Topic: South East Flyers

I think we should all meet at the BMFA 60"
As:
1 I want to race in it
2 we can mark our frequencies (35MHz)
3 we get a good show
4 they will be on the best slope for wind direction
 
 
 

Ivinghoe club normally do a summer solstice flying session every year.

I think we should all meet at the BMFA 60"

will we be able to fly at the same time Allen? how busy does it get? I have recently developed an aversion to flying on busy hills 

will we be able to fly at the same time Allen? how busy does it get? I have recently developed an aversion to flying on busy hills 

Well last year me and one other got there to find it had been cancelled due to rain

I managed to get half way up the hill before the rain pushed me back to the car 

So was not busy at all 

I think it's well to early to be making any arrangements
But i have to show for the 60" as first, i want to enter the gulp and second, ESSA should make the effort 
If i can fly with you guy I will, and that goes for any place any time 

I should go to one of those ESSA events seeing as I joined ESSA recently.

They have 60" league on Sat 20th June and F3F on Sun 21st June.  On 3 May they have an ESSA Cross-Country event which might be worth going along to.  I don't think they get big numbers to these things so I think they don't mind anyone coming along.  They're hosting the F3F Nationals this year, on 8-9 June, I'll definitely go to spectate.   

Ivinghoe's Summer Solstice event is, curiously, on Weds 17 June.

 

I think a lot of flyers go there after work and fly until it gets dark, which can be almost 10pm roughly, depending on how clear the day is.

The x country event is probably not what you imagine
I think there are four flags along the slope near the ridge one of which will be out of the lift
last year we had to walk to each flag then pull as many circles behind the flag in a minute and do a spot landing to end If my memory serves me right still great fun though especially getting to the flag out of the lift 

We have our F3F this sunday
should be fun as the wind speed says 9-6mph
(easy to race in a 30+) and we all know just saying F3F makes the lift die  :laugh:

Pity the cross country is not actual cross country, because x-c expert Dave Cox is an ESSA member and he has done some excellent x-c routes in that region, I was hoping it might be him leading an expedition from Butts to Beachy or something.

It designed to practice x country
walking and flying, going in and out of lift

Full description
Cross Country

The course will be set up with 4 “Turning Points” on the hill (flags) as well as a “Low Pass” point (one of the designated Turning Points) and a “Spot Landing” area. Each competitor will walk the course with a Marker to keep their score. When the pilot has reached a turning point they declare to the Marker that they are going to start their “Turns”, the Marker starts their stop-watch and gives the pilot 60 seconds in which time they have to complete as many 360 degree turns behind the Turning Point. A “Turn” is defined as a “complete” 360 degree turn behind the turning point. (Eg. a pilot flying towards the slope and going behind the turning point actually has to make a 540 degree (1 and a half turns) turn to count as their first complete turn.

Subsequent turns need only be 360 degrees.) If the pilot fly’s in front of the turning point without fully completing their turn then this does not score. Other than the 60 seconds per Turning Point there is no time limit for completion, time and care can be taken going between Turning Points. At the designated “Low Pass” point the pilot must fly the plane below the horizon as seen by the Marker. The final task is the spot landing, a disk with a cord attached will mark out a circle of approximately 5 metre radius in which the pilot must land.

Depending on the conditions (if they are good enough for the duration of the whole event as judged by the Competition Director) there may be an additional rule of “No Landing” during the task. Any pilot landing will have 2 points deducted

Scoring is made up of:

Reaching a turning point (flying the plane behind the course flag on the slope side) = 10 points

Each Completed turn behind the Turning Point within the 60 seconds = 2 points

Low Pass = 10 points

Spot Landing = 10 points

Landing penalties, if applicable)

shall be up butts lane tomorrow about 3.15 

Have a good one, looks like it should be a good day for it ... unlike the weekend ... grrrr ...

