One of the most important things I work on is the setup of my DLG. Accurate and repeatable setups are necessary to have. I own about seven DLG’s and I set them all up the same, the only difference between them is the weight of the model. That way when I pick a model to fly it has the same feel as the last one. With the molded DLG in today’s world, the models are very accurate and the setups can be very repeatable. Here are some of the tools that I use to set them up....Continue Reading

How I preflight my DLG.

RC Sailplane, Discus Launch Glider (4 min 46 sec)

I put this together to show what you can do with these amazing sailplanes. I did some retuning on my BAMF and it's really tracking in the turns. One of my favorite things to practice is javelin throwing into micro thermals and riding them out. Video work all on my Samsung S10 head mounted.

Riding Micro Thermals (4 min 56 sec)

A few trips to Whidbey this winter produced some amazing flying and awesome cloud formations. Slope flying is one of my favorite things to do in the winter. You can escape the Seattle rain with a short 1-1/2 hour drive, with the new wind forecast tools we have had flyable conditions 4 times in a row! Enjoy!!

Sloping the Rain Shadow 2019 2020 (4 min 12 sec)

It's really fun to watch Paul launch his BAMF. He was hitting 62-69 meters today. I got a new Samsung S10 and all this was shot using it. The new phones really have great cameras for us amateur photographers. The slow motion is awesome and it shoots in 4K.

March 8 2020 Practice Day (2 min 56 sec)

It has been awhile since I posted a video. I put this together from pictures of the last 2 years on the contest circuit. Hope you enjoy!

2018 2019 Season Highlights (2 min 22 sec)

Put together a little video of the highlights from the 2 day.

2018 F3K Cascadia (7 min 4 sec)

Gimbal Testing (4 min 52 sec)

BAMF Berry Slope (4 min 4 sec)

RAW Launch Practice (3 min 19 sec)

Doing my thing with the BAMF! Love this plane.

BAMF (3 min 58 sec)

I have not posted for awhile so check out my latest looking back at 2017 and a little more. Changing planes this year to the BAMF and FLARE. Both fly awesome!

2017 Reflection and More (2 min 36 sec)

Quick Turn (2 min 13 sec)

What a fun and crazy year on the contest circuit. I spent a good deal of time last winter testing models to find out what I was going to go with this season. As you know last year I was flying the Vibe and really believed that was the best choice. The Vibe has superior turning characteristics compared to my Aerials. The Aerial is a lot harder to fly correctly than the Vibe. The thing about picking the right model is confidence that you can make it perform. After much testing I made my decision to fly my Aerials, one heavy lay up at 10.1 ounces and my light one 9.1 ounces. The one thing I found was that I can launch an Aerial a lot higher than the Vibe. I guess you could say the Aerial fits me better a lot better. My Aerials are three years old and my light one has developed a lot of character (wear and tear). Yes contest flying really stresses the equipment.
I also switched radio gear and went with the Taranis after many years flying Futaba. It really was a no brainer for me after getting all that instant feed back from the telemetry. The telemetry feed back from the Taranis is really a great training tool, vario, voice, instant launch height, receiver signal strength, instant battery voltage alarms it really is a dream come true as far as radios go. Also the launch switch can be programmed to retract the flaps. That is important for the quick turnaround.
All set and the season started off on a positive note with a win at the SASS March contest. April and May got me a...Continue Reading

The RC industry has progressed at light speed over the last 10 years. One of the really cool things, the FrSky Taranis. Total freedom of programing and a bunch of telemetry options. I picked one up last fall and now I am enjoying the power of this really cool radio. So sit back and ride along on a little demo to show how the vario and altimeter work.

Frsky Vario DLG Demo (4 min 48 sec)

Going to the Bruce is not a small feat by any means. This was my first big contest in more than 20 years; also it was my first contest to fly to ever. So on with my experience at “The Bruce”
Packing your models so they make it in one piece was a challenge for me. I got a little help from my friend and traveling companion Rick Jay. He came up with an great idea for packing the models in a sport tube, so I copied what he made and added a little of my touch. I started my morning off getting up at 2:30 Am on Thursday 9/17 grabbing a quick cup of Joe and off to Rick’s to pick him up for our 5:45 flight to Houston. We got to the airport with plenty of time. We arrived in Houston and got on our connecting flight to Louisville. The whole time Rick and I were worrying about the models making it safely through two flights, the baggage handlers and the TSA. After arriving at Louisville and getting our rental car we could not help but open the sport tubes and take a look. Whew! All intact and no damage! A short drive of about 40 minutes got us at Bruce’s house around 7:00 pm. Wow there were lots of people there already and the Kegs tapped! Rick set up a rental camp trailer for us to stay, it was there and ready for us. A few beers and meeting some new people and off to bed. Friday I was up early got a hot shower at Bruce’s guest room. The Cantina was open and they had coffee!! We spent the morning unpacking our models and flying in the Kentucky morning air. Tight thermals abound and...Continue Reading

How I get to 200'

20150503 131341 (6 min 42 sec)

I'm honored and humble to win this trophy yet again. Thanks to Seattle Area Soaring Society for tracking the scores and putting on some of the best contest anywhere. Thanks Rick, Burton and Lawrence . Thanks to Thomas of ArmSoar for the sponsorship and to my buddy Chris for all of the support thru the years .

Can't believe it's been almost a year since I received my Aerial. I have acquired my second one which is a light layup. Soon I will have the latest layup that should launch even higher . I have been very impressed with them and they fly awesome!! I'm including some data to show the launch heights, check it out. I have managed to set my personal best at 232' with my heavy layup Aerial. I really try to go for 60 meter (196') launch heights, that's my goal. Can't always get there but I'm working on my core trying to build more strength. The lighter Aerial is great in wind up to 8-10 mph after that I go to my heavy. Heavy =280g. Light = 258g. Scroll down and look at my Neos post with the launch heights. There is a big difference when you go to a higher aspect ratio like the Aerial!!

A new plane from Armsoar has landed at my house. I have been waiting for quite some time to get my hands on the latest from Thomas. Just got it flying and I'm impressed with it. Stay tuned as I explore the flight envelope of this new high aspect all molded superstar!