The InTermounTaIn Silent Flyers (IMSF) has delivered
another first-rate destination Soaring event. Each iteration seems to
get better, and Soar Utah 2010, the eighth in the series, was without
a doubt the best yet. The weather was superb, the people were great,
and the home-club support of travelers was unparalleled.
Have you ever been served three meals a day on the slope? On
Saturday the IMSF delivered a pancake breakfast, a handmade bag
lunch, and a catered dinner of pulled pork and chicken, not to
mention that it supplied soda and bottled water all day for four days
for up to 120 people.
Soar utah was held Friday September 3 through Monday
September 6 (Labor Day) in Grantsville, Draper, and Farmington,
Utah, all of which are near Salt Lake City.
There were 70 registered pilots from
California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii,
Minnesota, Montana, New York, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and
Canada.
Friday was focused on aerotow, and
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were slopeflying
days. The winds cooperated, and I
flew slope each of five days in a row. The
more adventurous pilots among us flew the
backside (Dynamic Soaring, or DS) four of
those five days.
The mountainous topography near Salt
Lake City is well suited for Slope Soaring.
The centerpiece flying site is Point of the
Mountain (POTM) ridge: a sandbar formed
in prehistoric Lake Bonneville. POTM ridge
projects to the west from the Wasatch Range
of the Rocky Mountains onto the plateau
between the Great Salt Lake to the north and
Utah Lake to the south.
The POTM itself, which rises 400 feet
above the valley floor, makes an excellent
slope-flying ridge on both the north and
south sides, not only for RC sailplane pilots
but also for parasailors and hang gliders.
The north side of POTM ridge features
the City of Draper Flight Park, and on the
south side is the State of Utah Flight Park. I
do not know of another location in the
country that features this much government
support of RC flying and other air sports.
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
The magic of Soaring in Utah
Phil Herrington’s “Parrothead” P-40 Warhawk flies at the POTM North Side Flight Park
on Sunday afternoon. The 72-inch-span model was built from a Leading Edge Gliders kit.
Wid Tolman (L) is a key architect and powerhouse developer of
Soar Utah 2010. Russell Bowman (R) expertly flies an F3F
sailplane from Francis Peak.
A Scale electric tow airplane and a Scale sailplane during an aerotow at Grantsville
salt flat flying site during Aerotow Day on Friday.
Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA) brings his Multiplex DG-600 in
for a landing after a Scale flight-judging round at the POTM South
site—the Soar Utah “main hill.”
December 2010 123
12sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 10/22/10 8:50 AM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
Lee Chaplin (Draper UT) scratch-built/stick-built this Hall
Cherokee flown during a Scale flight-judging round. Lee took
second in Nostalgia class.
Is this a color photo from WW II? No, it’s Phil Herrington’s
(Boulder CO) North American P-51 Mustang with Utah Lake in
the background during a Scale flight-judging round.
was enough wind and enough ridgeline that sport Slope Soaring
continued all morning and all afternoon. A couple of PSS models
were displayed but not launched; pilots figured that they needed
winds of 20 mph or more, which we did not get that day.
Saturday evening featured the barbecue dinner, presentation of
awards, and raffle at the POTM South flying site. Many thanks to
the makers and manufacturers who contributed generously to make
the raffle a success. There is a sponsor list at the end of this column.
• Sunday, September 5—Informal Flying: This was another sunny
day with light south wind in the morning. Any sailplane with a wing
loading of 10 ounces per square inch or fewer could fly on the south
side of POTM.
The scheduled foamie race was not run because of a lack of
participants. The F3F course was set up but used little.
There was plenty of sport-flying in the morning. We had another
bag lunch on the hill as the wind began to turn around to the north,
which it does most days.
Probably 40 fliers enjoyed a sunny day with the sun at our backs
at the City of Draper Flight Park as the wind built throughout the
afternoon. This location is remarkable, with sod, park benches, and
flush-toilet restrooms.
For the second day the RC fliers had exclusive use of the skies;
hang gliders and parasailors stayed away by agreement. This was
the fourth day in a row that pilots flew DS on the mountain ridge
above the POTM, and IMSF President Spencer Deputy set a hill
speed record of 221 mph.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. a highly visible cold front blew
through and the air temperature dropped 20° in 20 minutes. On
Sunday evening Salt Lake City tied a low-temperature record of 44°,
set in 1884.
