THE MAY BIG SKY INTERNATIONAL
LONGEST DURATION CONTEST FOR ALL ELECTRIC LAUNCHED GLIDERS
THERMAL SOARING AND SLOPE SOARING

RULES AND INFO:

Contest will run from 12:01 am May 1 to 11:59 PM May 31 Eastern US time.
The contest is for ALL electric launched gliders or airplanes of all sizes, all materials and all controls. The contest is intended to help motivate you to develop your thermal and slope soaring skills.
The contest is open this to all e-gliders and, if you like, e-airplanes too. If it glides, it qualifies.
In Thermal Duration, the contest is split into two classifications, 2-meter and under, and Open class.
You can post as many times as you like using as many planes as you like, but only one will be counted per pilot per category regardless of what kind of plane you are flying. You can replace a shorter time with a longer time any point during the contest. You can fly as many flights as you like.
Goal - longest duration thermal and slope flights without use of the motor. I expect to see themal times in excess of 30 minutes and slope times in excess of an hour. But you are welcome to post any flight time you wish. Get your name on the list and be famous!

THE PLANES:
* Any electric motor system
* Any wing controls and any wing span
* Any construction

BIG SKY - THERMAL SOARING
1) From a fresh hand or ground launch you can run the motor for up to 30 seconds, then you turn the motor off and you can not restart it. Reclimbs are not permitted. If you restart the motor the flight time is no good.
2) Motor time starts as soon as you apply throttle. This is an LMR, Limited Motor Run contest with a pretty long motor run allowed so that the motor run itself does not provide much advantage to anyone. Many will choose to shut off the motor in less than 30 seconds. No credit for shorter motor runs.
3) Soaring time starts when the motor goes off. Either you time the whole flight and subtract the motor run or you use two watches, one to time the motor run and one to time the flight. I have multiple timers on my radio so I can do this with my radio alone. How you do this is up to you.
4) You can time your own flight if you wish. You are on your honor. Time is truncated to the second. No fractions and no rounding. Read the seconds only.
5) Landing must be within 100 feet of the original launch location or the flight does not count. Landing must be on the ground/grass or pavement. Landing in a tree, bush, structure or other elevated spot that would not normally be a landing spot does not count. There are no other rules around the landing.
6) Time stops when the glider comes to a rest. So the clock keeps running if you clip a branch, or go to land and bounce back into the air. When the plane stops, time stops.
7) You can launch as many times as you like but each flight has to be from a fresh launch from the ground/hand. No reclimbs permitted.
8) Report your best time of the day by posting here. You can post as many times as you like, but only the best one will count. You can fly as many days as you like to work toward your best time. The goal is to achieve personal bests in the fun atmosphere of a contest.

BIG SKY - SLOPE SOARING
1) From a fresh hand or ground launch you can run the motor for up to 5 seconds, if you need it to get into the lift. I would expect most slope flights will have no motor run but some sites need a boost to the lift.
2) Motor time starts as soon as you apply throttle and is subtracted from the total flight time.
3) Soaring time starts when the motor goes off. Either you time the whole flight and subtract the motor run or you use two watches, one to time the motor run and one to time the flight. How you do this is up to you.
4) You can time your own flight if you wish. You are on your honor. Time is truncated to the second. No fractions and no rounding. Read the seconds only.
5) Landing has to be within 100 feet of the original launch location or the flight does not count. Landing must be on the same level as the launch. Landing down the slope or up in the trees does not count. You must come to rest in a "normal" landing spot and be able to walk over and pick it up. I realize this can vary by slope site so you are on your honor as to whether this was a normal landing.
6) Time stops when the glider comes to a rest. So the clock keeps running if you clip a branch, or go to land and bounce back into the air. When the plane stops, time stops.
7) You can launch as many times as you like but each flight has to be from a fresh launch from the ground or hand. No powered reclimbs permitted. If you restart the motor the flight does not count.
8) Report your best time of the day by posting here. You can post as many times as you like, but only the best one will count. Try as many days as you like to get your best time of the month.
For either contest you report the results via post.

Report Format:
Your Name - Real or RCGroup Name - your choice
Glider/plane name and wingspan:
Thermal or Slope:
Date and Time of flight:
Duration of flight:
Location: Nearest City and State or Country
Comments - You are welcome to report anything you like about the day, the flight. Pictures, videos, gps plots, etc are welcome but not required.
I will maintain the thread and keep the second post updated with the top 10 Thermal (2 meter class) top 10 Thermal (Open class)and top ten Slope reports. Only one flight of each type will be recorded in the standings for each pilot. A new better time will replace the original.

