In 2004 we lost Willy Burhen, a good pilot and a good friend in a tragic accident. As we – a number of pilots that shared his love of flying on this side of the mountains – were still trying to cope with this loss the idea was borne to honor his memory with an annual competition for the best soaring flight in Western Washington. It would be a fitting tribute to Willy and his indomitable spirit and we think he would approve. Thus the Willy Burhen Cup was started.

It is a rather informal competition for the best flights starting in Western Washington based on handicapped distance with adjustments for flight declarations and return to the start point. All this is designed to use a friendly competition to revive the somewhat neglected and challenging XC soaring in Western Washington. The cutoff for each year's flights is mid-October.

For the innaugural year, it was a one-sided contest between Steve Hill in the South and a group of pilots flying out of Arlington. Despite valiant efforts, nobody could come close to challenge Steve whose winning flight was not only twice as much as anybody else's but also included a double crossing of the Cascades! No wonder that there were grumblings about handicap factors for having a self-launching glider, living on an airfield or having unlimited flying opportunities. But more than anything else it demonstrated the potential for XC soaring on the scenic side of the mountains and it will serve as a yardstick for future flights.

Congratulations Steve!

Year	Pilot	Aircraft	Flight Date	Miles	Points