2016 saw Enterprise move to Shobdon Airfield, situated in the lee of the Welsh hills as well as giving excellent access to the flatlands of England. Thirty pilots took part, flying anything from Eagles to Arcuses and K6s to Sharks.
Day 1 - Those of you on the airfield today will note that the photo posted was cunningly angled to make the sky look better than it was! The competitors took being launched into the rain in good spirits. Most of them "stuck to the sky" but there were enough relights to give the crews some practice at ground retrieves. The wind was also challenging but the air gradually dried out until a shower late in the afternoon caused a mass landing. The task was a "pinball" effort shuttling backwards and forwards across concentric rings. 3 landouts and everyone else made it back on the airfield with the exception of Justin who we assumed was on his way to the Norfolk coast somewhere.
1st Justin Wills 396 (320 km)
2nd Dave Masson 346
3rd Mike Armstrong 288
Day 2 - The grid was launched into a beautiful looking sky with no relights. Task today is oscillating out and returns to Shobdon with a proviso of each one being shorter than the last. There is a standing bonus for going round Snowdon any time this week so as the best of the weather looks like North wales today, we are hoping that someone will claim the bonus sooner rather than later.
1st David Masson - 713 points (620k)
2nd Justin Wills - 699
3rd Paul Rice / M Lawson - 616
Day 3 - Sky looks promising but cloudbase forecast as max of 3,500. Briskish wind. Task is a small quadrilateral based around shobdon but with multiple optional out and returns from the corners of the quadrant. Sniffer just about to launch. Grid all launched into an improving sky. A couple of relights, but now time for a quick lunch. Most gliders now back. the eagle has landed in a field as has M5.
Pilots reporting 3-4,000 ft but v variable cloud base.
1st Dave Masson (442 km 673 pts)
2nd Justin Wills (460km /600 pts)
3rd Mike Armstrong (375km 556 pts)
Day 4 - String of Pearls task, with the option of heading in Wales, East Anglia, or both. Pilots went far and wide (see picture) , with tricky conditions for the home leg.
1st David Masson - 457 points (448km)
2nd Mike Armstrong - 452
3rd Justin Wills - 399
Day 5 - A tricky day in less than ideal conditions, which brought out the best from Justin, flying more than twice as far as many others. Needless to say he won the day!
1st Justin Wills - 536 points (306km)
2nd Marc Corrance - 511
3rd Dominic Haughton 509
Overall - The overall winner was David Masson, pipping Justin into second by just 12 points! Mike Armstrong finished 3rd. The Sam Witter Trophy went to Rod Witter for a tour of Wales via Cader Idris on Day 2 after a technical landout at Lleweni Parc. The Blunt Nails trophy went to Paul Gentil flying his beautiful SHK. Mike Armstrong took the Cadman Plate for the most enterprising flight of the comp when, again on day 2, he managed to fly round Snowdon when the peak was in cloud. In a year where there had been a string of comps with virtually no flying due to bad weather, Enterprise managed 5 days and flew nearly 25,000 km. It was run, very successfully, at a licensed airfield thanks to excellent cooperation with the airfield operators.
Day 1 - Those of you on the airfield today will note that the photo posted was cunningly angled to make the sky look better than it was! The competitors took being launched into the rain in good spirits. Most of them "stuck to the sky" but there were enough relights to give the crews some practice at ground retrieves. The wind was also challenging but the air gradually dried out until a shower late in the afternoon caused a mass landing. The task was a "pinball" effort shuttling backwards and forwards across concentric rings. 3 landouts and everyone else made it back on the airfield with the exception of Justin who we assumed was on his way to the Norfolk coast somewhere.
1st Justin Wills 396 (320 km)
2nd Dave Masson 346
3rd Mike Armstrong 288
Day 2 - The grid was launched into a beautiful looking sky with no relights. Task today is oscillating out and returns to Shobdon with a proviso of each one being shorter than the last. There is a standing bonus for going round Snowdon any time this week so as the best of the weather looks like North wales today, we are hoping that someone will claim the bonus sooner rather than later.
1st David Masson - 713 points (620k)
2nd Justin Wills - 699
3rd Paul Rice / M Lawson - 616
Day 3 - Sky looks promising but cloudbase forecast as max of 3,500. Briskish wind. Task is a small quadrilateral based around shobdon but with multiple optional out and returns from the corners of the quadrant. Sniffer just about to launch. Grid all launched into an improving sky. A couple of relights, but now time for a quick lunch. Most gliders now back. the eagle has landed in a field as has M5.
Pilots reporting 3-4,000 ft but v variable cloud base.
1st Dave Masson (442 km 673 pts)
2nd Justin Wills (460km /600 pts)
3rd Mike Armstrong (375km 556 pts)
Day 4 - String of Pearls task, with the option of heading in Wales, East Anglia, or both. Pilots went far and wide (see picture) , with tricky conditions for the home leg.
1st David Masson - 457 points (448km)
2nd Mike Armstrong - 452
3rd Justin Wills - 399
Day 5 - A tricky day in less than ideal conditions, which brought out the best from Justin, flying more than twice as far as many others. Needless to say he won the day!
1st Justin Wills - 536 points (306km)
2nd Marc Corrance - 511
3rd Dominic Haughton 509
Overall - The overall winner was David Masson, pipping Justin into second by just 12 points! Mike Armstrong finished 3rd. The Sam Witter Trophy went to Rod Witter for a tour of Wales via Cader Idris on Day 2 after a technical landout at Lleweni Parc. The Blunt Nails trophy went to Paul Gentil flying his beautiful SHK. Mike Armstrong took the Cadman Plate for the most enterprising flight of the comp when, again on day 2, he managed to fly round Snowdon when the peak was in cloud. In a year where there had been a string of comps with virtually no flying due to bad weather, Enterprise managed 5 days and flew nearly 25,000 km. It was run, very successfully, at a licensed airfield thanks to excellent cooperation with the airfield operators.
