Richard Kaleta and the Arcade Foundation
(Staff Reporter)
This is exciting; I finally had an opportunity to talk to Richard Kaleta. He is the official spokes person for the secretive Arcade Foundation. I am hoping to learn just a bit more about Richard, and of course find out more about the Arcade Cup 2009.
Staff Reporter (SR): Mr. Kaleta….
Richard Kaleta (RK): Please call me Richard
SR: Thank you, Richard, thanks for taking the time to talk to me today. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to talk to JC Hauchecorne, the winner of the 2008 Arcade Cup.
RK: Yes, I read your interview. Well done!
SR: Thank you! Any way, I promised my readers at the end of that interview to find out more about the Arcade Cup, plus about you, the official spoke person for the Arcade Cup. So, tell us about you.
RK: OK, I am a native from Poland, immigrated to America in 1982. I live in New York, more precisely in Manhattan, the East Village. My escape from this busy place is the Wurtsboro Airport where I keep my PW-5. Just a little factoid about the Wurtsboro Airport it is the oldest glider airport in the nation. Any way, it is about a 1 ½ hour drive from Manhattan, away from the busy every day live of the big apple.
SR: Did you learn how to fly in Poland?
RK: Yes I did. Just the very basic, I think I had about 14 flights on the winch and on tow.
SR: When did you pick it up again in the US?
RK: It was 1989, when I went for a drive into the country and when I passed by the Wurtsboro Airport and I stopped to see what’s happening on the field. I discovered a great gliding operation and I was hooked again in no time. I restarted my basic training in a Schweitzer 1-26 and then graduated to the PW-5. This is my 2nd PW-5 I own, and I am just having a great time with my glider!
SR: You would not be just a tiny bit bias? After all the PW-5 is a polish design.
RK: No! I am not bias at all! The PW-5 is a very unique glider! It fills a place…
SR: I understand, but before we discuss the uniqueness of the PeeWee, just a few more personal questions: Did you fly some more in Poland?
RK: Yes, when ever I go back to Poland I make the time to fly there. I love to fly in my native country, it is unique and different then when flying here. The fields are small; it all looks like a beautiful mosaic from the air. In Poland I fly either the PW-5 or the PW-2.
SR: The PW-2 is a very interesting looking glider. Where else do you fly in the US?
RK: Mostly out of Wurtsboro but I have also flown in the Carolinas, I have flown in Texas and I have flown in Hobbs New Mexico. Hobbs was a bit of a disappointment, conditions where not as great as expected.
SR: Let’s talk about the PW-5. Why do you think the PW-5 is so unique?
RK: The PW-5 fills a very unique place. Look, there was a competition for the best glider with a 13.5 m wingspan, and the PW-5 won. It is a good inexpensive simple glider, perfect for the club environment, perfect for the novice pilot, it’s a great transition glider to glass but the PW-5 also offers challenging flying for the expert pilot.
SR: There is the criticism that the PW-5 is just not quite the right small glider.
RK: What is the right glider? Let’s face it. In order for the sport to survive, we need a glider that is as inexpensive as possible, but offers a challenge to any pilot at any level. The PW-5 fills that spot. Of course we could keep on tweaking the concept and keep on coming up with marginally improved performance but that really is not the point. In order to bring production cost down we need to stay with one design.
You have seen the flights that JC uploads. In his corner of the world he beats all the big guys on OLC Classic and on OLC FAI. And look at Bill’s flights down in Texas. Same thing there, Bill keeps on piling up the miles most long wings have a challenge to accomplish. Look at the 2008 Worlds in Rieti Italy. The racing in those 12 days was just great, average speeds of over 80 km/hr, pilot against pilot, not money against more money. The racing in the World Class was way more exciting then the other classes at a fraction of the cost. In a World Class competition it truly is pilot against pilot, where all pilots are equal, no matter what their income is. In any other class, money buys the checkered flag.
SR: Why do you think the PW-5 has not gained more acceptance amongst the glider pilots?
RK: Marketing! This glider has never been marketed properly. There has never been a budget set up to properly introduce and market this glider. Build it and they will come does not work! A glider is like any other commercial product. It needs to be marketed, it needs to be promoted.
SR: All right, Richard, tell us a bit more about the Arcade Cup.
RK: I really can’t tell you much about it.
SR Richard, come ‘on, you have to do better than that!
RK: Really, there is not much I can tell you. Apparently some one of the Arcade Society likes soaring; they approached me and told me to set up the Arcade Cup. That’s it!
SR: Richard, this sounds like some secret cult or something, where are they based?
RK: I can’t tell you! Look, it is a good thing, let’s not spoil it!
SR: OK, you are right! Do you think there will be a 2009 Arcade Cup?
RK: Yes, let me make this official, there is a 2009 Arcade Cup! In 2009 there will be two challenges. The OLC Classic and the OLC FAI. The longest flight in a PW-5, flown as a PW-5 Team member scored under the OLC Classic will win $1,000 Cash, and the longest flight in a PW-5 flown as a PW-5 Team member scored under the OLC FAI will win $1,000 Cash.
SR: Really, is this official?
RK: This is official, let the best pilot win!
SR: Richard, this is great! So this is for any pilot world wide flying as a PW-5 Team member right?
RK: Yes, as long as the flight was uploaded as a member of the PW-5 Team the longest flight as calculated by the OLC Classic or OLC FAI will win the cash. I will be talking to Joe Cool at the World Class Soaring head quarters, and he will be in charge of promoting the program. I am sure you will be assigned to keep in touch with the pilots and report their accomplishments.
SR: Thank you Richard, thank you for your time and all you do for the World Class.
RK: You’re welcome.
This is it, you have heard it from the spokes person of the Arcade Foundation, we officially announced the 2009 Arcade Cup with not just $1,000 in prize money, but with $2,000 in prize money.
Time to polish your glider; it’s time to plan those great OLC Classic open distance tasks or to plan FAI triangles. Let the race begin!
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