The TPG HLG contest series is about participation. This
month rocked. Two of the
most dedicated had other commitments this month including
winning the Blue Skies event.
However, the attendance was still 11 pilots. That's great
for July. Apparently, a
lot of guys couldn't get enough at the IHLGF. Participants
included at one DLG newcomer
who had a great time. For the new pilot, these contests are
about fun and trying the
challenging tasks. There were also some some experienced TD
guys who are crossing over
to DLG just now. Rumor has it that more even TD guys will
soon be making the switch.
Look for some winches on the used equipment market, soon.
Even though we've tried all of the F3K tasks before, this
was our first contest with
nothing but F3K. We flew 5 of the tasks: task B last flight,
task C next to last
and last flight, task E all up last down, task H the
familiar ladder starting at 30,
and task I poker. We took our time and went over each task
before flying. Everyone
did a great job flying the new rules. Nobody was penalized
for missing the landing window.
Some of the tasks gave a lot of us fits. Quite a few of us
bid too high in poker. I would
have done a lot better if I had bid 75 seconds five times.
Some didn't make that mistake.
Flying all up last down as a regular contest task was just
strange to me. We had some
very large and very strong cycles as evident by some
surprising raw scores, especially
in the ladder task.
Afterwards, most of the pilots gathered for lunch. It was a
great time. Hope to see
everyone there next month.
Next month, Sean Porter, will be the guest CD. In September,
Mike Seid will be the
guest CD, and in October, it'll be Brad Willoughby. Thanks,
guys, for helping out.
Look for the upcoming contest announcements.
TPG HLG
12MAY2007 Report
========================
There was a huge turnout this month with everyone trying to
get warmed up for the main event next month. Of the 18
registered pilots 15 flew. Three had bugaboos, radios not
completely programmed, or else just came down to support
their factory team. Of special note, Cliff, the TPG club
president, competed and had a great time.
Sorry for the late posting of the results for those reading
on the internet. For those who were there, I had to take
some time out to contemplate being a good neighbor.
It was great having seven or eight pilots flying each heat.
The five rounds also made for a long contest. Conditions
were moderately windy for Poway at least half of the
contest, but not as bad as it often is in June. It was
enough to tell a lot of us that we need to get more practice
in during the next few weeks. It also served to spread out
the scores much more than last month's crazy photo finish.
Thanks again to all the locals and out of town guys who came
out to make the regular HLG contest such a fun event. Hope
to see everyone at the IHLGF next month. TPG club members
should note that the IHLGF counts as the June event for the
year end HLG awards. After the big event in June, the
monthly HLG contest series continues in July. Some of the
contests will be F3K events and some will be who knows what.
Look for future announcements.
--Drew
April 21, 2007 TPG HLG Contest Report
=====================================
The weather looked good for the contest. About 1/2 inch of
rain ensured softer
ground than usual and the soaring forecast the morning of
the contest called
for a soaring index of 538 feet per minute with a very low
trigger temperature
of 47F. Winds weren't forecast to start blowing too hard
until after 2 pm.
The air was active and the competition was fierce as shown
in the final score
sheet. The top half of the pilots finished within a few
points of each other!
An experimental round was held after the contest. This
month, it was a practice
session for the Launch Altitude Challenge to be held Friday,
June 1 before the
IHLGF. 6 pilots entered a total of 9 different planes.
Maximum launches ranged
from 122 to 166 feet above ground level. Very interesting to
this observer was
how consistent the launches were. If a pilot's body
mechanics were consistent,
his launches came out very close. Even the least consistent
series of launches
produced a spread of no more than 15 feet or so. These guys
are good. It does
go to show how important the body mechanics are. There
wasn't a lot of data,
but the Vandals may have had a slight edge. Ballast appeared
to help, too.
Thanks to everyone who came out and participated. See you
next month!
