Southern Winter League F3F 2017 / 18.

[Allen Elliott]

Had anyone realized the 11th of March (reserve) is mothers day 

[Gromit]

9 hours ago, Allen Elliott said:

Had anyone realized the 11th of March (reserve) is mothers day 

Oooooooops !   thank you Allen, No I didn't, completely my fault 

  I'm on it & will get back asap, hopefully this evening.

 

     Stu. 

[Gromit]

The reserve date for rounds 3 & 4 remains as being March 11th .

Unfortunately I am unable / unwilling to change the date for several reasons.

As you know round 4 takes place on Feb 25th, therefore to bring the reserve date of Mar 11th forward 1 week would mean comps on successive weekends. This would be very unfair on our WRFC members who wish to use our slopes, I strongly wish to avoid this. 

I do not want to move the date back 1 week to March18th, as this would be a date clash with the final Welsh winter league event. This is a comp which I myself & a number of others who compete in the Southern wint lg, also wish to enter. 

 

My apologies to any / all pilots inconvenienced & any problems caused by the reserve date being on Mar 11th ie, what I now know to be mothers day .

 

          Stu. 

 

[Gromit]

Southern Winter League  Round 4, Sunday 25th Feb.

 

Entry is now open to the Southern Winter League round 4.

The regional Winter league F3f comps are the perfect introduction to F3f. Newcomers to F3f are encouraged to come along to find out more, & to experience this exciting branch of our sport.  You will be made very welcome, & given help, hints, tips & advice on all things F3f.  

As in the previous rounds we have the use of Whitesheet, Butser hill, Mercury, & several Eastbourne slopes, this then caters us for all wind directions.

Meet time ;- 9.00am.

Venue ;-  I will announce the confirmed venue at the earliest opportunity following study of the various wind direction forecasts.

 

To enter, Please send the following entry details to myself at swallacegromit@aol.com

BMFA insurance number,

Freq, 2.4 or 35 meg incl channel

Models, up to 3.

Please state the names of the venues that you will travel to ie, Whitesheet, Butser, Mercury, Eastbourne, All. I need this info so that I know numbers attending each venue.

 

       Stu, Whitesheet Comp Sec.

[Pete Burgess]

At the moment the Met Office wind forecast for Sunday is ENE at 15mph. Does this mean using Mercury? If so can anyone please supply a post code or some address for the satnav. 

[Allen Elliott]

Pete

I'll drive. You can just sleep 

[Pete Burgess]

Ahh... so you've been there before I assume?

[Allen Elliott]

Yeah 

[Tone-the-glider]

On 20/02/2018 at 13:44, Pete Burgess said:

At the moment the Met Office wind forecast for Sunday is ENE at 15mph. Does this mean using Mercury? If so can anyone please supply a post code or some address for the satnav. 

Just in case.

50.973544, -1.040838 (google maps)

As you enter South Down Way from Droxford Road you might see a no entry sign. we have permission to ignore it.

It is private land and all persons are required to make a donation of £1 in the metal box just by the gate as you enter.

Regards

[Gromit]

Hi All,

          Comp update & entry list on its way.

A surprise birthday treat of 3 days away in a very sunny Bournemouth and having no Internet, being the reason I haven't yet posted an entry list . 

 

        Stu. 

[Gromit]

SOUTHERN WINTER LEAGUR ROUND 4 ENTRY LIST.

 

1.   Stuart Wallace.                    Radical,  Pitbull. 

2.   Samuel Wallace.                  Willow.

3.   Tony Robertson.                   Freestyler 4, Ascot, Alliaj.

4.   Allen Elliot.                            Matrix, Needle.

5.   Martin Drewett.                    Jedi, Pitbul

6.   Pete Burgess.                       Pitbull.

7.   Mark Passingham.              Freestyler 3. 

8.  Nigel Witchalls                       Pitbull, Ceres.

9.  John Philips.                         Drops. 

10.John Treble.                          Pitbull 1. Pitbull 2. 

11. Mike Shellim.                        Needle 115, Sting 

 

Note;- All pilots are 2.4.

 

VENUE ADVISORY ;-    The various forecasts are for a long run (presently next 7-10days) of NE-E winds ahead of us. The venue will therefore be either Mercury if E - ENE or Butser hill if NE. 

Entry list note;- All above pilots have said they will travel to Mercury & Butser. 

 

 

  Stu, Whitesheet Comp Sec. 

[oipigface]

Aren't I welcome, Stu?

[Gromit]

40 minutes ago, oipigface said:

Aren't I welcome, Stu?

Oooops, my apologies to you John, .  Thank you for your post, your email email somehow slipped past my eyes when I was  playing catch up this morning on 3 days of emails. 

You have email John

    

    Embarrassed Stu .

[Gromit]

With an excellent forecast of a bright sunny day & 15 mph ENE breeze, I am delighted to announce that round 4 of the Southern Winter league is ON .

We will be guests of the Meon Valley Soaring Association, who have very kindly given us permission to stage the comp on their private slope of Mercury.

http://mvsa.bmfa.org/mercury

Note;- The above entry list is up to date, we presently have 11 entries.  Entry remains open, I would very much appreciate receiving all further entries by 8.00pm tomorrow ie Sat 24th please, thank you.

