Bump

How many usually come to this event from previous years? Roughly of course.
Cheers.

There are usually around 50 entrants for the Expo across all categories

Some have paid their fees and even sent in entry forms.

Please send in your entry.

List of those already entered is attached.

See you in Armidale (where it has rained and the field is greening up).

Hutton

...bump

Hi Al,

Thanks for the Bump.

Have updated the file above. So far there are not a great number of entries. I guess peoples are waiting to see what the weather, and maybe even Santa, will bring. Problem is the entries close the Monday before (January 20), so if they haven't made it by then, well you and I can get a whole lot of flying in.

See you in Armidale.

Hutton

Is it possible for someone to elaborate on the different disciplinces?
F3j F5j etc.
Google wasn't all that fruitfull.
Thanx.

Hi Hutton,
Yes entries definitely appear to be very slow this year.
Not sure why though - hopefully everyone will get their act into gear and entries will start to flow.
I know of a few HSL guys who are intending to enter but haven't done so yet. What about those north of the border - we normally have a good roll up?
I guess it is a case and wait and see - as you say they have until 20 January to submit entries. Leaving it to the last minute doesn't help us with the planning and organisation though.
So if you are thinking of coming along get your entry in

Originally Posted by TLHover

Is it possible for someone to elaborate on the different disciplinces?
F3j F5j etc.
Google wasn't all that fruitfull.
Thanx.

Hi TL

It is probably worth while starting with the League of Silent Flight Australia site
http://www.lsfaustralia.org.au/
There is a link there to gliding events and the FAI site with international rules.

F5J rules are here
http://www.maaa.asn.au/maaa/.../F5J%...0ver%203.2.pdf

But getting a feel for an event from rules is a boring as batsh#t and you have enough of that round Wauchope anyway. Perhaps look here to get a feeling of what it could be like if you were in Europe. Look around this forum as well as at the video
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...0&postcount=44

Can't promise the timekeepers will show up for Armidale, but you never, never know, if you never, never go (or something like that).

See you in Armidale

Hutton

Bump...entries please.

Helps planning.

See you in Armidale

Hutton

Hi guys.

I think its pretty obvious (as an observer) why youre struggling to get entries.........the introduction of electrics into the event has destroyed the ability for your majority of traditional entrants to have sufficient airtime in a relaxed and enjoyable format. Im referring to the glider pilots, who have made the event what it is today.

Armidale has traditionally been a glider only event, and somehow, the organisers have managed to introduce electrics into the same event with devastating results.

Its easy to see that the only way forward is for the electric guys to hold their own event, and return the Armidale Expo to gliders only.

Waz

Hi Waz,

Appreciate your observations. However, this year there is an extra day devoted exclusively to glider flyers only. So if you really want to you can fly gliders for 3.5d and relax (or even help) while the electric glider flyers have a go for a part of 2.5 of those days. Indeed some even want to fly to both kinds of music.

I have been associated with running / flying at Expo for past 15 years. In each of those years we have flown both glider and some form of electric glider. Its only this year when we took up the opportunity to run the glider Nats and Expo together that keen observers have pointed out what we have been doing wrong for the past decade.

Maybe the problem with entries etc is simply a reflection of the immediacy of life and the simplicity of doing things at the last minute because it is now technically possible to do so. If it is this simple, it certainly doesn't help organisers.

Anyway we are committed to do what we have to do this coming Expo / Glider / Electric Glider Nats. There is an opportunity to shape future events through discussion on the field and afterwards.

See you in Armidale

Hutton

With all due respect Hutton, I think youre missing the point.

The issues that have been raised are not fixed by your proposed solution of adding Friday to the format. What that effectively does is add expenses to those glider pilots...time off work (its not a holiday), an extra nights accomodation etc, and the event prolonged for those pilots. And I believe that this issue has been raised many times in the past, so it is not something specific to this years event.

I know quite a few of the pilots who regularly attend this event, and they all go for the glider comps....always have. Even though many have participated in the electric as well, if there was no electric, they would still go. If you turned the tables, you wouldnt have many people turning up for electrics only.

That said, if this event continues to attempt to cater for another discipline of flying, conflicts will continue to occur and you will risk losing your most faithfull glider pilots, who were the people this event was originally for.

Thats just my opinion, but I know its shared by others.


Waz

Originally Posted by alkoo

I know quite a few of the pilots who regularly attend this event, and they all go for the glider comps....always have. Even though many have participated in the electric as well, if there was no electric, they would still go. If you turned the tables, you wouldnt have many people turning up for electrics only.

That said, if this event continues to attempt to cater for another discipline of flying, conflicts will continue to occur and you will risk losing your most faithfull glider pilots, who were the people this event was originally for.

Waz

Well said Waz! In these two paragraphs you have managed to convey the frustrations of many who so passionately remember the Expo's of the past.

Whilst the event has never been "glider only", thermal gliding was always the backbone and the reason for its popularity and longevity. The main reason most attended.

During the evolution of the consecutive discipline format over the past few years, my view has always been to run the disciplines concurrently (at the same time), thus giving the electric and thermal guys equal airtime. This is either too hard to do or has not catered for those who want to be in both.

Hence, the disciplines have now hold equal standing in the current format. Seems that this evolution may not have been a result of doing it right?

With observations like yours Waz, I can only hope that that Expo 2014 finds new life in formats of past years.

Phil

Hi All
I have never been to an Expo but I hope to get to this 1.

Eddie