To: FighterKites@topica.com
From: "d." <astonecrow@stonemclaren.com>
Subject: Re: [FK] Tuscon Fighterkite Weekend
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 19:23:31 -0800

  hi all you wet and cold fighter pilots...

  just returned from nfka's first annual spring training in tucson...   sunshine, blue skies, 70-80 degrees, winds 2-18.

  i want to thank the arizona free flyers ( fliers ? ) for a wonderful day of friendly flying and for the kind hospitality they offered to three of us ( chuck, jerry, and me ) northwestguys....   these arizona guys are amazingly friendly and tanned...   and not one of them made fun of our accents or our pale faces.

  what was even greater was that most of these southwest folk have only been flying fighters for the last 3 weeks since bruce and donna's fighter building workshop...   and not one of them showed an ounce of fear in competition...   i've flown with a lot of novices ( and even not so novices ) who hang out on their side of the wind all day because of their trepidation and fear of loss...   not these guys...

  oh sure, just like most other new fliers, many had trouble knowing where their kite was going, where it would end up, and which foot their line was wrapped around...   but not one of them showed any fear of attacking and forcing the point...   which made it hard for more experienced fliers because we didn't know either...   and i for one, sure appreciate their adrenaline and the many grins it gave me.

  i predict that several of them will tromp our silly behinds in competition next year...   because these guys really love flying and don't give a hoot who gets in their way...   i lost more points to these new fliers than i care to remember.

  so, many thanks to each and every one of those rascals...   i had a ball.

  after a very long 12 person round-robin...   the results...

1st - bruce and chuck tied
2nd & 3rd - dennis

  thanks also to bruce and donna for the use of their shower and the abuse of their friendship...   special thanks to donna because not only did she clean my hair from the sink ( something chuck has never offered to do ) she also kept score during the 4-hour round robin so professionally that we were all afraid to complain that bruce was cheating...   he was using two hands to fly.

  had a wonderful time.

  thanks again for the invite, the sun, and the joy of flying with good people...hope we can do it again next year.

  bruce...will you please post our thanks on their message board....

  grins.

d,

Tucson Scoresheet

  Hi Brian,

  Dennis will be sending you a report, but as part of it, he wanted to show the scoresheet we used in the round robin.   12 flyers...   took all day!   But was a ton of fun.   And had mostly new flyers to fighters, lots of 1st time competitors!

  We missed you...   hopefully next year you can join in the fun!

  Grins, bruce