Summer Thermal Series
With three months of this competition completed, the eventual
winner is still in doubt. Brian Brockway and Allan Parker have
continued to record very high scores but last month, with the
nine minute target time, Brian dropped 46 seconds to Allan's 5
seconds.
The limit of only having two attempts each Friday has proved popular. Brian has flown his Calypso throughout the series which is not at its best in light airs. Allan's Algebra on the other hand has always been in with a chance and, with his consistent flying, shows that you don't have to have the latest plastic for thermal flying.
Thermal Soaring
Competition Sunday 13th July 2003
This was held at Chalbury by kind permission of the Wessex
Soaring Association, in lovely sunny weather. There was a reasonable
breeze which tended to back and then returned to its original
direction after the bungee had been moved. Three winches were
also used for the launches and Brian Brockway, our only club representative,
had an enjoyable day sorting one of them out.
Only Ian Duff, the eventual clear winner, came to terms with the thermal conditions of strong lift followed by equally strong sink.
There was an interesting collection of models from the out and out top of the range thermal flyers to semi-scale. The W.S.A. has a keen group of 2-meter models who made good use of the bungee. Dave Camp's tailless (or flying wing) put in a good display of holding a thermal at low height as well as being able to flat turn in almost its own span.
Altogether a most enjoyable days flying. Thankyou to the Wessex Soaring Association for the use of the site.
Full results are given in the table.