1-26 Championships
The 2025 1-26 Championships will be sponsored by the Merlin Soaring Association (MSA), located at picturesque Merlin Aerodrome (2VA3), in Amelia Court House, Virginia just to the Southwest of suburban Richmond. Merlin is a private gliderport within a small airport community. It has an excellent 3200 foot turf runway and a large hangar complete with offices, bathrooms and a complete shop. We have our own IA who lives on the airport. Amelia County is an agricultural area and the crops are low in May, so landable fields should be plentiful during the contest. Temperatures in May are comfortable, ranging from the low 70’s to low 80’s and usually provide good soaring conditions. Interested 1-26 pilots are invited to come and enjoy good soaring and fellowship. If you wish to fly the 1-26 Championships, please register early as the constraints of our field will limit the number of sailplanes participating each day to 20.
Costs
The entry fee for flying in this 1-26 Championship is $400 to cover the fixed costs for the contest. Your tows and meals will be tracked and those costs paid to the Merlin Treasurer on or before your departure.
Additional Costs
Tows - $65 to 2500 feet AGL.
Catered lunches – About $5.00 each
Catered dinners – About $20 each
We plan on providing morning snacks and lunches everyday and about 4 dinners during the week. Please see the schedule which will be released closer to the beginning of the contest for details about food and costs. Tent Camping and tiedowns are free. Also see the RV and lodging section below.
Additional Costs
Tows - $65 to 2500 feet AGL.
Catered lunches – About $5.00 each
Catered dinners – About $20 each
We plan on providing morning snacks and lunches everyday and about 4 dinners during the week. Please see the schedule which will be released closer to the beginning of the contest for details about food and costs. Tent Camping and tiedowns are free. Also see the RV and lodging section below.
Registration
Register Electronically - on the SSA website for this Contest under the “Sailplane Racing” tab. If you are new to using this site, Login to the https://members.ssa.org site with your SSA member number and password. Click on “My Home Page” and go to the Sailplane Racing tab - then the “Racing Calendar” tab and click on the active link for the “1-26 Championships – Merlin” on May 7-14. A page with the Information for the Contest will appear.
Note the line for this dedicated Contest Web Site and its link there. All the important details for the contest are posted on the “Merlin 1-26 Championships” website.
To Register for the Contest - go to the Online Registration line at the bottom and click on the “here” active link. A line with all the 2025 events will appear. Click on the “Next - Step 2” box and fill out the form that appears. This form has a series of blue boxes. Submit the form electronically and Merlin will get your information. You will get a copy of your registration via your email. Note that it will come from [email protected]. This email will have active links to your specific application. Click on the link and the filled out application will open in your browser. Proof it and save the application as a PDF file to your computer (you may want to rename it as the computer’s name is cryptic).
Once you have completed your registration application on the SSA site, to hold your place in the Contest, please send a deposit check for $200 payable to Merlin Soaring Association with a printed copy of your application.
Your application packet should include all of the following documents:
Having these documents in advance will make registration on-site at the contest quick and painless. Keep a copy for yourself and mail another complete packet of information to:
James Garrison
715 Lochridge Lane
Earlysville, Virginia 22936
Registration for the contest is first come, first served for the first 20 sailplanes or teams. If the contest is over-subscribed, your mailed application will provide the time stamp for your place in line on the waiting list. Please register early.
Participants are expected to bring breakfasts and snacks with them to the airport. Two refrigerators will be available on site for storing food and drinks. We plan to have catered lunches available at the airport at the airport and about 4 catered dinners during the event. If you have special dietary restrictions, let the coordinators know well in advance.
We will have water and Gatorade at the grid. However, ALL pilots are expected to bring water and snacks in appropriate containers for in-flight use. It is important to stay hydrated and alert during all flight activities.
Note the line for this dedicated Contest Web Site and its link there. All the important details for the contest are posted on the “Merlin 1-26 Championships” website.
To Register for the Contest - go to the Online Registration line at the bottom and click on the “here” active link. A line with all the 2025 events will appear. Click on the “Next - Step 2” box and fill out the form that appears. This form has a series of blue boxes. Submit the form electronically and Merlin will get your information. You will get a copy of your registration via your email. Note that it will come from [email protected]. This email will have active links to your specific application. Click on the link and the filled out application will open in your browser. Proof it and save the application as a PDF file to your computer (you may want to rename it as the computer’s name is cryptic).
