F3J World Championship - 2011/05

24 MODEL AVIATION
by Mike Verzuh
Dave Kalamen (who is in the US Air Force) proudly carries the
American flag for the US team. French Soaring support produced
200-300 spectators for the opening ceremonies. Local media were
on hand as each team proudly marched past the crowd.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:15 AM Page 24
US Soaring
team finds pure
gold in France
0481
Above: Daryl Perkins pilots his Icon 2 to a
World Championship-winning round. Cody
Remington, a former Junior World Champion,
reads the air and spots for Daryl.
Below: Daryl Perkins and Junior Team Manager
D ave B e a r dsley ( righ t) c a l l f or Bre n do n
Beardsl e y (center) a s h e pi lo ts h is wa y to a
World Championship.
Cody Remington (holding model in foreground) and Arend
Borst (holding model in background), in perfect throwing
synchronization, ensure that their sailplanes are released
milliseconds after the foghorn blasts from the field
loudspeakers. If the aircraft is released before the horn, the
pilot must relaunch—taking what could be a championshipeliminating
point loss.
HOW MUCH TOTAL energy is
involved when 15 high-performance
sailplanes, built from state-of-the-art
carbon fiber and fiberglass
technology, are simultaneously
rocketed higher than 600 feet in less
than 6 total seconds, using 30 strong
towmen and 150 meters of morethan-
200-pound-test monofilament
line?
Nothing compares to the
excitement of a mass F3J (FAI RC
Thermal Duration Soaring)
competition launch, and the 2010
F3J World Championship, held last
summer in France, was the place to
be. If you couldn’t make it, I’ll
share a bit of the excitement with
you.
The 2010 US F3J Soaring team
Photos by Jim Laurel
May 2011 25
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:19 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
A look down pit row. Every team was provided a tent for shelter for the day and
storage space for their models at night. The US contingent was front and center in the
pit area.
Right: Pilots march
to the correct flight
lane, taking the
field following the
completion of a
previous round.
The dai ly World
C h a m p i o n s h i p
routine ran similarly
to that of a marching
band, preparing and
then taking to the
field to dazzle the
crowd.
Senior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Daryl Perkins (USA) 4994.6
2. Benedikt Feigl (Germany) 4990.8
3. Carl Strautins (Austria) 4989.9
4. Joe Wurts (New Zealand) 4989.3
5. Arend Borst (Canada) 4987.1
6. Philip Kolb (Germany) 4980.7
7. Tobias Lammlein (Germany) 4976.2
8. Primoz Rizner (Slovenia) 4966.8
9. Ricardas Siumbrys (Lithuania) 4907.5
10. Kristof Pavel (Czech Republic) 4879.5
11. Les Stockley (New Zealand) 4725.1
12. Scott Chisholm (New Zealand) 4708.8
13. Jo Grini (Norway) 4694.6
14. Jan Hlastec (Slovenia) 4510.7
15. Marlon Luz (Brazil) 4005.4
Junior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Brendon Beardsley (USA) 4996.0
2. Arijan Hucaljuk (Croatia) 4995.4
3. Jan Littva (Slovakia) 4989.7
4. Connor Laurel (USA) 4987.8
5. Giovanni Gallizia (Italy) 4981.5
6. Manuel Reinecke (Germany) 4972.9
7. Carlo Gallizia (Italy) 4970.1
8. Tomás Kadlec (Czech Republic) 4965.1
9. Arnou Verheijen (Belgium) 4959.7
10. Jason Weber (South Africa) 4957.3
11. Robin Galeazzi (France) 4953.7
12. Mas Finck (Germany) 4945.9
13. Michael Knight (USA) 4873.6
14. Meolic Metod (Slovenia) 4757.8
15. Miro Suver (Croatia) 4439.7
Championship
Results
F 3 J W o r l d
Fifteen sets of towers
put all of their strength
into the 150-meter
launch lines, to get
their pilots’ gliders
airborne. In the
foreground are towcrew
members Frank
Burnoski and Phil
Barnes. This is a lot of
energy!
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 12:11 PM Page 26
May 2011 27
Junior Connor Laurel (third model in, with white center
and red tips) is on his way to a perfect 100-point landing.
His sailplane’s wings are level, and he is dialed in to hit the
sp o t direct l y i n fr o nt o f him . A l e s s -t han - 1 -sec on d
touchdown time among all of these pilots demonstrates
the required timing precision.
Right: L-R: Te am Manag er
M i k e Ve r z u h, Ri c h a rd
Burnoski, and Daryl Perkins
return to the pit area after
co m pl e t i ng a s u c cessf u l
flight for Richard. This was
the ty p ic al order for each
r ound: a comp e tit or wi t h
t wo airp l an e s , b a cku p
transmitter, team manager,
and the pilot’s chosen caller.
The horn sounds, the clock is set for 15 minutes, and 15 highperformance
gliders rocket up simultaneously to start this
final round. Only 15 meters separates launch positions, so
outstanding pilot skills are required for safe launches.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins holds high the spoils of victory. On his left is second-place finisher Benedikt Feigl of Germany (the 2008 World
Champion), and on the right is Bronze Medal winner Carl Strautins of Austria.
The Gold Medal-winning Junior team holds the trophy aloft. From left to right are Michael Knight, who finished 13th; Connor Laurel,
who came in 4th; and World Champion Brendon Beardsley.
AMA
Skip Miller Models
Maple Leaf Design
Soaring USA
Airtronics
JR
Kennedy Composites
Radio Carbon Art
CST The Composites Store
Peak Electronics
XtremeFlyer.com
2010 US F3J Team Sponsors
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 28
30 MODEL AVIATION
is the most successful to date, capturing
four out of five top honors at the World
Championship. Daryl Perkins won the
Senior Gold Medal, Brendon Beardsley
won the Junior Gold Medal, the Junior team
won the Gold Medal, and Cody Remington
won the Jura Cup.
New Zealand captured the Senior Team
Gold Medal, led by Joe Wurts—a former
American who now resides in that country.