Very educational yet confusing day at butts 

when i got there the wind seemed easterly but blow was very variable

so only had 300g ballast in the Aldij launched, floated out real slow

turned to the right and hovered with lift had to put in half stick of down to penetrate

turned back to the left and shot across the slope like a rocket

made me think there was south in the wind 

then wind just disappeared but the lift trebled, i almost specked out and lost it, then 2 minutes later the lift just vanished, Thermal?

Landed, throw up some grass wind was face on 

went round to the north slope throw up grass, face on again 

so launched there, same hover to the left and fast to the right 

I can only assume the lift was split to both bowl

And turbulent would have been one hell of an under statement!!!

I wanted to ballast more, but everytime i thought that the lift would vanish

Oh by the way the north bowl at butts was massive and the landing zone was like a small country  :laugh: unfortunately due to the odd conditions i cant really comment on the lift

How can the wind have been face on from both these flying spot ? 

and I flew from both spots within half an hour of each other

When it's like that it usually means the wind is the wrong direction for the slopes you're on.

A week of low winds and I cracked: I ordered a DLG today.  An electric powered Blaster 2.  Now the elements can't beat me, I'm sorted no matter what .... heh heh heh ...

then wind just disappeared but the lift trebled, i almost specked out and lost it, then 2 minutes later the lift just vanished, Thermal?

Classic signs of a thermal out in front. The wind drops beacuse the air is getting sucked away from you up inot the thermal.

 An electric powered Blaster 2.  

Sounds interesting Gary, my discus launch is one of my all time favourite models. It'll be good to see a powered one in action, what setup are you going for?

Was meant to be practising for the F3F on sunday

heading to the left was great but heading to the right i could hardly move  lol
not a good practise at all

heading to the left was great but heading to the right i could hardly move  lol
not a good practise at all

unless the wind is bang on there'll always be a faster leg

Not sure what set-up I'll go for yet with the Blaster, but I'm thinking of a fairly weak lightweight motor rather than aiming for hotliner performance - I want to keep it as light and DLGish as possible ... hmmm ... what's the bet I somehow end up overpowering it anyway?

a few guys at Thurnham are flying those Greatplane built up wing warm liner things, AUW seems to be around the 18 or 20oz mark, they climb at about 45deg (or 90 with three cells) and still soar really well

Keep it light !

The motor is only a means of 'getting it up' rather than bungee/aerotow/discus launch.

Paul, got a link for those Great plane jobs ?

Paul that link you gave me for I. O. Sheppy yacht club was great, I checked it this morning wind was spot on, John and myself shot over there, the lift was great and we had a very good time with the whole slope to ourselves.
But with me not being to hot at it I did finish up on one of my landings 13' into a bramble bush ouch!, my plane now has lots of red on it. Its of to Holly Hill Friday, I need the practice.

I thought they were these Thunder Tiger E-Hawk 1500s:

Thunder Tiger eHawk 1500 Glider (with Brushless Motor) - TT4344XX - ModelmaniacsOnline.Co.Uk

Quite nice little warmliners, but I think not enough performance for you, DelUK.  Maybe a Simprop Lift Off or some other hotliner like that would better suit your more advanced flying skills.  Fancy the Banana myself, you can get it with two fuses, a glider and an electric, really nice.

Hi NSEW, welcome to the forum...

Sorry to burst your bubble mate, but you need a south to south east wind to soar at Holly Hill. Friday looks an easterly all day... ... It will be coming practically left to right across the slope there. We're a bit stuffed for an easterly here on the North downs I think...unless there's a site I've not heard of yet (which is possible). We have all directions covered really on the ND apart from a pure easterly..

If you can get away on Monday, it looks at the moment to be going round SW again for Thurnham or Blue Bell Hill, but the latter isn't really a beginners slope as you need to land coming up the slope which sometimes has public moving obsticals on it.. Thurnham (also called Castle Hill) is a great beginners slope with easy landing. The only down side is paragliders also fly there up to about a 15mph wind..

Cheers...

Paul, got a link for those Great plane jobs ?

