FOOTLAUNCHNovember

Buckets of Rain…Bryter Layter

 

Not a lot to report for this month. November meeting at the Plume of Feathers was Quiz night. Thanks to Nick, Bryan, Brian and Ken for being the question masters. Lots of chocolate won by all! (Thanks to John and Diane Bevan).

Thanks Tim C and Richard P!!!

Safe flying, Richard.

Next club meeting; on Wed 14th December at the Plume of Feathers, Castlemorton. 

SAFETY MATTERS and other stuff
Death is just nature's way of telling you to watch your airspeed.

Safety Officers Bit  

Power pilots:

The only time you can have too much fuel is when you’re on fire.

Never fly in the same cockpit as someone braver than you.

Most used last words – “Why is it doing that?”, “Where are we?”, “Oh Sh#t!”

As far as I know the club has a perfect safety record – we’ve never left anyone stuck up there!

Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.

Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal.

Safety Orifice's next Bit - Beware Cheap Imitations

Don't ever be tempted to use any old bit of rope or webbing when you're
adjusting or modifying flying gear. A mate bought some cheap webbing luggage
straps with ratchet tighteners and they broke first time they were used.
Amazingly you could take hold of the 2" webbing and snap it with your hands
- it looked good and strong but must have been woven from coloured rice
paper! Make sure any rope or webbing is pukka stuff with a certified
strength

 

REMINDER

It’s the BHPA AGM on 26th and 27th November. Gordon Allison has kindly issued an invite to any club members that may be going (or even not going but who fancy a social evening!) to drop in at his place for a bit of a ‘do’.

All welcome to MHGC Beer & Bonfire after NEC Annual Show 5pm onwards, 26th November in the bar at:

 

The Brook

Dingle End

Inkberrow

Worcs

WR7 4EY

Just south of Redditch, 20 miles from NEC. 
Cheers, Gordon gordon.allison@homecall.co.uk

 

Dear Doreen,

Got a flying problem? Sort it out yourself! Doreen has run off with a windsurfing instructor due to lack of interest. Tempt her back!

 

 

Commerce

Motorola has released a mobile phone with integrated GPS - the A780 for Europe, its first mobile phone with built-in satellite navigation. It’s a flip phone with integrated GPS receiver and large colour touch screen aiming to provide full-featured satellite navigation with voice commands.

The A780 comes equipped with CoPilot Live navigation software and maps. The on-board maps provide street level detail as well as other useful information such as a comprehensive database of house numbers, hotels, airports and tourist attractions. The route finder lets you enter a destination and then gives text and voice commands to guide you.

It comes ready to use with maps of the UK & Ireland. European travellers can also benefit from maps of Western Europe which are available to purchase. The maps utilise the Motorola expandable memory which houses a 256MB card.

The phone also comes with Bluetooth, a mini USB port, quad-band roaming, a 1.3 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and an MP3 player. 

Not sure how easy it is to use in the air but worth a look. Pricey at £550 though. 

Science - and Fiction
 
Hawks and eagles glide on currents of rising warm air called thermals to extend their flight time without needing more fuel. NASA aerospace engineer Michael Allen and a team of engineers working on the Autonomous Soaring Project at Dryden Flight Research Center have succeeded in extending the range of small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) by programming them to autonomously soar on thermals.

During the test, the software programmed into the 15-pound motor-glider's autopilot flew the aircraft on a pre-determined racetrack over the northern portion of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base until it detected an updraft. Once the aircraft started to rise on the current, the engine automatically shut off and the aircraft circled to stay within the convective lift resulting from the thermal or updraft.

Did it work? According to the researchers, the small UAV added 60 minutes to its endurance by soaring autonomously. Nicknamed Cloud Swift after a bird known for feeding on insects found in rising air masses, the modified model sailplane gained an average altitude in 23 updrafts of 565 feet, and in one strong thermal ascended 2,770 feet.

"The flights demonstrated that a small UAV can mimic birds and exploit the free energy that exists in the atmosphere," Allen stated. "We have been able to gather useful and unique data on updrafts and the response of the aircraft in updrafts. This will further the technology and refine the algorithms that are used."

Science fiction writers have been using UAVs for surveillance for a generation or more. In his excellent 1980 science/fantasy novel Changeling, Roger Zelazny describes small, autonomous surveillance craft called 'tracer-birds' that were also able to detect and ride air currents: The dark birdforms dotted the mountaintops like statues of prehistoric beasts, wings outspread. Had there been an eye to observe them, it might not even have noted their minute, tropism-like pursuit of the sun across the sky as they recharged their batteries for the night's flight.

...they stirred, almost simultaneously, as if shaken by a sudden breeze. They began to flex their wings.

Soon, one by one, they dropped from the heights, caught the air, rose, found their way, found their patterns, resumed their journey...
(Read more about Roger Zelazny's tracer-birds)

If you are interested in what it might feel like to be surveilled by a bird-like UAV, read about Little Bird, from Darwin's Children, a recent novel by Greg Bear.

Take a look at an extremely cool, lightweight bird-like UAV in Robotic Bird Has USAF Flocking. Read more about NASA research on extending UAV endurance. Thanks to Tariq Malik for contributing the story tip.

(This Science Fiction in the News story used without permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)

Humour

Q: How do you know if a pilot is at your party?
A: He'll tell you.

How do you know when you are half way through a date with a pilot?

Because he says: "That's enough about flying, let's talk about me"!

