Precision Journey: A Rifle, a Flight, and a Curveball
It’s 8 September 2024, and I am sitting in the airport lounge here in OR Thambo International Airport, ready to board a plane to my stopover in Zurich and then en route to Denver, Colorado. The buildup and preparation for this trip have been very eventful.
I am the last of the Protea team to board a plane for the second IPRF world championship, two years after the first one, which was held in the small town of Bitche in France.
This one promised to be a massive event with a record number of countries and teams. The precision rifle format, after all, originated in the USA, and their experience in this format is unmatched anywhere else in the world. The best match directors would also be in this part of the world.
Sitting here and reflecting on the last two years of my Precision rifle shooting, I cannot help but smile while wondering what curveball would come next.
Talking about curveballs: Friday morning, two days before my departure, I was again trying to register my rifle for the flight as per the email instructions of a Swiss Air assistant I received in April. From experience, this should be a straightforward process; after all, my ATF and temporary export permits are all in order, but getting through to someone competent to help me would be a massive challenge.
A chat widget on a website could be a great asset to a company’s customer interaction. Still, it sometimes becomes laborious when it comes to complex matters like traveling with firearms, and I felt like I was chasing my tale. After trying to convince Nelly that I did everything necessary to comply with International travel regulations, she eventually handed me over to Kira, her human counterpart.
And then more questions. Nearly an hour went by, chatting back and forth, and somewhere then in that conversation, Kira said, “We have checked the spaces. There are no spaces available to take your Riffle on board.”
At first, I thought it was a joke, but then it struck me that I should fly halfway around the world to participate in a World Championship without a rifle.
At first, I tried to stay calm and composed and resolve this mess. Reminding myself of a great customer of mine (let’s call him JV) from years before who had the philosophy to resolve his business problems by “taking the route of least resistance.” Still, as the conversation continued, I realized I could just as well have been talking to the bot again because compassion for my situation was non-existent. The conversation was going nowhere very fast.
I’m used to working under pressure and solving problems day after day, and in a sense, that is what the precision rifle format is all about. Panic isn’t something I usually do, but this time, it was different.
Unlike mainstream national sports like Rugby, Cricket, and Soccer, the cost of traveling around the world to represent your country is entirely your own. While it is a massive honor to represent your country in any instance, it is sad to realize that it is entirely a one-way street.
However, this wasn’t my biggest concern: What would the team do with a missing member? Then I heard myself say, “Plan B.” What is plan B?
Option 1: New ticket. To book a new ticket, I must get a refund on my ticket, and that took me back to the conversation with Kira to enquire about a refund.
Kira’s reply did not contribute to my staying calm and composed because my refund would be 64 euros.
For a brief moment, I wondered if this was Wackhead Simpton on the other side of the computer screen, doing what he does best: making prank calls, but the answer was no. It was still Kira, with her unsympathetic apology leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
Option 2: Reschedule my flight for a later date. Now, keep in mind that time isn’t my friend here. As I said, I’m already the last team member en route, with only two days to spare in Colorado.
I did select the option to reschedule my flight for an additional 10% of the ticket price, which would certainly solve my problem, or so I thought when this question was delivered to Kira by pushing a button.
By now, every minute without a reply from Kira starts to feel like an eternity, and patience isn’t something I have much left of.
Then comes Kira’s reply. She can reschedule my flight for two days later, but here’s the proverbial spanner in the works again. “Sir, the price to change is R48 000”
My round-trip ticket initially cost R23 000 Should I then pay the difference? She replied, “No, the R48K is additional. I could have flown business class for R71000,” I murmured.
The Last Resort: my faith in humanity gets restored. Without any ado, I emailed Mr Gregory Bell asking if a loan rifle might be available to shoot with. Gregory is the chairman of the US Precision Rifle Federation and is in charge of hosting this championship. Remember that we have a six-hour time difference, and my mail to him was probably received in the early morning hours. Within moments after the send button was pressed and significantly faster than Kira’s replies, Gregory’s mail read: Certainly, we will sort you out. Don’t worry, we have you covered.
It’s been a while since I last felt so emotional and relieved all at the same time.
It’s boarding time, and I have to get on the plane.
It’s been a few hours since I started this post, sipping a Mug and Bean coffee. I’m now sitting in seat 45G in the very last row of the plane next to the toilet, wishing I could get one of those gourmet coffees after taking another sip at this black concoction in a paper cup. We’re flying somewhere over the Ocean about 4 hours from Denver on the second last leg to Grand Junction, my final destination, and I’m wondering if this is what battery acid tastes like. I have so much internal conflict in me, and in hindsight, I’m very pissed at Kira and Swiss Air. It turns out that both planes were not at total capacity, and there was actually space in them for more luggage onboard. But you know they say hindsight is a perfect 20/20 vision.
I live by the rule to only worry about what you have control over. The rest will sort itself out.
I am looking forward to the surprise that awaits me at Cameo Shooting Complex.
I will keep you posted.