The F3J World Championship was held in
Dole-Tavaux, France, July 28-August 8, and
finished with a large banquet, complete with a
French flourish. More than 120 contestants
from 29 countries participated—43 Junior and
80 Senior pilots in all.
The US Senior team consisted of Seniors
Richard Burnoski, Daryl Perkins, and Cody
Remington. Junior competitors were Brendon
Beardsley, Michael Knight, and Connor
Laurel. There were also Chris Keller, Frank
Burnoski, Dave Kalamen, Phil Barnes, and
Richard Helgeson as towmen.
I was the team manager, and Dave
Beardsley was the Junior team manager.
Barry Kennedy and Jim Laurel were team
photographers. In addition, a number of
helpers and supporters contributed to the US
team’s success.
From the perspective of organization, an
F3J event this size is in stark contrast to a
typical US Thermal Duration event. Each
team manager is provided with a “matrix,” in
which all pilots and their flight groups are
identified with flightline lane assignments. No
one announces a contestant’s name for a
flight—ever.
The team managers communicate and
coordinate all the pilots and tow crews and the
flight order. If you don’t make it to the
flightline for your slot or your tow crew is not
ready, you earn a big, fat zero on the
scorecard.
Team organization and readiness at the
F3J World Championship are critical. And at
this contest, as in the past, the US team
excelled. Out of 12 preliminary and six flyoff
rounds for each pilot, we had zero problems
with equipment, line, personnel, or pilot
readiness.
The first flight started at 8 a.m. each day
(not 8:01). Round number and group number
announcements were made 10 minutes before
the start of competition, and then the daily
rhythm began.
To start a flight group, only three
announcements were made: for pilots to pick
up their transmitters, that towmen were
allowed on the flightline, and for fliers to
enter the flight lane as the field clock started
the working time.
Then the flier, caller, and team manager
marched like soldiers, with the caller and team
manager carrying the backup sailplane and
transmitter down the launch corridor to the
appointed lane assignment. The team had 3
minutes to start its stopwatches, complete up
to a 200-meter walk if it drew “lucky” Lane
15, get the aircraft powered on and ready,
signal the towers, hook up, and get ready for
the final countdown to the pilot’s personal
“rocket launch.”
The lovely female countdown voice
announced over the loudspeakers: “Start of
working time in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,” and then what
must have been the foghorn captured from the
Queen Mary blasted loud enough to be heard
at least a mile away—certainly by the thrower
straining to hold back a model.
And then bam! All that energy exploded
on the field as 15 airplanes accelerated to
close to 100 mph, rocketing almost straight
up—and the round began.
Launch time was 0.7-3.0 seconds for a full
tow. After a 200- to 300-foot zoom off of the
line, without hitting your neighbor’s gliders,
which were 15 meters on either side of yours,
your aircraft just had to stay aloft for the
remaining 9 minutes and 56.75 seconds.
Pilots had to be careful not to midair their
models into one of the other 14 vying for the
same thermal as they completed the task time.
After finishing the task time, contestants
landed their aircraft precisely on a spot, saving
that last quarter second of window time to
ensure that their gliders’ noses touched down
before the Queen Mary went off again.
This is nothing short of a pure adrenalin
rush—similar to that moment just before the
crazy driver coming at you in a large 4 x 4
truck regains control and just misses crushing
you and your little Honda on the way to work.
The start of an F3J World Championship
round bears precious little resemblance to a
typical Thermal Duration launch. But even
with the close launching proximity, there were
no launch midairs, although there were a few
stabilizer failures. But how was the typical
flight at the 2010 World Championship?
Those competitors were Soaring’s best, as
expected. And after short launch tows,
strategy and flying skills came out.
Before the contest started, French
authorities applied serious field-flight
boundaries, cutting off the entire west half of
the site. You would expect some competitors
to venture to both sides of the field, but pilots
tended to stay in “packs” on the east side.
We studied the air and located a good
“read” prior to launch, and then flew in that
direction. With the limited field, other
competitors often went in the same direction.
You would see groups of approximately
five to six sailplanes in thermals, separated by
1/4 mile along a “thermal street.” We were
most often able to “cover” any better air that
developed, leaving poor conditions to get to
better air. This strategy was dominant.
The US pilot frequently got deep, and
there would be several marked thermals on
the path home. This limited risk and clearly
mapped good air from sink. With 15 pilots in
a group, midairs during flight turned out to be
a greater risk than during launch.
The American pilots practiced a simple
rule: no overlaps, no matter how far apart
you “think” you are from a competitor. I
think of this as the “Blue Sky Rule”; keep
sky between you and any other object and,
by definition, you will fly without mishap.
With so many models in the same thermal,
the pilot must plan turns ahead to avoid
overlaps.
To sum it up, the team’s strategy was to
locate air before launch, decide on the tow
time required (preliminaries did not require
aggressive less-than-1-second tows, but the
flyoffs did), launch well and fly to your air,
and then adjust position as dictated by the
competition. We tried to be in the best air,
but sometimes space between airplanes
dictated a position.
Flying conditions during most of the seven
competitive days were great. Eighteen
rounds were flown between preliminaries
and flyoffs, and 14 of them were generally
flown with no difficulty finding air or
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 30
negotiating tough wind conditions.
Each pilot was dished out four tough
rounds, which determined the World
Champion. It took five days to provide
those challenging rounds.
We generally had high overcast to start
the day, with light winds. Lift started to
work at 9-9:30 a.m., so a high launch could
have been a determining factor if you drew
an early flight.
As the day went on, the lift developed
stronger—particularly well off to the east,
near the paved airport landing strip and
newly plowed ground. This situation
developed a thermal street, with thermals
cycling roughly 1/4- to 1/2-mile apart.
In general, sink was not bad (compared
to Muncie “everyone is landing out in the
corn” sink). The lift worked well into the
evening until 6:30-7, which was good.
Because to make up for the one rainout day,
we flew some days until 7:30.
