Kilspindie 16 January 2013

The forecast of wintery weather meant that Peter (wisely) cancelled today’s F3F competition. The predicted overnight white-stuff didn’t materialise so I headed up to Kilspindie for a fly. As I gained height on the access road the road conditions deteriorated steadily until I began to regret setting out up the hill! When I passed the livery/riding stables at the hairpin bend the people stared as I slipped and slithered up the road. Immediately after I passed this point I began to lose traction and it became a challenge to keep going. If I could have stopped and turned back I would have! The stretch after the Kilspindie farm and the top of the hill was worse and I really didn’t think I would make it but I did. Phew!! When I got to the top Peter was there (a 4x4 is an advantage in today’s conditions) and he was just setting out but I parked just beyond the top so I was pointing downhill. We trudged up the hill through a Winter wonderland. It looked a picture and not too cold.

The wind was blowing about 15mph and our models were going well. When the sun came out the wind dropped way and we scratched around for a while but the cloud covered the sun and the wind picked up and we were off again. Yippee! Approaching showers saw us heading back to the cars after and enjoyable couple of hours. There is something magical about flying in the winter if conditions are favourable.

Peter and his Freestyler

My Extreme left an interesting track in the snow on landing on the slope edge.

Nearly slithered over the edge with zero airspeed!! 10 feet further and..... 

Freestyler getting the heave-ho! 

Snowy up here today!!

Horcum Winter League 3. 5 December

Only Peter and myself were up for the trip to North Yorkshire for the third round of the Winter League. It turned out a great day with fairly light wind, no rain and temperatures around 10 deg C. Exceptional for January!

I flew my Extreme and was really happy with the way it went. I spoiled one round by cutting and also blew another round by crap flying/lack of concentration! There were a good number of top fliers present so it was hard for an "also-ran" like me to get into the top ten.

Peter having a seat and some lunch. Peter flew his Stinger with great effect and finished in third place.

Simon launching Martin's Freestyler

18 competitors today

Paul Garnett launching for Mark Treble

Ronnie had to resort to his foamie after a cut recovery with his Strega went wrong!

Peter throwing Jon's Extreme off

Festive Foamie Fun

Nine of us enthusiastic fliers pitched up for the Festive Foamie event. A brilliant turnout in the middle of winter considering several of the regulars were missing. The forecast was for 20 mph sw winds and dry and mild. We got up to 40 mph (full ballast) winds and frequent heavy downpours of rain. The strong winds and wetness made it seem pretty cold too. Fortunately a few had brought Sportbrellas and shelters so we had somewhere to hide during the showers. The showers were heavy and persistent and really disrupted the flow of races. We were lucky if we could fly more than two consecutive races before the next shower hit.

I completely blew my first race when I had a bad start followed by confusion over which model my flagman was flagging! My Reaper was going well though and I felt I was closing the gap between Mike and myself but I dived a wee bit too low along the edge and clipped a wingtip on the slope. My sturdy (fully ballasted) Reaper survived the resulting cartwheel and was soon back in the air.

My last race was a result for me when I managed to win it and beat Peter and his Bluto into the bargain! However, upon landing, Peter discovered huge chunks of the covering on his model was hanging off and would have been a fairly effective airbrake!

After 9 races we called a halt to the proceedings and headed back to the cars to dry out and warm up. Good fun and a bit of a triumph over adversity!!

The temporary camp

Ewan getting ready to go as Mike gives helpful advice!

David getting ready launch

Hiding from the downpours. Peter treating his lurgie with yet another Lemsip!!

Ewan and Mike hiding from the weather. We are under Ewan's Sportbrella. Thanks Ewan :)

Back at the car park and looking up the hill. Rain stopped and cloud has decended!

Mild winter day on East Lomond

The weather put paid to the F3F competition yesterday with more than enough wind but way too much low cloud. We hung around yesterday until after 12 and with no sign of any improvement in the weather Peter called it off. Typically as soon as we got away from the hill we were met by blue skies but looking in my rear view mirror East Lomond was still in cloud.

Sunday:-

My base camp on East Lomond

Low winter sun peeping out from the cloud

I was back up the hill this morning by 10:30 to find a nice mild day (7deg C) and 15 mph wind blowing from slightly south of south west. Half ballast in my Extreme and it was chucked in the air and I was happy. It was quite cloudy for the first hour but the sun came out and it got quite thermally at times. Quite sinky at times too!! When the sun came out the wind started to drop to around 10 mph. Still great fun practicing EM style turns. Fast? Not really!! Fun? Absolutely!