Meet time is 9.00 am 

Note; Should the wind direction swing to a NE direction the venue will move to the MVSA NE slope at Butser hill. Should such a change of venue be required I will announce this on the forum tomorrow evening at around 6.00 pm,. I will also advise all received entries of any such venue change via an email, again at around 6.00pm tomorrow. 

 

Following Info courtesy of Tony Robertson ;-

 Mercury  grid reference 50.973544, -1.040838 (google maps)

As you enter South Down Way from Droxford Road you might see a no entry sign. we have permission to ignore it.

It is private land and all persons are required to make a donation of £1 in the metal box just by the gate as you enter.

 

 

 Stu Whitesheet comp sec 

[Gromit]

The venue for rd 4 tomorrow remains as being the MVSA slope of Mercury.

 

The forecasts continue to show a cold, dry, bright & sunny day. Wind forecast remains as being a 15mph ENE or E. 

BBC ;- https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2642730

Met Office ;- https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/forecast/gcp64tt3f#?date=2018-02-25

XC ;- http://www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/petersfield

 

Entry remains OPEN & will be accepted on the day, I would however very much appreciate receiving any further entries by 8.00pm this evening.

 

note;- On entry, please do not forget to put a £1 donation in the metal box by the gate, thank you. 

              

       Stu, Whitesheet Comp Sec. 

[Gromit]

Sadly & very frustratingly, the Southern Winter lg rd 4 comp has not been staged today. 

On our viewing / inspecting the length of the MVSA slope of Mercury that we were given permission to use to stage todays comp, it was the considered opinion of the majority / all of us, that it was unsuitable to stage a competition on. The reason being that there were a number of immature trees growing just back from & along the slope edge, the other side of a barbed wire fence, & in front of the flight line, & a large Oak tree at one end. 

Myself being the organiser of todays comp, although I myself have never flown on, or visited the site before, the information that I myself had & have always been led to believe in all my time as a Comp secretary, has been that F3f comps have been staged there in previous yrs & that there were not any such issues as we encountered today. I did not therefore think it was necessary for me to do a pre comp viewing / inspection of the slope.

Despite the disappointment, I wish however to thank the MVSA chairman & club for allowing us access to the slope, & whilst on the slope today trying to work out a way for us to stage the comp, I very much appreciate this. 

I wish to again thank all of todays pilots for being so very understanding of todays events, I very much appreciate this. The disappointment & frustration that we are all feeling today is many times multiplied for myself.

 

           Stu 

[isoaritfirst]

What next , leaves on the line ?

[rc-soar]

Just one of those thing, Stu, thanks for organising nevertheless... on a positive note, it was a lovely sunny day, and some of us managed some decent sport flying on the 'non-comp' slope.

- Mike

PS Such was the cold that I decided to try flying with polartec gloves + chemical handwarmers - a surprisingly effective combo.

[Ribs]

Sorry to hear it didn't run Stuart.

It might be worth reconsidering your appraisal of the NE slope at Whitesheet. I was there yesterday in conditions very similar today (bright, NE to ENE 15mph) and it was wonderfully flyable. I'm quite sure you could set up the course there and run F3f, no problem at all.

It is a little further from the cars, for sure, but you would have had spectacular weather and with the sun behind it makes for very pleasant flying - something to think about for next Winter or the Summer BMFA maybe.

Photos from the NE slope from yesterday and a previous occasion here: https://www.irista.com/gallery/8hxnvamkd0gn

[Gromit]

23 hours ago, Gromit said:

Sadly & very frustratingly, the Southern Winter lg rd 4 comp has not been staged today. 

On our viewing / inspecting the length of the MVSA slope of Mercury that we were given permission to use to stage todays comp, it was the considered opinion of the majority / all of us, that it was unsuitable to stage a competition on. The reason being that there were a number of immature trees growing just back from & along the slope edge, the other side of a barbed wire fence, & in front of the flight line, & a large Oak tree at one end. 

Myself being the organiser of todays comp, although I myself have never flown on, or visited the site before, the information that I myself had & have always been led to believe in all my time as a Comp secretary, has been that F3f comps have been staged there in previous yrs & that there were not any such issues as we encountered today. I did not therefore think it was necessary for me to do a pre comp viewing / inspection of the slope.

Despite the disappointment, I wish however to thank the MVSA chairman & club for allowing us access to the slope, & whilst on the slope today trying to work out a way for us to stage the comp, I very much appreciate this. 

I wish to again thank all of todays pilots for being so very understanding of todays events, I very much appreciate this. The disappointment & frustration that we are all feeling today is many times multiplied for myself.

 

           Stu 

 

 To clarify ;-  The MVSA have successfully staged their own F3f club comps in past years on their Mercury slope. However, yesterday Myself and all the pilots that entered ystdy's comp, learnt that these previous competitions were staged along what was a different length / part of the slope to the one that we were given permission to stage yesterdays competition on. The previously used length of the slope is completely free of any trees for several hundred yards and perfectly suitable for staging an F3f event.

 

         Stu.