Got word not too long ago that the ALES rules submitted this rules cycle has passed the initial hurdle and become an AMA provisional event.

When the 2013-2014 "Rulebook" for Electrics is "published" on the AMA website, ALES will be there!

OMG

ALES IS OFFICIAL

So Cool ...

Excellent!
Thanks to all of those who did the behind the scenes difficult work to make that happen!

Curtis Suter
Montana

So now that this is official, I am ordering an E fuselage for my Aspire.

Yeah!! Let the arms race begin...

JT

Yes, most excellent.
Ha, arm's race could be an understatement

Mmm, Aspire, perhaps. Tragi 801, proven winner.

Resources x $ / Ohms. So, I have few resources, little money yet lots of resistance. Could work in 2013.

Jared
ALES Woodie class aspirant

Wonder if the day will come when there's ALES "Open", "RES", "2-Meter", "Woodie", "Gray Cup", like there is now at TD events, similar to the just completed Fall Soaring Festival?

I mean after all, if the electric motor system just replaces the winch system as a means of arriving at altitude (and then it's supposed to be a soaring contest after that, with some emphasis of some sort on precision landings), then...you'd think all the reasons for the separation of model designs in competitions that's evolved over the years for winch launched models, would also apply to to some degree to ALES.

I don't have an agenda here...just wondering people's perspectives?

(-: Dave Dahl

Originally Posted by ddahl

Wonder if the day will come when there's ALES "Open", "RES", "2-Meter", "Woodie", "Gray Cup", like there is now at TD events, similar to the just completed Fall Soaring Festival?

I mean after all, if the electric motor system just replaces the winch system as a means of arriving at altitude (and then it's supposed to be a soaring contest after that, with some emphasis of some sort on precision landings), then...you'd think all the reasons for the separation of model designs in competitions that's evolved over the years for winch launched models, would also apply to to some degree to ALES.

I don't have an agenda here...just wondering people's perspectives?

(-: Dave Dahl

Dave,
I think it is a fine idea, perhaps even novice and expert classes. ALES has exploded in the last year thanks to many fine folks around the country. Amazing where we were last year and looking forward to next year already.

I suggest CD'ing a contest and let us know how it goes! What an easy competition to setup and hold.

Curtis

Quote, "I suggest CD'ing a contest and let us know how it goes! What an easy competition to setup and hold."

HA ...I don't even have an ALES sailplane flyable. Although a member of the CVRC in Visalia, I have been "away" from any serious sailplane flying for about four years (helping my son Kyle Dahl in his quest to be the World 3D Master in R/C helicopters...which BTW he accomplished this year by winning the 3D Masters Competition in Venlo, Netherlands in July).

So, mission accomplished with Kyle , and I'm back checking-out the current sailplane scene. Which of course I find the new thing in town is ALES.

I watched the Fall Fest ALES competition on Friday, and you're right, it looks comparatively easy on the CD to organize and execute.

But, it seemed to me that the design and performance differences that have separated our sailplanes all these years in American TD flying, are still there in ALES. Thus, my original "wondering" in my first post.

(-: Dave

There are some differences. In ALES you can launch a 2 meter woody or any woody for that matter to 200 meters without fear of breaking off the wings. In some conditions that might even be an advantage over the moldies. Just give it some thought and I'm sure you can come up with other reasons why this "arms race" may not be that important.

As much as l love balsa and ply built up models, the modern molded airfoil will have superior performance in every aspect of the task, technology will "almost" win every time, if I want to win and have a few extra bucks to spend, the percentages favor modern models.

Of course to keep us humble, look at the Oakland A's this year, the lowest payroll in baseball and they win the pennant on the last day. Hmmm.

A Radian won the polecat last year against some serious mollies.

So far it is the pilot, not the plane.

That said, over all conditions I will still fly my mollies, but "on any given day".

Jack

Jack,
I was at Visalia for the ALES contest last weekend. Visalia is known for its cycling air. Dennis is only stating what will become generally accepted in ALES comps next year. The only way that a Radian is competitive against a competition model is if the pilot is of the highest skillset, or if you are launching to high. In all areas of sailplane perfomance the Radian is at a disadvantage. LJ

I have to agree with Larry after what we all saw up in Visalia. A Radian will be a good effort for most people in the event yet any modern design will almost always have a marked advantage.

Keith

And if you had an ALES comp in anything like the conditions at the Soaring Masters this year, the modern molded ship will trounce all others.

Originally Posted by tkallev

Got word not too long ago that the ALES rules submitted this rules cycle has passed the initial hurdle and become an AMA provisional event.

When the 2013-2014 "Rulebook" for Electrics is "published" on the AMA website, ALES will be there!

OMG

ALES IS OFFICIAL

So Cool ...

This is very good news indeed. Having ALES recognized as an official AMA event, provisionally, will go a long way in legitimizing it. Whether or not you fly ALES, I would hope that everyone is excited by this. ALES is bringing new pilots into the fold and it is bringing back some of those who have walked away from attending soaring events/contests. More attendance is a good thing. I held an ALES event this past summer, it was probably the most enjoyed event of the summer and it had the second best attendance. I will definitively be organizing more of them in the future, official or not.

Wayne