Once you have completed your registration application on the SSA site, to hold your place in the Contest, please send a deposit check for $200 payable to Merlin Soaring Association with a printed copy of your application.
Your application packet should include all of the following documents:
- Copy of the signed SSA Contest application with the signed waiver
- Copy of your Sailplane Insurance information
- Copy of the FAA N-Number Registry Information showing ownership of sailplane
- Copies of your Pilot’s license, your SSA membership card and 1-26 card
- The $200 deposit check
Having these documents in advance will make registration on-site at the contest quick and painless. Keep a copy for yourself and mail another complete packet of information to:
James Garrison
715 Lochridge Lane
Earlysville, Virginia 22936
Registration for the contest is first come, first served for the first 20 sailplanes or teams. If the contest is over-subscribed, your mailed application will provide the time stamp for your place in line on the waiting list. Please register early.
Participants are expected to bring breakfasts and snacks with them to the airport. Two refrigerators will be available on site for storing food and drinks. We plan to have catered lunches available at the airport at the airport and about 4 catered dinners during the event. If you have special dietary restrictions, let the coordinators know well in advance.
We will have water and Gatorade at the grid. However, ALL pilots are expected to bring water and snacks in appropriate containers for in-flight use. It is important to stay hydrated and alert during all flight activities.
Camping / Lodging
On the Field
1. On Site Tent Camping is available. The field is quite private. There are two good bathrooms, a shower and a washer & dryer in Merlin’s big hanger. You will need your own camping equipment. Tent Camping or camping without hook-ups is free.
2. RV spots. There are some RV spots with electrical service and some water service. We have two 30 amp hook-ups and some 20 amp hook-ups. We are working to install more. There are a few spigots for water hook-ups. Note that Merlin is on a well, not city water and we need to use water wisely. Costs of hook-ups will be determined in the near future. If you wish higher amperage RV hook-ups and more facilities, you will be better off at the Amelia Family Campground - see below.
Camping / RV spots Near the Field
Amelia Family Campground – about 4 miles from Field. Has full 30 and 50 Amp RV hookups. It also has a Swimming Pool, Restroom, Showers and a Laundry and some play areas. See - https://ameliafamilybluegrass.com. We are discussing discounts with this facility and it is a more fully featured option for RV hook-ups
In or Around Amelia
There is an Amelia Inn about 8 miles from the field near Amelia, but the Trip Advisor reviews are not great.
There are a few Air B&B’s and VRBO rentals available in the area – see those rental websites for descriptions.
East on US 360 toward Richmond
Sleep Inn & Suites, Harbour Pointe - 6451 Bayside Lane, Midlothian, VA. About 17 miles from Merlin Aerodrome. Good Trip Advisor reviews. For pictures and phone numbers, please See – https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g57966-d1863325-Reviews-
Sleep_Inn_Suites_Harbour_Pointe-Midlothian_Virginia.html
Holiday Inn Express – Brandermill on Hull Street - 5030 West Village Green Dr, Midlothian, VA 23112. – About 18 miles from field. Good Trip Advisor reviews. For pictures and phone numbers, please See - https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/midlothian/ricva/hoteldetail
There are lots of places to eat in this area East of Merlin as well.
West on US 360 toward Crewe and Farmville
Crewe and Farmville offer other lodging options (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and the like), but they are farther away – Crewe is 24 miles and Farmville is 32 miles. Farmville is a college town with multiple places to eat.
Other Restaurants and Activities
A List of Restaurants in the area and things to do on days with poor weather will be in your pilot kit. A short preview – Richmond is only 25 miles away and has a long and interesting history. It has been Virginia’s capital since 1780, when Thomas Jefferson was elected governor. Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and military history fans might be interested in the remnants of Revolutionary War and Civil War battles that took place in this area. Find out more at -- https://www.visitrichmondva.com/. For Colonial history, Colonial Williamsburg is 50 miles to the East. See - https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org The Metro Richmond Zoo (See - https://metrorichmondzoo.com/ ) is less than 10 miles away (it is actually a turnpoint) and places to hike along the James River are also close.
