Radio Control: Soaring
WOW, MY FIRST ARTICLE in a national magazine. What a privilege! What an honor! What should I write about? First, I should mention Byron Blakeslee. Since I started flying, Byron's articles have been a part of my soaring experience. I learned how to fly by following this gentleman's written word. I devoured anything Byron wrote about. I finally got to meet the man behind the pen at a slope race in Washington, and I couldn't believe what a genuinely nice person he was. I figured that since Byron was a national personality, he would be sort of stuck up or something, but he is just a nice guy. Sorry Byron, your secret is out.
Radio Control: Soaring
I'm a born-and-raised southern California boy, and the nice thing about southern California is that it never gets really cold. Cold to me was when you had to put on long pants to go flying, or when those killer, hat-sucking, small-child-collecting thermals would take you up only about 1,000 feet. The toughest decision that southern California fliers have to make is when to break for espresso, and I have actually been on the field when a Domino's Pizza guy has shown up. Modeling life is good in southern California!
Radio Control: Soaring
MODELERS ARE NUTS! What is this neurosis we refer to as Radio Control Soaring? We jeopardize relationships, jobs, and financial well-being for a few fleeting moments of glory: The feeling we get from watching a glider cruising with a tremendous amount of energy; watching a model streak across the field at a dangerously low level and a tremendous amount of speed; or squinting to see a model at cloud base. Whatever the attraction, we keep coming back. After selling my car because my winch wouldn't fit in the trunk, I bought a truck, and I couldn't be happier! I recently received a letter from a gentleman with the same RC Soaring symptoms as myself. Joe Thomas of San Jose, California writes:
Radio Control: Soaring
HI GUYS! Sorry about last month, but the magazine's computers and mine didn't interface, or something like that. (I don't do computers-just gliders.) I have some sound advice for those of you who have notions about taking up roller skating: don't. It could seriously hamper your flying. What does roller skating have to do with flying, you ask? It's kind of a long story, but suffice it to say the doctors were able to conform the cast around my 9-ZAP, so I can still practice.
Radio Control: Soaring
JUST BEING INVITED to the Masters of Soaring contest is truly an honor. When you arrive, you notice that you are in the company of some of the greatest contest fliers around. On the first day, I was speaking with one of the newer winning names on the contest circuit, Roger Lackey, who said he felt as if he was at his first day of school. Little did we know he was about to teach some of the old masters a few lessons with a third-place finish. How do you get invited to the Masters? This is what makes it so prestigious: LSF (League of Silent Flight) Level Vs are eligible, as are Level IVs who have acquired their Level V wins. This is great, but what if you are an LSF Level 0-such as myself? You win a major contest (a major contest is defined as a two-day contest). Hey, even Joe Wurts is only a Level II, but somehow I think he's qualified to attend.
