Competitions
Highveld Thermal League
Simulator:
1. Download FMS
Highveld Thermal League #2 at White Hills Radio Flyers – 22 May 2005
A bird marked the 1st thermal that I saw just after eight o’clock in the morning. There was still mist to be seen in the distance. Well, there was no changing the forecast. The day was going to be good for the RC glider pilots.
The winch line direction was established considering the wind prediction from the previous evening’s TV weather report. The wind actually never blew in that direction, but with all the thermal activity it blew from all over. The wind only settled down to blowing from a steady direction when the comp had finished and the thermals had stopped. Though still not in the predicted direction.
The air was shifting so much that at times we had pilots in the pattern at the same time landing from different directions.
These “lifty” conditions, (sic) caused havoc to those who were trying to land without spoilers or flaps. You would see a glider doing 5 circles trying to line up and land.
At one stage I saw a 2m fly along hit the lift and turn. By the time he was looking the same way again he had jumped about 30 feet up.
Then there was the BERG flyer that was setting up to land and started to scratch a bubble of lift. Less than 5 minutes later he was a spec.
We saw some very long landings. The ground is hard and dry causing the glider to slide on and on. And for Evan still even further on….
The competition was started with 31 pilots. And there were a few pilots who could not come to the event.
With the emphasis on a social event it was decided to use a format that promoted this idea. This format has been used before with success, and I think that the entries show it.
The format of the competition was a 45-minute slot in which you had to do a 10-minute max with a spot landing on a standard FAI circle. With this format it is easier to team up with other pilots and there is less need for helpers (who are always scarce)
Unfortunately for the good pilots this becomes a landing competition, but then as I said the focus is on fun and not die-hard competition.
Included in the entry fee were a voucher for 1 “WorsRol” and a cold drink. Once again we used the very professional service if “Ilma and Daughters Inc.” The meals and refreshments were also on sale to the non-competitors. The girls were selling muffins from early morning. That went down well too.
WHRF is my home field, and I think that the “thermal gods” hide the thermals all year and release them on the competition day.
At one stage in the competition we had 3 thermals bread off the parking area and move over the clubhouse, and over the winch lines, within a 4-minute space. These were not small thermals either. The “thermalised scoresheets” can bear testimony to that.
Luckily Melanie was entering scores onto a computer as fast as they were flown so there was not even a glitch in the scoring there.
After the 1st 2 round a 30-minute break was taken for lunch. After 20 minute the CD saw everybody lazing around and called 5 minutes “Preparation Time” for the next round.
This competition, as all comps do, has it’s lost plane and crashed planes. Little Kurt Stockton managed an out landing quite far away, but was back with an unscathed plane ready to fly the next round on time.
Lionel had a difficult landing and managed to break the boom. Lots of heckling followed by lots support from Evan and some glass cloth from Craig and he was back to max the next round. Unfortunately the runway broke the nose next flight.
There were some other crashes as is standard for a competition, but there is one more that I would like to single out.
Wolfgang and somebody else were sharing a frequency. This always works well due to the format of the comp. At one stage there was a change in the rhythm between Wolfgang and his timekeeper, and Wolfgang was off guard. He prepared to launch, hooked up and launched. As he launched he realised that the person who he was sharing the frequency with was flying. He simply switched his Transmitter off while his Eish was on the line going up vertically! And to top it all …it was his Birthday. Wolfgang…You are a Gentleman.
The competition ended at about 4pm with many of WHRF’s electric pilots waiting to use the field. The field was cleared of equipment and gliders in record time so that we could open to the battery-powered version of silent flying.
There is another part of the comp that we rarely notice, but is always there. Support. Here I refer to Shirley and Friends. Stephan and his better half. And don’t forget Ross the dog. There were many supporters and friends there I’m sure. But as I said, you never notice them.
Prizes were in the form of Gift Vouchers very graciously sponsored by Jix Hobbies in Menlyn Retail Park and the new Frasers RC in Lynwood Road. Both are in Pretoria. Between these two hobby shops, over R 900.00 in gift vouchers was awarded.
At the prize giving prizes were awarded to the following categories:
Open (Top 3), 2-meter (Top 3), Low Tech. (Top 2)
Although here were three classes flown. Pilots could compete in more than one class, provided that they used a single glider that was within the stipulated rules and would then allow them to take part in 2 or more classes. But pilots had to before the competition stipulate in which class they would be specifically competing, for prizes.
A good example is Volney Klintworth who has a 2-meter glider with a built up wing using ailerons as spoilers and this allowed him to enter in all 3 classes.
Juniors also flew in the 3 stipulated classes, but prizes were also awarded to the top 3 juniors.
The podium was dressed up as follows:
Open Class
1 Craig Goodrum 3489
2 Chris Adrian 3471
3 Michelle Goodrum 3467
4 Dion Liebenberg 3439
2-Meter Class
1 James Shaw 3321
2 Phillip Otto 2894
3 Frank King 2822Low Tech Class
1 Gert Nieuwoudt 3353
2 Paul Carnell 3028
3 Kurt Stockton 2968
Juniors
1 Conrad Klintworth 3307 (Open)
2 Kurt Stockton 2968 (LT)
3 Kyle Quinta 2102 (2M)
