Radio Control: Soaring
THERE WAS A TIME when man was sticking himself with straight-pin fasteners, straining his back while using short-handled shovels, and having to turn his head 180 degrees every time he wanted to check out the traffic behind him while driving. Then, along came the safety pin, the long-handled shovel, and the rear-view mirror. Straightforward, common sense inventions, you say. Right. But somebody had to come up with them. What does the above have to do with Soaring? Nothing, except there are times when we get too hung up and lost in the complexities of some new construction techniques, or are awed by someone's six-channel soarer or one's nuclear-powered winch.
Radio Control: Soaring
HISTORY: The 1982 F3B Team selection program. For a detailed report of who did what to whom, see the "Competition Newsletter" in this issue. This scribe seldom uses this column for personal viewpoints, much less personal messages; but, as the Contest Director for the Team Finals, I wish to say thanks to the people who helped pull this one off . . . to Helen and Ken Olsen from St. Louis, who performed a World Championship act in scoring, (results were posted within minutes after the last flight of each task) . . . to Warren Tiahrt, Ken Bates and Ken Shaw . . . to LSF president, Warren Plohr, and his gang from MOSS . . . to Ray Marvin, team selection chairman . . . to Dave Lindley and his fellow Chicago Aeronuts . . . and to 38 of the SOAR members who sat through sun, wind and rain for three days. More of them showed up for this event than show up for one of their own club contests, the club's annual turkey shoot or annual banquet!
1982 AMA Nats: RC Soaring
HOT! That's the only word to describe the weather (and some of the contestant performances) at the Nats Soaring site in Lincoln. The events this year had something for everybody-not just a token one-day event for certain categories (Scale excepted). The first two days had Two-Meter and Standard scheduled, and the third and fourth days saw Modified Standard and Unlimited flown. Scale was also flown on the fourth day.
Tournament & Great Race VI
GREAT RACE VI . . . Easter parades, county fairs, and the grand prix circuits aren't always guaranteed sunny weekends, and for the first time in six years the Great Race can be added to that list. But as the alibi goes, you should have been here the week before-and after, for that matter. Sixteen teams entered this one-the largest field ever-with the roster including Canada and South Africa. This was to be the year of the superships-those designed strictly for cross-country racing. A month before the event, Stan Watson flew the complete course in a practice run-the second to accomplish this feat. During the week before the contest, Gary Ittner and Alex Bower of California logged 14 miles one day and 20 on another. On the official practice day before the race, Watson set out to establish an AMA Thermal Duration record and logged a 3-hr. 10-min. flight.
Radio Control: Soaring
RECORDS-OFFICIAL. The San Fernando Valley Silent Flyers went out in force last May 9 and claimed 20 new AMA Soaring National Records. Most noteworthy ws Jerry Krainock's new Open Distance, Unlimited class, record of 66 miles! That bettered-you can call that battered-the record set last year by Jack Hiner by over 20 miles! Krainock flew a Paramount, a plane designed a few years back by Ed Slobod who also designed the Pierce Arrow, Paragon, and Ridge Rat. Krainock's time for the 66 miles was three hours and 15 minutes. According to the report sent by Krainock, the following records were also set that day (and were probably broken by the time you read this, because the club had scheduled more Record Trials):