There were a couple of higher-wind
periods during the Championship. The wind
came up to 12-15 mph, which provided a
challenge for many fliers. Thermals were
still being generated during the windy
periods, but they were not always strong
and most pilots got way downwind. That
was the situation that bit Richard Burnoski.
He drew two rounds with weak lift and
high wind, and he ended up landing out
short on time. With only one throwout, that
took Richard out of the flyoffs.
The other US pilots managed to get
through these conditions clean or using only
one throwout. Daryl and Cody were heavily
ballasted during the wind, and that strategy
paid off for them.
Even with wonderful conditions, making
the flyoffs required clean flying with just
one throwout. This was not a landing
contest. The American competitors landed
extremely well, averaging 98-99 with 1-2
seconds off time, but the flight success
determined the finals flyoff roster.
Cody barely missed the flyoffs (placing
18th with the cutoff at 16th), in large part to
bad luck when his super-light Espada failed
during a launch. The breeze came up a bit
too much for the model, and it folded in
spectacular fashion with the extreme
pressure of a two-man F3J launch.
What were the models and team strategies
that led this US team to be the most
successful ever? One factor was model
selection. Our pilots flew the top designs in
competition: the Icon 2, Supra Pro, Satori,
Espada RL, and Explorer 3.9.
The real key was that each competitor
worked extraordinarily hard in practice
with the model that fit his style. The flier
stuck with that choice and knew the
capabilities of his sailplane.
Senior pilots flew only one model type
for all three that they could enter. This
limited the variable of adjusting to a
different kind of glider between rounds.
A few crucial strategies provided an
advantage for the US. This team established
and met the goal of having the best on-field
preparation—the second cycle in which that
goal has been critical. The CD commented
to me that the US was always in place,
prepared for the conditions and ready to go.
Preparation was not an accident.
Throughout the year leading up to the
Championship, the team was focused on
teamwork, group dynamics, and readiness.
I challenged the members to high
standards for landing. They accepted that
challenge and routinely shared their results
with the other team members; that stepped
everyone up a notch.
We were able to connect all the pilots
for team work several times during the
year. This enabled them to work out
individual preferences and caller dynamics.
When the US competitors stepped onto the
field, they knew who they wanted to call.
And the callers knew what each flier
wanted in terms of information from start to
finish.
We practiced launch drills, and we
planned roles if a relaunch was needed and
the process to follow. Both team managers
broke down the matrix information so that
each pilot-and-tow team knew when and
where it needed to be at all times.
Jim Laurel and Sherman Knight
operated a model repair “shop,” which was
amazing. They immediately took care of all
minor fixes. Little things such as aircraft
storage in the organizer-provided
“barracks” went smoothly, thanks to an
outstanding wing rack that Jim Laurel and
Dave Kalamen designed and built.
Processes were established and
rigorously followed. Everyone on the team
and those who supported were ready to
help at any time.
A critical success element was the tow
team. Phil Barnes led by example. He built
and provided individual tow kits, line
sheathing with a coordinated line-size
marking system, and managed all of our
line.
Phil gathered the whole tow team daily.
They inventoried the line and had
everything soaking and ready. All of the
towers—Chris, Frankie, Dave, and Rick—
supported Phil and each other in an
outstanding fashion. They meticulously
sorted and removed questionable lines.
The US team required 96 launches and
recorded zero missed assignments, broken
lines, or launch faults. Any one of those
incidents would have required a pilot to
burn a precious throwout, which likely
would have led to missing the finals.
The 2010 US F3J team has been the most
successful to date. This was achieved by
everyone on the team pulling together and,
most important, through the outstanding
funding provided by the AMA, Premium
Team Sponsors, Individual Team Sponsors,
and Corporate Team Sponsors, and Soaring
pilots across the country and around the
world who unselfishly supported the team
with financial donations.
None of that success could have
happened without such a high level of
backing. The entire US team thanks all of
its supporters. MA
Mike Verzuh
[email protected]
Sources:
2010 F3J World Championships
www.f3jfrance2010.fr
2010 USA F3J Team
usf3jteam.com
32 MODEL AVIATION
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 32

24 MODEL AVIATION
by Mike Verzuh
Dave Kalamen (who is in the US Air Force) proudly carries the
American flag for the US team. French Soaring support produced
200-300 spectators for the opening ceremonies. Local media were
on hand as each team proudly marched past the crowd.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:15 AM Page 24
US Soaring
team finds pure
gold in France
0481
Above: Daryl Perkins pilots his Icon 2 to a
World Championship-winning round. Cody
Remington, a former Junior World Champion,
reads the air and spots for Daryl.
Below: Daryl Perkins and Junior Team Manager
D ave B e a r dsley ( righ t) c a l l f or Bre n do n
Beardsl e y (center) a s h e pi lo ts h is wa y to a
World Championship.
Cody Remington (holding model in foreground) and Arend
Borst (holding model in background), in perfect throwing
synchronization, ensure that their sailplanes are released
milliseconds after the foghorn blasts from the field
loudspeakers. If the aircraft is released before the horn, the
pilot must relaunch—taking what could be a championshipeliminating
point loss.
HOW MUCH TOTAL energy is
involved when 15 high-performance
sailplanes, built from state-of-the-art
carbon fiber and fiberglass
technology, are simultaneously
rocketed higher than 600 feet in less
than 6 total seconds, using 30 strong
towmen and 150 meters of morethan-
200-pound-test monofilament
line?
Nothing compares to the
excitement of a mass F3J (FAI RC
Thermal Duration Soaring)
competition launch, and the 2010
F3J World Championship, held last
summer in France, was the place to
be. If you couldn’t make it, I’ll
share a bit of the excitement with
you.
The 2010 US F3J Soaring team
Photos by Jim Laurel
May 2011 25
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:19 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
A look down pit row. Every team was provided a tent for shelter for the day and
storage space for their models at night. The US contingent was front and center in the
pit area.
Right: Pilots march
to the correct flight
lane, taking the
field following the
completion of a
previous round.
The dai ly World
C h a m p i o n s h i p
routine ran similarly
to that of a marching
band, preparing and
then taking to the
field to dazzle the
crowd.