THREAD CONTENT -
This thread is for contest reports and for discussion about the contest only.
Contest Records:

Thermal:
2 Meter Class:

Andy Grose (dee-grose)
Glider name:Radian
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight:April 19, 2012 11:20am
Duration of flight:1:38:04 (after 30 sec motor run)
Location:Tanner, Alabama
Max Altitude: 3028ft AGL

Open Class:
Palo Lishak (aka TENDER in RCGroups)
Glider name: supra Stork electric
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: October 29th 2011, start of flight 15:50 CET
Duration of flight: 1:45:40 (11 s climb with motor)
Location: Oponice near Nitra, Slovakia

Slope:
Hunnerbunner
Duration: 2:33:14
Date: 4/26/11
Location: San Diego, CA

Thermal Leaderboard:

2 Meter Class

blunight
Glider name: Radian
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: May 9, 2012 1:00pm
Duration of flight: 1:08:24 (after 30 sec motor run)
Location:Brainerd, Minnesota
Max Altitude: 2151 feet
Weather Conditions: Perfect: 63 degrees, wind E @ 6 mph, blue sky with scattered Cumulus clouds.

Paul Murphy
Glider Name: Pegasus 2M, CAM set for ALES Motor Run 30 Sec or 200M
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of Flight: May 20, 2012 @ 1:15 PM
Duration of Flight: 32:34 After 22 second CAM run to 200M
Use a BRUNTON ADC Summit Mini-Weather Station/Stop-Watch
Location; Ried Middle School Field, Pittsfield, MA

Leadchucker/Warren
Glider Name: 3.2 M Pulsar RES/M
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of Flight: Sat 26.5.12 @ 14.25
Max Alt: 1923 ft AGL
Duration of Flight: 28m 34s After 27 second run to 200m
Location: South Jersey Golden Eagles RC field, Pole Tavern, NJ

Roidspop
Glider/plane: Radian Pro
Date and Time of Flight: 10 May 2012, 1300
Motor Run: 30 sec
Duration of flight: 28:02
Location: Albuquerque, NM

Tim Lynch
Graupner Elektro Junior S - with Thermal Scout & Eagle Tree Altimeter
May 20, 1:00
Duration - 27:57
Max Altitude - 1587' AGL
Weather - partly cloudy, upper 80's, light winds
"Outlaw Field" @ Coral Springs, FL

nigel sheffield
Plane: art tech minimoa 2meter
Date/Time: 5/6/12-9:15am
duration: 27 mins 55 secs
Location: wakefield uk

chickenwing
Glider/plane: Radian 2m
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of Flight: 2012/05/02 3:15PM
Motor Run: 30 sec
Duration of flight: 26:56
Max. Altitude: 1,145 feet
Location: Ninety Six, SC

Don Bourdon
Glider name: Sig Riser 2M electric
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: 10:30 AM, May 20, 2012
Duration of flight: 24:28
Location: Caldwell AeroModelers Field, Hudson, NC

Andy Grose (dee-grose)
Glider name: Radian Pro
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: May 1, 2012 12:15pm
Duration of flight: 20:04 (after 30 sec motor run)
Location:Tanner, Alabama
Max Altitude: 2273ft AGL
Weather Conditions: 85 degrees, partly cloudy, winds SW 9mph

Open Class

Glen Peden - "gpeden"
Glider/plane name and wingspan: Grafas 3.1M
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: May 29, 10:20 am
Duration of flight: 1:12:22
Location: Chilliwack BC

Forest Flyer
High Aspect 3.1 M:
May 10, 2012 5:35 pm
Duration of flight: 55 minutes, 56 seconds (25 second climb deducted)
Location: Terre Haute, Indiana, USA

320 pilot
Glider:Pulsar 3.2 Meter REF
Date and Time of flight: May 9, 4:30pm
Duration of flight: 39:11 (after 15 sec motor run)
Location: near Enosburg, VT

Palo Lishak (aka Tender)
Glider name: supra Stork electric
Date and Time of flight: May 9th 2012, start of flight 16:50 CET
Duration of flight: 36:06 (plus 14 s climb with motor)
Location: Oponice near Nitra, Slovakia


