2012  DARTS ALES #3   Sunday, August 26, 2012   -   Post-contest results

This was the 3nd of the DARTS sponsored Altitude Limited Electric Soaring (ALES) contests for 2012

CD Report:

No, this was not a bicycling Radian One Design Contest.  The parking lot was packed with a bicycling event and with the low winds around max 6 mph the Radians were out in force comprising 7 out of 10 entries. The parking lot was so packed I told everyone to park behind the big tree and if the ranger showed up we would argue with him. He did drive by but seemed to understand and kept going. Other than a few bike riders showing interest in our flying activities the Radians and bikes didn’t mix.  

ALES contests are flying to 200 Meters and I wouldn't normally put that in the contest name but on Saturday we had Bill Holcher’s 100 meter Low Rider Challenge and we wanted to make sure everyone reprogrammed to the regular altitude. We did test launches with everyone in their first round flight groups on both days and it was a good check to make sure everyone was on the same page. Really not a bad idea for all ALES contests though some are reluctant to join in.  

With the parking lot and picnic shelter completely occupied I called just about everything east of the big tree out of bounds including the big tree. To the south the mowed grass was in and to the west the tree line was out and to the north the road was out of bounds. The prevailing wind was out of the south and Al Salas set the landing tapes out in a line due west of the big tree with the hot ends pointing south. We had no out of bounds landings during the contest though in the fourth round Al Salas barely avoided going off field near the road by aborting with a motor run and a quick dash back to the field. Al’s flight was the only zero given for an after launch motor run and that due to severe radio problems that forced his withdrawal from the contest.  

For our 6 rounds we flew in 3 flight groups with the task times 8 minutes for the first 2 rounds and 10 minutes for the last 4. It seemed like you could find a thermal that would last the round but just as often you had to scramble for another. There wasn’t so much of the slam down cold air as you haven’t been going up for awhile and it is decision time. Toward the end of the contest every once and a while we were getting cooler air blowing through. I’m sure others experienced the air differently so let us know what you flew through.  

From round 2 on Don, Bill and myself were in the last flight group and after round 4 we went to 3 flights of 3 so then it was only us three in a Radian face off. In the 6th and last round Paul Wiese beat his 2nd flight group which put him in position to place if one of us three faltered. In the 3rd flight of the sixth round somewhere under Bill’s Radian a cool air caught Don and myself and I just managed to hold out for a few seconds longer than Don allowing Paul to take third place. Actually the cool air caught Bill too but as usual Bill had a great flight.  

Thanks to Roger Van Elslander for driving down from the Detroit area to fly with us. Thanks to everyone that helped including Mark Groves who rolled up landing tapes and let me score from the shelter of his shade. Bill Holcher thanks for the free snacks.  

If I got your plane wrong just let us know what you were flying.

I made one error while scoring when I didn’t enter Roger’s 4th round landing that has been corrected.  

David Rice, CD