Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 7:31
AM
Subject: [aus-soaring] Manfred Radius @
Avalon :-)
Hi folks, Drew McKinnie (Canberra GC)
here
I had the pleasure of attending Avalon airshow
yesterday and today
Lots of good business done... but a real pleasure
to watch Manfred weaving his aerial magic in the Salto yesterday
For those (like me) who have never seen him do
his stuff before, it is a MUST if you have the chance
Yesterday was cool, overcast, overdeveloped Cu at
low level pushed along by damp SW wind
Typical Melbourne stuff
Trade day airshow performances by Super Hornet,
C17, F16, Tornado, Apache helo, were real good from my
perspective
Hang glider made a creditable display in the
windy weather - but Manfred Radius stole the show, got the best
applause!
On takeoff and initial climb behind a Pawnee,
Manfred waggled his wings left and right to good bank angles - and I had to
assure one spectator that most launches are not like that, and no, he was not
having trouble staying behind the tug!
Half an hour later, he announced his intentions
over the radio, broadcast over PA, the music began...
and it was lovely :-)
Despite the overcast and cloud canyons, which
made for less contrast than we would normally like, you could see his smoke
trails and graceful turns, spins, rolls and loops, so fluid and tidy -
and a few tailslides, stall turns, cubans and
cloverleafs - more dramatic in effect as he decended. He did very well
to manage his routine within the confines of the encroaching clouds. I
saw more and nore crowd members crane their necks upwards, and even a couple
of "knucks" nearby were making appreciative noises. Manfred spoke again
over radio - "Now for a vertical 8" or words to that effect - and it was
brilliant to watch - a nice wide round inside loop diving straight into a fast
outside loop for the bottom of the 8. Then more outside loops, getting
lower... At circuit height, he then accelerated along the runway
centreline, climbed steeply into a hammerhead stall, the glider pitching
beyond the vertical - and he then accelerated in an inverted dive, punching
through the turbulence, making inverted turn corrections to line up on the
streamer between the poles over the runway - and sweet as a hot knife through
butter, he was through the streamer. Oh so precise :-] and loud was the
applause. He then pushed forward and up
into inverted climb, rolled out, swooped low for a chandelle onto base, low
again, another chandelle onto finals, popped the drogue, and landed the Salto
right in front of the clapping crowd, stopping right next to the
crew. A very impressive display!
A few minutes later, I met Manfred and his crew,
and had a great chat! He has a great sense of fun and understated pride
in what he does, and like many real professionals, he was effusive in his
praise for his support team in the Pawnee and on the ground. The guys
from Benalla and Bacchus were real cheerful and proud of their support role -
well done! His Salto, close up, was real interesting in terms of the
mounting arrangements for the pyros, the ignition circuits and switchgear, all
set up to reduce his workload when operating them before and during his
aerobatics.
Unfortunately work now has me back in Canberra,
so I will miss his Friday night show - and I will be gliding at Bunyan during
the weekend displays - but seriously folks, the Avalon airshow is great, and
the sailplane aerobatics just brilliant. You shouldn't miss it - too
good for words!
I feel happy... :-)
Drew