• Monday, September 6—Trek to Francis Peak: For event Day Four
we were scheduled for Alpine Soaring at Francis Peak, which is
We also flew at Francis Peak—an Alpine flying site north of Salt
Lake City—that is soarable in west winds and in slope lift mixed with
thermals. The elevation at Francis Peak is 9,547 feet, which is more
than a mile higher than the Great Salt Lake at 4,196 feet, and it
features an incredible view of the lake and the lands on both sides of
the Wasatch Mountain Range.
Following is a day-by-day summary of the activities at Soar Utah
2010.
• Thursday September 2—Informal flying: The weather was sunny
and 80° with north winds at 5-10 mph.
Early-arriving RC pilots flew on the north side of POTM and put
down to make way for parasailors who launched late in the afternoon.
By agreement between the IMSF and the hang-gliding association,
both sides of POTM were reserved for RC pilots on Saturday and
Sunday.
• Friday September 3—Aerotow: The weather was sunny and 85°,
with south winds of 10-15 mph.
I flew for close to three hours on the south side of POTM before
heading to the dry lake at Grantsville. There the conditions were
excellent for aerotow, with bright sun and little wind.
It looked like there were 40 or more Scale sailplanes and Scale
electric-powered and powerful fuel-power tow models. Winches were
provided for those who wanted to fly thermal but brought sailplanes
that were not rigged for aerotow.
• Saturday September 4—Main Event: The day dawned sunny with
10 mph south winds that built speed throughout the day—fine
conditions for flying on the south side of POTM. We started at 8 a.m.
on the hill with a pancake breakfast; by then the south wind was
blowing at a steady 15 mph.
Scale judging in the late morning held the attention of pilots and
casual observers alike. It was a low-pressure contest, and scores were
a total of three components: judged flight scores, static judging, and
pilots’ choice votes. The broad variety of Scale sailplanes included
Nostalgia, Modern, and PSS (Power Slope Scale) warbirds.
At noontime we were served delicious bag lunches. Many of us
ate together in a huge sunshade-and-windbreak tent that the creative
and energetic IMSF club members designed and built.
This structure was enormous—roughly 40 x 60 feet in my
estimation—and tables and chairs for more than 50 people were
provided. The IMSF served soda for $1 and bottled water for free all
day, every day.
F3F racing was a new event at Soar Utah, and it provided
excitement for both racers and spectators. Participants included
experienced contestants and newcomers to the class, and it gave us
the opportunity to see some very quick sailplanes rip turns on the
west slope face.
Frequency control was provided throughout the day, and there
12sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 10/22/10 8:50 AM Page 124
north of Salt Lake City near Farmington.
The morning weather was sunny with a light
west wind.
Those who have flown thermals know
that a cool night and a warm day tend to
bring good thermal lift conditions. All signs
pointed to a fine flying day, and close to 25
pilots joined the hill climb with Labor Day
sightseer traffic on the windy gravel
mountain road up to the Peak.
Once at the site, several commented that
although there was lift, it was cycling. There
was enough down air to rob many of us of
the confidence to launch off of the
mountain.
No matter; on this clear day the scenery
was stunning and the company was jovial.
Temperatures were pleasantly warm.
As the afternoon passed, conditions
improved steadily and flying started. The
Canadians led with their high-end F3B and
F3F sailplanes, and others launched with
electric-powered gliders. The motors were
used not so much to launch as to get out of
trouble in an extended sink situation.
The lift kept getting better, and it seemed
as though any pilot could get as much stick
time as desired. Some flew until sunset. This
was the best Francis Peak flying day at any
of the five Soar Utahs I’ve attended.
The IMSF did a fabulous job of planning
and presenting Soar Utah 2010. Although
we did not have a day with legendary 40-50
mph winds for the heaviest and fastest Slope
Soarers, we did have steady enough, light,
and moderate winds, to fly the front sides on
five days and DS the backsides on four days.
Many thanks to the IMSF crew for
another fine Soar Utah. Thanks also to the
generous sponsors, who deserve our
support. MA
Soar Utah Scale Winners
Nostalgia
1. David Alchin (Modesto CA), Berlin HFS
Helios
2. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), Hall Cherokee
3. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), DSK BJ-1
Duster
Modern
1. Larry Bennington (Eden UT), Glaser-
Dirks DG-800S
2. Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA),
Glaser-Dirks DG-600
3. Only two models were entered—an
opportunity for 2012?