Slope Leaderboard:

Andy Grose (dee-grose)
Glider name: Radian Pro
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: May 1, 2012 12:15pm
Duration of flight: 20:04 (after 30 sec motor run)
Location:Tanner, Alabama
Max Altitude: 2273ft AGL
Weather Conditions: 85 degrees, partly cloudy, winds SW 9mph

Originally Posted by dee-grose

Andy Grose (dee-grose)
Glider name: Radian Pro
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of flight: May 1, 2012 12:15pm
Duration of flight: 20:04 (after 30 sec motor run)
Location:Tanner, Alabama
Max Altitude: 2273ft AGL
Weather Conditions: 85 degrees, partly cloudy, winds SW 9mph

All right Andy!
Nice start for this month's contest, for sure.

Nice steady patch of lift, Andy...and at "only" 2273 AGL I may even have a chance of coming close this month (so far!)

chickenwing
Glider/plane: Radian 2m
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of Flight: 2012/05/02 3:15PM
Motor Run: 30 sec
Duration of flight: 26:56
Max. Altitude: 1,145 feet
Location: Ninety Six, SC

I took a half day of vacation from work, and I'm glad I did! First flight, I found a little lift for a time of 9:39. Second flight was not quite as good at 8:33. Third time was the charm... I snagged the first thermal on the way down and made my Radian very small. All-in-all, I had a total of four thermal climbs in three different thermals. It was a great day not to be at work!

This time was my personal best in this contest!

And Chickenwing takes the lead!

Nice flight!

Andy

Originally Posted by chickenwing

chickenwing
Glider/plane: Radian 2m
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Date and Time of Flight: 2012/05/02 3:15PM
Motor Run: 30 sec
Duration of flight: 26:56
Max. Altitude: 1,145 feet
Location: Ninety Six, SC

I took a half day of vacation from work, and I'm glad I did! First flight, I found a little lift for a time of 9:39. Second flight was not quite as good at 8:33. Third time was the charm... I snagged the first thermal on the way down and made my Radian very small. All-in-all, I had a total of four thermal climbs in three different thermals. It was a great day not to be at work!

This time was my personal best in this contest!

Congratulations on that personal best chickenwing.
Puts you in first place!
Great way to spend some quality time off.

Tim Lynch
Graupner Elektro Junior S - with Thermal Scout & Eagle Tree Altimeter
Thermal -2M class
May 5, 1:00
Duration - 08:03
Max Altitude - 1175' AGL
Weather - partly cloudy, mid 80's, light winds
Sportsplex @ Coral Springs, FL

Nice day today - it's been wet & windy for what seems like forever down here.

nigel sheffield
wakefield uk
thermal
art tech minimoa 2meter
9:15am start 30 secs power
duration 27 mins 55 secs

nice and sunny for a change suprising time for an early start usually thermals dont really get going till 10:30 but was a cold night and a sunny morning.
I also got my best time ever on my little hlg bug 8 mins, got a 5 mins and quite a few over 2 mins.

320 pilot
Glider:Pulsar 3.2 Meter REF
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Open Class
Date and Time of flight:May 6, 7:15pm
Duration of flight: 20: 27 (after 11 sec motor run)
Location: near Enosburg, VT


this was a late launch, after dinner. It had been too windy earlier in day, so I did a bike ride instead. There was quite a strong wind aloft, so after the climb, headed over to a local ridge for some lift. As the sun set, wind (and lift) seemed to die out.

I hope to double these times soon. Pulsar is "sorted out", even after lift was gone, sink rate with camber flap was back to 50 fpm.

ps. 11 second climb took 314 mAh out of Lipo

320 pilot
Glider:Pulsar 3.2 Meter REF
Thermal or Slope: Thermal
Open Class
Date and Time of flight:May 7, 7:30pm
Duration of flight: 23: 57 (after 15 sec motor run)
Location: near Enosburg, VT

another evening flight, it was windy earlier in the day. Not a long flight, but some interesting lift, above a ridge. Max altitude 1560 feet. I had flown earlier today, but gusty winds, never caught much lift.
Expecting rain for next few days

Nigel grabs the lead in 2 meter.
320 on top in Open Class.

We got ourselves a shootout, eh? Bring it on, fellas!

Dee, do you and Gary still do any sloping? If so, feel free to enter a time there too.

Just so everyone knows, you can enter times in all three categories.