TEFC Flying Competition and official opening of MKT with bitumen makeover

Posted At : 21 June 2010 03:56 | Posted By : Mark Christie
Related Categories: Competition, TEFC, Top End Flying Club, MKT Airfield

While the V8 cars were belting around Hidden Valley on Sunday, Top end Flying Club pilots and friends of MKT Airfield were participating in our flying competition. With our new bitumen surface less than a week old, it also made sense to combine an official opening by Kath Meyering with the event.

Competition on the day was fierce and so was the Southerly wind that had my drifter and many of the trikes pointing their noses at the airstrip on the downwind leg (which means that we were flying sideways.

Photos in main part of entry...

Flying Comp 2010

The competition was broken into two parts, one for the rag and wire and one for Jabirus and GA. Overall winner on the day was John Wauchope with trusty bombardier Heather guiding flour bombs from the backseat of bumblebee, the yellow drifter you will be able to pick out from the 289 photographs I took on the day.

The wind was challenging for all aircraft and I suspect was definitely gusting to 20+ knots which made it interesting. Josh did his best to scare the judges into submission with one of his landings, an event that earned him a special award.

It was definitely a day where any landing was a good landing and for some of the pilots, being able to spot land accurately in those conditions was incredible. Unfortunately since my victory in the last competition, I was transformed to feather duster, subjecting copilot and bombardier Greg to some ordinary flying. I opted against trying to photograph and fly on this occasion.

After the competition and before the awards ceremony and fantastic barbecue yet again prepared by Armin, our own masterchef, we tied a ribbon between a Jabiru and a Drifter for Kath to cut marking an acknowledgement of the continued collegiate support that the MKT aviation community is renowned for.