[LASS Soaring] Putting the 8 hour slope flight in proper perspective

Sun Apr 26 23:56:42 EDT 2009

Okay I did 16 hours in two days...Yesterday the foamie planes almost got  
hit by a burning meteorite..or at least the guys seemed to think so as they  
scattered their models...I was busy in a different part of the sky so didn't 
see  it, just freaked when the other guys panicked.

Today it was supposed to be blowing 10mph at 7am...we had 3mph at 9am....I  
bungee up (landing practice bungee) to insure getting out over the 
bushes...and  spent the first hour scratching  the slope tree line. I tried 
launching  about 4 times previous so that I could try to get my flight in before 6pm 
but  the air just wasn't there.

I didn't have my own 2.4 TX because I'd left in in my truck in Philly at  
the airport...so I borrowed one and programmed up my Super AVA....only to 
find  one spoiler servo was shot.  Okay one would be sufficient....

Things were not looking too positive.

Then there is this.....imagine plopping your butt down on the slope  
realizing that if I hadn't looked away with 8:35 minutes left, I'd still have a  
great woody ship and this would be over.

I'd sat there for 7 hours and 51ish minutes yesterday..and now I was going  
to have to try to do it again.  And I was toasted...sunburned, scalded,  
tired....and now 8 more hours of blistering sun and 85 degree temps.

Most of the day turned out to be very light winds..but the slope lift was  
awesome maybe better than we've ever had!  The foamie DS ships spent the  
whole 8 hours plus racing and combating.  

Okay for those of you who think it impossible....our little Lee (12 still  
spent about 7 hours+ in the air each day that I was up for my 8's!  The  
only time he wasn't causing kaos in the air, he was down fast charging  
batteries.  

At 7 hours and 30 minutes the talking timer chimed her toll....and the lift 
 died, any thermal activity came to a complete stop and the 50 or so 
buzzards  ...disappeared.....I was clearly screwed.

I had some altitude (about 200') so I put the Super AVA in cruise trim and  
just directed her around any sort of ridges I could see....most about 1/4 
mile  away on the perimeter of our slope front....and cruise she did...I 
covered  ground for what seemed forever...and the talking timer tolled 20mins 
left.   ARGH!

I asked Dave (founder of the slope) if we could get to the farm fields  
below, because if i tmeant making it, I was willing to chance crashing (its a  
long ways down and off)..

And she kept cruising.....I found a bit here and a bit there, and  finally 
the taking timer said 6 minutes left...and the lift stormed back and the  
Super AVA was up and away....when I finally packed up, Lee was still  
barnstorming the DS zone with Dave and Doug.

Bob Summers stood by me the whole time (well sometimes asleep his car with  
the air on, cuz he was seriously cooked from yesterday)...but he made some 
food  and water runs for us all too.

I want to thank the little guys...er I mean Lee for hanging out with me  
both days and signing as witness both Bob's and my LSF 8 task slots.  

I had been fairly vocal that I wanted to do my 8 hour on our own Kentucky  
Slope, and to be the first ever...but when Bob showed up yesterday, I knew 
that  he'd need some help and that meant no chance for me being the 
first....since I'd  have to launch him out in to the lift..and there was no way we 
were going to let  him miss his time!  He was first out and first 
finished...and the Frankfort  Kentucky Slope is no longer an LSF5 virgin...its 
bonafide....8 hour  possible.

Again, can you possibly imagine what it was to sit down in that chair after 
 being so close yesterday, realizing that it couldn't happen again today?

Anyway at everyone's urging I over flew the 8 by the amount that I  missed 
yesterday so that I'd have 16 hours of Slope over two consecutive  
days....For those of you who can't seem to do it, I did it twice...and Lee could  
have since he was flying almost continuously anyway.

Any one else done two 8 hour flights in two days?

Goal and Return...and then what's to live for?   :-0

Louisville Soaring Society produces pilots because of the LSF  leadership 
of Ed Wilson....his first "little lee"...Bruce Davidison won the  
International DLG contest today!

I had 4 Copper Tops under the wing saddle laying end to end packed in  
foam.  I left the original battery  in the nose...but pulled any lead  I had 
there to get it balanced.  And I had a 2100 NIHM AA pack in the 9303  2.4 DSM 
JR Transmitter.  The transmitter battery was cycled once before and  fully 
charged. Its still almost fully charged...so totally no need to worry  about 
batteries.  The pack in the plane barely shows any voltage  drop.

(PS the stuff about not drinking or eating prior....I ate steak and hot  
fudge Sundays, had egg bagel and cheese for breakfast with two coffees, and  
sucked water like a fire engine)...no need to be paranoid.

Gordy 
Philly or bust in the morning.

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