The Kathy Jaffe Challenge has run since 1999 at various places in IAC Chapter 52 territory-- first at Monticello, New York in the Catskill Mountains, then for many years at the Flying-W in Lumberton, New Jersey; one year at Hammonton in southern New Jersey; lately at South Jersey Regional, also in Lumberton, New Jersey. The Flying-W and South Jersey Regional airports are very close together. One year at the Flying-W a beginning competitor flew their Primary sequence, got completely turned around, flew the pattern and and lined up to land at South Jersey.
Chapters 35, 52, 58 showed in force at this fifteenth annual Kathy Jaffe Challenge. Some good sports from further south, Chapters 11 and 19 showed as well.
Best in Primary was Ron Smith. He gave away the first flight to Phillip Palmer from 52. All three Primary pilots flew the Super Decathlon.
Sportsman had a dozen pilots. Ron Mann won the weekend with first placings on the second and third flights, after placing fourth on flight number one. Ron was the last man to step back after 52 asked for a Contest Director. Good sport that he is, he took the role and flew his Super-D in Sportsman as if he was Ron Chadwick and Paul Thomson all in one person. Chapter 58 President Blair Mohn won the first flight of Sportsman.
Chuck Cohen won the Intermediate Known in his Extra 330. Ron Chadwick took an airline up from Arizona and flew Aaron Ham's S2C, LLC Pitts to a first place on the Unknown flight. Ron was Contest Director of the Kathy Jaffe more than ten years. At the top of Intermediate was Jim Wells with his Giles 202 and a win on the Free.
Four pilots fought a tough battle in Advanced. Mark Stewart in his Panzl earned first on the Known. Adam Cope in his Extra 200 won first on the Free. Jason Flood kept his head together and won first on the Unknown. Jason's totals made him first overall. The point spread from first to fourth in Advanced was two-thirty-two, a little over two-and-one-half percent.
Mike Ciliberti and John Fellenzer battled Unlimited. Mike flies the Suk-31. John flies the Giles 200. Mike flies at the national level and very close to world class. He won it all.
The two Unlimited pilots and winner of Advanced, Jason Flood lined up for the Four Minute Freestyle at the Kathy Jaffe Challenge. The panel of eight judges rated John Fellenzer top awesome. Jason Flood was second and Mike Ciliberti third. I'm not certain, but I think this was the first time one of our clubs took advantage of our little rule that allows some Advanced competitors to join the Four Minute.
Adam Cope, Krysta Paradis, Wes Liu, Bill Gordon, Mark Stewart, Tom Barrett, Blair Mohn, Farrell Woods, Chuck Cohen, and Ron Mann judged at the Kathy Jaffe Challenge. Most judged two or three categories. Registrar Miriam Levin joined to judge the Four Minute.
You know, Registrar and Scorekeeper are tough jobs. We don't give enough recognition to their efforts as we should. Here's a big shout out to all of the people who help administer our three or four dozen aerobatic contests each year. Every chapter knows who they are. Give them a big smooch. Give them dinner for two. Give them a pair of tickets to the Super Bowl AND the World Series. Thank you!
The Kathy Jaffe Challenge has one special award given in the name of Ron Chadwick, who for two decades acted as coach, mentor, leader, CD, and fun person in the chapter and always has encouraged pilots in Chapter 52 to stay with the challenge of excelling in aerobatics, get good, and move up. The Ron Chadwick Chapter Supremacy Award at the Kathy Jaffe Challenge goes to the Chapter that fields the best pilots in the highest categories. Neighboring chapters believe that it was designed to go to Chapter 52 because, since its inception, Chapter 52 has won it. This year is no exception. Mike Ciliberti, Kirill Barsukov, Mark Stewart, and (Well, how about that?) Ron Chadwick won the trophy at the fifteenth, 2014 Kathy Jaffe Challenge for Chapter 52.
Winner recap, Kathy Jaffe Challenge, Lumberton, New Jersey
- Primary, Ron Smith, Super-D
- Sportsman, Ron Mann, Super-D
- Intermediate, Jim Wells, G-202
- Advanced, Jason Flood, Pitts S1S
- Unlimited, Mike Ciliberti, Sukhoi 31
- Four Minute, John Fellenzer, G-200
Find full results for the Kathy Jaffe Challenge posted at https://iaccdb.iac.org/contests/441
A lot of people are gearing up today (08/28/2014) to travel to an aerobatic contest near them.
- The Rebel in Tennessee is rumoured to be a big turnout.
- The Hammerfest in Llano has box markers deployed in the cattle pastures, a hammer down for all categories.
- Many in the Northwest will be getting their CanPass ready to cross the border, if they are not already there, to Alberta.
- Not least of all, IAC Open Championship West titles, a big anniversary, and the run for the Southwest regional trophies at Happiness is Delano.
Exciting times at IAC. You all have fun!
Be sure to check the IAC Contest Calendar for the next contest near you! Coming up next weekend, four more!
- The great meeting of the Northeast, Mid-America, and Eastern Canadian aerobatic minded at Olean, New York courtesy of the Bufallo Wings Chapter 126. It's the The Bill Thomas U.S./Canada Aerobatic Challenge.
- Just southwest of our national capital, the East Coast Aerobatic Contest directed by Adam Cope of IAC Chapter 11 in beautiful Warrenton, Virginia.
- Over in the Northwest, the Apple Turnover must be apple country in Ephrata, Washington.
- And back in the middle, we're in Kansas at the Harold Neumann Barnstormer.
If you're a competitor in any part of North America and don't have one contest near enough for flying in the next two weeks, well... I wonder? You must be down Southeast way, Florida maybe. Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi. Well, we'll see you at the Nationals!
