ScrollSander wrote: >At Visalia, I still await to see a plane go over the wires on the initial >throw. Chris, I have a sporting proposal for you. As you have in the past mentioned a fondness for certain types of grain based beverages, I propose that we use such for the currency. First, I'll put up your winning potential for review. The challenge: If I cannot throw higher than the powerlines on the west side of the field, I'll provide you with a case of the your favorite beverage. In order to make it sporting, for me to get an award, I'll give you two options. Neither are the simple task of clearing the powerlines, as I consider that task trivial in nature. The first option: For every loop that I do around the powerlines, you provide me with a six pack of my favorite beverage. second option: If I can throw at least twice as high as the powerlines, you provide me with a case of my favorite beverage. The gauntlet has been thrown. And BTW, a true sportsman would combine options 1 and 2. :-) Rules and restrictions: All true contests have rules and restrictions... :-) 1) All throws will be done in the typically smooth evening air on Friday evening before the Soaring Festival. Evening is defined as commencing at one hour before sunset. Sunset will be at about 17:25 PST, so the event will commence at about 16:25 PST (I dunno if daylight time ends before Oct 8th). 2) The contest will be null and void if I develop an obvious and debilitating physical injury (or work does something mean/cruel to my schedule...). 3) I get three attempts to accomplish the task of your choice. The best result of the three counts (or in case of option 1, the average of the three...). 4) Contact with the powerlines results in a reflight in case of option 1. A missed or invalid rangefinder reading results in a reflight in case of option 2. 5) The first option is measured via the obvious method (does the plane obviously go over or under the powerlines, at the top of the loop). The second option is measured via a laser rangefinder, comparing the upper cross-bar of the pole to the ground at the base of the pole vs. the height of the plane at the top of the launch vs the ground height that I throw from. 6) The quality of the loops is immaterial in the first option. The real point of measurement is the number of consecutive alternating passes over and under the powerlines, which will be defined as looping the powerlines for the purposes of this contest. >Heights with a rangefinder have to be reviewed continually for >vertical, that is you almost have to fall over backwards when getting the >measurement. I tried to lie on the ground to get the measurement and one >could not get the plane in sight easily. It is easy to be off of vertical >more than 15 degrees. I'm a bit confused here. Flying straight over the rangefinder should be an absolutely trivial task. After all, it is about an order of magnitude easier than it would be to hit a balloon 100 feet in the air, which you said if you cannot, you are not an HLG pilot. From my perspective, flying over a laser rangefinder is primarily a single axis problem (left/right). Hitting a balloon at a reasonable altitude is somewhere between a two and three axis problem. And each axis that you add, adds about a half order of magnitude of difficulty... >To whoever is organizing the HLG event on Sat please make sure that I can >get in... Well, I've given you a HLG event that you can participate in at Visalia. Nope, you don't get to fly, but you still have a similar chance of winning regardless, or even far better if your perceptions are accurate! Best regards, Joe Wurts RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
