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View Full Version : Glen Dell - New Advanced World Aerobatic Champion


4HolerPoler
16th Aug 2004, 17:33
Congrats Glen! - whilst our swimmers are winning gold in Athens & the boys are whacking the Kiwis it almost went un-noticed that Glen Dell has been crowned Advanced World Aerobatic Champion following the annual competition held this year in Sweden. This is a huge achievement but is not that remarkable to those of us who are privilged to know this really remarkable, unassuming guy. He just went out there & beat the rest of the world. Mind-blowing!

Way to go Donga! Here's a few clips, this one from the FAI website:
6th AWAC - Glen Dell wins AWAC

Glen Dell of South Africa is the new Advanced World Aerobatic Champion. Dell lives near Johannesburg. He is a pilot for South African Airways. The 6th Advanced World Championships came to a close today. The Third Unknown was not flown due to bad weather and the contest was called by Contest Director L-G Arvidsson. In the Team results, France won the FAI Gold Medal. In second was Russia followed by the Czech Republic in third place. The next AWAC is scheduled for 2006 with a location yet to be decided.

and this one from his home-town newspaper
World aerobatic champ from EC

EAST LONDON - Former Queen's College schoolboy Glen Dell won gold for South Africa just hours ahead of the opening of the Athens Olympics on Friday. Dell, a South African Airways pilot and self-confessed aviation nut, became the new Advanced World Aerobatic Champion. The week-long championships, which are held every second year, finished on Friday in Ljungbyhed, Sweden. Dell beat 62 pilots from 20 nations who took part in the competition. Dell, 42, won the South African Aerobatics Championship in June this year when it was held in East London, piloting a South African-designed and built Slick 360. Dell's parents, long-time Queenstown residents Phyllis and Arthur Dell, were full of admiration for their high-flying son. “It's just too wonderful to take in. We are really pleased. Glen has already achieved so much in life, but this is quite something," Phyllis Dell said yesterday. Glen Dell, who matriculated at Queen's College, had an overpowering interest in flying from an early age, his mother said.

4HP

SortieIII
16th Aug 2004, 20:13
Well done Glen!

Couldn't happen to a nicer chap.

Chuck Ellsworth
16th Aug 2004, 21:09
Congradulations Glen.

Now all you have to do is learn to do aerobatics with the PBY. :ok:

Chuck Ellsworth

oldplane
17th Aug 2004, 14:54
Well done Glen, could not have happened to a better person.
See ya at the next show....:D

Sir Cumference
20th Aug 2004, 13:06
Awesome achievement!! Well done Glen! Pity the press are just so uninformed/uninterested in this. The home press quotes Glen's Dad who sadly passed away many years ago. Where do they get their information?!!

Glen's unassuming humble, manner has always been noteworthy. I hope that he is given the accolades he deserves in SA. Certainly the aviators around have huge respect for his achievement and those who know how difficult it is to fly an aircraft precisely during aerobatics, even more so. Well done Donga, you have made us all proud!!

Gunship
29th Aug 2004, 22:35
Well done Glen mate :ok:

Who would have thought I woke up with a World Aerobatic Champion for about 9 months. :E

Uhmmm let me clarify ... WELL DONE Glen my "old Pilot's course roomy" :ok:

Eischhh Vivaaa 1 of 80 :p

relax737
31st Aug 2004, 11:20
Good on ya Glen. What a great achievement. I recall my first foray into aerobatics, in a Piper Tomahawk as I recall. Problem was it was right after a buffet lunch when I'd consumed about three dozen oysters natural. An almost predictable result, and I figured if I didn't cut it short, then the perspex bubble may well have been spray painted. Never tried again.

I take my hat off to you.

406pilot
20th Sep 2004, 18:05
hi guys,

just attended a joint crm course wih glen,didnt know abt his achievements at the time....wht a guy well done glenn

still a 406pilot

flyitlikeyoustoleit
21st Sep 2004, 18:38
Well done supreme commander:ok: :ok:

goaround7
26th Sep 2004, 18:32
...and yet the South African press and SABC point blank refused to cover Glen's success in an 'elitist and minority' sport.

Sad gits ! Perhaps you should take up advanced overloaded taxi driving next Glen.... ?

Well done anyway !

INJECTOR
28th Sep 2004, 19:58
WELL DONE GLEN DELL!
MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE OPP. TO LEARN FIXED WING INSTEAD OF JUST ROTORWING BACK IN '89 WILL GLEN.
HE IS A GOOD CHOPPER INSTRUCTOR TOO.