CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK SPORTS xpress M Metro E Express SPORTS www.metroexpressnews.yolasite.com Manila, PHILIPPINES July 22-July 29, 2011 AFPI national rapid chess qualifying successfully held The AFPI National Rapid Chess Championships was successfully held over the weekend at the Phil- ippine Army Gymnasium in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City. The two-day tournament was or- ganized and sponsored by the Ar- tillery Foundation of the Philip- pines, Inc. (AFPI) with full support of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) and in cooperation with Philippine Acad- emy for Chess Excellence (PACE) and participated in by all Filipino chess players, titled and untitled. NCFP president, Prospero A. Pichay, Jr. also announced that the event will also be one of the basis for the selection of the country’s representatives to the Rapid Chess competition in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Indone- sia this coming November and spe- cial qualifying leg for boys and girls, 17 years old and below, for the Singapore Youth Chess Festi- val on December. Pichay also added that “this open chessfest is also a golden opportu- nity for all Woodpushers aspiring to play for the Philippine flag in international competition.” The tournament was divided into three categories, namely: Open Divi- sion, Women’s Division and Kiddies Division (14 years old and below). Aside from the berths for SEAG, also at stake were cash prizes, tro- phies and medals to be awarded to all winners in each category with top prizes of P20,000 for the open division champion, P5,000 for women’s champion and P4,000 for the top kiddie. Meanwhile Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, chief of Eastern Mind- anao Command and Col. Pedro Biasbas, chairman and executive director, respectively, of the orga- nizing AFPI, welcomed and appre ciated the acknowledgement of NCFP for making this event as a national level competition. Among the early entries are GMs Wesley So, Rogelio “Joey” Anto- nio Jr. Mark Paragua, Darwin Lay- lo, and John Paul Gomez. Interest- ed may still register to the follow- ing contact persons: Capt. Sharon Gomez (CP0922-8916538), 845- 9555 (loc 6677); PACE (473- 7008); and NCFP secretariat (CP0923-7309445). JUNE proved to be a merry month for chessers Julio Catali- no Sadorra of Cavite, Chardine Cheradee Camacho of Aringay, La Union and Cathe- rine Perena of Ca- loocan City who now officially a chess grandmaster and woman international masters, respectively. The good news came from no less than National Chess Federa- tion of the Philippines (NCFP) president/ chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr. “Ino (Julio Catalino Sadorra) is now officially a chess grandmas- ter. He was formally recognized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), as well Cheradee (Char- dine Cheradee Camacho) and Sadorra is newest Phl GM; Perena, Camacho net IM titles THE TOP 3 winners show off their trophies with officials from the organizing National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in the recent Chairman Prospero Pichay Chess Cup Championships at the Travelers Hotel in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Standing first row: Asia’s First GM Eugene Torre (NCFP Players Council Head), Red Dumuk (NCFP Treasurer), GM Jayson Gonzales (NCFP Executive Director), Atty. Edmundo Legaspi (NCFP Director) and International Arbiter Gene Poliarco (NCFP Administrative Officer Head). Standing at second row: GM Li Shilong of China (3rd place), GM Darwin Laylo of the Philippines (Champion) and GM Wen Yang of China (2nd place) -M. Bernardino Catherine (Perena), both officially a wom- an international mas- ters ,” said Pichay. According to Pichay, this developed after members of the World Chess Federation, FIDE (Federation In- ternationale des Echecs), met last June 4 to 7 during the 2nd Quarter FIDE presidential board meeting in Al Ain, United Arab Emir- ates and recognized their title status (GM and WIM’s). “I can’t reduce my success to a formula, but it comes down to hard work and faith,” said Sadorra, a sophomore majoring in applied mathematics at the University of Texas-Dallas, USA. The 25-year-old Sadorra has achieved his third and final GM norm at the UT Dallas Grandmas- ter Invitational Underwritten by Turner Construction Company, when he beat Grandmaster Alex- ander Shabalov in Round 10 last March. “I felt so elated – and relieved,” Sadorra said of the title-clenching moment. “Many International Mas- ters are burdened by the unattained title. Some masters never get it.” added Sadorra, who tallied 6 points on five wins, two draws and two loses and joints 10th place during the 20th Annual Chicago Open last May 26 to 30 at the Westin Chi- cago North Shore Hotel in Wheel- ing, Illinois. His live Elo rating of 2508 breached the 2500 benchmark for a GM title, making Sadorra the country’s 14th GM. His next tour- nament is the US Open set on Au- gust. Marlon Bernardino Sadorra ponders on his move. Television NBN4 every Saturday at 10:30am and every Sunday at 12:30pm. In Radio DZXL 558 khz Manila and simul- cast @ all Radiocorp/Radyo Asenso Sta- tions and all RMN Stations Nationwide... WATCH, LISTEN & lEARN! ASENSO PINOY SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES! GRAB A COPY OF THE METRO EXPRESS! Fridays at MRT & LRT Stations. N M SUBIC Freeport — Omni Aviation Corporation (OAC), a flight instruction and aviation service provider based in Clark Field, is literally ready for take- off as the very first aviation school in the country today and second only the whole of Asia to introduce