Viewing page 5 of 25

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

World Precision Flying Championships Page 5

Most of the countries rented airplanes, preferably Cessna 150's and 152's. Pages could be written on how to coordinate Fixed Base Operators, barely English speaking pilots, Insurance Companies and shared airplanes, but somehow they all had an airplane to fly in competition. 

Ray Heyde and Carolyn Pilaar flew their own airplanes with doors especially modified by Ray by adding a clear panel inset to better see the ground. Ray also provided the plans to the Swiss team who arrived with their airplane doors as part of their baggage. These modifications, of course, require certification by the appropriate agencies. 

The 1983 World Champion Polish team disassembled two of their Wilga's and sent them to Florida by ship to be reassembled and flown by pilots that again became World Champions. Waclaw Nycz was the Champion! He is a professional Flight Instructor. Januz Darocha placed third, and the 1983 top pilot, Krzystoy Lenartowicz placed fourth. "Luck of the draw" placed Krzystoy last to fly in the Navigation contest when weather was less favorable and in reverse order he was first in the landings which would not be a position a contestant would choose. Krzystof is a pilot for the Polish National Airlanes, LOT. 

Jan-Olaf Friskman, World Champion in 1975 and on other Championship Swedish teams placed second, leading his team also to second place. Jan-Olaf was also the winner of the Masonhall Sportsmanship Trophy, given this year for the first time, for his part in an early AM mid-air collision of 2 C-152's. Both aircraft landed safely and neither pilot was hurt. He is a DC-9 pilot for SAS and an officer in the Royal Swedish Air Force. 

The Finnish team placed third, led by their seventh place winner, Aki Suokas with the other placing eighth, 23, 28, 59. 

The United States team moved up from seventh of eleven in Norway to fourth out of 16 with Marvin Ellis placing eleventh, Ray Heyde, 12th, Joe Poerschke, 22nd, Carolyn Pilaar 24th and Brooks Cone 30th. The scores of the top three pilots count for team placement. Carolyn made one of only 6 "0" landings out of the 260 landings made. Hers was the only "0" in the barrier landings. 

The Swiss team placed fifth, led by Peter Hauser also placing fifth. His remaining team members placed 14th, 29th and 38th. 

9/26/85