Tom, Thanks for the input. I understand the "tacking up wind" concept, raced on sailboats for years and it makes sense. If your going crosswind, no matter how slight, the DMG ( distance made good ) on course is reduced, forgot about that. Funny how there is a synergy between sailing and soaring, some of my old sailing buddies are also interested in soaring. I too am attracted strongly to them both.
Wished I could make it to Muncie for the NATS. I have only participated in one, the 1981 NATS in Seguin, TX. Also, went to one as a child at the Dallas Naval Airstation, I was awestruck!!! However, when registrations had to be in for this year I was not sure my recent surgery would allow me to attend. Hope you can make it for the TNT this year, always enjoy flying with you. Mark Williams Garland, TX President Soaring League of North Texas LSF # 3792 Level III AMA # 5492 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Kallevang" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mark Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 11:28 PM Subject: Reply: [RCSE] XC Strategies? > Hi Mark, glad to hear the program is enjoying a resurgence in your > area. > > For the LSF task levels, it's best to have as close to a straight out > and back course as you can find. The more turns and jogs the chase > vehicle has to follow increases the distance the pilot must fly to make > the task. Task measurements should be as the crow flies, but many just > use the odometer. A closed course like the old SOAR Great Race was > legal for the 10K goal and return because the furthest point from the > start/finish was more than 10K away, even though you flew 76 km! Lots > of guys get their 2 hour Thermal and the 10K at the same time ... as > long as you land back witrhin 200M, the flight counts for both tasks. > > For XC racing, it isn't as necessary to have straight lines, and our > stab at scale aeortow XC at the Nats last year showed us a closed > course can work very well. > > Upwind/downwind vs. crosswind ... depends on the day, the flier, the > plane, etc etc etc. > > Down/up wind might be a little easier ... you can start upwind, catch a > bubble and hit the course while climbing ... lift peters out and you > head downwind looking for more. Start in the afternoon, with gradually > reducing winds, and you get the wind at your back on the way out and a > reduced headwind on the way back. > > Running the course crosswind will require a lot of zig-zagging > resulting in a longer course to fly, tacking against the wind like a > sailboat. Same deal in a way with heading upwind first ... > > Find youreself a sod farm at the crossroads of two paved but untraveled > roads that are straight for 10K from the intersection in all ways ... > you got it any which way. > > We have also set up winches on the side of the road and taken off from > there ... you don't want to be doing a lot of launching this way. > Watch out for dogs and shotguns if you trample the crops. Minimize > your impact to your surroundings and land as near the road as possible, > in other words, be a good neighbor. > > Hope this helps! > > > Tom Kallevang > Wheeling, IL > LSF President & Webmaster > LSF #303 Level V #103 > AMA L292 > SOAR (Chicago) > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note that subscribe and unsubscribe messages must be sent in text only format with MIME turned off. Email sent from web based email such as Hotmail and AOL are generally NOT in text format