Gary got the link, I got the names wrong...sorry 'bout that, I'm trying to spin a few too many plates at the moment....

But with me not being to hot at it I did finish up on one of my landings 13' into a bramble bush ouch!

I've seen a 12' job go into the side of someones house up there  I think the guy launched with the all moving tail rods not located through the bell crank, so the tailplane just kinda 'all moved' by itself!

I've often looked at the hills at Cliffe Woods/Chattenden, as I drive past to fly at the GAC field at Cliffe.  You would be very close to the GAC field, inside the min distance BMFA guidelines I believe, so not recommended on 35MHz, but OK on 2.4GHz.  I don't believe there is enough steepness in the slope for it to be worthwhile.  I'm sure there is just about enough lift to sustain a model, but nothing more.  If you have a look, drop in to the GAC field near Rye St Farm, I might be there (although probably not Sunday if the ESSA F3F is a goer)

Simon

I took a walk up there some years back, and I'm sure you can see the club field from the top. So yes 2.4Ghz only!

I look at that hill every day I drive home from work.
Theres no way its gunna work for any sloping just not steep enough.
WOuld be nice if it was ok.
The other issue is that there is another MFC near to kingsnorth power station just the other side of high halstow,
I have often thought that some F3J models during the Gravesend open would fly over high halstow and would be very close to the kingsnorth MFC (what ever the club is called !)

I'm a member of GAC and the NDMFC at High Halstow/Hoo/Kingsnorth, so I was only thinking of it as a Monday/Friday fling slope which is no fly days at both clubs and would have posted it as such on here.

I thought that would get your attention Jon and Simon...   I think I'll put my EDF going in the other Sunday after climbout down to someone trying out that slope and sucking it into the ground...

Just in case anyone ever saw me up there and fancied having a go, it's probably a bad idea to start flying there anyway, so I've removed my message flagging it up..

I'll follow yout lead on that one David

Anyone ever flown at Ightham?  Apparently there's quite a good slope there but it's hard to spot from the road (it's below the road).

Gary, ever fly from this spot at Colley ?

Inglis Memorial, Colley Hill:: OS grid TQ2552 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square!

Looks like this is facing WSW which would appear to work from this particular spot.

How versatile is Colley for wind directions ?

I suspect SW is it's limit looking at the aerial photo here. The memorial is a bit further east from the main bowl towards Reigate hill.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=sj8758gzfq27&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=28596949&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

That part of Colley Hill with the rotunda on it is rumoured to be not for flying, you're supposed to fly to the west of that apparently.  But it wouldn't make much difference, Colley Hill is still very limited for wind direction because it's at the head of a valley, it only works well in S and SSW winds.  I know that slope very well (it's 20 mins from my place) and I've tried all sorts of wind directions, but really S to SSW is when it's a pleasure, SW is okay, but anything outside that and it's not much fun.

Also, DelUK, I wouldn't fly your scale glider there (ASW27 of 2.6 metres or so is it? - sorry I don't know scale gliders very well) because the landing is always turbulent and there would be too much risk of cartwheeling it.

However, for tough planes, on the right day when the wind happens to be working perfectly, Colley Hill is one of my favourite slopes because of the mega lift.  In my opinion it's the only slope on the entire North Downs that can match the best South Downs slopes for lift.

Thanks Gary I'll have to give Colley another go soon. The first time I had the Mrs in tow and it was shall we say, a brief visit !

I'll let you know if I come over.

Definitely let's get together on Colley some time.

I had another look a Holly Hill yesterday since I was in the area.  No wind at all so I just mucked about a bit with a little powered flying wing.  But what a great slope!  I'll have to give it its own section on the Slopehunter website, it deserves more than a mention under Castle Hill. 

Bumped into another forumite there, David M, here's a pic of his plane - the tidiest rc conversion of a Multiplex Fox I've seen. 

Those of us in/near Kent must get together on Holly Hill next time it's southeast or SSE wind. 

AT THURNHAM ALMOST NO WIND

it will probably be the wrong direction too......