SCAT Electronic News 4 November 1999
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SCAT Electronic News 4 November 1999
"SCAT - 40 Year's of FAI Free Flight Competition"
Table of Contests
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Hey Steve, you were getting it too easy - Spirit of the America's Cup
Inland Taipans and other creepy crawlies - Pudney
Flyoff's Maxes - Bradley
Aram -rules - Kaynes
Those ,these,them,Flyoffs - Malkin
Agony Column
Hey Steve, you were getting it too easy - Spirit of the America's Cup
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When the last America's Cup summary came out I was looking over the listings
and noticed that Steve Spence had garnered an 'easy' 50 points by
winning a couple of contests in Texas with only 3 contestants. [Firstly
winning is never easy but that's another story]. However in the true
spririt of the America's Cup, Andrew Barron and Lee Hines also noted
this, so when the next Lone Star State event came along, so did they,
Steve do not have it so easy and as we saw from the results
published in the last issue Lee came out on top and helped
his America's Cup bid.
There is no truth in the ugly rumor that Al Hotard started the America's
Cup to boost his sagging airline stock. But I'm not sure which airline
they fly but the Barron family are working hard to help those airlines.
Andrew not only has to help sons John and Peter get planes together
but also provide transportation. Although oldest son does not need much
help these days and is already a threat to Dad in the America's Cup race.
The other family battle from the Texas contest was in F1B where grandson
Aaron beat grand dad Jim O'Reilly.
Inland Taipans and other creepy crawlies
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Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Discovery Channel (ref. J Brooks, Scat Electronic News 29 September
1999) has obviously gone overboard in panicking people about the proclivity
of deadly snakes in Australia. Some facts:
1. Yes, Australia is home to 5 of the 7 deadliest snakes in the world.
2. According to the Australian Herpetological Society, three species MAY
(they were not certain) be found in the Wagga area - Redbellied Black
Snake, Brown Snake, and Tiger Snake. The Inland Taipan definitely does not
inhabit the Wagga Wagga area, and I'm wondering how one could bite 100
people in one go anyway.
3. Between 1979 and 1999, 9 (NINE!) people have died as a result of snake
bite in the State of New South Wales (population 6 million). None of those
deaths were recorded as being in the Wagga Wagga area. (Information
supplied by Centre for Public Health, NSW Department of Health).
I didn't ask for figures on the number of deaths caused in road/plane
crashes over the same period. :-)
4. "Snake season" generally runs from November-March.
5. The Australian Herpetological Society Inc. warns against alarming people
about snakes, especially as the incidence of injury is extremely low.
Precautions such as sensible footware and attention to where you are
walking will greatly reduce the incidence of snakebite in the unlikely
event that a person would come near to one. Snakes are shy creatures who
like us less than we like them!
6. In the almost 20 years I've lived in Australia, the only snakes I've
ever seen have been in zoos and one, lying squashed on an interstate
highway miles from civilisation.
When visiting the US in 1997 I noticed frequent warnings in National Parks
in 5 States about not petting racoons, chipmunks, squirrels if I didn't
want to catch rabies. Australia is rabies-free!
I think a sense of proportion is required here!
Regards - Jan Pudney
[Jan - I must admit that I was amazed as how quickly the snake comment
came it .. It seemed as if the FAI FF community had just 'suvived'
the perils of Israel [where the only problems were the dust
and getting up early - not the things people had talked about!]
only to come up with the Taipan. I guess some people have to
have something to worry/complain about .]
Flyoff's Maxes
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Roger,
I agree with Aram and Lee that there is no point in flying past 7 minutes
maxes. I don't think it proves much. Even the FAI rules somewhat support
this logic in that if the flyoff has to be continued the next day the max is
10 minutes. If the "final deciding flyoff" is 10 minutes why do we increase
the flyoff maxes past 10 minutes just because the flyoff is held in the
afternoon. I also think the rules should specify a time that the flyoff can
began as "no earlier that X hours before sunset." Another thought would be
to reduce the round time to 5 minutes after the first 7 minute flyoff round.
Sooner of later everyone will have to fly in dead air.
Too many contest are being decided by the quality of the timer(s) and
binoculars. I always thought the flyoff should pick the best flyer/model
combination.
Aram -rules
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Sender : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aram was very precise to quote specific paragraphs of the FAI Sporting Code
to make his point about it being prescriptive, but he then seemed to lack
the same principle re unsporting behaviour. This is covered in para 5.2.2.3
of the General section and states
"Cheating or unsporting behaviour, including deliberate attempts to
deceive or mislead officials, wilful interference with other competitors,
falsification of documents, use of forbidden equipment or prohibited drugs,
or repeated serious infringement of rules should, as a guide, result in
disqualification from the sporting event."
As regards timing of the flyoff at the Livotto, I understand that Juan was
keeping to a published timetable. Assuming that competitors had seen this
it was their choice of whether to fly (or complain beforehand). This is the
reason for requiring local rules to be published in advance and
interpretation of flyoff time is certainly a local rule.
Regards,
Ian
Those ,these,them,Flyoffs
=========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Roger,
The issue with flyoffs at a contest is going to be a very
contentious issue and Lees suggestion raises more problems than
settling them.
Working on his approach in that the flyoff starts 2.5 hrs prior to
sunset (local or official?) assuming we have an official sunset in the
conntest area of say 6.45pm, this will give a start to the F/O,s as being
4.15pm.
Allowing that we have the proposal as per Lee,s suggestion we will
have a 5 min. F/O at 4.15pm, and assuming that more than one manage
this , the next round will be 6 mins. which will start at 5.00pm, and just
suppose that we still have more than one, we then start the next F/O at
5.45pm .
This is 1 hour before "official sundown" but as we all know there
have been many times when we have lost the sun a lot earlier than the
"official" time due to cloud banks which have a tendency to pop up on
the horizon area quite often, or the sun disappears behind some
mountain range. Immediately fliers are disadvantaged and we come
back to the ability of the timers to see the model in the increasing
gloom, a situation which may not be of any help to the flier with the best
model.
Perhaps we should throw out the increasing flyoff flights, and
substitute them for one 11 minute round flown at , say 1.5hrs prior to
"official /local " sunset, or at a time designated by the CD consistent with
the available conditions but no earlier than 1.5hrs prior to official/local
sunset
If a result is not achieved with this flight the contest should then be
decided with another 11 minute flight flown at sunrise the following day.
At this stage if there still is no result, those that have achieved the
second 11 min. flight shall be named as joint winners.
I really do not want that second flyoff for the following day because
as we all know most of the contests are over normal weekends so time
is limited, but if the result is not achieved on the contest day then there
really is no other alternative, or is there??
One other point that I must comment on is the ability of the
clockwork timer to run to the magical 11 minute flight. As we all know
the bulk of models that are flown these days are "factory built" and in
the purchase of these a considerable amount of money is expended.
If a flier aspires to be in a flyoff then surely it is a simple task to
"spec" the order to ensure that a timer that can do 11 mins is included.
No 11 minute timer, no purchase.
Of course the alternative is one of them elec---- thingies.!
Agony Column
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About Jimmy Allen Bluebird
==========================
Author : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please, I wish to see the plan of this model in internet if it is
possible.
Sincerely,
Profesor Dr. Carlos H. Gaozza
Centro de Sentesis y Estudio de Nuevos Compuestos Antineoplesicos
Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquemica, UBA
Junen 956 (1113) Buenos Aires
ARGENTINA
Te. (011) 4964-8251
FAX (011) 4508-3645
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..............
Roger Morrell
