Friday, July 12
    The morning is cold and windy. Clouds are rolling in front of the Nova Hola peak from the northeast and the entire sky is clouded over. But after nine the clouds break up and the sun begins to shine, just like every morning.




    The president of the Amateur Flight Association of the Slovak Republic, Marian Turan comes out to see the next to last day of the race along with Ing. Stefanik from the Aviation Authority of the Slovak Republic. In light of the strong northeast wind, it is decided at the cable car to go up to the Stara Kopa starting ground and a convoy of cars slowly climbs the winding road to Banska Bystrica. Another hour of delay at the gas station at the edge of the city, because everyone needs to wash their windshields on their week-unwashed dirty cars.




    At 1:30 everyone is finally up at the starting ground of Stara Kopa. In light of the late hour, a fast briefing is called and a 42km-long discipline is announced with one turning point in the village of Nemecka and a goal over Banska Bystrica by the water reservoir behind the local section of the town called Sasova.




    The start window is open from 13:50 to 15:30 and by 8 minutes after two Michal Orolin takes off, quickly followed by Stefan Bendik. Neither of them manages to lift off over the start and after a short battle, both land below the hill.

    The wind at the starting ground is very weak to non-existent and for a long while after no one else feels like taking off. Only with Peter Mensak and his take off from a very low height is a wave of other take-offs started. Immediately after this Michal Orolin and Stefan Bendik return to the start, as several pilots are already slowly lifting off above the start and the closing of the start window nears. The starting ground traffic gets heavy and the last pilot takes off one minute before the close of the start window.



    The altitude above the start turns out to be the decisive factor today and most pilots, unfortunately, land under the minimum point distance of five kilometers. Peter Kucera lands 200 meters beyond this line and only three other racers continue East to the turning point. All successfully fly around the factory chimney by the village of Nemecka and return to Banska Bystrica. Peter Burgula lands by the village of Slovenska Lupca and is missing exactly 8km to the goal. Stefan Bendik reaches to within view of Banska Bystrica and 5km of the goal. The victor of today's discipline becomes Jaroslav Jandúch, who ends up lacking only 3km to the goal. However, because only three pilots made it past 15km, today's discipline is invalid.

    "I hope the Russians love their children too", sings Sting from Robert Setcika's Jeep radio as he and his group wind their way up the serpentines to Salas in the Stary Hory. Halusky with brynza cheese and a half-liter of milk reliably cure the depressed mood caused by landing below the hill and meat pies erase today's discipline from memory altogether. Oh what a wonderful world…!



    Even following today nothing has changed in the overall placing of the race and so tomorrow's discipline will decide all.