Home for a late lunch and ready for my nap now…………..

Stormy day on West Lomond

With the promise of a sunny day and a good north west wind I headed up to Craigmead car park and the long walk to West Lomond. The car park was a sheet of frozen slush/snow and very difficult to walk on! The path along to West Lomond had a patchy covering of the same melted and refrozen snow which made the walk up a challenge because a lot of time was spent walking on the margins of the path or stepping very gingerly on the ice. The strong headwind didn’t help much either.  

The final climb up the path over the shoulder of West Lomond was hard work and by the time I got there I was cream crackered and doubting my sanity!! I had the same doubts later on as I struggled to hang onto my Extreme at the launch point. Turbulent conditions on the edge and a real challenge to hold the model level before letting go!! I had to abandon my second launch because I just could not hold the model level with one hand. It was blowing between 40-50 mph with frequent big gusts.

Low winter sun shows up the folds in the terrain down the hill near the Bunnet Stane (bottom left)

 

Once away though my fully ballasted Extreme was ballistic in the bumpy air!! Yippee. Landings were a bit hairy because the rotor seemed much worse than usual. The wind was more NNW which swung  it off the slope a bit and may have contributed to the hairy landing approaches.  The low sun on the landing approach was also a real problem and I had a couple of moments where I could hardly see my model. Ahem!!

I had a couple of flights before Peter arrived and having someone else to launch made the whole thing much less fraught. Landings were still hairy though.

Extreme trying to bury it's head in the snow hoping I won't fly it again!

 

Peter flew his Stinger first it if went like a scalded cat in the big air. He was able to carve some excellent turns although flying a uniform course was tricky in the turbulent air. Peter’s Freestyler also went well but seemed a bit unsettled at times in the bumpy lift. Peter proved the strength of the FS when it fell out of the air on landing and went into the frozen ground nose first. It actually stuck in nose first but survived fine. Strong model!! 

 

My Extreme resting on the snow in the low winter sun

 

Winter League 1. 17 November East Lomond

The forecast for the first F3F competition of the winter league promised wsw winds and clear skies. Well, the wind direction was correct, although much stronger than predicted, but the two downpours were totally unexpected!! All 12 competitors managed to squeeze under two large umbrellas during the rain.

I had arrived sharp, thinking I would be first there, but discovered Mark Treble waiting in the East Lomond car park having driven up from Halifax. We were both keen to get going so we headed up the hill before the rest of the field appeared. Some low wispy cloud didn’t stop me giving my Extreme a test flight and Mark had the chance to try out East Lomond before the competition got going.

I am still trying to get the hang of this open style of flying and kept flying long. Really long, especially on the left hand turn. I blame the speed of the model being too fast for me!!

Ewan on the course as Dave gets ready to launch Robert's P3

My fishing brolly provided shelter but may not be up to the rigors of life on a windy hillside! Sportbrella added to my Christmas list. 

Robert launches David's Race M

Mark Treble's Needle on approach

Damp huddle. Cold and wet; my favourite!!

The forecast was for a good breeze from the south west and a dry sunny day which apart from the cloud and rain was spot on!!! I was expecting to be on my own but Dave Watson was just getting his boots on when I arrived in the car park so I had company today. Perfect!

Dave flew his Needle and Cyril side by side for comparison but it was hard to see much difference in speed. They are both very fast!!

I flew my Extreme fully ballasted and it was going well and I am sure it had the edge on my Vikos for out and out speed. I spent time trying to perfect these EM turns but struggle to be consistent. Turns on the left seemed to work better in the 25-30mph wind from the ssw. I am so pleased I made the (great) effort to repair this model rather than scrapping it although I try not to think how many hours it took!

Concentration. 

Needle too fast for my pocket camera! 

The wind strength increased and Dave had to tape his hat on! 

Hiding from the cold wind.

Minutes after this picture my £12 cheapo fishing shelter (mini SportBrella) took exception to the increasing wind strength and headed off towards Dundee but Dave caught up with it before it disappeared down the back of the hill! That folding articulated section near the centre has to go.

With rain approaching we headed back to the cars and hence to the Pillars of Hercules for tea/coffee and cakes. A grand day out!