, thinking I was done. My first competition was in the bag and I placed a respectable 9th of 13 as the highest first time Sportsman competitor. So, it was with a slight gasp that I awoke Sunday morning to find out that we would all fly one more round. No guarantees.

There had been some talk that the folks at EFA would let me fly solo on the third flight with the first two rounds of competition counting as the rental checkout. Marc Nathanson gave me the green light and his phone so I could relay my credentials over the phone to their home office up in Bedford, MA. The morning briefing went as usual with the order of flight being read and all the rules and regs being released amongst an attentive if not fully awake audience of acronuts.

I wasn’t nervous. I wanted to show everyone that I could do this. I wanted to show everyone that I am a competitor and I know what I’m doing with the airplane. I wouldn’t have to think about having a person watching over my shoulder from the backseat. It was me and the airplane, with only the judges watching from the ground. I walked the airport all morning going through the routine in my mind (pull, set, count 1-2 roll 1-2-3-4 pop, float pull squeeze set verify pull set look wait...). I went through the odd looking practice of walking the sequence on the ground while several other pilots did the same little dance by their airplanes. The only thing missing was an iPod with the proper soundtrack cued up.

I was waiting for the orange DR-109 to start up with Del Coller at the controls. Once he was in his plane that would be my signal to get in 821EF and fire it up. A quick pop of his engine and I was running the acro harness over my shoulders and across my lap tightening the belts tight enough so that you couldn’t fit a finger under them. I like to be snug.

The climb to the holding pattern was quicker since I was lighter. I could see Del running through his sequence while I circled up to 3000 feet. The radio frequency came alive with a call “Porter you on freq?”
“Affirm Porter is up.”
“Chris Porter the box is open. You are cleared into the box have a fun flight.”
“On my way.”

Coming up on a right base to the box. There is the judges line. Roll upside down to check the belts. Everything is secure. Ok. 3000 feet at 140mph. Climb to 3500, get the speed down to 60 or 80. Ok. PUSH the nose over diving into the box. Wag your wings three times. The judges are announcing to one another that I’m diving in. Coming up on 3000 feet. 180mph. Level. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Coming up on my mark. Ready, PULL. 45 degrees nose up set don’t let the nose drop remember the comments hold hold altitude 3300…3400 speed dropping 3450 PUSH the nose over PULL the throttle to idle don’t let the nose drop here remember the comments hold hold hold stall warning annnnnd left rudder full aft stick one rotation coming up on..right rudder forward stick check wingtip for vertical set count 1 pull pull pull up to level set count airspeed 140 pull set at 45 wait 1 – 2 – 3 roll push nose up set count 1 – 2- 3- 4 airspeed 60 mph pop the nose float pull pull pull….

Keep that going another 8 figures. It all happens in the blink of an eye. If you blink at the wrong time you’ll screw up. I blinked at the wrong time.

As I was rolling inverted on the 45 upline during the wedge I inadvertently pushed my nose off heading by about 30 degrees. I knew it as soon as I pulled through the rest of the loop. Crap. I took an interruption and came back in on the proper heading so that I wouldn’t get horrible marks for the rest of the flight. Despite that one little snafu I felt that the flight was solid.

Back on the ground I got lots of pats on the back on a solid flight. My confidence was growing and growing with all the great feedback.

Then the scores came out. That 30 degree heading problem cost me HUGE in the points. HUGE. ASTRONOMICAL. The flight might have been good but I did not have enough to over the lost points on the wedge; the second highest point figure in the whole thing. My third flight would be my lowest scoring flight. I held on to 9th but lost the Sportsman trophy.

I then had 5 hours driving back to Rhode Island to come up with all sorts of conclusions…