ARLINGTON – An often overlooked part of the Arlington Fly-In by the public, but not the pilots, is the judging.
Pilots have spent a lot of time and money building or refurbishing their planes.
Bob Reece of Texas is in his 21st year of leading the judging pool of 12-16 people.
It’s not an easy job. Reece makes sure of that.
He said it takes about three years to train a judge. He likes to have judges who have experience in building or aviation. But if they have transferable skills from other jobs, such as sheet metal, he can help them become experts in the other areas, he said.
Reece, who is a pilot and aircraft mechanic, said judges at the Fly-In mostly come from West Coast states, and they have judged as many as 1,600 planes here.
He said the morning of July 9 that many planes were having a hard time getting to Arlington this year, because of the smoky skies from the fires in Canada. Some may have a hard time getting across the mountains, he added.
The judges grade home-built and factory built planes in nine categories on a scale of 1 to 10. The categories include: overall, general appearance, wings, fuselage, tail, landing gear, interior, engine installation and meeting Federal Aviation Administration specifications. At least three judges grade every plane that registers to be judged for a composite score.
If there’s a tie, “That’s the only vote I get. I’ve never had to break a tie here,” he said, adding the competition can be as close as a .1 difference.
Reece said there is a grand champion and nine other possible plaque winners in 10 aircraft categories, including antiques, home-built, etc.
Along with checking for craftsmanship, the judges also make sure the planes are airworthy.
“We’re not policemen as such, but we want to make sure they’re safe when they leave,” he said.
He said most pilots are appreciative if told a bolt is missing or a cable is frayed.
“We nit-pick pretty good. I insist on that,” Reece said. “They don’t confront the person. They come to me. If there’s problems I turn them into the FAA.”
It takes a very sharp eye to be a judge, he said, adding the planes are judged on how they are presented, not compared to the others.
“It’s difficult, the discerning,” he said. “It’s like finding fly sh– in the pepper.”
