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DARTS 2011
Altitude
Limited Electric Soaring
(ALES) Contest
#1
Sunday -
June 5, 2011
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Twin Towers Park, Fairborn, Ohio
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Sponsored by the DARTS (Dayton
ARea Thermal Soarers)
Who: Any AMA member, spectators welcome
What: ALES #1, an AMA sanctioned contest
When: Sunday,
June 5, 2011
Pilot's meeting at 9:30 AM
First round starts at 10:00 AM
Where: Club Field, Twin Towers Park, Fairborn, OH
Why: ALES #1, Altitude Limited, Electric Soaring,
Seeded Man-on-Man Thermal Duration
Entry Fee: $5
Contest Director: Ed Franz
The DARTS are happy to host a series of ALES events this
year, this contest being the first in the series. Due
to the nature of the rules, many sport type electric
gliders have proven to be very competitive. Examples
that have proven this out are the Radian and Vista
designs
ALES or Altitude Limited Electric Soaring is just what
the name implies. It is a traditional soaring event,
with the method of launching being that of an onboard
electric motor and prop. The launch altitude is limited
by an approved onboard electronic device, limiting the
motor run to an altitude of 200 meters, or 30 sec
(whichever occurs first)
See the link above for detailed rules
In summary, this event allows for a common starting
height by the use of an approved altitude limiting
device which shuts the electric motor down at 200 metes,
about 660 feet (or 30 sec, whichever occurs first).
This is about the height of a really good zoom winch
launch, so all contestants start at a vey nice altitude
from which they can seek thermals
The tasks are normally 10 min maxes, plus landing
points. The landing tape is 10 meters long, about 33
feet, and the landing points max out at 50 points. This
makes for a somewhat desensitized landing task. The
result is that beginners should find this landing task
easy and a confidence builder
Seeded Man-on-Man format allows the flight groupings to
be such that you fly with others of similar
performance. In Seeded Man-on-Man format, the flight
groups for the first round are chosen randomly. In each
of the succeeding rounds, the scores are sorted in
order from high to low and the flight groups are chosen
to accordingly from high to low. Thus as the day
progresses, contestants are flying in flight groups with
like performing pilots. This Seeded Man-on-Man format
has been a long time DARTS tradition and keeps things
fun as you are competing with other similar airplanes
and piloting skills
Come on out to fly or watch. Spectators welcome!
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