Shopping and Restaurants in Suburban Richmond
If you head East toward Richmond on US-360 approximately 10-15 miles, you head into an expanding section of Richmond suburbia on the Southwest side of the city. This area is where you will find nearly every type of store you should need, including many grocery stores, all types of services, car dealerships, big box stores, and department stores. Another major West Richmond shopping area is at the Short Pump Town Center about 31 miles North of the intersection of Route 288 and US-360. If you wish to dine off the Merlin property, there is a smorgasbord of just about every form of dining America has to offer along the 15 mile section of US-360 leading to Rt-288. Simply search a mapping program along US-360 for the establishments listed below. They include many established chain restaurants and are ordered starting at State Route 153 (Military Highway) and going East. Hidden Wit Brewing Company, Jimer’s Frozen Custard, Rama’s Café, Wawa, The Sand Dollar Beach Kitchen, Mr. Submarine & Sal’s Pizza, Kline’s Dairy Bar, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Domino’s, Zheng Garden Restaurant, Mr. Pepe Mexican Restaurant, Salad Works, Latitude Seafood, Fruta Bowls, Made In Asia, Casa Tezca, Papa John’s Pizza, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, Pandora, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, Pizza Hut, Sonic Drive-n, Sushi Mon, Burger King, Marco’s Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, Q Barbeque, Hardee’s, Little Caesar, Taco Bell, Yamato Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi , First Watch, Glory Days Grill, Mission BBQ, Bonefish Grill, Texas Roadhouse, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Panda Express, Red Lobs
1. On Site Tent Camping is available. The field is quite private. There are two good bathrooms, a shower and a washer & dryer in Merlin’s big hanger. You will need your own camping equipment. Tent Camping or camping without hook-ups is free.
2. RV spots. There are some RV spots with electrical service and some water service. We have two 30 amp hook-ups and some 20 amp hook-ups. We are working to install more. There are a few spigots for water hook-ups. Note that Merlin is on a well, not city water and we need to use water wisely. Costs of hook-ups will be determined in the near future. If you wish higher amperage RV hook-ups and more facilities, you will be better off at the Amelia Family Campground - see below.
Camping / RV spots Near the Field
Amelia Family Campground – about 4 miles from Field. Has full 30 and 50 Amp RV hookups. It also has a Swimming Pool, Restroom, Showers and a Laundry and some play areas. See - https://ameliafamilybluegrass.com. We are discussing discounts with this facility and it is a more fully featured option for RV hook-ups
In or Around Amelia
There is an Amelia Inn about 8 miles from the field near Amelia, but the Trip Advisor reviews are not great.
There are a few Air B&B’s and VRBO rentals available in the area – see those rental websites for descriptions.
East on US 360 toward Richmond
Sleep Inn & Suites, Harbour Pointe - 6451 Bayside Lane, Midlothian, VA. About 17 miles from Merlin Aerodrome. Good Trip Advisor reviews. For pictures and phone numbers, please See – https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g57966-d1863325-Reviews-
Sleep_Inn_Suites_Harbour_Pointe-Midlothian_Virginia.html
Holiday Inn Express – Brandermill on Hull Street - 5030 West Village Green Dr, Midlothian, VA 23112. – About 18 miles from field. Good Trip Advisor reviews. For pictures and phone numbers, please See - https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/midlothian/ricva/hoteldetail
There are lots of places to eat in this area East of Merlin as well.
West on US 360 toward Crewe and Farmville
Crewe and Farmville offer other lodging options (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express and the like), but they are farther away – Crewe is 24 miles and Farmville is 32 miles. Farmville is a college town with multiple places to eat.
Other Restaurants and Activities
A List of Restaurants in the area and things to do on days with poor weather will be in your pilot kit. A short preview – Richmond is only 25 miles away and has a long and interesting history. It has been Virginia’s capital since 1780, when Thomas Jefferson was elected governor. Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy and military history fans might be interested in the remnants of Revolutionary War and Civil War battles that took place in this area. Find out more at -- https://www.visitrichmondva.com/. For Colonial history, Colonial Williamsburg is 50 miles to the East. See - https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org The Metro Richmond Zoo (See - https://metrorichmondzoo.com/ ) is less than 10 miles away (it is actually a turnpoint) and places to hike along the James River are also close.
