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aeajr
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 Posted - 05/24/2007 : 10:40:57 AM
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Eastern Soaring League Newsletter – May 2007
Feel free to add your comments about the Newsletter or enhancements you would like to see.
2007 OFFICERS AND STAFF
Tony Guide - President
David Beach - Secretary/Treasurer
Tom Kiesling - Contest Coordinator
Anker Berg-Sonne - Scoring Systems Coordinator
Jeff Steifel - Public Relations Coordinator.
John Hauff - Clinic Coordinator.
Phil Barnes – Winch Conditioning
Jose Bruzual – Web Master and Publisher
Ed Anderson – Web Site and Newsletter Content Editor
FROM THE EDITOR - Ed Anderson
Let me make a plug for the new Novice program. If you have an event coming up and you are not including a Novice program, you are missing a huge opportunity to grow your event participation and the interest in competition soaring among your club members.
If you need help organizing Novice, drop me a line. I had the pleasure of organizing the Novice pilots at our club last year and I had a great time doing it. Dale Hart was the one who gave me the tips I needed last year. If you know Dale, maybe he would not mind if you dropped him a line or gave him a call. I am sure he would be happy to tell you how they ran it at his field.
We had 6 registered Novice pilots at the September ESL event, five were from our club. A few weeks before the contest, we went over flying against the clock, setting up for a landing on a tape, thermal search strategies and winch launching. These weren’t formal sessions but 30 minute individual or group sessions when we happen to be at the field. Then we enjoyed the day, individually or group flying in prep for the contest. I am no master pilot, but I knew enough to help these guys get comfortable.
It must have been an OK experience because that contest was flown in some of the worst conditions I have ever flown. The wind was so strong it even knocked over the outhouse! REALLY! And after all that, 4 of the 5 Novice pilots from last year have registered for Sportsman and the fifth has registered for Novice again. With a little luck we will get a couple more Novice registrations and have another good group.
If you are coming to the LISF event in June, I encourage you to grab one of your fellow glider guiders, or your son or daughter, get them registered as Novice and bring them along. You can launch his or her plane or anyone else can launch it. They don’t need winch skills. If they can manage the plane in the air and land, somewhere on the field, I promise they will feel welcome and will have a good time. We have lots of room for “off tape” landings. And, by the way, Novice registration at LISF is FREE!
Need more information? Perhaps this will help:
http://www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=263
THE ESL WEBSITES – GREAT RESOURCES
www.flyesl.org http://www.flyesl.org/forums/
The ESL Website is actually two web sites in one. There is the main ESL Website and the ESL Forums. As such, two registrations are required, but it only takes a moment and you can use the same username and password for both.
The main ESL Website is the one you go to when you enter www.flyesl.org into your browser. By registering, you automatically become a member of the Eastern Soaring League. Now you can fly with us in our contests. This also puts you on the FLYESL mailing list so you can get the ESL Newsletter and other information that is mailed out to the membership. This is a restricted mailing list that can only be used by registered ESL members, so you should not expect to get any SPAM as a result of being part of this mailing list.
Here are just a few resources you might find helpful:
CONTEST DIRECTOR CHECK LIST
www.flyesl.org/about_esl/checklist.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/about_esl/checklist.asp
ESL CLUB LIST
www.flyesl.org/about_esl/clublist.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/about_esl/clublist.asp
CONTEST STANDINGS – Year to Date
www.flyesl.org/scores/default.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/scores/default.asp
2007 EVENTS CALENDAR – Upcoming Events
www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp
The ESL FORUMS website is where we discuss all aspects of thermal soaring, building planes, radio systems, contests and other topics of interest and concern to the membership. If you need help, have a question or have some information and wisdom to share, you can post in the forum for all the community to see and to offer help.
When making a post, you have the opportunity to subscribe to the discussion. This is a great feature, as the forum will send you a short e-mail anytime someone posts to that thread. If you ask a question, you will know when someone has posted an answer. Great Stuff!
The simplest way to get to the forums is to click the FORUMS button on the main website. Or you can enter www.flyesl.org/forums/" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/ into your browser. Here you will find:
ESL TALK – All kinds of discussions
www.flyesl.org/forums/default.asp?CAT_ID=2" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/default.asp?CAT_ID=2
THE NOVICE LOUNGE – all sorts of informative articles and discussions that are of particular interest to new ESL members, new sailplane pilots or new contest flyers.
www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=14" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=14
FEATURE STORIES – These are the ones that are, or have been on the ESL main page.
www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=7" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=7
CONTEST REPORTS
www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=15" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=15
THANKS TO OUR WEBMASTER
We can thank Jose Bruzual, our Web Master and Publisher, for providing The ESL Websites and for keeping them running. Jose keeps the web site up, maintains it and adds the enhancements. It takes a lot of work to keep a web site running. Thanks Jose!
