Day 7 Update

Hello again from Mifflin,
So today has dawned here at Mifflin as it has in the rest of the country, Memorial Day Monday. This is the most sacred time to say thanks to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us can enjoy the freedoms that we have in the greatest country in the world. With that being said, Karl ask all the veterans in the pilots meeting to stand, then he ask that anyone who had never returned to base shot full of holes to please sit down. 1 member remained standing. Haven Goulding, 1 of our tow pilots, who flew OV 10’s in Vietnam. Karl gave a general description of all the things that this particular group of pilots went through, including all the different ordinance that was used against an OV 10. He then presented Haven with a model of the bird and asked all present to give special thanks to Haven for all he has given. This to a man that you would never know went through this all. He is a most unassuming man who asks for nothing, but gives us all everything. To my friend I say, job well done my hero.
Weather in Central Pennsylvania can get rather hot and miserable any time after Memorial Day. Somehow, Mother Nature did not get that memo. Today was expected to top out at 90 degrees and it did. The grid time was 11:45 and the CD was in no hurry as the cue were slow to develop and some areas looked very blue. We launched the first 3 gliders as sniffers at 12:20 and waited a few minutes before the rest of the field was launched. As we are nearing the end of the race and a few people have left, there were no worries about getting the class up in time. The launch goes off with only a re-light or 2 and at 1:35 the gate opens. Everyone departs on a 3 turn TAT of Orbisonia, Kettle Dam, Lock Haven and return. Orby had a 10 mile circle and the other 2 turns were 15. The speeds were about what you would figure on a day that was good some places but weak and blue in others. The winning speed of the day was 51 handicapped by a racer who is new to Mifflin, WR, Jared Granzow. Jared has participated many times at Perry and that is where I met him. This year he inquired about Mifflin. I talked to him a bit and he came. We are glad to have him and all the racers here.  Jared pulls himself up to 4th place with this day win, only 105 out of first.
Tomorrow looks like a repeat of today, hot a little more humid and the climbs will make the pilots work. This is the kind of racing we all look for as no one like to sit and watch a runaway winner. The completion here is like NASCAR, so close that even little things can win the day. Good luck to all tomorrow, by evening we will have a 2022 Sports Class champion and it will be all over but the cleanup. I will have many thanks tomorrow as a contest like this owes a lot too many volunteers. We could not do it without you!
Brian Glick, CTP