DILLON GRAVES RETURNS TO F3J
By Gordon Buckland | gordon@gatorf3b.com
ONE SATURDAY MORNING, 12 years ago, a young teen named Dillon Graves was dropped off by his dad, John, at the Orlando Buzzards flying field in Oviedo, Florida, for his first coaching experience. John, the owner of F3J sponsor, Graves RC, in Orlando, entrusted Jody Miller and me to teach his son the basics of Soaring to prepare him for the 2011 FAI F3J Team Selection contest that was being hosted in Florida.
Dillon was a willing learner and, despite wanting to drive his Pike Perfect like a Ferrari, he quickly picked up the skills it takes to detect and effectively use thermal lift. A few months later, after many more sessions of coaching and practice, Dillon made the US team and represented his country in South Africa in 2012 as a Junior.
A lot of Soaring moments have passed under the bridge since then. Fast-forwarding 12 years to 2023, Dillon has returned with a Florida team and has won the USA F3J Soaring Team Selection event in Virginia. With straight 1,000s, his awesome display of nostalgic Thermal Soaring and precision flying ensured him a place on the US team that will go to Norway in 2024.
Dillon’s effort was even more impressive because he took a drop on his first flight, sinking out slowly for a 7:37 flight, so for the rest of the contest, he needed to fly by taking no chances. He hit one 98, one 100, and the rest of his landings were all 99s, showing amazing skills after not flying this event for six years and still using his old models from 2013.
It was great to team with Dillon, Mike Gardner, and Jeff DuVal for the event, and it was awesome to have the reliable Charleston Thomas along for the ride. This was Charleston’s third successful attempt as a Junior. After leading the contest throughout, he fluttered an aileron on launch in the last round to slip to second in Juniors behind the fast-improving John Bradley.
Like Charleston, John has the experience of competing at the 2022 World Championship in Slovakia and has the necessary skills and temperament to excel in Norway next year. Luke Plesniarski, who has just begun his journey as a Junior, will be the third Junior on the team.
Much credit must go to David Bradley Sr. and Dave Bradley Jr. for the effort put in to bring four Juniors to the contest—three of them had never flown F3J before August 2023. This is the kind of enthusiasm needed with Juniors to continue to grow interest in our US Soaring hobby.
The event, held at Horse Feathers Airport in Virginia, was interrupted on Saturday with the close proximity of Tropical Storm Ophelia, making it too wet and windy for
any flying. Many of the pilots took the opportunity to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Seven of the 10 rounds that were flown were completed on Friday in overcast, light lift conditions that saw many groups struggling at some point to make 10 minutes. This resulted in nearly every pilot carrying a drop into the second day. In round five, we noted that everybody was sinking out, so we brought Mike down early to relaunch his backup. Unfortunately, we were unable to get his second model turned on quickly, and Dave Jr. came back and relaunched a couple of seconds before Mike to take the 1,000 points with a 5:42.9 time.
Dave Jr. was a real standout competitor during the contest, being in first place after day one and in the top three throughout, until the final round. If not for his errant landing in the final round, he would have made the team in third place.
The results for the senior team were Dillon in first place, Neal Huffman in second place, and Jody in third place, with Dave Jr. as the alternate.
Amy Pool flew gallantly throughout and will represent the US in Norway in the Women’s category. The Junior team is John Bradley, Charleston, and Luke. Anna Morell placed third outright in the Junior category but will be flying at the World Championship in a separate Junior class for women. Ben McCabe was fourth and is the alternate Junior.
This is an awesome USA F3J team and easily the largest contingent to ever represent the US in F3J with the addition of the Women’s categories and returning Junior World Champion Sean Summers.
Thanks to Neal for preparing the field, to Josh Glaab for organizing the event, to Claude Turner for being the contest director, and a very special thanks to Duane Beck, who did everything before and during the contest on the field to make it flyable.
For me, it was an amazing weekend of Soaring. It was a real bummer that Jeff missed one flight, not making it back inbound, but on the other hand, it was great to help Mike achieve the third highest number of 1,000s for the contest and nearly make it onto the team. The greatest joy was having Dillon, with me and Jody as his coaches, on the same field again. To have Jody and Dillon once again flying together on the same US team and representing their country is a dream come true. They will do an awesome job.
I am honored to once again be selected as the USA F3J Team Manager and I will be there to help. Please visit the Team USA F3J website and support the US team by buying tickets in the huge raffle.
Go downwind and fly.
SOURCES:
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
Team USA F3J
www.teamusaf3j.com
Graves RC
(407) 294-5699
www.gravesrc.com
RCGroups
2023 F3J USA Team Selection Event
www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4308523