PSS
1. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), Lockheed
P-38 Lightning
2. Cory Dennert (Idaho Falls ID), Curtiss P-
40 Warhawk
3. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), North
American P-51 Mustang
F3F Race Winners
1. Nick Stong (Boulder CO)
2. Dan Heaton (Salt Lake City UT)
3. Ron Mendel (Salt Lake City UT)
Sponsors:
Art Hobby
(406) 545-4118
www.arthobby.com
Hill Racer:
Marty Hill
[email protected]
L2 Airframes
www.l2airframes.com
Leading Edge Gliders
(785) 525-6263
www.leadingedgegliders.com
North County Flying Machines
(858) 485-1137
www.northcountyflyingmachines.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
Skip Miller Models
(303) 442-6454
www.skipmillermodels.com
Wid Tolman
WOW Racers:
Spencer Deputy
[email protected]
Wyoming Wind Works
(605) 431-4773
www.wyowindworks.com
Sources:
Soar Utah 2010 Official Web Site
www.soarutah.org
Soar Utah 2010 Thread on RC Groups
(discussion, photos, videos):
http://bit.ly/8YjMPz
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,125
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,125
The InTermounTaIn Silent Flyers (IMSF) has delivered
another first-rate destination Soaring event. Each iteration seems to
get better, and Soar Utah 2010, the eighth in the series, was without
a doubt the best yet. The weather was superb, the people were great,
and the home-club support of travelers was unparalleled.
Have you ever been served three meals a day on the slope? On
Saturday the IMSF delivered a pancake breakfast, a handmade bag
lunch, and a catered dinner of pulled pork and chicken, not to
mention that it supplied soda and bottled water all day for four days
for up to 120 people.
Soar utah was held Friday September 3 through Monday
September 6 (Labor Day) in Grantsville, Draper, and Farmington,
Utah, all of which are near Salt Lake City.
There were 70 registered pilots from
California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii,
Minnesota, Montana, New York, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and
Canada.
Friday was focused on aerotow, and
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were slopeflying
days. The winds cooperated, and I
flew slope each of five days in a row. The
more adventurous pilots among us flew the
backside (Dynamic Soaring, or DS) four of
those five days.
The mountainous topography near Salt
Lake City is well suited for Slope Soaring.
The centerpiece flying site is Point of the
Mountain (POTM) ridge: a sandbar formed
in prehistoric Lake Bonneville. POTM ridge
projects to the west from the Wasatch Range
of the Rocky Mountains onto the plateau
between the Great Salt Lake to the north and
Utah Lake to the south.
The POTM itself, which rises 400 feet
above the valley floor, makes an excellent
slope-flying ridge on both the north and
south sides, not only for RC sailplane pilots
but also for parasailors and hang gliders.
The north side of POTM ridge features
the City of Draper Flight Park, and on the
south side is the State of Utah Flight Park. I
do not know of another location in the
country that features this much government
support of RC flying and other air sports.
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
The magic of Soaring in Utah
Phil Herrington’s “Parrothead” P-40 Warhawk flies at the POTM North Side Flight Park
on Sunday afternoon. The 72-inch-span model was built from a Leading Edge Gliders kit.
Wid Tolman (L) is a key architect and powerhouse developer of
Soar Utah 2010. Russell Bowman (R) expertly flies an F3F
sailplane from Francis Peak.
A Scale electric tow airplane and a Scale sailplane during an aerotow at Grantsville
salt flat flying site during Aerotow Day on Friday.
Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA) brings his Multiplex DG-600 in
for a landing after a Scale flight-judging round at the POTM South
site—the Soar Utah “main hill.”
December 2010 123
12sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 10/22/10 8:50 AM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
Lee Chaplin (Draper UT) scratch-built/stick-built this Hall
Cherokee flown during a Scale flight-judging round. Lee took
second in Nostalgia class.
Is this a color photo from WW II? No, it’s Phil Herrington’s
(Boulder CO) North American P-51 Mustang with Utah Lake in
the background during a Scale flight-judging round.
was enough wind and enough ridgeline that sport Slope Soaring
continued all morning and all afternoon. A couple of PSS models
were displayed but not launched; pilots figured that they needed
winds of 20 mph or more, which we did not get that day.