Senior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Daryl Perkins (USA) 4994.6
2. Benedikt Feigl (Germany) 4990.8
3. Carl Strautins (Austria) 4989.9
4. Joe Wurts (New Zealand) 4989.3
5. Arend Borst (Canada) 4987.1
6. Philip Kolb (Germany) 4980.7
7. Tobias Lammlein (Germany) 4976.2
8. Primoz Rizner (Slovenia) 4966.8
9. Ricardas Siumbrys (Lithuania) 4907.5
10. Kristof Pavel (Czech Republic) 4879.5
11. Les Stockley (New Zealand) 4725.1
12. Scott Chisholm (New Zealand) 4708.8
13. Jo Grini (Norway) 4694.6
14. Jan Hlastec (Slovenia) 4510.7
15. Marlon Luz (Brazil) 4005.4
Junior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Brendon Beardsley (USA) 4996.0
2. Arijan Hucaljuk (Croatia) 4995.4
3. Jan Littva (Slovakia) 4989.7
4. Connor Laurel (USA) 4987.8
5. Giovanni Gallizia (Italy) 4981.5
6. Manuel Reinecke (Germany) 4972.9
7. Carlo Gallizia (Italy) 4970.1
8. Tomás Kadlec (Czech Republic) 4965.1
9. Arnou Verheijen (Belgium) 4959.7
10. Jason Weber (South Africa) 4957.3
11. Robin Galeazzi (France) 4953.7
12. Mas Finck (Germany) 4945.9
13. Michael Knight (USA) 4873.6
14. Meolic Metod (Slovenia) 4757.8
15. Miro Suver (Croatia) 4439.7
Championship
Results
F 3 J W o r l d
Fifteen sets of towers
put all of their strength
into the 150-meter
launch lines, to get
their pilots’ gliders
airborne. In the
foreground are towcrew
members Frank
Burnoski and Phil
Barnes. This is a lot of
energy!
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 12:11 PM Page 26
May 2011 27
Junior Connor Laurel (third model in, with white center
and red tips) is on his way to a perfect 100-point landing.
His sailplane’s wings are level, and he is dialed in to hit the
sp o t direct l y i n fr o nt o f him . A l e s s -t han - 1 -sec on d
touchdown time among all of these pilots demonstrates
the required timing precision.
Right: L-R: Te am Manag er
M i k e Ve r z u h, Ri c h a rd
Burnoski, and Daryl Perkins
return to the pit area after
co m pl e t i ng a s u c cessf u l
flight for Richard. This was
the ty p ic al order for each
r ound: a comp e tit or wi t h
t wo airp l an e s , b a cku p
transmitter, team manager,
and the pilot’s chosen caller.
The horn sounds, the clock is set for 15 minutes, and 15 highperformance
gliders rocket up simultaneously to start this
final round. Only 15 meters separates launch positions, so
outstanding pilot skills are required for safe launches.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins holds high the spoils of victory. On his left is second-place finisher Benedikt Feigl of Germany (the 2008 World
Champion), and on the right is Bronze Medal winner Carl Strautins of Austria.
The Gold Medal-winning Junior team holds the trophy aloft. From left to right are Michael Knight, who finished 13th; Connor Laurel,
who came in 4th; and World Champion Brendon Beardsley.
AMA
Skip Miller Models
Maple Leaf Design
Soaring USA
Airtronics
JR
Kennedy Composites
Radio Carbon Art
CST The Composites Store
Peak Electronics
XtremeFlyer.com
2010 US F3J Team Sponsors
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 28
30 MODEL AVIATION
is the most successful to date, capturing
four out of five top honors at the World
Championship. Daryl Perkins won the
Senior Gold Medal, Brendon Beardsley
won the Junior Gold Medal, the Junior team
won the Gold Medal, and Cody Remington
won the Jura Cup.
New Zealand captured the Senior Team
Gold Medal, led by Joe Wurts—a former
American who now resides in that country.
The F3J World Championship was held in
Dole-Tavaux, France, July 28-August 8, and
finished with a large banquet, complete with a
French flourish. More than 120 contestants
from 29 countries participated—43 Junior and
80 Senior pilots in all.
The US Senior team consisted of Seniors
Richard Burnoski, Daryl Perkins, and Cody
Remington. Junior competitors were Brendon
Beardsley, Michael Knight, and Connor
Laurel. There were also Chris Keller, Frank
Burnoski, Dave Kalamen, Phil Barnes, and
Richard Helgeson as towmen.
I was the team manager, and Dave
Beardsley was the Junior team manager.
Barry Kennedy and Jim Laurel were team
photographers. In addition, a number of
helpers and supporters contributed to the US
team’s success.
From the perspective of organization, an
F3J event this size is in stark contrast to a
typical US Thermal Duration event. Each
team manager is provided with a “matrix,” in
which all pilots and their flight groups are
identified with flightline lane assignments. No
one announces a contestant’s name for a
flight—ever.
The team managers communicate and
coordinate all the pilots and tow crews and the
flight order. If you don’t make it to the
flightline for your slot or your tow crew is not
ready, you earn a big, fat zero on the
scorecard.
Team organization and readiness at the
F3J World Championship are critical. And at
this contest, as in the past, the US team
excelled. Out of 12 preliminary and six flyoff
rounds for each pilot, we had zero problems
with equipment, line, personnel, or pilot
readiness.
The first flight started at 8 a.m. each day
(not 8:01). Round number and group number
announcements were made 10 minutes before
the start of competition, and then the daily
rhythm began.
To start a flight group, only three
announcements were made: for pilots to pick
up their transmitters, that towmen were
allowed on the flightline, and for fliers to
enter the flight lane as the field clock started
the working time.
Then the flier, caller, and team manager
marched like soldiers, with the caller and team
manager carrying the backup sailplane and
transmitter down the launch corridor to the
appointed lane assignment. The team had 3
minutes to start its stopwatches, complete up
to a 200-meter walk if it drew “lucky” Lane
15, get the aircraft powered on and ready,
signal the towers, hook up, and get ready for
the final countdown to the pilot’s personal
“rocket launch.”
