PRESS RELEASE
For More Information call Roger Gomoll, media relations 507 373 9587
or Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau, Jean Eaton 507 373 3938 (d)

SOARING CHAMPIONSHIPS DELAYED BY WINDS 
Championship dates: May 27-June 5, 1997


The first day of the 15-Meter National Championships in Albert Lea
Minnesota was marred by brisk easterly winds, forcing contest
organizers to cancel the event for the day. The 52 contestants took
the delay in stride. "This sort of thing happens in contest flying"
said Bill Bartell, contestant and member of the US World soaring team
that will compete in St Aubain France next month. "We've got ten days
scheduled- and we only need four days of flying to meet the minimum
number of days for a contest. We're still confident that we'll have a
great time."

The 52 participants moved their sailplanes to Albert Lea's runway at
1PM and assembled into an intricate pattern called the "grid" from
which they customarily launch. The decision was made to cancel the
day's event at about 2PM this afternoon by Contest Director Charlie
Spratt after finding that conditions were not good for soaring.

Competitors will meet again at 9:30 Wednesday morning to attempt to
soar on day two of the ten-day event. Although the weather for
Wednesday is not promising, the forecast for Thursday through the
weekend looks excellent.

With good weather, pilots will fly their motorless craft non-stop for
hundreds of miles at speeds over 60 miles per hour.



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Access provided by:
Guenther Eichhorn              | gei@cfa.harvard.edu
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA
CPL,ASMELS,IA,Glider,CFI       | Pitts S-2A: N1GE
DC-3 type rating               | Flying is the Pitts
See:    http://acro.harvard.edu/IAC
and:    http://acro.harvard.edu/SSA