Got my first task in for Bronze today. Temp out today was about 45 F with light winds and mostly clear skies. Did a 33 minute flight with an 18 inch landing. Flight was with my e-Allegro. I did an initial climb for 55 seconds to 536 feet. I tried to keep the climb direction in one general direction similar to what a winch launch would be.

Peak height on the flight was about 1,500 feet. I worked 5 different thermals on the flight.

Ryan

Congrats Ryan. Way to go!
It's actually awesome to see the electric sailplanes getting it done too.
Great flight.
Gordon

Well, I started my bronze level today! It was 36 degrees out and raining, (in sunny California!! ) but I did manage to get 3 of my spot landings in before my non functioning un-gloved fingers told me to get my but back in the car! I'm hoping for the weather to cooperate next time...

Nice Mandolomo. I wanted to get more work in on Bronze yesterday but I had a lot of family commitments.

I will trade you for a rainy 36 degree's. It was a sunny -32 here today,with 4 to 8 inche's of fresh snow this weekend.


Ken
SSP #6

I have received the slope tasks for Bronze and Silver from the guys in AU. They're in the process of doing trials on it. I will be posting it along with the easier Bronze and Silver tasks for Bronze and Silver TD in the next few days. Don't worry if you're working on Bronze right now as most of it has stayed the same. No more 1hr flight or XC. Silver got the big make-over. This will bring them back to what every one else wanted. Shorter, easier "this or that" style. This will constitute the base program of three levels. Then there will be an advanced program of three levels for each, slope and TD. This should please the most people and make the course not look so daunting to people starting out. Beings this is such a large make-over for me, plan for it to take a few days for me to get everything updated on the site. As soon as I post it here and hear everyone's opinions first. When I get that done I will be posting the last three (advanced) levels for TD as we're close to having them worked out. Slope will take the guys a bit longer.

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your continued work on this. I don't know much about the sloping community or what skills define proficiency, so I can't comment on the appropriateness of the tasks. I do, however, have a question that might help me and others learn something.

Is there something I'm missing about the downwind landing... is this something that's necessary due to some sites? Why would I want to risk damage to the plane by multiplying the speed of touchdown? A fast downwind approach with a quick turn-around I could understand.

Regards,
Tim

I looked it over and like what has been proposed.

The limbo task looks like fun.

The down wind landing "should" be a rectangular approch where you fly behind the slope and fly the base leg and final thru the Roter!! NOT a fun place to be if you are not prepaired for it. It's like flying in a Giant blender. The steeper the slope with a sharp edge the more violent the roter is.


Ken

Like what I saw for the slope soaring program, for the most part. Should be achievable by begginer to intermediate pilots. Really like the limbo but confused by what a meter is

My understanding of the down wind landing is that you are flying your approach with the wind, instead of into it. Makes the landing speed greater and therefor much harder to slow the plane down. Not sure the merit in this though. I can do down wind spot landings with my combat wing and just plow it in with no harm. Doesn't really help me develop skills though for flying something nicer. Other method is to bring it in hot and low, then pull up to bleed off as much energy as possible before hand catching. Hurts when you get it wrong. My better slope planes pretty much get landed 100% into the wind. Too big to try and catch coming in hot and too expensive to risk a high speed down wind landing.

Part of me is wondering if they are really talking about the landing style that is basically coming in with the wind and at the last second flipping the sailplane around and pancaking to the ground but facing into the wind.

Easy! One yard is 36 inch's and a meter is 39.37 (39 is close enuff). You fellow's REALY need to get into the metric world, this is 2010(in a few day's) .



Ken
SSP #6

I like the Slope edition, I might have to give it a try since we are loosing our field.

Joe

One additional comment on the slope tasks, in particular aerobatics. It says to perform a knife edge for a certain distance. This particular task is limiting in that you really need something with a rudder. Most slope planes don't have rudders until you get up to the bigger ones. Not a problem for me but will be for those that only have combat wings or planks.

Done knife edge flight many time's with my little Chinese Fox with only aileron and elevator. the trick is get 100/200 feet above you,fly a fast 180 degree turn behind you. as you fly in a gental dive over yourself, pull up into a 20 degree or so climb. When you hit the strongest part of the lift,snap onto one wing tip and use elevator to hold your position. With enuff speed and good lift, a very gental knife edge arc is flown for several meter's.

This will work for 4 point roll's and the like as well.
Sorry to hear about the field Joe. Hopefully a new site can be found by spring.


Ken
SSP #6

Guess it all depends on your definition of a Knife edge. I like the IMAC when it comes to aerobatics. They would consider a perfect knife edge to be parallel to the runway (hill in this case) and level.

I now have a Suraci (60" slope aerobat) that will be perfect for these tasks but not everyone is so lucky.