The lovely female countdown voice
announced over the loudspeakers: “Start of
working time in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,” and then what
must have been the foghorn captured from the
Queen Mary blasted loud enough to be heard
at least a mile away—certainly by the thrower
straining to hold back a model.
And then bam! All that energy exploded
on the field as 15 airplanes accelerated to
close to 100 mph, rocketing almost straight
up—and the round began.
Launch time was 0.7-3.0 seconds for a full
tow. After a 200- to 300-foot zoom off of the
line, without hitting your neighbor’s gliders,
which were 15 meters on either side of yours,
your aircraft just had to stay aloft for the
remaining 9 minutes and 56.75 seconds.
Pilots had to be careful not to midair their
models into one of the other 14 vying for the
same thermal as they completed the task time.
After finishing the task time, contestants
landed their aircraft precisely on a spot, saving
that last quarter second of window time to
ensure that their gliders’ noses touched down
before the Queen Mary went off again.
This is nothing short of a pure adrenalin
rush—similar to that moment just before the
crazy driver coming at you in a large 4 x 4
truck regains control and just misses crushing
you and your little Honda on the way to work.
The start of an F3J World Championship
round bears precious little resemblance to a
typical Thermal Duration launch. But even
with the close launching proximity, there were
no launch midairs, although there were a few
stabilizer failures. But how was the typical
flight at the 2010 World Championship?
Those competitors were Soaring’s best, as
expected. And after short launch tows,
strategy and flying skills came out.
Before the contest started, French
authorities applied serious field-flight
boundaries, cutting off the entire west half of
the site. You would expect some competitors
to venture to both sides of the field, but pilots
tended to stay in “packs” on the east side.
We studied the air and located a good
“read” prior to launch, and then flew in that
direction. With the limited field, other
competitors often went in the same direction.
You would see groups of approximately
five to six sailplanes in thermals, separated by
1/4 mile along a “thermal street.” We were
most often able to “cover” any better air that
developed, leaving poor conditions to get to
better air. This strategy was dominant.
The US pilot frequently got deep, and
there would be several marked thermals on
the path home. This limited risk and clearly
mapped good air from sink. With 15 pilots in
a group, midairs during flight turned out to be
a greater risk than during launch.
The American pilots practiced a simple
rule: no overlaps, no matter how far apart
you “think” you are from a competitor. I
think of this as the “Blue Sky Rule”; keep
sky between you and any other object and,
by definition, you will fly without mishap.
With so many models in the same thermal,
the pilot must plan turns ahead to avoid
overlaps.
To sum it up, the team’s strategy was to
locate air before launch, decide on the tow
time required (preliminaries did not require
aggressive less-than-1-second tows, but the
flyoffs did), launch well and fly to your air,
and then adjust position as dictated by the
competition. We tried to be in the best air,
but sometimes space between airplanes
dictated a position.
Flying conditions during most of the seven
competitive days were great. Eighteen
rounds were flown between preliminaries
and flyoffs, and 14 of them were generally
flown with no difficulty finding air or
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 30
negotiating tough wind conditions.
Each pilot was dished out four tough
rounds, which determined the World
Champion. It took five days to provide
those challenging rounds.
We generally had high overcast to start
the day, with light winds. Lift started to
work at 9-9:30 a.m., so a high launch could
have been a determining factor if you drew
an early flight.
As the day went on, the lift developed
stronger—particularly well off to the east,
near the paved airport landing strip and
newly plowed ground. This situation
developed a thermal street, with thermals
cycling roughly 1/4- to 1/2-mile apart.
In general, sink was not bad (compared
to Muncie “everyone is landing out in the
corn” sink). The lift worked well into the
evening until 6:30-7, which was good.
Because to make up for the one rainout day,
we flew some days until 7:30.
There were a couple of higher-wind
periods during the Championship. The wind
came up to 12-15 mph, which provided a
challenge for many fliers. Thermals were
still being generated during the windy
periods, but they were not always strong
and most pilots got way downwind. That
was the situation that bit Richard Burnoski.
He drew two rounds with weak lift and
high wind, and he ended up landing out
short on time. With only one throwout, that
took Richard out of the flyoffs.
The other US pilots managed to get
through these conditions clean or using only
one throwout. Daryl and Cody were heavily
ballasted during the wind, and that strategy
paid off for them.
Even with wonderful conditions, making
the flyoffs required clean flying with just
one throwout. This was not a landing
contest. The American competitors landed
extremely well, averaging 98-99 with 1-2
seconds off time, but the flight success
determined the finals flyoff roster.
Cody barely missed the flyoffs (placing
18th with the cutoff at 16th), in large part to
bad luck when his super-light Espada failed
during a launch. The breeze came up a bit
too much for the model, and it folded in
spectacular fashion with the extreme
pressure of a two-man F3J launch.
What were the models and team strategies
that led this US team to be the most
successful ever? One factor was model
selection. Our pilots flew the top designs in
competition: the Icon 2, Supra Pro, Satori,
Espada RL, and Explorer 3.9.
The real key was that each competitor
worked extraordinarily hard in practice
with the model that fit his style. The flier
stuck with that choice and knew the
capabilities of his sailplane.
Senior pilots flew only one model type
for all three that they could enter. This
limited the variable of adjusting to a
different kind of glider between rounds.
A few crucial strategies provided an
advantage for the US. This team established
and met the goal of having the best on-field
preparation—the second cycle in which that
goal has been critical. The CD commented
to me that the US was always in place,
prepared for the conditions and ready to go.
Preparation was not an accident.
Throughout the year leading up to the
Championship, the team was focused on
teamwork, group dynamics, and readiness.
I challenged the members to high
standards for landing. They accepted that
challenge and routinely shared their results
with the other team members; that stepped
everyone up a notch.
We were able to connect all the pilots
for team work several times during the
year. This enabled them to work out
individual preferences and caller dynamics.
When the US competitors stepped onto the
field, they knew who they wanted to call.
