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EVENT
first time (and therefore did not know the local
aero clubbers by face) to find their way around.
Whenever a plane’s flight time neared, the
browns set into motion in sufficient numbers
to push the aircraft off the stand and closer to
take-off position. As all this was going on, Ondra
Bordovský in his red t-shirt would inform of
any necessary changes to the show program
and made possible all necessary adjustments.
I don’t even need to talk about the fact that
fire protection and technical assistance were
automatically available at all times. Some shows
are better, some less so, but I would plead with
the organizers of the latter (and not necessarily
the smaller) to take note of this specific show
to see how it’s done. There’s nothing worse
than when it’s nearing show time and the pilot
is desperate to find someone to help him push
the aircraft out - and even then it’s often chaotic,
because everyone has a different opinion on
when, who and where to push. Similarly, you tend
to notice and appreciate the finer points, such
as receiving an ID badge around the neck with
contacts for transport to the hotel, of the director
of the show and information about when and
where briefings will take place. These amount
to details, yes, but these are the things that go
a very long way to making the whole experience
that much more pleasant.
Everything else was also perfectly organized;
food, accommodation, transport to and from the
hotel, you had somewhere to hide from the sun
(or cold and rain, the hustle and bustle, as the
situation warrants), where to strategically pee
(yes, even that is a problem at some airshows).
And since we also have a lot of friends in Boleslav,
from aerobatic pilots to museum workers, we
were able to spend a lot of quality time with
people from fifteen to over eighty years of age.
But, back to the flying…
As agreed upon beforehand, we took off for the
first display as a pair. I was surprised myself
how it went. Acceleration was the same, which
to be honest I wasn’t really sure it would be -
we have different propellers, our ‘Little Rebel’
has the original one with cuffs at the base of
the blades, while ‘Excalibur’ has the newer and
more powerful paddle blades. While waiting in
a designated space, Míra tested me a bit with
sharper turns, and it was there that I began to
realize that I needed to put in an effort to keep
up - the acceleration was nowhere near what
I’m used to. And it’s always easier to fly two of
the same type in formation, and so I was curious
to see how things would go with the Thunderbolt
in the early evening. We exchanged information
a few times about who had what engine settings.
Since they were identical in level flight, it was
clear that we both had engines in similar
condition. But I had to go with the revolutions
a little higher, so that I could then go to a higher
boost pressure, if the need arose.
(photo: Jakub Vaněk)
INFO Eduard
17
July 2024