Briefing 10:00, runway 16/18 for grid is open, first take off at 11:30 - we will fly AAT (3 hours) in blue thermals!
And there is JR's first briefing:
Opening Briefing Saturday May 3rd 18 :00
Ladies, gentlemen…. And others ! How pleasant it is to be back here in Szatymaz with all your smiling faces, and hearing so many of you speaking French to me ! Before we start the « official » briefing, there are a few facts that I need to inform you about. I know you are expecting a few tricks and surprises from my part, and I intend not to disappoint you ! Let’s start with Peter Szabo , the title of his story is going to be « Feats and Failures » ! Shall we speak of « failures » first, no ? Before he ordered me in BItterwasser to come and be director of the LX Navigation Cup for the sixth time (I had no choice. He said : « JR, you just come, end of story ! »), he promised me two things :
1. there would be three blonde Swedish girls as hostesses. Well, they aren’t here ! But all the pilots’wives and girlfriends present here are so friendly that I forgive him.
He also promised me there would be a swimming pool with heated water ! Well, there is a swimming-pool, but there’s no water in it ! I did buy three swimming trunks for the occasion. They’re useless !
Let’s go to the feats now.
As usual Peter and his team had the airfield in perfect condition, more hangars, superb planes, especially the Antonov 2 he is refurbishing brand new. Bungalows and huts well equiped. That’s for one.
Second, Peter is now a captain at Wizzair ! This might be the reason for which I flew Easyjet !! I was afraid he would make me work and enroll me as first officer …
For all this let’s have a round of applause in his honour.
This morning, while we were preparing for this briefing, and because I care for you, the pilots, I made him promise he would drink a glass of this Cognac bottle before he started setting the day’s task !! We will the way he handles the cognac…
We must also greet a new member of the slovenian « mafia » . Bostjan Pristavec who had the style not to come alone, but with two beauties, and a jewel.. the two beauties are in order of importance, his wife, Tania, and his glider « 7 », an EB 28. The jewel is his young son, Giga. Quite a surname for a boy !!
Last year, Peter invited two Brits, Dickie Feakes of RD Aviation, and a friend of his…. And there not ONE flyable task for the duration of the comp !!
This year, Peter has been more careful, he has invited only one British pilot, David, his CFI at Wizzair, so we can, expect half of the comp to receive good weather. But peter still made a mistake, He took David for two aerobatic flights in the Fox…. And now Peter is looking for a position at Easyjet !!
I am not through yet with the Slovenians though. Here is Cert again, the original cause of this competition, and its main sponsor. But this year he comes with a numerous, and young force of his engineers ! Welcome again, Cert !
And what about the Czeks ? One cannot avoid Ludek ! He is everywhere ! At least everywhere I go ! I suspect he has a hidden twin brother ! Along with him, one can find his three women.. Oh sorry, only two this year… Yes, he’s getting old.
I cannot mention everyone today, would be too long, though I have a story for each of you. But we cannot forget all the « little hands », men and women, who help make this meeting such a special one, « the » meeting of the year, the one everybody wants to take part in, and then come back to it year after year.
We wish you nice flights, extraordinary stories and adventures, and the discovery of new friends in a safe and accident-free comp. Welcome you all.
Jean-Renaud (JR) Faliu