Aug 19-22
VAM 2021
Odense
Vintage Aerobatic Meeting – Hans Christian Andersen Airport (EKOD)
VINTAGE AEROBATIC MEETING in Odense last weekend. GREAT SUCCESS for the movement!
The spirit, the comradeship, the flying, the flying machines. All that makes VAWC this fantastic cocktail.
We did expect a smaller participation compared to VAWC 2019/GERA, where 25 participants showed their fine flying. This due to late and uncertain planning… and also many families had a family back-lock on the holiday/traveling “account”, and still some Corona obstacles hitting participants from some countries.
An important element of why we insisted to go forward with VAM 2021 was to keep the pan boiling, keeping the enthusiasm for VAWC high.
And we really did this!!!
We did – unfortunately – have a lot of participant. drop outs in the last days due to tech issues, en rute weather etc., but in spite of this, a fine group of brave Vintage Aerobatic Pilots arrived smiling in Odense, ready for the competition.
New airplanes competed, interest from next generation!
Viktoria Toft, the daughter of Povl Toft and Claus Vad, son of Hardy Vad was registered… but due to tech-trouble on Povl´s. Stampe only Claus Vad participated. VAM 2021 was the first competition of Claus, and he piloted his Skybolt (Classic category) to a third place in Looping the Loop. Bravo!. New airplanes competed… a Chipmunk and the fantastic Harvard. Big thanks to Søren Andersen for the latter. Søren even won the “SPORTSMANSHIP” award for his effort. It is difficult to decide which experience that was really hitting your emotions the strongest and of cause this is very personal, but for me The Performance flight of Dieter Poll in his vintage LUNAK glider was truly fantastic. Not a least the “creative design” with wing tip smoke, choice of music, and dancing (yes) judge line. Wau!!!
We were privileged to have Hanna Räihä from Finland as chief judge, and a strong, experienced judge line complemented her fantastic effort. Big thanks to Hanna and the positive judges.
The venue in Odense is just fantastic. And the energy and the spirit springing from our local host, Jens Ploug Larsen and his effective/positive team was second to none. BIG THANKS!!!
Also BIG thanks to your development partners (Flieger Magazine, and Nordfyn Erhverv og Turisme) and sponsors (MT Propeller and Nordfyn kommune). You truly support our “Vintage Aerobatic Movement” and without your support it would not have been possible!!!
Leaving Odense we really felt the effect of keeping the pan boiling and almost all participants and helpers stated “seeing you next year in UK/Breighton…”. Dates are not yet confirmed, but will be within few weeks. In Breighton we will do a full VAWC competition, and I personal look very much forward to experiencing the special, original sporting, vintage spirit as only the British can provide
Results
Looping the Loop: 1. Søren Andersen, Harvard 2. Claus Cordes, Stieglitz 3. Claus Vad, Skybolt
Dancing the Cloverleaf: 1. Jan Schiedek-Jacht, Jungmeister 2. Kathi Suthau, Jungmeister 3. Søren Dolriis, Chipmunk
Rolling the Circle: 1. Rainer Bernd, Jungmeister 2. Bernhard Drummer, Jungmeister 3. Hardy Vad KZ8 Replica
The Performance: 1) Dietmar Poll, Lunak 2. Bernhard Drummer, Jungmeister 3. Claus Cordes, Stieglitz