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flyeslhost
158 Posts |
 Posted - 09/29/2005 : 03:21:01 AM
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By Paul Bell
09/29/05 - When I first started flying RC, my wife had given me a Mark Smith Windward for my birthday. I guess in its day it was a good ship with Clark Y (I think), constant chord and limited flight times. |
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flyeslhost
158 Posts |
Posted - 09/29/2005 : 03:22:15 AM
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By Paul Bell
09/29/05 - When I first started flying RC, my wife had given me a Mark Smith Windward for my birthday. I guess in its day it was a good ship with Clark Y (I think), constant chord and limited flight times. I couldn't find anyone who flew sailplanes nearby and, as a result I struggled mightily - paid my son 5 cents a flight to tow me up. He got tired. Wanted more $$. A friend suggested I try power so I could learn to fly and I did. The power club that I belonged to was not too interested in competitions and most seemed happy to bore holes in the sky and sit around talking shop.
I met Ron Farkas at Grumman, where we both worked. Ron was a local flier, magazine writer and had a sailplane! I bought an Aquila and with the help of Ron and George Myers managed to get it into the air. Then, Ron introduced me to Gordon Stratton of the LISF, who got me out a couple of times and then into my first LISF contest. Wow! Bill Meleski, Gordon, Josh Glaab (only a kid then), other big names I can't remember and a lot of good fliers. Meleski talked me into going to my first away contest at Millstone Valley. Wow again!! So long power club - hello sailplane club. Been a LISF and ESL member for about 30 years now.
So, I wasn't a very good flier. Could only afford inexpensive sailplanes with three kids, mortgage, college, etc. - same old story. Bought a couple of Sagitta kits (600 & 900), which were about $60 to $80 and copied the ribs, fuse sides and so on. Subsequently scratch built a lot of them to replace the ones I crashed. Moved up to a Windsong the next to the last year I was a Sportflyer in the ESL. I did pretty well (not top 10) but I had hope that the following year I could get into the top ten and maybe even number one. Alas, there was a fellow whose name I forget (again) who went to every ESL contest with his wife and young daughter. He had made a deal with his wife that if she supported his flying the tour for that year he would retire from flying and devote his time to his family. Well I didn't end up number one - he did. Maybe 6th. Not too bad, but not what I was hoping for. On to expert. Hey, I didn't see any wood the first year until the CASA contest at the National Geographic field where I came in fourth. Yahoo! The sad truth is that even after moving up to a Magic, I did not get into the ESL hardware at any contest ever again until about three years ago.
Finally got a couple of thirds and this year, I actually won an ESL contest because I outlasted - not outflew - everyone else. I used to have a goal of finishing in the top half or top ten or equivalent level. Lately, I have to admit that even that is hard to accomplish.
So, what? I keep going because I have beaten folks who have been, or were to become, the national unlimited champions. As they say in football.".on any given Sunday.".
So, we cannot allow the great fliers like Tom, Mike, Phil, Hans, Jeff, John, etc. to play in their own schoolyard. We have to go out there and kick their butts. You give up? Then, why bother going to contests.
I guess this does not sound too friendly. I know that our goal is to attract new fliers. My feeling is that you can do all of the things that have been discussed on the forums and many of them are good, even great, ideas. But, in my mind, nothing beats the personal touch. Maybe there are guys in you club that are flying electric or who are struggling with a poor sailplane. If you gave, or loaned, them an old sailplane that is just lying around your shop might make that jump. (Just because a plane is not state of the art, many caught a lot of thermals in their time.) Maybe if you hold their hand for a while. Painful to do sometimes, but the satisfaction when they catch the first thermal is tough to describe. Maybe when we go to the club and ESL contests we should follow the suggestion to mentor a Sportflyer, or new flier. Trim airplanes, launch for them, time for them, help them understand thermal activity. Dos and don'ts to keep them out of trouble. Train them to be good timers too. (I vaguely remember getting a charge from some of the Greats, who said I did a good job of timing even though I was a newbie. - vaguely). Perhaps you have a young neighbor who you could take to the field. Give them a taste.
Who knows?
And while you are doing this you might beat some of the good guys too.
Paul Bell
See it: http://lisf.org/ESL%20Sept%2005.htm
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On any given Sunday . . .
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