the revolutionary Redbird flight simulators. OAC president and chairman Ret. Captain Ben Hur Gomez said the new “Redbird LD” Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD) and supporting “Redbird TD” Glass Cockpit Simulator are of utmost importance to any flight school like Omni as it will enhance their students’ aircraft training in line with global flight crew training expectations. Now up and humming at Omni’s flight school branch here, the US- made Redbird LD is only the second simulator of its type in Asia assembled in partnership with Global Training Solutions Provider Blackhawk Inc. “We’re very pleased that we partnered with Blackhawk because now we can offer our students this level of advanced simulator,” said Capt. Gomez. “The use of Redbird simulators to train our students dramatically enhances the overall training experience. Incorporation of realistic scenarios enables students to develop a higher level of pilot decision-making thereby improving aviation safety. Our students will graduate better prepared to handle emergencies. The experience of flying these simulators will be of tremendous value to student pilots from day one in their Omni Aviation Corp introduces state-of-the-art Redbird LD flight simulator FAA & CAAP-approved sims to provide students with realistic training experience training,” Capt. Gomez added. Omni’s Redbird “LD” simulator has interchangeable cockpits and control force loading and allows for single engine training in a standard Cessna 172 configuration and multi-engine training in a Piper Seneca. The supporting Redbird “TD” simulator replicates a Garmin G1000 equipped “Glass Cockpit” version of the Cessna 172, featuring a digital cockpit similar to what airline pilots experience when they transition to Airbus and Boeing aircraft, explained Blackhawk’s Managing Director Trevor Evans, a former US military pilot. The Redbird’s full replica cockpit is lined with wraparound computer screens where a real plane’s wind- screen would be and houses a control panel with all the buttons and knobs normally found in a small aircraft. Equipped with six monitors dedicat- ed only to external views and two monitors for the instrument panel, this high-quality, wrap-around visual system helps pilots experience the sensation of flight and enhances training by allowing the pilot to practice procedures and maneuvers that are not possible with other flight training devices. A computer program allows Omni’s instructors to simulate different flight conditions due to turbulence, weather conditions and aircraft systems failure with the touch of a stylus on a large handheld screen, letting would-be pilots test their mettle before they are plunged into real in-air experiences. The Redbird also includes an intercom system that is compatible with standard pilot headsets. This allows the instructor to act as Air Traffic Control so the student can build radio communication skills. In addition to being realistic, the Redbird also offers students flexibil- ity in their schedules. The simulator can be used when flying outdoors is not possible due to bad weather perhaps even as it allows pilots to train in nighttime or daytime flying conditions regardless of the time of day. The Redbird makes it possible to repeat, pause and analyze each maneuver, and to eliminate unpro- ductive flight time to and from practice areas. The students acquire and maintain much more proficien- cy, in much less time and for much less money than traditional training methods. “Simulators have been around for a long time, the military and the airlines have used them for years. You would think that most flight schools would use simulators in ways that are similar to how they are used by the professionals, but that has not been the case until recently,” Evans said. “With the introduction of glass panel technology, the US FAA and the CAAP has been encouraging more use of simulators in general aviation and since the aircraft manufacturers are choosing to include glass panels as a standard, many flight schools need to rethink their current policies,” Evans added. “It shows great insight that Omni chose to pioneer the use of these simulators in the Philippines, what’s more, CAAP regulations now allow flights in the simulators to be credited towards the hour building requirements for pilot licenses, which lowers the cost of flight training for the student.” Evans and Capt. Gomez also pointed out that there are many things that you can do in a simulator that you would never even try in an aircraft. For example, for instrument flight training, you could simulate one half-mile visibility in a severe thunderstorm and low oil pressure. For VFR (Visual Flight Rule) pilots, you can set the student up for low visibility and bad weather cross-country scenarios that a flight school or flight instructor would never want that pilot to try on a real cross-country. The US FAA and the CAAP, by emphasizing scenario-based training and cockpit resource management training, are inher- ently encouraging a change in perspective between flight schools and the use of simulators. “There’s much less stress and fear of the unknown when students perform the maneuvers in the simulator,” Capt. Gomez said. “They’re more relaxed the first time they attempt the maneuvers in an airplane because they’ve already seen or experienced them in the simulator. But Capt. Gomez explained that simulators can never be consid- ered as actual substitute for performing the maneuvers in the air. But, he said, a student’s performance in the airplane is greatly enhanced because they’re not encountering the maneuvers for the first time.” N M AVIATION TODAY