Shopping and Restaurants in Suburban Richmond
If you head East toward Richmond on US-360 approximately 10-15 miles, you head into an expanding section of Richmond suburbia on the Southwest side of the city. This area is where you will find nearly every type of store you should need, including many grocery stores, all types of services, car dealerships, big box stores, and department stores. Another major West Richmond shopping area is at the Short Pump Town Center about 31 miles North of the intersection of Route 288 and US-360. If you wish to dine off the Merlin property, there is a smorgasbord of just about every form of dining America has to offer along the 15 mile section of US-360 leading to Rt-288. Simply search a mapping program along US-360 for the establishments listed below. They include many established chain restaurants and are ordered starting at State Route 153 (Military Highway) and going East. Hidden Wit Brewing Company, Jimer’s Frozen Custard, Rama’s Café, Wawa, The Sand Dollar Beach Kitchen, Mr. Submarine & Sal’s Pizza, Kline’s Dairy Bar, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Domino’s, Zheng Garden Restaurant, Mr. Pepe Mexican Restaurant, Salad Works, Latitude Seafood, Fruta Bowls, Made In Asia, Casa Tezca, Papa John’s Pizza, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, Pandora, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, Pizza Hut, Sonic Drive-n, Sushi Mon, Burger King, Marco’s Pizza, Outback Steakhouse, Q Barbeque, Hardee’s, Little Caesar, Taco Bell, Yamato Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi , First Watch, Glory Days Grill, Mission BBQ, Bonefish Grill, Texas Roadhouse, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Panda Express, Red Lobs
Contest Tasks
Work is underway to develop a number of set tasks for the Championships that will suit a variety of weather conditions. When they are finalized and available, notices will be sent to all contestants.
Special Notes
Radios
Good radios and fresh batteries are needed by all contestants. Merlin Aerodrome has an excellent 3200 foot long turf runway with no landing lights. However, it is only about 93 feet wide and has ditches or swales along the sides to remove water. Thus, everything has to happen on the one runway, there is no room for designating multiple lanes for landing / take-off and re-lights. For this reason, landings and/or re-lights need to be carefully sequenced to avoid blocking the runway. Contestants will need to use good radios and radio etiquette with ground personnel so everyone can keep the runway clear.
Open Glider Network (OGN)
Thanks in part to the SSA OGN program, Merlin has an OGN receiver installed on-site. The receiver will allow the position of gliders equipped with either FLARM or an OGN Tracker to be viewed in real time. If you do not have FLARM or an OGN Tracker and are considering installing one, please do so. A screen will be set up to allow anyone on the ground to view where the tracked gliders currently are.
Whats App
This app for your cell phone is useful for group communication on the ground. We may use it for various ground communication (change in dinner times and similar). Again, if we decide on its use, you will be notified before the contest. See - https://www.whatsapp.com/
Good radios and fresh batteries are needed by all contestants. Merlin Aerodrome has an excellent 3200 foot long turf runway with no landing lights. However, it is only about 93 feet wide and has ditches or swales along the sides to remove water. Thus, everything has to happen on the one runway, there is no room for designating multiple lanes for landing / take-off and re-lights. For this reason, landings and/or re-lights need to be carefully sequenced to avoid blocking the runway. Contestants will need to use good radios and radio etiquette with ground personnel so everyone can keep the runway clear.
Open Glider Network (OGN)
Thanks in part to the SSA OGN program, Merlin has an OGN receiver installed on-site. The receiver will allow the position of gliders equipped with either FLARM or an OGN Tracker to be viewed in real time. If you do not have FLARM or an OGN Tracker and are considering installing one, please do so. A screen will be set up to allow anyone on the ground to view where the tracked gliders currently are.
Whats App
This app for your cell phone is useful for group communication on the ground. We may use it for various ground communication (change in dinner times and similar). Again, if we decide on its use, you will be notified before the contest. See - https://www.whatsapp.com/
Update 1
Turnpoints
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Merlin has three sets of turnpoints on the World Wide Turnpoint Exchange. We will use the set labeled "2025 1-26 Championship [06 April 2025]" for this 1-26 Contest. All of these turnpoints are inside a circle and less than 16 miles from Merlin.
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Trailers
The SSA’s contest season has begun and the first contest of the year – the Seniors - was completed recently in Florida. A large number of my friends attended and a surprising number of them had trouble with their Cobra trailers. So, I thought trailer maintenance might be a good topic to include in this update.
Before heading off to Virginia, you may wish to have a close look at your trailer and make any needed improvements. Areas that often cause trouble include:
Tires - The general rule is to replace them every 4-5 years even though they may look fine and have little tread wear. The casings degrade with time. It is important to be sure that the pressures are correct and use a tire temperature gauge to make sure that they are not overheating. What kind of tires to use is a subject within itself, but Special Trailer tires (designated by the ST in the size imprint) have a stiffer side wall than car tires and may run some 5-10 o F hotter than your car tires.
