Onwards upwards (and sometimes Downwards) to Lithuania

Introducing the team

OK. We did well in the team training in Spain in preparation for the European Gliding Championships in Lithuania. I found out what the wingless fuselage shape was for we were towing behind the car. Initially I took it as a moving advertising slogan ~

EasyJet

I even wrote to an open letter to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, via the press department of Easyjet; complete with mock-ups showing possible advertising opportunities. To represent Britain we had to pay for everything ourselves so a little help would have saved a lot of head scratching.








Running through several 'new' Euro countries it may have been a superb chance to sponsor a related sport and open up a lucrative new market. We couldn't understand how these giant organisations can completely ignore a request to the point of not even replying.

EasyCruise

Undaunted I pressed on, trying to gain some sponsorship by writing to Richard Branson, once again with the Virgin press office. The same reaction. Nothing. I find this odd, but not unexpected although even a blunt refusal would have been better than pretending we were not there. Of the other teams competing many are sponsored, including France (where I happen to live), fully supporting their fliers who are professional Glider pilots and paid to fly; they are supplied with gliders and backup teams funded by the state.




The train logo is striking and fits the shape


This amused us whenever we beat the French but looked ruefully on when we realised they also had a chef in the team, who pandered to them with culinary delights. No change there then. We made do with the local delicacy, Pigs' ears.






Britain is notorious for not supporting endeavor which makes it hard when you consider both the massive organisations started up with pioneering enteperneurs.

Richard is potty about ballooning (Gulp) and Hang Gliding . (SEE Dave Draper below) while Stelios is always up for a challange and is, himself, a flying pioneer.

Not brilliant, but shows what is possible

So who were our band of men...The chosen phew!

Well actually a varied lot who, for the main, are commercial pilots and hanker for the dubious honour of flying without an engine.

I suppose it has to be said, others seem to get away with it~ This is a glider too. Maybe NASA wants some publicity next time.

The British pilots are;
Pociunai, Lithuania

Ken Barker 'My pilot'. Ken has become a 'hello sailor' as a renowned Jazz musician on cruise ships ocean wide. He also runs, with his wife Kathrin, a Chateau B+B with cookery courses for the gourmet in the South of France, he has a commercial pilots licence and a very industrious crew. His love of Chrysler cars is legendary.

Dave Draper Shares his joystick with partner Kay, who is a champion at handling this in her own right. Dave has Hang Gliding and Club Class championships under his belt and likes to walk his dog, mad mutt 'Ella', to the curry house. No connection I hope...

Derren Francis Long haul pilot Africa and the Middle East. As a child he he would watch the members of Portsmouth Naval Gliding Club take off and land.; consequently his landings are a tad erratic as he is always looking for a long stretch of water. Avid collector of bomb bays.

Gary Stingemore When he is not impersonating Harold, King of Wessex, Gary is a Virgin something or other and went solo at 16- instructing at 19. Hmmm, impressive. He was in the RAF as a Tornado GR1s instructor. I don't know what that is but he tells me Tom Cruise got it all wrong. His hobbies include re-naming everyone he meets.

Next... The crews (including me).

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