Huntersville report - sights and sounds

As long as it ain't lightening... like now, I'll fly in anything. The rain forecast today was greatly exaggerated. I've got my lucky shirt, hat and underwear laid out lol.

Shoot, I can't seem to post pictures, they'll have to wait until I get home. I smashed the glass on my LG tablet a couple of weeks ago.

Rusty,

Keep up the good work. Sounds like you are doing great! Hope you are having fun as well. Good luck tomorrow.

Bob

Tight lines buddy! Bring it home tomorrow!

Brother Rusty
I enjoy living vicariously through the lens of you, your perseverance, perspective, and willingness to share

I often wonder at the toll dialysis, your shoulder, hands and other mountains you have to climb just to play with these fun toys

I hope you fully understand how much you INSPIRE many of us

I pray you have; Fair winds, perfect engine run, and calm mind as you work your way to your personal goals and fun!

Alrighty, another one is In the Bag!
I wouldn't trade these Huntersville weekends and all the people for anything. Holley and I are unloaded and chilling out, and I suspect Mike and Sam have rolled into Nashville while I'm writing this. It rained hard off and on all night and was still sprinkling while we started gathering at the field. And the weather.com "%" forecast looked like a very possible washout. But the future-cast radar model said different, and darned if it didn't nail it. The drizzle faded on out, and by 9:45, we were left with heavy overcast and a steady light breeze. Exactly what every CLPA pilot wants, a perfect day to fly. Like Fred said, "Fair winds, perfect engine runs, and calm mind." Believe me, perfect engine runs definitely help one have a calm mind. My LA.46 started all but once on the first flip. And the other time, it started on the second. That was for my last flight today. By the end of competition, around Noon or so, the only three Experts who didn't bail on the certain rainy day, were the last ones flying, and shielding their eyes from the sun during the OH8s... which has a second meaning to those who fly Stunt... the Sun/wind was at their backs for all the other stunts. Yesterday, Saturday was just as perfect.

I reported on Saturday's profile event, where there are no skill classes, just everyone who wants to fly a profile plane. But there were other contests going on too. Mike won first place in one of the Combat events, he'll have to tell you which one. I never made it down to the Combat or Carrier fields, but Holley did, to find Howard Shenton bleeding all over himself. He'd been the official that stays in the circle with the pilots, as the Timer, I think, and had damn near lost an ear to a low passing set of lines from a Speed Limit plane. It's okay, she taped it back on Lol. And Combat resumed. Then at high Noon, the Basic Flight event commenced, with Duck's Grandson Kyle and Mike's son Sam flying a two round battle for the top prize in demonstrating a precise set of maneuvers that confirm a pilot's mastery of all the skills to make a Control Line plane go where you guide it, and know where in the hemisphere the 45 degree level is. How to get there, how to fly there and how to climb and dive to and from it. It ain't easy, and I haven't ever flown that pattern, but I did get Sam's flight on video. He dominated! He took first place by 58.5 points.

And one last thing from Saturday, Bob Zambelli, who had demolished his most beautiful plane in practice on Friday, the twin engine Jezebel, and had to be enticed by Wayne with Pizza and beer to not go home, won first place in Old Time Stunt flying his backup plane, the Icarus Jr. Self-designed and built over 40 years ago, sporting an English 1948 rear induction ball bearing glow engine, and performing the pattern while flying sub-4 second laps. He said he didn't know whether he impressed them or scared them. Holley came over to my circle to report that win, and was flabbergasted after witnessing Bob's wild way of flying for the first time.

Y'all please be patient, this report will take more than one installment, pics and vids to process, and many more good stories including Mike's and my rivalry. I actually flew what was likely the best pattern I've ever flown, contest, practice, ever. We had a good time with it. If he ain't a descendant of Vikings, he should be Lol. He zeroed in on me this morning as I was getting my gear in order, not quite bumping chests, and with his eyes on high beam staring right at my retinas and said kind of slow and raspy, "Are you ready for me to kick your ass today..." It was not a question, and I didn't blink or hesitate, just teeth grinning the real thrill of a head to head challenge, a six month hunt..., "I see you with them steel blue eyes, you better be as ready as I am buddy, I even wore my pink striped shirt so I wouldn't scare you so bad you can't fly..." The Game Was ON! Holley is standing off to the side watching this, she later told me, laughing her ass off.

