An Observer's observations of WAC 2019
Jeff Granger, IAC 19907, and his wife Carol are attending WAC 2017. Jeff has offered to be our onsite reporter and we are collecting his photos and observations of the World Aerobatic Championships in this online daily blog. A little about Jeff and Carol. Jeff is past president of IAC Chapter 34 Ohio, a regional judge and an intermediate competitor in his EXTRA 300. Carol has been a very supportive volunteer for many years at the Ohio Aerobatic Open. The couple recently moved to Utah and Jeff is already looking for aerobatic box space with an eye to forming an IAC Chapter.
AUGUST 31, 2019 - CLOSING CEREMONY & AWARDS
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AUGUST 31, 2019 - COCO BESSIERE'S PROMISE & CLOSING CEREMONY
Coco Bessiere had promised that if the team got a medal that he would wear his Stars and Stripes bow tie and he did come through. The team and assistants gathered on Saturday evening for the closing ceremony. Closing ceremony and team awards were at Castle Balsan in Châteauroux.
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AUGUST 31, 2019 - ALL COMPETITION IS OVER & SCORES ARE IN
Rob Holland took first in the four minute free. Time for airplanes to be disassembled for transport back home. Rob Holland and Jim Bourke will have their planes disassembled, placed on a pallet and air freighted back from Luxembourg. AJ Wilder brought his plane in a Dodge Ram pick up truck/5th wheel trailer combination. Yesterday I helped him with removal of the canopy and fairings . Today his mechanic Ray Maxon arrived from Santa Paula, California. I assisted Ray in de-mating the wing and then we all carried the wing into the trailer where it’s suspended in a special padded fixture.
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AUGUST 30, 2019
Our 2019 world championship (except for the separate 4 minute free trophy event) is in the history books. Once again the French take the first position. Its a hard team to beat. They have the home-field advantage and government sponsorship.
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AUGUST 30, 2019
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AUGUST 30, 2019 - LAST DAY OF ARESTI COMPETITION
Our AJ Wilder and Krysta Paradis flew. More and more spectators by the hour in anticipation of the 4 minute freestyle this afternoon and air show acts tomorrow.
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AUGUST 28, 2019 - CHÂTEAUROUX
From 1951 to 1967 Châteauroux was a large American run NATO air base. For much of that time the largest American base in Europe. 5000 or more people work there. Inevitably there were a lot of American servicemen who married French women. Many of the local people worked at the base. They still maintain a club to remember the American involvement.
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AUGUST 28, 2019 - TREMENDOUS DAY FOR TEAM USA
Rob had a virtually flawless flight and moved up to third place in the overall standings. Mark also had a great showing and put the team within reach of the silver. Remainder of the program 4 flights tomorrow as well as the four minute freestyle. Air show on Saturday.
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AUGUST 28, 2019
More and more spectators coming out each day. Perhaps in anticipation of the airshow and for minute freestyle on Saturday. Many of them of course are interested in meeting the French team members. However, some seek out team USA members especially Rob Holland.
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AUGUST 28, 2019 - THE THIRD FREE UNKNOWN
Both Craig Gifford and Jim Bourke had good clean (free from any zeros) flights today in the program for the third “free unknown." Putting team USA in contention for a silver medal.
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AUGUST 28, 2019 - PILOT VILLAGE & RAMP
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AUGUST 27, 2019 - PROGRAM 3
The team challenge coins were a big hit. Krysta was the last to fly today in program 3. She worked intensely with Coco Bessiere right up until the last minute before her flight. Team captain Rob Holland had a tremendous program 3 flight. As of this writing he had the highest score for that program and had moved up to fourth place overall.
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AUGUST 26, 2019 - PROGRAM 3 THE 2ND FREE UNKNOWN
Mark and AJ both had good clean flights. Results pending. One of the biggest challenges today was the heat. 95 F on the ramp at midday. Krysta was pulled for a photo shoot and video interview today.
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AUGUST 25, 2019
Wandering around the aviation expo area outside of the competitions and I noticed at the ice cream stand. They have four sizes. Small, medium, large and American. Jim Bourke meeting up with his young fans. Getting Rob Holland ready for his program 2 flight.This evening instead of the usual group dinner we had at the “Nations party." Each team was supposed to prepare food and drink typical of their country. A difficult job considering we didn’t have any cooking facilities. Alice Johnson laid out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, M&Ms, Oreos, taco chips and salsa, and bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. I can’t think of anything more typically American. The beverage was “America’s drink”: Jack Daniels and Coke. We sold out fast....
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AUGUST 25, 2019 - 4TH DAY OF THE CONTEST & SECOND PROGRAM THE FREE UNKNOWN COMPLETED
Rob Holland had a great flight, 8th overall. Krysta Paradis getting her partner Brad Mulchahy strapped in. Alice Johnson the team manager is doing yeoman service for the team along with her husband Steve Johnson. Everywhere you go along the competitors village there are media people taking film and video. You get used to them after a while.
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AUGUST 24, 2019 - FIRST DAY OF THE 2ND PROGRAM THE FREE UNKNOWN
Jim Bourke and Mark Nowosielski run through the sequence in the practice box with coach Coco Bessiere. Extremely hot today but the spectators still come both to see the competition and other Aviation Expo attractions. After 33 flights Mark in 9th place overall Craig 16th and Jim 22nd. Krysta had a great first WAC Unknown free from zeros and 25th overall.
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AUGUST 23, 2019
Jim getting strapped in with Châteauroux spectators.
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AUGUST 23, 2019
Critiquing the competition while Steve takes a break between video recording.
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AUGUST 22, 2019
Team USA selecting figures for Program 2.
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AUGUST 22, 2019 - OPENING CEREMONIES
Tremendous warm reception by the people of Châteauroux welcoming the teams of WAC 2019.
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AUGUST 21,2019
Back to Issoudun Aerodrome this morning for a final practice session. Briefing this afternoon at 2:30. Opening ceremony at 6. Contest flying starts tomorrow, August 22..
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AUGUST 21, 2019
Third day of practice in the contest box. AJ Wilder‘s trailer becomes the “clubhouse“. Although Jim Bourke and Rob Holland had their airplanes crated and flown over on CargoLux AJ had his plane in his trailer pulled by the Dodge Ram pick up. It crossed on a “roll on- roll off” ship and then drove to Poland for the European Advanced championships. Now it becomes the center of activity for our team at Châteauroux.
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AUGUST 20, 2019
Team USA at the glider airfield in Issoudun for practice. Issoudun is a large grass airfield in the centre of France with a possibility of some great flatlands flying in the excellent conditions usually experienced in this region.
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AUGUST 19, 2019
We departed Salt Lake City on Sunday. Direct overnight flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Arrived Monday morning. Drove down to Châteauroux and met some of the team members for dinner. Left to right; Jim Bourke, Rob Holland USA team Members. With Marty Flournoy, CIVA Judge and across the table Adam Messenhemier (previously a USA Advanced Team member).
