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Wednesday evening was the parade. If only the train had chosen another time to stop with the gates down, it would have been a perfect evening.

The Girl Scouts had made handsome banners for each country. They were assigned in pairs, prepared to carry the banner in front of the marching teams; some times older Scouts, but also the little "Brownies". All the girls were in their uniform. The parade assembled by the lake front, under blue skies and beautiful clouds. The pilots were in uniform, one of their own carrying their country's flag. Most of the teams had friends and relatives with them. The Irish and Polish groups were enhanced by local clubs, many of the members in beautiful costume.

John Shaffer of AOPA was Grand Marshall. The VIP's were in convertibles and there was a band and some floats and some horses and bag pipes and it was not as hot as some days and the Norwegian team looked super in blue and white and our team looked really sharp in dark red blazers and navy slacks and our support group equally sharp in red blazers, white slacks or in all white and the parade route was not long and the speeches were short and the Star Spangeled Banner was played almost in tune and I wish you could have been there and I would not have chosen to be any place else in the World at that moment! (Except maybe marching instead of taking photos.)

Because of the threat of afternoon thunder storms, the competition was rescheduled to start an hour early which meant first briefing at 0600 which in turn meant gate crews had to be under way long before sun rise. It also meant it was too dark to get good photos. Judy Logue, with her video equipment needed light, and flash photos of the hubbub loading cars are not very effective.

Janet Green timed the contestants off, sitting out at the runway, relieved periodically by Pat Ward, and coming down with pneumonia we now know. 

Jody had all the crews dispatched except the guardsmen who could not all be reached when we rescheduled. The Navigation briefings were proceeding on schedule with the first pilots doing their flight planning. She took off with the 3 Jury members to pre fly the course, the Jury to take photo of the actual letters, gates etc. as they looked that day. A call came from the finish line crew that they could not find their location at a small airport, although at least one of them has been there previously. They were told to leave someone at the phone, and get the rest as near as possible as contestants could be expected in less than 1/2 hour. Jim Lafferty took off in a C152 to fly over and at least be there. JODY saved the day, the morning at least! As she flew over the finish line with the Jury and realized the

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