Friday - An Aerobatic Competition!

Thursday night, we had a wonderful dinner with the B. family! It was such a treat to have them over.

The next morning finds us at Perrin Field to watch Tom B. compete in the Lone Star Aerobatic Championship!

Talking in "swerves" (Stephen's descriptive term for airplane maneuvers :)

Neat colors!

This is the flight plan for the Advanced competitors. It may look simple -- but there's nothing easy about it! :) There are 5 levels -- Primary, Sportsman, Intermediate, Advanced, and Ultimate. 

Watching...

Deborah looking pretty in her borrowed sunglasses :)

Valerie. It was so much fun to get to know her better!

The list of Intermediate competitors -- can you find Tom's name?

The red & white plane is Tom's

High-power, advanced flying machines!

Lunch break!

It was special that Daddy could take a half day off and join us!

Gathering 'round Tom's plane :)

Coming back to the hanger after getting a closer look at some of the airplanes

"Working" the sky...

Fun stripes!

And now... it's Tom's turn! Here he taxis out!

There he goes...

..and here's the flight plan he has to accomplish!

Turning and twisting in the air...

His 00:03:20 (three minutes & 20 seconds) are over -- with a very good score for him!

Happy on-the-ground people :)

Bringing in Tom's plane

An old (but neat) plane... I know it looks so much bigger than the others, but it also is in the competition!

Mark & Tom

Deborah was entranced by this little yellow cutie! ;)

Darling Stephen

Some of us!

Two reporters from KTEN News were filming the competition, and one asked me for an interview. I consented (why not? :), and was slightly featured in the news story:

Pilots flip for Lone Star Aerobatic Competition
If you watch the 2nd video, you can see part of my interview ;)

This man is 77, and still competes, facing the same G's as the others!

Visiting

Deborah and Katie had fun talking! :) :)