Saturday evening featured the barbecue dinner, presentation of
awards, and raffle at the POTM South flying site. Many thanks to
the makers and manufacturers who contributed generously to make
the raffle a success. There is a sponsor list at the end of this column.
• Sunday, September 5—Informal Flying: This was another sunny
day with light south wind in the morning. Any sailplane with a wing
loading of 10 ounces per square inch or fewer could fly on the south
side of POTM.
The scheduled foamie race was not run because of a lack of
participants. The F3F course was set up but used little.
There was plenty of sport-flying in the morning. We had another
bag lunch on the hill as the wind began to turn around to the north,
which it does most days.
Probably 40 fliers enjoyed a sunny day with the sun at our backs
at the City of Draper Flight Park as the wind built throughout the
afternoon. This location is remarkable, with sod, park benches, and
flush-toilet restrooms.
For the second day the RC fliers had exclusive use of the skies;
hang gliders and parasailors stayed away by agreement. This was
the fourth day in a row that pilots flew DS on the mountain ridge
above the POTM, and IMSF President Spencer Deputy set a hill
speed record of 221 mph.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. a highly visible cold front blew
through and the air temperature dropped 20° in 20 minutes. On
Sunday evening Salt Lake City tied a low-temperature record of 44°,
set in 1884.
• Monday, September 6—Trek to Francis Peak: For event Day Four
we were scheduled for Alpine Soaring at Francis Peak, which is
We also flew at Francis Peak—an Alpine flying site north of Salt
Lake City—that is soarable in west winds and in slope lift mixed with
thermals. The elevation at Francis Peak is 9,547 feet, which is more
than a mile higher than the Great Salt Lake at 4,196 feet, and it
features an incredible view of the lake and the lands on both sides of
the Wasatch Mountain Range.
Following is a day-by-day summary of the activities at Soar Utah
2010.
• Thursday September 2—Informal flying: The weather was sunny
and 80° with north winds at 5-10 mph.
Early-arriving RC pilots flew on the north side of POTM and put
down to make way for parasailors who launched late in the afternoon.
By agreement between the IMSF and the hang-gliding association,
both sides of POTM were reserved for RC pilots on Saturday and
Sunday.
• Friday September 3—Aerotow: The weather was sunny and 85°,
with south winds of 10-15 mph.
I flew for close to three hours on the south side of POTM before
heading to the dry lake at Grantsville. There the conditions were
excellent for aerotow, with bright sun and little wind.
It looked like there were 40 or more Scale sailplanes and Scale
electric-powered and powerful fuel-power tow models. Winches were
provided for those who wanted to fly thermal but brought sailplanes
that were not rigged for aerotow.
• Saturday September 4—Main Event: The day dawned sunny with
10 mph south winds that built speed throughout the day—fine
conditions for flying on the south side of POTM. We started at 8 a.m.
on the hill with a pancake breakfast; by then the south wind was
blowing at a steady 15 mph.
Scale judging in the late morning held the attention of pilots and
casual observers alike. It was a low-pressure contest, and scores were
a total of three components: judged flight scores, static judging, and
pilots’ choice votes. The broad variety of Scale sailplanes included
Nostalgia, Modern, and PSS (Power Slope Scale) warbirds.
At noontime we were served delicious bag lunches. Many of us
ate together in a huge sunshade-and-windbreak tent that the creative
and energetic IMSF club members designed and built.
This structure was enormous—roughly 40 x 60 feet in my
estimation—and tables and chairs for more than 50 people were
provided. The IMSF served soda for $1 and bottled water for free all
day, every day.
F3F racing was a new event at Soar Utah, and it provided
excitement for both racers and spectators. Participants included
experienced contestants and newcomers to the class, and it gave us
the opportunity to see some very quick sailplanes rip turns on the
west slope face.
Frequency control was provided throughout the day, and there
12sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 10/22/10 8:50 AM Page 124
north of Salt Lake City near Farmington.
The morning weather was sunny with a light
west wind.
Those who have flown thermals know
that a cool night and a warm day tend to
bring good thermal lift conditions. All signs
pointed to a fine flying day, and close to 25
pilots joined the hill climb with Labor Day
sightseer traffic on the windy gravel
mountain road up to the Peak.
