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TEAMAIR R ACING

Aero RacerSandown 14/15 June 2014

Sandown on the Isle of Wight has gone through many transis-

tions over the years. A cou-ple of years ago it was due to close down and make way for a housing estate!

Two years on and after a very enthusastic invite from the Sandown management, the Royal Aero Club racing teams began to arrive on Friday the 13th!

We were more than im-pressed with the new facilities

and very aviation enthusastic Sandown Crew. There is now Avgas available and the new

cafe is just perfect. The cafe overlooks the apron and pro-duced endless amazing meals plus drinks and ice creams. We can’t recommend Sandown enough to any aviator looking for a fantastic destination for a lunch fly out or weekend away.

Airtraffic Control handled the fifteen air race crews with ease. They also politely re-

minded a few non air race traf-fic that the airport was closed for air racing and the notam was there for all to see.

Talking of NOTAM’s, there was a Temperary Rrestricted Area over the Cowes region late on Sunday for the Red Ar-rows to display over the festi-val. So we had a defined time to leave before.

With so many crews and with one new racer, Judy was

The fabulous Sandown airfield

Sean Williams & Mike Cromati. Excellent refuellers!

OK, these chaps are the Tower Crew.Jim Birnie, John Miller,Gyles Pugh-Panthers, Rod Palmer & Phil Brace. Well done!

at her desk good and early to start checking the pilots in and scrutinising their air craft docu-ments.

We were then treated to the pre practice briefing by Chair-man Mike Pearson. He briefed the new course and went over

safety issues. A few aircraft had to perform

an Octagon. Bob Ellis in his gorgeous self built RV8 be-cause he was a new racer and it was the first time his aircraft had competed and a few oth-ers as they were to be flown solo (no navigator) for the first time.

Bob Ellis spent five years building his Vans RV8 and his plane is a perfect example of what you can achieve if you are a perfectionist. It would win any Concours d’Elegance. Bob is an ex RAF and Commercial pilot and has the amazing log book entry of several hundred hours in control of the Vul-can Bomber! Full respect was given, but it was interesting to note that Bob told us that the Race Pilot Check Ride had

plus and minus limits for height loss and heading change far smaller than expected in the

RAF. So if you really want to tighten up your flying - come air racing.

Bob has written an article about his first race for Flyer

Bob Ellis signing in with Judy Hanson

Mike Pearson during the briefing

Bob Ellis - new racer and RV8 builder

The Red’s are coming!

magazine, so keep an eye out. After each race, the two

GPS race loggers were collect-ed by Judy and Roderick, who

was also the Chief Steward.The GPS’s were then taken

to Izindi Morton and Cliff Hawk-ins the handicapping team. After download of the data any turn point cuts were investigat-ed. Two aircraft cut the corners and were given a 15 seconds penalty and two aircraft (differ-

ent ones) missed a turn point each, resulting in their exclu-sion from the results.

Some people say that it is never too late to try something new, and they are correct, but it also seems that it is never to early to try something new too! Let me introduce you to the youngest navigator we have ever welcomed to Air Racing - Amelia Wassell. Amelia is five years old and the most amaz-ing daughter of Tim Wassell.

Amelia accompanied Tim in his beautiful Cessna 172, the old-est in the UK. So with the old-est Cessna and the youngest navigator, Tim came third in the Sunday race! So Amelia also collected a Silver Salva for her efforts.

Amelia told me it was hard hard work keeping Tim straight and level and Amelia had to

point the ‘turn tents’ out on more than one occasion. There have been many father and son teams and this is the sec-ond father daughter combo.

Judy Hanson & Roderick Morton collect-ing the post race GPS data loggers

Roderick Morton with The Handicappers, Izindi Morton and Cliff Hawkins

Tim & Amelia Wassell.

The Racing TeamsRace 2

Beagle Pup

Pilot:Michael Wingenroth

Navigator:Solo

Race 7PA28

Pilot:Roger Scholes

Navigator:Dominic Crossan

Race 101C150

Pilot:Paul Anderson

Navigator:Solo

Race 31SF 260

Pilot:Geoffrey Boot

Navigator:Suzie Boot

Race 25DR400Pilot:

Martin Gossling

Navigator:Solo

Race 12Beagle Pup

Pilot:Johnathan Paris

Navigator:David Wilding

The Racing TeamsRace 82

Grumman AA5B

Pilot:Gordon Bellerby

Navigator:Caroline Bellerby

Race 22Cap 10

Pilot:Dave Moorman

Navigator:Kevin Stockley

Race 4Bulldog

Pilot:Neil Cooper

Navigator:Ian Cooper

Race 15Van’s RV7

Pilot:John Kelsall

Navigator:Ian Scarbourgh

Race 8Grumman AA5B

Pilot:Dan Pangbourne

Navigator:David Pangbourne

Race 28Grumman AA1

Pilot:Rex Levi

Navigator:Judith Austin

The Racing TeamsRace 85Van’s RV8

Pilot:Bob Ellis

Navigator:Solo

Race 121Bulldog

Pilot:Roger Hayes

Navigator:Les Pink

Race77C 172

Pilot:Tim Wassell

Navigator:Amelia Wassell

The Results - Saturday - Goodyear Trophy

Presented by Henry Nobbs

First Place:

Pilot: Martin Gosling

Second Place:

Pilot: Geoffrey BootNavigator: Suzie Boot

Third Place:

Pilot: Michael Wingenroth

The Results - Sunday - Strongbow Trophy

Presented by Henry Nobbs

First Place:

Pilot: Neil CooperNavigator: Ian Cooper

Second Place:

Pilot: Martin Gosling

Third Place:

Pilot: Tim WassellNavigator: Amelia Wassell

Fun pictures from the weekend !

Fun pictures from the weekend !

Fun pictures from the weekend !

The Winners! - Sandown 2014

Congratulations to all the winners,and a big thank you to all the competitors,ground crew and all at Sandown Airfield.

All the results and championship tables can be viewed at:www.britishairracing.com

The next race is at Popham 5/6 July. See you there !!!

Sandown 2014