And the callers knew what each flier
wanted in terms of information from start to
finish.
We practiced launch drills, and we
planned roles if a relaunch was needed and
the process to follow. Both team managers
broke down the matrix information so that
each pilot-and-tow team knew when and
where it needed to be at all times.
Jim Laurel and Sherman Knight
operated a model repair “shop,” which was
amazing. They immediately took care of all
minor fixes. Little things such as aircraft
storage in the organizer-provided
“barracks” went smoothly, thanks to an
outstanding wing rack that Jim Laurel and
Dave Kalamen designed and built.
Processes were established and
rigorously followed. Everyone on the team
and those who supported were ready to
help at any time.
A critical success element was the tow
team. Phil Barnes led by example. He built
and provided individual tow kits, line
sheathing with a coordinated line-size
marking system, and managed all of our
line.
Phil gathered the whole tow team daily.
They inventoried the line and had
everything soaking and ready. All of the
towers—Chris, Frankie, Dave, and Rick—
supported Phil and each other in an
outstanding fashion. They meticulously
sorted and removed questionable lines.
The US team required 96 launches and
recorded zero missed assignments, broken
lines, or launch faults. Any one of those
incidents would have required a pilot to
burn a precious throwout, which likely
would have led to missing the finals.
The 2010 US F3J team has been the most
successful to date. This was achieved by
everyone on the team pulling together and,
most important, through the outstanding
funding provided by the AMA, Premium
Team Sponsors, Individual Team Sponsors,
and Corporate Team Sponsors, and Soaring
pilots across the country and around the
world who unselfishly supported the team
with financial donations.
None of that success could have
happened without such a high level of
backing. The entire US team thanks all of
its supporters. MA
Mike Verzuh
[email protected]
Sources:
2010 F3J World Championships
www.f3jfrance2010.fr
2010 USA F3J Team
usf3jteam.com
32 MODEL AVIATION
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 32

24 MODEL AVIATION
by Mike Verzuh
Dave Kalamen (who is in the US Air Force) proudly carries the
American flag for the US team. French Soaring support produced
200-300 spectators for the opening ceremonies. Local media were
on hand as each team proudly marched past the crowd.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:15 AM Page 24
US Soaring
team finds pure
gold in France
0481
Above: Daryl Perkins pilots his Icon 2 to a
World Championship-winning round. Cody
Remington, a former Junior World Champion,
reads the air and spots for Daryl.
Below: Daryl Perkins and Junior Team Manager
D ave B e a r dsley ( righ t) c a l l f or Bre n do n
Beardsl e y (center) a s h e pi lo ts h is wa y to a
World Championship.
Cody Remington (holding model in foreground) and Arend
Borst (holding model in background), in perfect throwing
synchronization, ensure that their sailplanes are released
milliseconds after the foghorn blasts from the field
loudspeakers. If the aircraft is released before the horn, the
pilot must relaunch—taking what could be a championshipeliminating
point loss.
HOW MUCH TOTAL energy is
involved when 15 high-performance
sailplanes, built from state-of-the-art
carbon fiber and fiberglass
technology, are simultaneously
rocketed higher than 600 feet in less
than 6 total seconds, using 30 strong
towmen and 150 meters of morethan-
200-pound-test monofilament
line?
Nothing compares to the
excitement of a mass F3J (FAI RC
Thermal Duration Soaring)
competition launch, and the 2010
F3J World Championship, held last
summer in France, was the place to
be. If you couldn’t make it, I’ll
share a bit of the excitement with
you.
The 2010 US F3J Soaring team
Photos by Jim Laurel
May 2011 25
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:19 AM Page 25
26 MODEL AVIATION
A look down pit row. Every team was provided a tent for shelter for the day and
storage space for their models at night. The US contingent was front and center in the
pit area.
Right: Pilots march
to the correct flight
lane, taking the
field following the
completion of a
previous round.
The dai ly World
C h a m p i o n s h i p
routine ran similarly
to that of a marching
band, preparing and
then taking to the
field to dazzle the
crowd.
Senior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Daryl Perkins (USA) 4994.6
2. Benedikt Feigl (Germany) 4990.8
3. Carl Strautins (Austria) 4989.9
4. Joe Wurts (New Zealand) 4989.3
5. Arend Borst (Canada) 4987.1
6. Philip Kolb (Germany) 4980.7
7. Tobias Lammlein (Germany) 4976.2
8. Primoz Rizner (Slovenia) 4966.8
9. Ricardas Siumbrys (Lithuania) 4907.5
10. Kristof Pavel (Czech Republic) 4879.5
11. Les Stockley (New Zealand) 4725.1
12. Scott Chisholm (New Zealand) 4708.8
13. Jo Grini (Norway) 4694.6
14. Jan Hlastec (Slovenia) 4510.7
15. Marlon Luz (Brazil) 4005.4
Junior
Place/Pilot Total
Score
1. Brendon Beardsley (USA) 4996.0
2. Arijan Hucaljuk (Croatia) 4995.4
3. Jan Littva (Slovakia) 4989.7
4. Connor Laurel (USA) 4987.8
5. Giovanni Gallizia (Italy) 4981.5
6. Manuel Reinecke (Germany) 4972.9
7. Carlo Gallizia (Italy) 4970.1
8. Tomás Kadlec (Czech Republic) 4965.1
9. Arnou Verheijen (Belgium) 4959.7
10. Jason Weber (South Africa) 4957.3
11. Robin Galeazzi (France) 4953.7
12. Mas Finck (Germany) 4945.9
13. Michael Knight (USA) 4873.6
14. Meolic Metod (Slovenia) 4757.8
15. Miro Suver (Croatia) 4439.7
Championship
Results
F 3 J W o r l d
Fifteen sets of towers
put all of their strength
into the 150-meter
launch lines, to get
their pilots’ gliders
airborne. In the
foreground are towcrew
members Frank
Burnoski and Phil
Barnes. This is a lot of
energy!
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 12:11 PM Page 26
May 2011 27
Junior Connor Laurel (third model in, with white center
and red tips) is on his way to a perfect 100-point landing.