Once at the site, several commented that
although there was lift, it was cycling. There
was enough down air to rob many of us of
the confidence to launch off of the
mountain.
No matter; on this clear day the scenery
was stunning and the company was jovial.
Temperatures were pleasantly warm.
As the afternoon passed, conditions
improved steadily and flying started. The
Canadians led with their high-end F3B and
F3F sailplanes, and others launched with
electric-powered gliders. The motors were
used not so much to launch as to get out of
trouble in an extended sink situation.
The lift kept getting better, and it seemed
as though any pilot could get as much stick
time as desired. Some flew until sunset. This
was the best Francis Peak flying day at any
of the five Soar Utahs I’ve attended.
The IMSF did a fabulous job of planning
and presenting Soar Utah 2010. Although
we did not have a day with legendary 40-50
mph winds for the heaviest and fastest Slope
Soarers, we did have steady enough, light,
and moderate winds, to fly the front sides on
five days and DS the backsides on four days.
Many thanks to the IMSF crew for
another fine Soar Utah. Thanks also to the
generous sponsors, who deserve our
support. MA
Soar Utah Scale Winners
Nostalgia
1. David Alchin (Modesto CA), Berlin HFS
Helios
2. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), Hall Cherokee
3. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), DSK BJ-1
Duster
Modern
1. Larry Bennington (Eden UT), Glaser-
Dirks DG-800S
2. Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA),
Glaser-Dirks DG-600
3. Only two models were entered—an
opportunity for 2012?
PSS
1. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), Lockheed
P-38 Lightning
2. Cory Dennert (Idaho Falls ID), Curtiss P-
40 Warhawk
3. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), North
American P-51 Mustang
F3F Race Winners
1. Nick Stong (Boulder CO)
2. Dan Heaton (Salt Lake City UT)
3. Ron Mendel (Salt Lake City UT)
Sponsors:
Art Hobby
(406) 545-4118
www.arthobby.com
Hill Racer:
Marty Hill
[email protected]
L2 Airframes
www.l2airframes.com
Leading Edge Gliders
(785) 525-6263
www.leadingedgegliders.com
North County Flying Machines
(858) 485-1137
www.northcountyflyingmachines.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
Skip Miller Models
(303) 442-6454
www.skipmillermodels.com
Wid Tolman
WOW Racers:
Spencer Deputy
[email protected]
Wyoming Wind Works
(605) 431-4773
www.wyowindworks.com
Sources:
Soar Utah 2010 Official Web Site
www.soarutah.org
Soar Utah 2010 Thread on RC Groups
(discussion, photos, videos):
http://bit.ly/8YjMPz
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/12
Page Numbers: 123,124,125
The InTermounTaIn Silent Flyers (IMSF) has delivered
another first-rate destination Soaring event. Each iteration seems to
get better, and Soar Utah 2010, the eighth in the series, was without
a doubt the best yet. The weather was superb, the people were great,
and the home-club support of travelers was unparalleled.
Have you ever been served three meals a day on the slope? On
Saturday the IMSF delivered a pancake breakfast, a handmade bag
lunch, and a catered dinner of pulled pork and chicken, not to
mention that it supplied soda and bottled water all day for four days
for up to 120 people.
Soar utah was held Friday September 3 through Monday
September 6 (Labor Day) in Grantsville, Draper, and Farmington,
Utah, all of which are near Salt Lake City.
There were 70 registered pilots from
California, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii,
Minnesota, Montana, New York, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and
Canada.
Friday was focused on aerotow, and
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were slopeflying
days. The winds cooperated, and I
flew slope each of five days in a row. The
more adventurous pilots among us flew the
backside (Dynamic Soaring, or DS) four of
those five days.
The mountainous topography near Salt
Lake City is well suited for Slope Soaring.
The centerpiece flying site is Point of the
Mountain (POTM) ridge: a sandbar formed
in prehistoric Lake Bonneville. POTM ridge
projects to the west from the Wasatch Range
of the Rocky Mountains onto the plateau
between the Great Salt Lake to the north and
Utah Lake to the south.
The POTM itself, which rises 400 feet
above the valley floor, makes an excellent
slope-flying ridge on both the north and
south sides, not only for RC sailplane pilots
but also for parasailors and hang gliders.