Wheels – Wheels have been known to come off the brake drums, so check that the lug nuts are properly tightened. Especially if you just got new tires. While you are at it, be sure your rig’s lug wrench has enough leverage to undo the lug nuts when out on the road. Hitch, Coupler and Safety Chains - All of these parts of your rig suffer from rough roads. Be sure the bolts holding your hitch to your car are properly torqued, your draw bar and hitch ball are in good shape and your safety chains are properly attached firmly to the trailer body itself (not to the coupler).
Wheel Bearings – If your 1-26 trailer does not have sealed bearings, consider the removing the caps and brake drums, cleaning the bearings and re-greasing the roller bearings. Unpleasant, but necessary.
Connections for Tail Lights – Check and replace any corroded or damaged parts and connections. Renew any worn wiring.
Identification – At Merlin, we may need to store your trailers in a different place than your ships are tied down. Please put some kind of little sign on your trailer that indicates your ship’s serial number so it may be found easily by anyone retrieving you.
Tie Down Stakes – A word about Tying Your Ship Down. Please use strong stakes to tie your sailplane down during the contest. Use something like “The Claw” or very solid metal posts or v-shaped angle iron stakes to tie your ship down. Don’t worry about removal – we have tractors with lots of hydraulic power to pop them out of the ground. Please, please, please do not use the corkscrew type of dog stakes that screw into the ground. They are very made of weak metal and when they break they leave a sharp metal post sticking out of the ground that can hurt people, dogs, tires, lawn mowers, you and the like.
Before heading off to Virginia, you may wish to have a close look at your trailer and make any needed improvements. Areas that often cause trouble include:
Tires - The general rule is to replace them every 4-5 years even though they may look fine and have little tread wear. The casings degrade with time. It is important to be sure that the pressures are correct and use a tire temperature gauge to make sure that they are not overheating. What kind of tires to use is a subject within itself, but Special Trailer tires (designated by the ST in the size imprint) have a stiffer side wall than car tires and may run some 5-10 o F hotter than your car tires.
Wheels – Wheels have been known to come off the brake drums, so check that the lug nuts are properly tightened. Especially if you just got new tires. While you are at it, be sure your rig’s lug wrench has enough leverage to undo the lug nuts when out on the road. Hitch, Coupler and Safety Chains - All of these parts of your rig suffer from rough roads. Be sure the bolts holding your hitch to your car are properly torqued, your draw bar and hitch ball are in good shape and your safety chains are properly attached firmly to the trailer body itself (not to the coupler).
Wheel Bearings – If your 1-26 trailer does not have sealed bearings, consider the removing the caps and brake drums, cleaning the bearings and re-greasing the roller bearings. Unpleasant, but necessary.
Connections for Tail Lights – Check and replace any corroded or damaged parts and connections. Renew any worn wiring.
Identification – At Merlin, we may need to store your trailers in a different place than your ships are tied down. Please put some kind of little sign on your trailer that indicates your ship’s serial number so it may be found easily by anyone retrieving you.
Tie Down Stakes – A word about Tying Your Ship Down. Please use strong stakes to tie your sailplane down during the contest. Use something like “The Claw” or very solid metal posts or v-shaped angle iron stakes to tie your ship down. Don’t worry about removal – we have tractors with lots of hydraulic power to pop them out of the ground. Please, please, please do not use the corkscrew type of dog stakes that screw into the ground. They are very made of weak metal and when they break they leave a sharp metal post sticking out of the ground that can hurt people, dogs, tires, lawn mowers, you and the like.
Other Information
Trailer Parts - There is a trailer store about 3 miles from Merlin. These people sell trailers, hitch items, draw bars and tires. They do not have welding equipment or much to fix trailers.
See - www.countrysidetrailersva.com
Trailer Service – For more complete Trailer Service, the Countryside people recommend Chesterfield Trailer and Hitch. This company is about 20 miles away via US 360 East.
See - https://www.chesterfieldtrailer.com
Aircraft Service – I sincerely hope you do not need work on your ship, but Merlin also has an A&P who lives on the field. His name is Rick Champagne and his company is called Flying Machine Works. Phone is – 804-347-4156.
See - www.countrysidetrailersva.com
Trailer Service – For more complete Trailer Service, the Countryside people recommend Chesterfield Trailer and Hitch. This company is about 20 miles away via US 360 East.
See - https://www.chesterfieldtrailer.com
Aircraft Service – I sincerely hope you do not need work on your ship, but Merlin also has an A&P who lives on the field. His name is Rick Champagne and his company is called Flying Machine Works. Phone is – 804-347-4156.
