Nats 2013

[Gary B]

It's a fair cop guv!!

 

I deffo did it in the 100S at Radioglide when I was 'flying' someone else's Tracker! My spotter (Chas) asks which glider I am...'Straight ahead, going up like a rocket'....'So, that's not you spiralling out of control on my right?'.....'Errr....Oops!'

 

Currently loading the car, bit of a challenge!

[JG]

Hello Guys - Just seen the weather on tv and gives Thunder Storms all day tomorrow 

[Gary B]

Here's a bunch of steely-eyed F3J fly-off pilots!

 

[Austin]

Nice weather for a change then?

[Gary B]

Well it was on Monday but a stiff breeze with it.

 

Rest of the weekend was 'moist' as Clarkson would put it!!

[EssexBOF]

Yes I thought it was the best I had attended for some time. Cranwell was 1000% better than Spitalgate being more easy on access and walking over the field. Cottesmore was equally as good but the size & layout of Cranwell gives it the edge.

A straw poll at the end of the 2 metre Electric event on Monday to my surprise, seemed to favour a return to Wetlands for the Electric events, which would be a shame having now got it back together.

On the subject of testing flyers, is there any requirement for flyers in competitions to have any kind of certificate of competency to fly. I say this as myself & Keith Fisher were hit by a model, fortunately by the wing, if it had been the nose!!!!!!!!!! On an area as big as Cranwell this does not make sense. As an ACE in my area, the same guy was lucky to escape serious injury when switching on the motor, causing the prop to catch on the sleeve of his coat whilst trying to switch it off.

[ThermalBoy]

I have to totally agree with Brian that this years SF Nats was by far and away the best we have had for a long long time. The atmosphere & comaraderie compared to previous SF Nats was so much better. I also really enjoyed having all the disciplines in one place once again as it gave me a chance to talk to many old friends as well as flying at what must be one of the best model flying sites in the UK. It also gave us the opportunity to compete in more than one discipline with it being in the same place at the same time. Shame the weather didn't allow this to happen on the Saturday but no-one controls the weather !

 

I just dont understand how anyone when given a choice would prefer to fly at the Wetlands as opposed to magnificent RAF Cranwell. Apart from anything else the Wetlands present excellent opportunities for slope soaring when the wind is in the right direction. Not exactly in the spirit of thermal soaring to say the least.

 

So, I too would like to congratulate Mike Proctor & SFTC for securing this fantastic site for all of us. Long may it continue. Please lets all pull together to ensure that this wonderful flying site doesn't slip through our fingers.

 

Colin P

[Austin]

 

I just dont understand how anyone when given a choice would prefer to fly at the Wetlands as opposed to magnificent RAF Cranwell. Apart from anything else the Wetlands present excellent opportunities for slope soaring when the wind is in the right direction. Not exactly in the spirit of thermal soaring to say the least.

 

Wetlands in general is rubbish, having done many many contests there over the years its pretty crap for thermal soaring contests particularly when its windy. I remember Colin Lucas in F3J once launched and then walked 200m to the slope in front and soared it for 10 mins. Unfortunately mis-timing his walk back for the landing   ... but you get my drift.

[satinet]

Wetlands in general is rubbish, having done many many contests there over the years its pretty crap for thermal soaring contests particularly when its windy. I remember Colin Lucas in F3J once launched and then walked 200m to the slope in front and soared it for 10 mins. Unfortunately mis-timing his walk back for the landing   ... but you get my drift.

 

Well you wouldn't want to destroy the high octance excitement of a duration only comp would you 

 

Cranwell was fine, but the no fly zone was a bit tedious when you were trying to fly out ten minutes and you had to fly out of the lift.  Thanks to Mike Proctor for putting in the work to organise everything.  I think a lot of people appreciated being able to go to Barkston. Seems like I was in the wrong on that one.

 

Shame about the weather on saturday but nothing anyone can do about that.  I would have stayed at home but everyone was keen to try and I had the score computer

[satinet]

I don't know Graham. I was told not to fly any further out (up wind). It's very hard to judge ground position of a model in the air anyway, isn't it.

It was not a big issue though. My post wasn't supposed to sound like a moan. 