The north side of POTM ridge features
the City of Draper Flight Park, and on the
south side is the State of Utah Flight Park. I
do not know of another location in the
country that features this much government
support of RC flying and other air sports.
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Slope Soaring Dave Garwood
The magic of Soaring in Utah
Phil Herrington’s “Parrothead” P-40 Warhawk flies at the POTM North Side Flight Park
on Sunday afternoon. The 72-inch-span model was built from a Leading Edge Gliders kit.
Wid Tolman (L) is a key architect and powerhouse developer of
Soar Utah 2010. Russell Bowman (R) expertly flies an F3F
sailplane from Francis Peak.
A Scale electric tow airplane and a Scale sailplane during an aerotow at Grantsville
salt flat flying site during Aerotow Day on Friday.
Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA) brings his Multiplex DG-600 in
for a landing after a Scale flight-judging round at the POTM South
site—the Soar Utah “main hill.”
December 2010 123
12sig4x_00MSTRPG.QXD 10/22/10 8:50 AM Page 123
124 MODEL AVIATION
Lee Chaplin (Draper UT) scratch-built/stick-built this Hall
Cherokee flown during a Scale flight-judging round. Lee took
second in Nostalgia class.
Is this a color photo from WW II? No, it’s Phil Herrington’s
(Boulder CO) North American P-51 Mustang with Utah Lake in
the background during a Scale flight-judging round.
was enough wind and enough ridgeline that sport Slope Soaring
continued all morning and all afternoon. A couple of PSS models
were displayed but not launched; pilots figured that they needed
winds of 20 mph or more, which we did not get that day.
Saturday evening featured the barbecue dinner, presentation of
awards, and raffle at the POTM South flying site. Many thanks to
the makers and manufacturers who contributed generously to make
the raffle a success. There is a sponsor list at the end of this column.
• Sunday, September 5—Informal Flying: This was another sunny
day with light south wind in the morning. Any sailplane with a wing
loading of 10 ounces per square inch or fewer could fly on the south
side of POTM.
The scheduled foamie race was not run because of a lack of
participants. The F3F course was set up but used little.
There was plenty of sport-flying in the morning. We had another
bag lunch on the hill as the wind began to turn around to the north,
which it does most days.
Probably 40 fliers enjoyed a sunny day with the sun at our backs
at the City of Draper Flight Park as the wind built throughout the
afternoon. This location is remarkable, with sod, park benches, and
flush-toilet restrooms.
For the second day the RC fliers had exclusive use of the skies;
hang gliders and parasailors stayed away by agreement. This was
the fourth day in a row that pilots flew DS on the mountain ridge
above the POTM, and IMSF President Spencer Deputy set a hill
speed record of 221 mph.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. a highly visible cold front blew
through and the air temperature dropped 20° in 20 minutes. On
Sunday evening Salt Lake City tied a low-temperature record of 44°,
set in 1884.
• Monday, September 6—Trek to Francis Peak: For event Day Four
we were scheduled for Alpine Soaring at Francis Peak, which is
We also flew at Francis Peak—an Alpine flying site north of Salt
Lake City—that is soarable in west winds and in slope lift mixed with
thermals. The elevation at Francis Peak is 9,547 feet, which is more
than a mile higher than the Great Salt Lake at 4,196 feet, and it
features an incredible view of the lake and the lands on both sides of
the Wasatch Mountain Range.
Following is a day-by-day summary of the activities at Soar Utah
2010.
• Thursday September 2—Informal flying: The weather was sunny
and 80° with north winds at 5-10 mph.
Early-arriving RC pilots flew on the north side of POTM and put
down to make way for parasailors who launched late in the afternoon.
By agreement between the IMSF and the hang-gliding association,
both sides of POTM were reserved for RC pilots on Saturday and
Sunday.
• Friday September 3—Aerotow: The weather was sunny and 85°,
with south winds of 10-15 mph.
I flew for close to three hours on the south side of POTM before
heading to the dry lake at Grantsville. There the conditions were
excellent for aerotow, with bright sun and little wind.
It looked like there were 40 or more Scale sailplanes and Scale
electric-powered and powerful fuel-power tow models. Winches were
provided for those who wanted to fly thermal but brought sailplanes
that were not rigged for aerotow.
