And the Rains Came

Today, the skies opened up and spread much needed rain for the agricultural needs of Texas.  The only thing is, we cannot fly very well with 30 knot winds and driving rain.  Luckily, contest management cancelled the day early enough yesterday so pilots could box up their ships, if desired, or put extra tie down equipment in place.  At the end of the day, all the ships and trailers are intact.

In place of the pilots meeting, a rules input discussion was held hosted by Bif Huss, Contest Committee Chairman, Andy Blackburn, Rules Committee Chairman and Rich Owen, Rules Committee member.  Several items that bothered the pilots were discussed along with explanations on how the rules process works.  These items will be covered in the rules survey that will be coming out later this year.

Since the weather was bad, I do not know what other groups did for the day.  I do know Team 98, 89 and P7 all went to San Antonio and met up with the Co-Contest Manager for the Seniors, Kerry Huffstutler.  Our group went to the Blue Star brewery and the old Pearl brewery for lunch and a beer.  The Blue Star brewery was very nice with excellent food, superb service and a fine selection of craft beer.  The old Pearl brewery building was made into a premier hotel right next to the riverwalk in downtown San Antonio.  I’ll put some pictures on the SSA Facebook page tomorrow.  It is a great place to go and spend an afternoon.  The architecture is amazing.  They kept many of the old brewery tanks and structures and included them in the hotel’s theme.  An example is a 200-gallon beer tank had a hole cut into it and now it is a private seating area for about 10 people.  The main bar is very luxurious, and the back bar is perfect for a group of pilots and crew.   

Back in Uvalde, many of the group went to Broadway 830 for pizza and trivia night with our official cruise director, Victoria.  Everyone had a great time, but pilots are not the brightest when it comes to trivia.  We received a WhatsApp message from the contest management stating we should not grid or even go to the trailer parking area before the pilots meeting.  That is code for, we may not be flying tomorrow.  I guess that gave some pilots an excuse to have one more beer. 

Well, that’s all for tonight.  We will see what tomorrow brings.  Be safe and fly well.

Cheers,

Rich
Team 98 Backseater