JUNE ESL CONTESTS
www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp
SKSS 1 - Newark, DE - 6/09 - 6/10
Registrar: Bill Groft
Register here www.flyesl.org/contest_registration/registration_list.asp?cid=4" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/contest_registration/registration_list.asp?cid=4
Phone: 302-451-1088
Event: Thermal Duration -Tasks, Rounds and Times to be announced at the Pilots' Meeting.
Landing Task - Graduated spot landing.
Event Homepage: www.skss.org
Register before: 6/8/2005
One day fee: $17.00
Two day fee: $34.00
Schedule: Check-in Time 8:00 a.m.
Pilots meeting 9:00 a.m.
First Flight 9:15 a.m.
Polecat Challenge (HLG) - 6/16 - 6/17 -
Bloserville, PA
Registrar: Denny Maize
Phone: 717-789-0146
Register here: www.polecataero.com/polecat-challenge-2007/" target="_blank">http://www.polecataero.com/polecat-challenge-2007/
Event: Two days of Handlaunch competition and fun.
Event Homepage: www.polecataero.com
Register before: 6/15/2005
Schedule: Check-in Time 7:00 a.m.
Pilots meeting 8:45 a.m.
First Flight 9:00 a.m.
LONG ISLAND SILENT FLYERS – 1 - 6/23 - 6/24
Syosset, Long Island, NY
Sanctions: AMA and ESL
Registrar: Frank Strommer
Phone: 516 432 8108
Register here: www.flyesl.org/contest_registration/registration_list.asp?cid=9" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/contest_registration/registration_list.asp?cid=9
Event: MAN-ON-MAN Unlimited Duration with tasks to be announced at pilot's meeting.
Graduated landing tapes.
Event Homepage: www.lisf.org
Register before: 6/18/2007
Schedule: Check-in Time 8:00 a.m.
Pilots meeting 8:45 a.m.
LISF will be featuring a Novice Class for new ESL flyers- Novice is FREE
Lunch will be available for $5
Saturday there will be a clinic on winch launching technique.
FUTURE 2007 EVENTS – July Forward
Consult the Web Site for Updates and Registration
www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/calendar.asp
July 7, 8 DBSF
July 14, 15 CRRC HLG
July 22-29 AMA NATS
August 4, 5 LISF HLG
Aug 11, 12 CRRC
Aug 18, 19 CASA HLG
Aug 25, 26 SJSF 1 (Tentative)
Sep 8, 9 CASA Open
Sep 15, 16 SJSF HLG
Sep 22, 23 LISF 2
Oct 6, 7 ESL EOS – Reading PA
Oct 20-21 East Coast HLG Festival - ESL HLG EOS - Wilson, NC
A123 CELLS AS RECEIVER PACK CELLS - PERHAPS A GOOD OPTION
A123 CELLS have been the talk of the RC car circuit and have been seeing some acceptance in larger electric planes. I had not considered these for receiver packs for my sailplanes, but this report by Zbigniew Michalczyk, known as Mike to LISF club members, tells of the value of these cells in sailplanes. Mike and his son are often a key tow pilot team at our aerotow events.
Note that you do need a charger that will handle A123 as they are different from NiCd, NiMh and Lipo cells. But if you have the right charger, Mike says they offer some advantages. I offer this summary from Mike's web site and a link to his full report. Thanks Mike for sharing your experience with all of us.
Conclusion - Pros
*100% efficiency. There is no capacity loss between the charge and discharge modes.
*Cells are not poised to get bad during the flight (discharge mode)
*Workable Voltage is between 6.75V - 6V. However charger brings 2S packs to a 7.3V level at first, pack stabilizes at the 6.75V shortly after charging is terminated.
*Weight of these cells is about 2/3 of average CdNi or NiMh pack of similar capacity and voltage (5 against 2 cells). This is a noticeable saving.
* Life span is declared to be 1000 cycles under nominal circumstances.
*Charge current could be elevated to not yet considered levels. Pulsar's 10A capability makes this process a blast. It takes about 13 minutes in fast mode to charge 90% of capacity back in without much of the heat being generated. COOL! VERY COOL!
Mike’s full report can be found here:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze2qbfc/id25.html
FROM THE NOVICE LOUNGE
Not all of our ESL members have ready access to a winch. This article discusses how to maximize your launch heights using a hi-start. With the proper balance of rubber, line and technique, a hi-start can provide excellent launch heights to support your thermal hunting. If you have advice or comments, feel free to post them to add to the original article.