• Saturday September 4—Main Event: The day dawned sunny with
10 mph south winds that built speed throughout the day—fine
conditions for flying on the south side of POTM. We started at 8 a.m.
on the hill with a pancake breakfast; by then the south wind was
blowing at a steady 15 mph.
Scale judging in the late morning held the attention of pilots and
casual observers alike. It was a low-pressure contest, and scores were
a total of three components: judged flight scores, static judging, and
pilots’ choice votes. The broad variety of Scale sailplanes included
Nostalgia, Modern, and PSS (Power Slope Scale) warbirds.
At noontime we were served delicious bag lunches. Many of us
ate together in a huge sunshade-and-windbreak tent that the creative
and energetic IMSF club members designed and built.
This structure was enormous—roughly 40 x 60 feet in my
estimation—and tables and chairs for more than 50 people were
provided. The IMSF served soda for $1 and bottled water for free all
day, every day.
F3F racing was a new event at Soar Utah, and it provided
excitement for both racers and spectators. Participants included
experienced contestants and newcomers to the class, and it gave us
the opportunity to see some very quick sailplanes rip turns on the
west slope face.
Frequency control was provided throughout the day, and there
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north of Salt Lake City near Farmington.
The morning weather was sunny with a light
west wind.
Those who have flown thermals know
that a cool night and a warm day tend to
bring good thermal lift conditions. All signs
pointed to a fine flying day, and close to 25
pilots joined the hill climb with Labor Day
sightseer traffic on the windy gravel
mountain road up to the Peak.
Once at the site, several commented that
although there was lift, it was cycling. There
was enough down air to rob many of us of
the confidence to launch off of the
mountain.
No matter; on this clear day the scenery
was stunning and the company was jovial.
Temperatures were pleasantly warm.
As the afternoon passed, conditions
improved steadily and flying started. The
Canadians led with their high-end F3B and
F3F sailplanes, and others launched with
electric-powered gliders. The motors were
used not so much to launch as to get out of
trouble in an extended sink situation.
The lift kept getting better, and it seemed
as though any pilot could get as much stick
time as desired. Some flew until sunset. This
was the best Francis Peak flying day at any
of the five Soar Utahs I’ve attended.
The IMSF did a fabulous job of planning
and presenting Soar Utah 2010. Although
we did not have a day with legendary 40-50
mph winds for the heaviest and fastest Slope
Soarers, we did have steady enough, light,
and moderate winds, to fly the front sides on
five days and DS the backsides on four days.
Many thanks to the IMSF crew for
another fine Soar Utah. Thanks also to the
generous sponsors, who deserve our
support. MA
Soar Utah Scale Winners
Nostalgia
1. David Alchin (Modesto CA), Berlin HFS
Helios
2. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), Hall Cherokee
3. Lee Chaplin (Draper UT), DSK BJ-1
Duster
Modern
1. Larry Bennington (Eden UT), Glaser-
Dirks DG-800S
2. Arthur Markievicz (San Diego CA),
Glaser-Dirks DG-600
3. Only two models were entered—an
opportunity for 2012?
PSS
1. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), Lockheed
P-38 Lightning
2. Cory Dennert (Idaho Falls ID), Curtiss P-
40 Warhawk
3. Phil Herrington (Boulder CO), North
American P-51 Mustang
F3F Race Winners
1. Nick Stong (Boulder CO)
2. Dan Heaton (Salt Lake City UT)
3. Ron Mendel (Salt Lake City UT)
Sponsors:
Art Hobby
(406) 545-4118
www.arthobby.com
Hill Racer:
Marty Hill
[email protected]
L2 Airframes
www.l2airframes.com
Leading Edge Gliders
(785) 525-6263
www.leadingedgegliders.com
North County Flying Machines
(858) 485-1137
www.northcountyflyingmachines.com
Peak Electronics
(800) 532-0092
www.siriuselectronics.com
Skip Miller Models
(303) 442-6454
www.skipmillermodels.com
Wid Tolman
WOW Racers:
Spencer Deputy
[email protected]
Wyoming Wind Works
(605) 431-4773
www.wyowindworks.com
Sources:
Soar Utah 2010 Official Web Site
www.soarutah.org
Soar Utah 2010 Thread on RC Groups
(discussion, photos, videos):
http://bit.ly/8YjMPz
League of Silent Flight
www.silentflight.org