The judges took their positions and I got the call. I was first up to open the Eastern US 2016 PAMPA Intermediate Control Line Precision Aerobatics Championship showdown. There were four of us there to fly, have fun, and win... and that's exactly what we did. The first flight of the day is always an unknown. The temperature, humidity, and barometer was hugely different from the previous two days. How's the engine going to behave, is the fuel efficiency going to vary, are the morning cobwebs out of the knees and balance... it all fades away though as you prime the engine, light the plug and feel for an ignition kick, raise your hand to start the 8 minute clock. Slap the prop and she's doing what you knew she should. I always check the connectors and pull the lines tight and walk them across the circle out to the handle, never letting them slack, even while picking up the handle and tightening the thong. One last check of the connectors for deadly kinks, elevator check, turn 90 degrees to the left and wave it off. My heart slows and a calm familiar comfort rushes over me and it's rolling. Hold it on the ground, don't let it jump up, 20 feet later the headwind lifts it, but hold it low, half a circle later, past the Judges 3 feet high, a full circle later 5 feet high and level off. I scored over 30 points on every takeoff the whole weekend, and I needed to keep doing what I'd done all day Saturday, plant my feet and fly it through the shapes, starting with a knife edge reverse wingover. When you show up prepared, you usually always fly better than practice. And I did. This first takeoff was scored 34 and 33 points by the two judges. In the second round both gave me 30 points on takeoff. After two rounds, I'd flown as good as any patterns I've flown in competition or practice. That's what I came to do and I did it. I rang up more 30+ point maneuvers than I've ever done before.

Mike entered with his Brodak P-40, which has gained wide attention lately as being a solid pattern ship. Mike brings sharp reflexes to the game, cutting accurate square corners 5 feet high, not shy of the asphalt, straight steady bottoms that would make any opponent grit. Standing out there with no Winter or Spring practice, holding a piece of paper in his hand he read after every stunt to recall what the next one would be, he proceeded to soundly Paste his opposition. You gotta respect that. I was watching a natural talent at work.

But it wasn't as easy as all that. Another pilot had entered Intermediate under our radar, and I didn't even realize it. I was so focused on Mike and Brian Malin that I didn't pay any attention to this guy racking up points, while I was happily accepting that I would be the one of us who brought the second of the One and Two I had promised we'd win in honor of Coxengineforum. I knew I couldn't out fly what I was seeing follow my best performance, I'd done good, and that was fine with me. After the flying was done. I walked over to look at the scoreboard to see that I'd not only been pasted by my buddy Mike, but I'd also been whipped by this other guy. That took the wind out of my sails while I digested it, I just hadn't seen it coming. Eh, well, sorry CEF, we brought One and Three back for you. but, what the hell, he was that much better than me too, so all I can do is keep hacking away at it. It didn't take long to shake off though, I'd still flown as well as I'm currently capable of. Looking through my score sheets, I see a lot of good things there. I just need to string a few more together and get where I want to go. So until October, Congratulations to Mike Londke in first place with 487.5 points. One of the judge's sheets scored him a 500+ point flight. And Leroy Polk in second place with 467 points. And me taking third with 443.5. Brian Malin, who's plane folded a wing Friday, flew a loaner Vector named Ugly Betty for 437 points.

Okay folks, that's about all I can write tonight. I'll add more stories and camera content later.
See y'all later,
Rusty

Well written Rusty. What a great weekend of Stunt and Combat. I was happy too when I saw we had a 4th pilot in intermediate. But after I saw him fly I was a bit worried I was gonna get whipped. After the 1st round just 2 points separated Leroy Polk from myself. My 469 to his 467. I think Leroy and me were very evenly matched. Unfortunately I think he struggled with his 2nd flight and on my 2nd flight I flew slightly better than the 1st. That allowed me to win. Leroy is a very competent flyer and it really made me try to up my own game after seeing him fly. I'm still new at flying the full pattern so the contest is a great opportunity to watch some really skilled guys show you how it is done. I really enjoy the friendly rivalry and the fun of competitive CL flying no matter what the event. Always a great bunch of guys and I always learn something from being around them.

Here are some sights and sounds from Huntersville, featuring Sam Londke, as well as some lesser known Control Liners. I bet he'll be flying Beginner in a contest sooner than later, and if I don't watch out I'll have him chasing my trophies.
Mike would be absolutely insufferable if that came to be.  

https://youtu.be/c5oV9GRHpE4

That was a sweet engine run on that first flight.