[Bernie Jones]

Here is a brief report from Mike for the "Electric' events at the Silent Flight Nationals

 

Hi All

 

Home at last and chance to do a few words about the Nats.

First up was to have been F5J but the rain which had started on Friday night did not stop until 10:30 Saturday. Competitors for all events had arrived at Cranwell and decided to decamp to Barkson and meet there at 12noon for further decisions

With more rain forecast from 2pm (6-8 hours worth) and the necessity for a re-matrix beforehand required, F5J was abandoned because 3 rounds were considered essential. In the event, the forecast rain arrived about 3;30 and lasted until 5am Sunday! It was most unlikely that 1 full round would have been achieved.

F3B tried and managed 1 task only but 100S managed 2 rounds, with a reduced matrix.

 

Sunday dawned, just, which is to say that it was foggy both horizontally and vertically(50m!) but we assembled at Cranwell and got ready for Open. The cloud height was deemed OK and we started. In the first slot though Dave Worrall lost sight of his model on the climb out against white cloud, it crashed upwind. Shortly afterwards Brian Johnson suffered radio power failure and crashed on the runway very soon after launch. Not a good start but the event developed into a tricky contest as the lift was quite fickle and well spread. It could collapse and shift suddenly - you get the picture - I didn't at the time! Whatever, in most slots somebody made the 10mins.

Eventually Pete Mitchell was declared the popular winner.

 

Monday was a better, brighter day and with a small but dedicated band we got started in 2 slots. Tom Woods took John Penton's place and became known as Tom Penton for the day, as the contest forms were all printed!(John being able to attend). This was Tom's first comp and he had come from the Isle of Wight accompanying Ed Warwick, whom he had helped in Open. Lift could be tricky but could also come through in a few powerful bouts which hoovered models up high and quickly. In the biggest one, people were starting to descend at around 4mins! In the breeze several models failed to get landing points by following downwind too far, others got caught turning too late for landing.

2 models disappeared in the "blue haze"; one was recovered damaged a short way across the airfield but the other was a remarkable story. Vanishing on the way down from on high at about 8 mins, Gordon Brown's model was spotted about 3/4 mile away heading for the ground but it was recovered and powered up for a return flight, during which it vanished 3 times but eventually arrived safe and sound on the spot at 11:30. No points but what a save!! If anybody ever wants to know the range of a FrSky Rx close to the ground, talk to Gordon.

Meanwhile things were going well and the contest ended on a high note when Tom, flying a Radian in his first competition, came first! What an achievement!

 

Enough.

 

Regards

 

Mike

[Bob Dickenson]

As a reply to Austin's last comments regarding the suitability of Wetlands as a soaring site.

 

It seems a shame to me that a site such as this should be denigrated in this manner. The field in which we flew when Colin decided to pull his stunt of slope soaring is now the power site. We have not flown that field since. Also, it might be noted that Colin, who is a slope soarer of some note, had to walk 200 yards under the gliders that were currently flying the slot, in order to use the slope. As we were all flying 35 meg at that time, I think that this was a dangerous manner in which to fly. He misjudged his walk back to the flightline because he was unable to fly the slope, such as it was, at that distance.

 Colin's local site is Ashurst, which has a better slope than some slope sites I have flown, yet it has been used for international F3J comps.

  I have flown in Turkey with both Colin & Austin adjacent to one of the best slope sites I have ever seen, somehow it didn't matter then.

 Enough of that, Cranwell is a superior site, of that there is no doubt. Hats off to Proccie  for the work & effort that he put in. unfortunately, no one can control the weather & we lost the F3b on the Saturday, but Sunday & Monday produced some of the most challenging & at times rewarding flying conditions in which I have ever flown. The flyoff contenders got there by pure merit, well done all.

  Regarding feedback as requested by Ian, my preference would be not to have a 2 day comp for the Nationals. This would give the opportunity for most of us to visit the Nationals for at least 1 day, while still camping there for the weekend & enjoying the evening socialising. Alternately, we could hold the silent flight Nats on a different weekend, thus allowlng those who wish to do to visit the Nats as it's own event.

 

  I regard both Colin & Austin as my best friends, I just needed to get my oar in,  Love Bob