 

Go4IT

Possibly the final result

 

NAME

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL Km

Bryan Hindle

40.4

42.6

(DL)

85.4(FT)

6.7

17.6

(DL)

34.9

62.4

26.7

49.1

54.5(DL)

54.8(G)

52.6

527.7

Tim Crow

29.8(DL)

15.8

(DL)

22.3(DL)

31.6

(DL)

63.4

(DL)

26.4

(FT)

18.6(T)

5.1

56.3(DL)

72.4(DL)

45.0(DL)

 

386.7

Dave

Jackson-Hobbs

60.8

53.8

10.6

18.8

(DL)

39.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

183.1

Nigel Dewdney

27.0

19.6

15.5

46.0

(DL)

18.9

(DL)

20.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

147.6

Chris Smith

15.5

22.6

(DL)

10.1

50.1

(DL)

13.4

31.4

(DL)

 

 

 

 

 

 

143.1

Rob Davies

20.4

8.7

83.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

112.2

Dennis Ferneyhough

40.4

15.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

56.3

Rich Sheppard

24.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

24.3

Carolyn Dewdney

13.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.5

Rules

1.    UK flights only.
2.    No infringement of airspace.
3.    Must have Pilot rating or be under instruction from one on the day.
4.    Flights between 01/12/04 to 30/11/05.
5.    Co-ordinates for T/O and landing required plus distance from point to point in Km as a

       check. Flights will be scored to nearest 100m.
6.    Defined flights (BHPA rules, see below) Coordinates for turn points in addition. Bonus

       distance awarded provided 60% of flight outside ridge lift.
7.    Stone’s throw award for smallest flight submitted (or known about) provided
       distance 5km or greater.

 

 

Go4IT Flight Types

Open Distance (score = distance)
Open Distance flights do not have any turnpoints. Open distance flights will score the straight-line distance from the start point to the end point.

 

Dog-Leg (DL) score = distance
Dog-Leg flights are open distance flights with a single turnpoint. The turnpoint does not need to be declared beforehand. The turnpoint is permitted when pilots are forced to make a substantial change in direction.

Out and Return (OR) score = distance x 2 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift.
Out and Return flights commence at a start point, go round a single turnpoint, and return to the original start point. The coordinates of the start point and finish point are therefore identical. The start/finish point may be different to the actual launch/landing points but the flight distance is only measured from the start, to the turnpoint and back.

 

FAI Triangle (T) score = distance x 3 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift.
An FAI Triangle is one which satisfies the FAI’s 28% Rule (shortest side must be greater than, or equal to, 28% of the distance flown). To fly a triangle you must round three turnpoints, and return to the original start point. The coordinates of the start point and goal are therefore identical and for declared triangles and local records, must be one of the turnpoints. The start/goal point may be different to the actual launch/landing points.

 

Special Rule to encourage pilots to attempt triangle flights
Note that for non-declared triangles, using GPS verification, you can fly a loop and you will be scored the best triangle which can be fitted inside it. Your track log points must cross to complete the loop. This means you don’t have to start and finish at a turnpoint but may start midway along a leg. This is to encourage pilots to try triangle flights.

 

Flat Triangle (FT) score = distance x 2
A Flat Triangle is a triangular flight as above, except that it does not conform to the FAI 28% rule. Completed Flat Triangle flights score the distance multiplied by 2 when the majority of the flight is out of ridge lift.

 

Failed Triangle (score = distance)
A Failed Triangle is an attempt at a triangular flight in which the pilot fails to make it back to the start point. Failed Triangles score the total distance from the start, around up to two turnpoints and back towards the finish point.

Flying tales

Thanks  to Richard Pearce for the following report and photos:

Northern Cyprus (Kyrenia) (October 6 days)29 degrees C at the sea and 22 C at take-off.
Take off was 2600 ft and landing about 100ft.

I flew for 198km in total and averaged 1hr 49m of airtime each day. My first flying holiday where I have flown everyday. The course was basic thermalling and some XC aimed primarily at the 1yr plus Club pilot. 2 Instructors from Northern PG/Sunsoar (Pete and Chris) were great and their advice on my thermalling technique was superb. (I think the best advice advice for me was "stop eating fat chips, you'll stay up longer"). I went with Bob Lappage and George Howard plus 11 other low airtime chaps (some with only an hour under their belts) and the conditions were ideal (smooth light thermals, but perhaps a bit small at times).  George had his best flying holiday ever for the amount of time he had in the air and number of flights. 930am start and 430pm finish was typical for the day with a couple of evening
TTB's.  Hotel was OK (Oscar resort with 4 pools - I was the oldest going down the big slide !), typically Turkish and very friendly people. Well recommended for an easy relaxing flying holiday, not too taxing and at a slow pace.

See http://sunsoar.co.uk/SunSoar/NCOverview_V2.htm for more details.
Cheers

Richard Pearce

 

 

ADVERTS

Flying Planet Spirit (Medium) Class leading performance DHV1/2. 35 hours, good condition. £800. Contact Dean 07977 918691 – Bristol

For Sale

Airwave Magic 4 155FR, good condition & stored in the dry. Pink LE, Grey US, not flown since 1999, but has been recently rigged. Has round uprights with aerofoils uk conversion kit & also has 2 spare aerofoils that can be fitted. £250 o.n.o. Tel 01322 412684/01905 764157 or jmdparsons@yahoo.co.uk

For Sale

Airwave Magic 4 155. Excellent condition. Rarely flown over the last ten years. Spare set of Airwave aerofoil uprights. Yellow and white. Flies very nicely.  £250 Tel Rich 01684 892415 rich@mooncoin.fslife.co.uk