Maximizing Launch Height Using a Hi-Start
www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=257" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=257
Perhaps you are trying to get a friend started in soaring with a R/E or RES sailplane. Their budget is low so you look for a low priced radio package. How about a FREE transmitter?
Free Hitec Starter Radio –
www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=240" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=240
Gordy Soar is a well-known character in the sailplane community. His writings are humorous while often containing pearls of wisdom we can all use. Perhaps you can pick up a tip or two in this article.
The Gordy Soar Sailplane Balancing System
www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=255" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=255
ESL LOGO ITEMS NOW AVAILABLE
The ESL is fortunate this year to have a wide selection of items that bear the ESL Logo. We have two suppliers, who are providing different items, so we have something for everyone.
Visit the ESL Store
www.flyesl.org/store/" target="_blank">http://www.flyesl.org/store/
THE PASSING OF GORDON STRATTON
Remembrance by Paul Bell and Fritz Bien
Gordon Stratton passed away in early May 2007. He had been suffering from a long illness caused by multiple strokes. Many of you knew Gordon from his strong participation in the Long Island Silent Flyers and on the ESL circuit. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
I first met Gordon about 30 years ago when he invited me to the LISF club field for some practice doing winch launches. As the proud owner of an Aquila that had only be high start launched, I had signed up for the LISF sponsored ESL contest at Stillwell Field. Gordon graciously asked me out to the field, allowed me to use his winch and gave me pointers aimed at not folding the wings. He was always eager to assist people and was a gracious host.
He and Bill Meleske were co-CDs of this annual event for many many years. It was through the enthusiasm of these two people that I became hooked on sailplanes. Both were tireless workers who operated an extremely professional contest.
Gordon was the LISF newsletter editor for a lot of years and set the standard for a quality publication. He corresponded with other newsletter editors, thereby providing a good cross section of news and technical articles. The “Flyer” was always up to date, reporting all pertinent club data.
Gordon was an LSF member and achieved Level IV. Unfortunately, he was not able to attain Level V before his illness. Although he flew a variety of sailplanes over the years, he was best known for his Sailaire, dubbed “Miss Piggy”. Gordon was sometimes seen sporting a pig snout rubber-banded to his nose while flying this behemoth. It was always an adventure to watch his launch and close attention was required as a bystander since Miss Piggy carried a lot of energy into the landing circle. A lot of entertaining stories have been passed around over the years at his expense, but he was a great competitor, an excellent thermal flyer and he took home his share of hardware over the years. He had the pleasure of flying with some of the great ones including Bill Meleske, Dwight Holly, Gerry Zeigenfuse, Otto Heithecker, Fritz Bien, Terry Luckenbach, Don Clark, Don Goughnour and many others too numerous to mention.
Those of us who knew and flew with Gordon have missed him at the field for the last few years and will remember him as an enthusiastic competitor as a member of the Long Island Silent Flyers and as a friend.
Paul Bell
I first met Gordon when he flew the Airtronics Olympic II back in 1976. He had just come into R/C and was at the Brewster, Wychoff, DCRC, York, and Dover contests. He was very competitive then, and soon moved into Expert class. Gordon worked with Bill Meleske and Gil Rifkin in getting the LISF field back in 1978.
I remember taking Friday off to drive to the contest in Manassas, finding the field in the late evening, only to see Gordon just packing up his Hi-start after a full day of practice before the contest!
In addition to Miss Piggy, Gordon flew a two-meter called the Shuttle, which had a very sharp nose for spiking the landings. The most memorable flight of Miss Piggy was at a CRRC contest when Miss Piggy was strained through some brush and lost her clothes. Al Marshall and I helped Gordon patch the plane up with packaging tape and manila folders. Gordon went on to win Expert that day with the patched up airplane.
Gordon was working on his Level 5 LSF with Bill Meleske in the early 80s, traveling out to California to attempt his 10 KM goal and return. He was always generous, and accommodated us with a room at his home through the years when we went to the LISF contests.
Over time, Gordon's reflexes and eyesight deteriorated. As he moved to faster and less stable airplanes, his flying suffered. I think he would have been competitive much longer if he flew Miss Piggy through those years.
Fritz Bien
HERE TO SERVE YOU
I hope you enjoyed reading the ESL Newsletter and found the links and content useful.
If you have ideas or input for the next Newsletter, please feel free to write. Send your notes, comments, content to Ed Anderson at aeajr@optonline.net
IF you have not explored the ESL web site and forums, please do so. You will find a wealth of information and you can share your knowledge in order to help others.
Clear Skies and Safe Flying!
Best regards,
Ed Anderson
ESL Content Editor
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ESL Newsletter - May 2007
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