Another idea: Thermal Soaring, NASF Style

[GLIDERGIDER]

Soaring, NASF Style

It is my desire to grow the local interest in thermal soaring, & I'd like to see our Renegades participate. Three Renegades have already started building their 100 inch Oly2 sailplanes & more will follow.
Next June 2006, our local thermal soaring club will be hosting a thermal contest & funfly dedicated to the Oly2 sailplane. The Oly2 is a classic light weight floater that thousands of RC fliers have built & flown. Our club, NASF, North Alabama Silent Fliers, has club winches & can provide guidance for the new thermal fliers.
Free yourself from the necessity of motors & 15 minute flights. Learn the thrill of catching a boomer thermal that takes your bird to thousands of feet of altitude. Sort of like fishing, a sense is developed to understand & predict the location of thermals.
Join in our contests or just fly for the fun of it.

Next week our club will be holding their semi-annual meeting to discuss our future season of silent flight flight. I'd like invite all you Renegades to join us. We meet at a local restaurant, eat-meet-& chat about thermal soaring.

Joining our club is easy. We charge a measly $10/year to help pay for AMA field insurance & winch maintenance. We also require our members to join the AMA as well.

I will be posting more info on the meeting & the Oly2 very soon.

David Cousins
President NASF

[Johnnie Paul]

With the winds today, I'll bet your soaring will be exciting...

My son and I have a genuin interest, and we might have to make it to one of these events. We will miss todays events, but we will make plans to see both you and Todd soar your Oly's in June.

Johnnie

[atjurhs]

Johnnie,

It's funny that you should make this post today, as today we did Thermal Soaring NASF style......

As you can see in the pic, I fianlly got Grace out for her maiden flight today, and I can report that with a lot of expert help and coaching (that's the NASF style) Grace flew beautifully. Yesterday Dave came over and squared away my mest-up mixes and gave her a preflight inspection (that's the NASF style), then today she past her hand launch and range test. So with my knees-a-knocking, Dave put her on the winch, and up she went. Her maiden voyage wasn't anything spectacular to others, but it was too me. Dave coached me through the whole flight (that's the NASF style), and I'll tell you it is an adrenaline rush - a totally different kind than the sloping or combat highs, but a rush just the same.

Grace flew a total of 5 times today, and with some more expert coaching (that's the NASF style) I got one of the longest flights of the day at an 8 minute flight! Doesn't sound like much, but I'm told that if you don't catch thermals, you won't stay much more than 3 or 4 minutes.

Don brought out a plane that I nicknamed "Clifford". It was enormous in size -had to have at least 12 foot WS. I believe this was Don's first time at sailplane flying too, and the addiction bit him (and his pocket book) hard. Don went home with two planes. I guess Clifford needed a little white Dove play friend.

Hey Don, if you ever want to get rid of the Dove let me know. Don took Clifford out for several spins, and the pros on the field were amazed at Don's "first day out" flying skills ;)

Oh yea, we launched a couple of my sloper foamies off the sailplane wich too :eek:

We ended the day by sharing a cold one while telling a few stories, I hope to make that part of the NASF style too :D

[dee-grose]

8 minute flight on your first day thermal soaring? Not bad at all. Nice job, Todd! :D

Andy

[Miderror]

Just stay off the mountain

[GLIDERGIDER]

Jon Stone just announced the NASF Oly 2 fun fly event. Mark your calenders for June 17th at Sharon Johnston park. Fly date is about 6 weeks away.

All you guys who wanted a relaxing and easy to build sailplane event, this is it. More details later.

Get your planes built and ready.

[Jim_Marconnet]

Just stay off the mountain
Do we know these guys?

They look familiar, but somehow different, away from the stresses of combat. :D