His sailplane’s wings are level, and he is dialed in to hit the
sp o t direct l y i n fr o nt o f him . A l e s s -t han - 1 -sec on d
touchdown time among all of these pilots demonstrates
the required timing precision.
Right: L-R: Te am Manag er
M i k e Ve r z u h, Ri c h a rd
Burnoski, and Daryl Perkins
return to the pit area after
co m pl e t i ng a s u c cessf u l
flight for Richard. This was
the ty p ic al order for each
r ound: a comp e tit or wi t h
t wo airp l an e s , b a cku p
transmitter, team manager,
and the pilot’s chosen caller.
The horn sounds, the clock is set for 15 minutes, and 15 highperformance
gliders rocket up simultaneously to start this
final round. Only 15 meters separates launch positions, so
outstanding pilot skills are required for safe launches.
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 27
28 MODEL AVIATION
Daryl Perkins holds high the spoils of victory. On his left is second-place finisher Benedikt Feigl of Germany (the 2008 World
Champion), and on the right is Bronze Medal winner Carl Strautins of Austria.
The Gold Medal-winning Junior team holds the trophy aloft. From left to right are Michael Knight, who finished 13th; Connor Laurel,
who came in 4th; and World Champion Brendon Beardsley.
AMA
Skip Miller Models
Maple Leaf Design
Soaring USA
Airtronics
JR
Kennedy Composites
Radio Carbon Art
CST The Composites Store
Peak Electronics
XtremeFlyer.com
2010 US F3J Team Sponsors
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:21 AM Page 28
30 MODEL AVIATION
is the most successful to date, capturing
four out of five top honors at the World
Championship. Daryl Perkins won the
Senior Gold Medal, Brendon Beardsley
won the Junior Gold Medal, the Junior team
won the Gold Medal, and Cody Remington
won the Jura Cup.
New Zealand captured the Senior Team
Gold Medal, led by Joe Wurts—a former
American who now resides in that country.
The F3J World Championship was held in
Dole-Tavaux, France, July 28-August 8, and
finished with a large banquet, complete with a
French flourish. More than 120 contestants
from 29 countries participated—43 Junior and
80 Senior pilots in all.
The US Senior team consisted of Seniors
Richard Burnoski, Daryl Perkins, and Cody
Remington. Junior competitors were Brendon
Beardsley, Michael Knight, and Connor
Laurel. There were also Chris Keller, Frank
Burnoski, Dave Kalamen, Phil Barnes, and
Richard Helgeson as towmen.
I was the team manager, and Dave
Beardsley was the Junior team manager.
Barry Kennedy and Jim Laurel were team
photographers. In addition, a number of
helpers and supporters contributed to the US
team’s success.
From the perspective of organization, an
F3J event this size is in stark contrast to a
typical US Thermal Duration event. Each
team manager is provided with a “matrix,” in
which all pilots and their flight groups are
identified with flightline lane assignments. No
one announces a contestant’s name for a
flight—ever.
The team managers communicate and
coordinate all the pilots and tow crews and the
flight order. If you don’t make it to the
flightline for your slot or your tow crew is not
ready, you earn a big, fat zero on the
scorecard.
Team organization and readiness at the
F3J World Championship are critical. And at
this contest, as in the past, the US team
excelled. Out of 12 preliminary and six flyoff
rounds for each pilot, we had zero problems
with equipment, line, personnel, or pilot
readiness.
The first flight started at 8 a.m. each day
(not 8:01). Round number and group number
announcements were made 10 minutes before
the start of competition, and then the daily
rhythm began.
To start a flight group, only three
announcements were made: for pilots to pick
up their transmitters, that towmen were
allowed on the flightline, and for fliers to
enter the flight lane as the field clock started
the working time.
Then the flier, caller, and team manager
marched like soldiers, with the caller and team
manager carrying the backup sailplane and
transmitter down the launch corridor to the
appointed lane assignment. The team had 3
minutes to start its stopwatches, complete up
to a 200-meter walk if it drew “lucky” Lane
15, get the aircraft powered on and ready,
signal the towers, hook up, and get ready for
the final countdown to the pilot’s personal
“rocket launch.”
The lovely female countdown voice
announced over the loudspeakers: “Start of
working time in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,” and then what
must have been the foghorn captured from the
Queen Mary blasted loud enough to be heard
at least a mile away—certainly by the thrower
straining to hold back a model.
And then bam! All that energy exploded
on the field as 15 airplanes accelerated to
close to 100 mph, rocketing almost straight
up—and the round began.
Launch time was 0.7-3.0 seconds for a full
tow. After a 200- to 300-foot zoom off of the
line, without hitting your neighbor’s gliders,
which were 15 meters on either side of yours,
your aircraft just had to stay aloft for the
remaining 9 minutes and 56.75 seconds.
Pilots had to be careful not to midair their
models into one of the other 14 vying for the
same thermal as they completed the task time.
After finishing the task time, contestants
landed their aircraft precisely on a spot, saving
that last quarter second of window time to
ensure that their gliders’ noses touched down
before the Queen Mary went off again.
This is nothing short of a pure adrenalin
rush—similar to that moment just before the
crazy driver coming at you in a large 4 x 4
truck regains control and just misses crushing
you and your little Honda on the way to work.
The start of an F3J World Championship
round bears precious little resemblance to a
typical Thermal Duration launch. But even
with the close launching proximity, there were
no launch midairs, although there were a few
stabilizer failures. But how was the typical
flight at the 2010 World Championship?
Those competitors were Soaring’s best, as
expected. And after short launch tows,
strategy and flying skills came out.
Before the contest started, French
authorities applied serious field-flight
boundaries, cutting off the entire west half of
the site. You would expect some competitors
to venture to both sides of the field, but pilots
tended to stay in “packs” on the east side.
We studied the air and located a good
“read” prior to launch, and then flew in that
direction. With the limited field, other
competitors often went in the same direction.
