Thanks to all who have posted here on this thread with heartfelt wishes for my health issues. Thanks, too, for the remembrances of good times past.
I cannot convey to you all just how much all this means to me, and how much I love you all. Hopefully I'll still be able to get to the Nats for years to come and either judge or event direct (yeah, yeah, I said I'd never do that...). Might even be able to fly some OTS or Classic if mobility permits after the surgeries.
As Paul Walker most graciously mentioned, I have not always over the years been able to come to the Nats fully prepared and with lots of practice. The Good Lord has richly blessed me with more than a modicum of natural ability, and I guess I've relied on that more often than not to get me through. The fact is, there are many fliers out there who have been so blessed with talent, and many of them have also put in the requisite work to get to the top. They deserve the accolades and the notoriety because they have earned it fully. At this year's Nats I saw the bar raised yet again, and this time to a level I never dreamed was achievable. The Top-5 fly-off convinced me that stunt is in a very healthy place, and that to compete with these guys a flier will in the future have to raise his or her game to a level not seen before. This is a good thing.
Paul and I over the years have butted heads as competitors, and we have not always seen eye-to-eye on things. I must admit that far more often than not he was right about whatever disagreements we might have had. Through it all, however, Paul and I have remained good friends, and he has been a huge help to me (and many others) on technical subjects. I have often called him to get his council, and he's always been a gracious and willing teacher. Many only see the serious side of Paul, as he focuses on winning more than anyone I've ever known. And, hey, at the Nats, that's the object. However, if you were to be around him when he's not focused on flying and competing, you'd come to know a very funny and engaging guy. We were on a couple of World Teams together, and I can tell you that Paul is really fun to be around.
Paul mentioned the airplane box races in (what was then) Czechoslovakia. That requires a bit of explanation... There is a lot of "down time" at World Championships, and we, as competitors, were always looking for ways to keep the competitive tools sharp. In those days we had huge, one-piece airplane boxes that looked a bit like caskets for Manta Rays. Somehow we decided to have drag races with them down the hall of the hotel in which we were staying. Billy Werwage was the starter, and when he dropped his arm Paul and I pushed the boxes from behind and raced for about 80 feet down the hall. These were serious races, guys. Neither Paul or I wanted to let the other guy win. Now, these boxes were not entirely stable, being pushed from so far behind their center of gravity locations, and were prone to deviate easily from side to side. In other words, they were pretty much totally out of control for most of the race, and were potentially lethal weapons ready to take out any unsuspecting hotel patron who might venture out into the hallway (race track?) in front of us. And, we wouldn't have stopped anyway! Like I wrote earlier, these were serious races! I truly don't remember who won those races, but the fun we had on that trip is among my most favorite memories. Thank you, Paul, for everything; the lessons, the friendship, the great council, the craziness, and for the pleasure of having been able to watch you fly so well for so long. It was a privilege.
Later - Bob Hunt
Topic: Long, strange trip... (Read 2168 times)
