SCAT Electronic News 17 February 1999

SCAT Electronic News 17 February 1999


Table of Contents
=================

MaxMen F1A Results
Letter From Rich R
Max Men F1A Champagne Flyoff
Honda Keys

MaxMen F1A Results
==================

Hi Roger,

I think there is an omission in the results of the MAX MEN in the F1A class.
I was checking my result, and totalled it, and it came out differently. Then
I noticed that there is round missing on the first day. I don't think that
the end result is messed up, but there is nothing wrong to dubbelcheck it.

best regards,

Edmund Liem

[Reply - yes you are correct, in fact some else noticed it and called me
about it. There is one column missing, round 3 I think. The total and
placing is correct. The result on the web page should be correct]


Open Letter to SCAT from Rich Rorhke
====================================

When I fantasize about flying my Wakefield I picture myself on the
flying field with a fully wound airplane in my hand. I can feel a heavy
torque load on the prop, and the thought of all that energy in the motor
tube makes my heart beat faster. Out in front of me is a fifty meter
streamer pole with a fifty meter streamer on it. With a pole that tall I
can easily read the air. When I launch my airplane it unloads all that
energy as it streaks upward. What fun !
Tall streamer poles are not my idea. Twenty some years ago Bob
White, Al Hotard, and Less De Witt had really tall poles, Less De Witt's
was the tallest. They always studied the streamers before they flew. Joe
Foster really knew how to read poles and he didn't even own one. These
men were the best flyers around. I wanted to be a good flyer so I got a
taller pole.
When you went to a free flight contest there was great
atmosphere. A half dozen streamer poles strategically located around the
field, bubble machines spitting away, lots of fluff in the air,
thermister equipment all over, you knew where you were.
Over the years Wakefield, power and a few glider flyers always
commented on how they appreciated my pole. Nordic flyers with hand
launch glider experience seemed to use the pole the most. People offered
to help me with the pole because it is very fragile. If it falls down or
is thrown down something always bends or breaks. Most Wakefield flyers
know how to help me put the pole up, and take it down. Carmen Critchlow
has helped me a hundred times. One time my pole was thrown down while I
was chasing my airplane and someone ran over it with a motorcycle. It
cost me forty bucks and allot of trouble to repair it. When I am riding
my motorcycle and glider flyers have tow lines all over the ground or
stretched out I am always careful. I have never gotten that courtesy
back.
I have had my pole up at Harts Lake Prairie Washington,
Denver Colorado, Eldorado Dry Lake Nevada, Eloy Arizona, and every
flying field in California. If you were at the 1999 Max Men Contest in
Lost Hills you saw my pole for the last time. The contest director
informed me that it is against FAI rules to have a pole that tall.
I am looking forward to flying the SCAT Annual, and then
the Banco a few weeks latter.
Sincerely
Rich Rohrke

[Comment .. can someone help here, I looked in the Sporting Code
and could not find the ruling on poles. I seem to remember that
it should not br greater than a certain height [8 meters ?]
with a certain distance of the line.. but I can't find
the reference]


F1A Champagne Fly Off
=====================

I wondered how M&K got the same score to finish first equal
now Victor explains ..


Hi Roger,
I was confused if this was a joke or not
because it did look like M&K got the same score in the Champagne fly off,
but this was not quite true... M's score was 309.67 and K's score was
309.25 (more or less). Of course the normal rule is to round down the
score and than have another flight, but since this flight was for fun,
they just kept the exact scores as they showed on the clocks and M got to
open the champagne. The reason I am telling you this story is because
maybe some one else did not understand as well.
See you Friday.
Victor


Honda Keys found at Lost Hills
==============================

On the Monday a set of Honda Car keys was found together
with some other keys. They are probably from someone in
California. I have them.




.............................
Roger Morrell