You would see groups of approximately
five to six sailplanes in thermals, separated by
1/4 mile along a “thermal street.” We were
most often able to “cover” any better air that
developed, leaving poor conditions to get to
better air. This strategy was dominant.
The US pilot frequently got deep, and
there would be several marked thermals on
the path home. This limited risk and clearly
mapped good air from sink. With 15 pilots in
a group, midairs during flight turned out to be
a greater risk than during launch.
The American pilots practiced a simple
rule: no overlaps, no matter how far apart
you “think” you are from a competitor. I
think of this as the “Blue Sky Rule”; keep
sky between you and any other object and,
by definition, you will fly without mishap.
With so many models in the same thermal,
the pilot must plan turns ahead to avoid
overlaps.
To sum it up, the team’s strategy was to
locate air before launch, decide on the tow
time required (preliminaries did not require
aggressive less-than-1-second tows, but the
flyoffs did), launch well and fly to your air,
and then adjust position as dictated by the
competition. We tried to be in the best air,
but sometimes space between airplanes
dictated a position.
Flying conditions during most of the seven
competitive days were great. Eighteen
rounds were flown between preliminaries
and flyoffs, and 14 of them were generally
flown with no difficulty finding air or
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 30
negotiating tough wind conditions.
Each pilot was dished out four tough
rounds, which determined the World
Champion. It took five days to provide
those challenging rounds.
We generally had high overcast to start
the day, with light winds. Lift started to
work at 9-9:30 a.m., so a high launch could
have been a determining factor if you drew
an early flight.
As the day went on, the lift developed
stronger—particularly well off to the east,
near the paved airport landing strip and
newly plowed ground. This situation
developed a thermal street, with thermals
cycling roughly 1/4- to 1/2-mile apart.
In general, sink was not bad (compared
to Muncie “everyone is landing out in the
corn” sink). The lift worked well into the
evening until 6:30-7, which was good.
Because to make up for the one rainout day,
we flew some days until 7:30.
There were a couple of higher-wind
periods during the Championship. The wind
came up to 12-15 mph, which provided a
challenge for many fliers. Thermals were
still being generated during the windy
periods, but they were not always strong
and most pilots got way downwind. That
was the situation that bit Richard Burnoski.
He drew two rounds with weak lift and
high wind, and he ended up landing out
short on time. With only one throwout, that
took Richard out of the flyoffs.
The other US pilots managed to get
through these conditions clean or using only
one throwout. Daryl and Cody were heavily
ballasted during the wind, and that strategy
paid off for them.
Even with wonderful conditions, making
the flyoffs required clean flying with just
one throwout. This was not a landing
contest. The American competitors landed
extremely well, averaging 98-99 with 1-2
seconds off time, but the flight success
determined the finals flyoff roster.
Cody barely missed the flyoffs (placing
18th with the cutoff at 16th), in large part to
bad luck when his super-light Espada failed
during a launch. The breeze came up a bit
too much for the model, and it folded in
spectacular fashion with the extreme
pressure of a two-man F3J launch.
What were the models and team strategies
that led this US team to be the most
successful ever? One factor was model
selection. Our pilots flew the top designs in
competition: the Icon 2, Supra Pro, Satori,
Espada RL, and Explorer 3.9.
The real key was that each competitor
worked extraordinarily hard in practice
with the model that fit his style. The flier
stuck with that choice and knew the
capabilities of his sailplane.
Senior pilots flew only one model type
for all three that they could enter. This
limited the variable of adjusting to a
different kind of glider between rounds.
A few crucial strategies provided an
advantage for the US. This team established
and met the goal of having the best on-field
preparation—the second cycle in which that
goal has been critical. The CD commented
to me that the US was always in place,
prepared for the conditions and ready to go.
Preparation was not an accident.
Throughout the year leading up to the
Championship, the team was focused on
teamwork, group dynamics, and readiness.
I challenged the members to high
standards for landing. They accepted that
challenge and routinely shared their results
with the other team members; that stepped
everyone up a notch.
We were able to connect all the pilots
for team work several times during the
year. This enabled them to work out
individual preferences and caller dynamics.
When the US competitors stepped onto the
field, they knew who they wanted to call.
And the callers knew what each flier
wanted in terms of information from start to
finish.
We practiced launch drills, and we
planned roles if a relaunch was needed and
the process to follow. Both team managers
broke down the matrix information so that
each pilot-and-tow team knew when and
where it needed to be at all times.
Jim Laurel and Sherman Knight
operated a model repair “shop,” which was
amazing. They immediately took care of all
minor fixes. Little things such as aircraft
storage in the organizer-provided
“barracks” went smoothly, thanks to an
outstanding wing rack that Jim Laurel and
Dave Kalamen designed and built.
Processes were established and
rigorously followed. Everyone on the team
and those who supported were ready to
help at any time.
A critical success element was the tow
team. Phil Barnes led by example. He built
and provided individual tow kits, line
sheathing with a coordinated line-size
marking system, and managed all of our
line.
Phil gathered the whole tow team daily.
They inventoried the line and had
everything soaking and ready. All of the
towers—Chris, Frankie, Dave, and Rick—
supported Phil and each other in an
outstanding fashion. They meticulously
sorted and removed questionable lines.
The US team required 96 launches and
recorded zero missed assignments, broken
lines, or launch faults. Any one of those
incidents would have required a pilot to
burn a precious throwout, which likely
would have led to missing the finals.
The 2010 US F3J team has been the most
successful to date. This was achieved by
everyone on the team pulling together and,
most important, through the outstanding
funding provided by the AMA, Premium
Team Sponsors, Individual Team Sponsors,
and Corporate Team Sponsors, and Soaring
pilots across the country and around the
world who unselfishly supported the team
with financial donations.
None of that success could have
happened without such a high level of
backing. The entire US team thanks all of
its supporters. MA
Mike Verzuh
[email protected]
Sources:
2010 F3J World Championships
www.f3jfrance2010.fr
2010 USA F3J Team
usf3jteam.com
32 MODEL AVIATION
05sig1x.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 3/23/11 11:22 AM Page 32