Jack Higgins' Skills Challenge 2017 - Sunday 24th Sept 11:30am

[sihinch]

That's right Folks, it's time for the Annual "Jack Higgins' Skills Challenge" again!  Start thinking about which plane you will use in which event.

The initial proposal is for 7 events:

1.   Carrier take-off and landing - channel your inner top gun; take off and land your plane on the "deck" of the HMCS TEMAC
2.   Bomb drop - drop a small bag of flower on the target
3.   10-second dash - stay up as long as possible with 10 sec of motor run time
4.   Landing on a dime - be able to land your plane within a 10-foot circle
5.   War wing combat – who gets the most kills?
6.   Ribbon cutting - fly your plane in to the ribbon and cut it
7.   Limbo dancing - this time fly your plane under the ribbon (and don't hit the poles!)

Is there anything else you would like to see?  In the past, we have also had "musical chairs" and the "once around the block" events - do you want them back?

- Musical chairs - lots of participants circle the field, and then the hooter goes they dash across the finish line.  Last one across is out.
- Once around the block - 2 people against each other. They line up on the runway and then when the hooter goes they take off, fly one circuit and land.  Last one back is the loser.

This is a fun event, with lots of laughs and usually lots of carnage!  Bring your cameras! 

Students on a buddy box can also compete!

[BJROB]

I hope its not too cold on Dec.24
Simon you do mean September right???

[sihinch]

Oops! Yes! Sept 24th

[Frank v B]

Simon,

re:"drop a small bag of flower on the target"

You're a baker and you spelled flour wrong.  I sure hope you don't crash your plain during the event.

Sorry, couldn't resist. 
I'll shut up now.

Frank

[sihinch]

Well done BJ and Frank, you spotted my deliberate mistakes! You both start the event with minus 20 points each!!

[Frank v B]

Simon,

re: ".....start the event with minus 20 points each!!"

You are sooooo kind.  I know you cut it in half out of pure kindness and professionalism.

Frank

[Frank v B]

There will be a prize for Skills Day from of the Bert Dunk collection of stuff.  So that it is equally applicable to all competitors, it will be awarded to:

"The best sport who has come the farthest* by stretching his skills"

The winner will be decided by 3 judges who will remain anonymous so they cannot be paid off.

Frank

* defined as "improvement", not "distance".

[Michael]

Wow! That was an amazing day!

Thanks to Simon, Graham, Andy, Frank, Greg, Gerald, Rob, and so many others for organizing!

Every event was exciting, the food was fantastic, and the weather was unbelievable!

[Frank v B]

It sure was an amazing day.  Everyone pitched in from running event to running the carbon maker (BBQ) to the peanut gallery full of deserving insults opinions.  The guy in charge of the weather was the best performer.  We all know it was Jack!
The parking lot was full the entire day and the flight line was busy all the time.  Incredible seeing 10 Warwings up in the air at once.  Bruce was proud of his children and their pilot owners.
Simon, thanks for putting the focus on fun in this FunFly.

Now it is up to Andy and Greg to post their photos and start collecting money for the incriminating ones.


Frank

[bweaver]

Just another and another and another great day at the field.... 

Thanks to everyone who organized it and ran it. 

Great to see so many out...  great to see so many taking on the challenges.

My favorite was the combat challenge.  (Even though I came down in pieces... I think I got extra points for that.   )   The sky was so colourful. Can we beat ten next year?

[Michael]

Kudos to Simon who took the extra time and effort to fly buddy box and let a couple of our students participate.

Nice touch!

[Andy Hoffer]

I received a nice thank you letter from the corn, in appreciation of the fine folks who were kind enough to feed it during the Skills Challenge! 

Here are a few photos:
1.  Corn's eye view of prospective victims.
2.  A narrow escape by @Frank v B.
3.  Corn chowing down on Frank Fong's warbird.
4.  Mike's partially digested Stryker, after retrieval from the back 40 of the cornfield.
5.  The view from the corn's cavernous stomach and source of its insatiable appetite!

Andy

[Andy Hoffer]

A few excerpts from the superb combat circus!  (Note the full-scale on right side of 2nd photo, wisely deciding not to engage the others.) 

Andy

[Andy Hoffer]

How to artistically refine a limbo pole!  (Note that Graham selected only the finest omni-directional PVC pipe!)

[Andy Hoffer]

Richard moves in for a textbook ribbon cutting!

Bravo!!