I wanted to be one of the first to send congratulations to the new IHLGF Champion, Oleg Golovidov. Oleg's IHLGF victory and the seemingly impossible feat of beating Joe Wurts put him in a very rare class. The only other person to beat Joe Wurts at the IHLGF is Daryl Perkins who did it back to back in 1996 and 1997. Oleg is now breathing rare air - that which was formerly restricted to multiple time World Champions!
Many of us have the privilege of knowing Oleg personally and more of us know him from his accomplishments in the HLG/DLG arena. Either way you have to be impressed with this young man from Russia who has only been in the United States a relatively short time. Oleg first entered the IHLGF in 1999 where he placed 22nd. He has returned to compete in the IHLGF every year since with the explicit goal of winning the contest many call the (unofficial) world championship of HLG. Last year, flying his own design the Taboo, Oleg came ever so close but when all the dust cleared, the venerable Joe Wurts edged Oleg out in the fly-offs to garner the IHLGF 2002 Championship. With a whole host of championship caliber pilots on the heels of Joe every year, it was only a matter of time when even the world's greatest HLG pilot would make that one mistake in judgment or miss that one nearly phantom down wind thermal that would allow a new champion. But there had to be someone who could challenge Joe to the brink. Last year Craig Greening let Joe know that he was a factor to be reckoned with. Two years ago, Oleg pushed Joe to the very limits missing the championship by a mere 9 points (out of 12,000). This year the master blinked and the challenger took advantage of the opportunity. And the crowd of IHLGF contestants, spectators and Joe Wurts cheered the new Champion. Congratulations, Oleg! On behalf of the Torrey Pines Gulls, the IHLGF Committee and the Sponsors of the IHLGF 2003, I want to thank each and every one of the 80 pilots who choose to spend June 7th and 8th in Poway, California this year flying HLG's and being a part of HLG history as a participant in the IHLGF 2003. Special thanks go to our International pilots, many of whom travel great distances to compete with the worlds largest assemblage of championship caliber HLG pilots. You, the pilots are what makes the IHLGF the event that it is. Without you, there would be no IHLGF. So, begin now to make plans to attend the IHLGF 2004, June 5th and 6th. Ron Scharck, Registrar IHLGF 2003 1550 Hotel Circle N., Ste. 100 San Diego, CA 92108 Phone: 619-725-5434 Fax: 619-491-0791 RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off.