Sam was looking good out there. He is going to have to cut that hair, he was holding it away from his face so it didn't get in the way

I guess some of these guys get around, I saw that Big Job at a contest in St Louis a couple years ago.

Thanks for the video.

Ron

Ron, thanks for your reply.

Yeah, some of these people must live on the road. I knew who's Big Job that was, but the memory has faded now.

Sam's going to be a good pilot, that was fun. I'm glad I made it up there with the camera, but I missed the other kid, Kyle's flight. He was so disappointed, but Sam really out-flew him, I was in the wrong position to really see the pattern maneuvers.
EDIT: Did he do a loop at 5:45?

Charlie Reeves' Shark was my favorite plane of the day. Carl, the guy in the video with the nice engine run is from Columbia, so I hope we can get him to join up with the Jackson Flyers. He flew an Oriental ARF Sunday with a $500 dollar stunt engine in it. It ran pretty darn good too.

I was looking back at the scoreboard pictures, and saw that I'd beaten Leroy Polk in profile on Saturday, before he pasted me for second on Sunday. He and Mike really had to scrap for it, but Mike prevailed. I wish I could have held up my end of the promise to bring 1 and 2 back to CEF. I was disappointed, but like I wrote in my report, I still flew the best four patterns I've ever flown, over the two days. So that'll have to do for now. I'll give it another go next Saturday, the 14th, at the Triple Tree contest at Joe Nall. I suspect the competition will be even tougher there, like it was last May when I flew the Oriental. That was the week after winning second against Wayne and others in H'ville.

One of those 30 point takeoffs I got was when I scrubbed 3/4" off of my prop on the rollout Lol. But I managed to keep calm and hold it down, and it still flew fine with the shortened prop. It made a helluva noise when it was biting the pavement.

Looks like a loop at 5:45. Surprised he didn't do more of them. From other videos I have seen he has that maneuver in the bag.

Nice prop! Just be glad you weren't using a wood one. That would have scrubbed the whole flight.

Ron

Cribbs74 wrote:Looks like a loop at 5:45. Surprised he didn't do more of them. From other videos I have seen he has that maneuver in the bag.

Nice prop! Just be glad you weren't using a wood one. That would have scrubbed the whole flight.

Ron

Yeah, if not scrubbed the whole plane with vibration. But I couldn't tell any difference at all.

Mike said one loop is required and he actually did another one for extra credit. I wish I could have been in position to catch the maneuvers, but I couldn't see a thing through the phone's display, so I was guessing at where to point it.

I'm still enjoying the lingering thrills from last weekend. The Cardinal is all fixed up and ready to go for next Saturday, when I'll fly at the Triple Tree Stunt Championship. After a visit to the hobby shop tomorrow, I hope to get my Nobler finished, so maybe I can maiden it at TT after the contest is over. I'll probably put my fp35 in it. Or maybe the 40. One of them is going to be the Twister's engine. I'd like to acquire another LA46. I've fallen in love with it's user friendly characteristics.
Rusty

Been keeping an eye out for one for you. As usual they pop up when I am not looking and nothing lately in the last 2 swaps I have been to and the one estate sale.

I don't mess with them, but if I had one it would be headed your way.

Ron

Back to the prop. I was practicing my rollouts the other day and giving slight down elevator on the ground and whacked a prop in similar fashion. Slight ground irregularities
Will mess you up quick.

Ron

On my usual grass field, I just try to hold almost slack-line dead neutral, unless it looks like it's going to lift early. I usually start rolling from a few degrees before a straight crosswind. That way you have enough speed that the elevator works when you start into the head wind so you can keep it from climbing too fast. It's hard to hold it down so when it passes the judges it's only 2-3' high. You want to just reach 5' as you pass the point where the wheels left the ground.

On the other hand, on a stiffer windy day on the pavement I hear the crosswind will catch the side of the fuselage and turn it in on you. I haven't had to deal with that. I do turn 90 degrees away from the plane before waving it off so I don't have to move my body and disturb the lines during the rollout. I'm pretty proud of my recent 30-34 point takeoffs. Still reaching 5' a little early.
Rusty

[/quote]Like how you did that landing gear Rusty

Yeah, that's why the prop struck. I didn't notice it until after it was all over. I took it off at home and straightened it in the vice, no doubt weakening it. I couldn't have done anything about it at the contest though.
Rusty