Monday - July 26, 2004

Nats 2004 - HLG

Photo Gallery

I really wanted to participate in the HLG event this season, but my work schedule at my business prevented me from getting any models built in time.  It was all I could do to make sure I had models for the two day events.  None the less, I was on the field timing for all of Steve Meyer's rounds, and taking pictures when I could.

For the last three years, the HLG contest always seems to get the worst weather.  It rained hard, it lightly rained, sometimes for a few minutes it stopped raining, but we were all soaked.  A couple of transmitters were damaged from the rain.  Guys were tipping their models tail downward after rounds to drain the water out.  Early in the contest Joe Wurts broke the tail boom on his Encore during a launch, that round was costly for Joe.  Bruce Davidson, another lefty, had a Photon II that he lent to Joe for the remainder of the contest.  Bruce flew strong the entire contest, I really like being around Bruce at contests, he really has a good attitude.  Mike Smith was really flying strong too, no surprise I guess, he really was flying well the other day when I was watching F3B.

C.D. Marc Gellart, used the entire day to slip rounds in between the rain as best as he could, we finished late but the pilots sure did look like they had a good time none the less.  Bruce Davidson wins the national championship flying an XP4, Mike Smith in second also flying an XP4, and Joe Wurts finished the day flying a Photon II to third place.

Here is a link to the final results:  Final Results