Firle on Friday 16th July 2021.

 As the expected wind direction for Friday was to be slightly East of North, Firle Beacon was chosen as the flying site for the day. Upon arrival we were greeted with unlimited visibility in all directions, light winds, and gorgeous views all around and no need to wear a coat. A great day in all respects.

View to the North East

The turnout was exceptional with 9 Club members, 1 potential member and a colleague from Sussex Radio Flying Club (SRFC). This I think is the most members we have had at any one time for a very long time.

Participating were Rob S with the Club SAS Wildthing trainer who was instructing Gordon S who performed well and has continues to improve. Rob S also brought along his Mini Phase and Traceur glider. Robin A had his Phase 6 and the mighty Mefisto. Mark V brought along a rather stunning Topaz 2 which flew well. John I had 2 gliders 1 being a SAS Blob and the other a SAS Wildthing with a rather unique oriental colour scheme. Mark J’s collection included a Middle Phase, SAS Wildthing and his Phoenix 5 3D printed glider. Clive U from SRFC had a Sprite glider. Arriving a little later on was Nick G with his Phase 6. Michael K a potential new member was invited to join us with his Veron Vortex S100 that had not flown for many years. The first flight of this glider was a challenge as it seems that the glider could only make left hand turns. Once back on the ground the trims were rechecked and adjusted plus more aileron authority was added, subsequent flights were successful. Only at the end of the flying session it was noticed that a couple of cracks had appeared around the cockpit area. I took along my Dreamflight Ahi for its maiden flight. Being reluctant to just chuck it off the slope I took it to the crest and made a few exploratory flights so I could set the trims. When happy with the settings off it went, and it went well. Second flight was not so good as I tried the out the flaps and the glider departed from controlled flight. I managed to regain control, but the landing was rather hard on the left-hand wing tip. This resulted in a broken servo wire extension lead which needs to be replaced before the next flight. My SAS Wildthing still has limited nose up trim available, either I have the C of G incorrectly set or the servos need to be reset to give me more control movement.

Gordon S with the Club's trainer.

                                                          

Some of the models on show at Firle.

The star of the show without a doubt was Robin S with his “Lockdown” built HW-4 Flamingo by Chris Williams. This 1/5^th scale vintage sailplane with an impressive 3.5 m wingspan and length of 1.57m looked impressive both on the ground and in the air. Rob S was instrumental in launching this fabulous glider and with a magnificent heavy throw it was away. Robin S is a very competent flyer who controlled the Flamingo extremely well on its maiden flight. We all hope to see this fine glider taking to the skies again very soon. I have a vested interest in this model as a I have the same kit yet to build.

Robin S with his impressive HW-4 Flamingo

                                               

The pilot ready for launch

                                                                                                    

Rob S doing what he does best.

Most flyers departed Firle Beacon around midday, but some members pressed on despite the drop in wind strength. In summary, probably one of the best Club days we have had recently. My thanks go to all who came along and I look forward to our next outing.

Slope Soaring Sussex 2020-2021 Club Update.

 

It is great to know that it is not only Club members who view this Blog but also many other model aircraft enthusiasts outside of the Sussex area. As of April, I have taken on the role of Secretary and will endeavor to routinely update this Blog. My intention is… at least monthly and each time I meet up with other Club members on a slope. I would like to take the opportunity now of giving an update of what has occurred over the past 16 months or so.

Going back in time to Christmas Day dinner in 2019, who could have foreseen what restrictions were to be put in place within 3 months. Some individuals took on the siege mentality that caused a shortage of toilet rolls, frozen foods, pet food and flour to name only a few scarce items. I also add balsa wood to the list as it seems most of it was going into the production of wind turbines in China.

We were all instructed to stay at home but to also go to work if we can but stay at home. Only go outside your house once a day but for only 1 hour’s exercise. No 2 households could meet up. Granny could not be hugged. The roads were empty as were all the pubs and restaurants. Luckily for me the Pinot Grigio wine supply was still readily available, and it supported me well through the tribulations of the Lockdowns. All non-essential shops were closed which for us included Sussex Model Centre (SMC), I consider SMC to be essential, I am sure you all agree with me. Despite obvious difficulties they continued to provided and excellent on-line service as well as a click and collect service for us locals.  Masks had to be worn in shops. Shame I did not have any shares in hand sanitizer or Perspex shield companies.

As a result, all slope soaring was curtailed unless anyone happened to have a decent slope in their rear garden as you could only travel locally. Several of our members used this time very wisely and have produced some magnificent “Lockdown” builds which are now starting to be seen in the skies of Sussex. Some of the completed builds have been shown on our very site. It is recommended that you take time and have a read of their articles and there is lots of learning to be had.

As expected, the “After School Club” at Warden Park School in Cuckfield had to be suspended but this is to resume in the autumn term. Rob S has asked that if any other Club members wish to assist and help with these sessions, can they please contact him directly. Remember, these youngsters could be our future aircraft engineers/designers or the next F35 pilots, they all need to be encouraged to be the best that they can be.

A planned outing in 2020 to Wales had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic hopefully when it is possible for life to return to normal, we can re-instate this visit if there is enough interest.

This Blog has now been viewed some 462 thousand times since conception. The half a million views will be the next big milestone. Credit for this must sit with Paul H who has continuously published many build logs, interesting articles, and all the excellent videos and more importantly, he has kept the Blog up to date.

Now that “Freedom Day” approaches, whatever that means we are all looking forward to getting out much more than in the past few months. The weather down here has not been kind to us, resulting in almost no flying.

A change in the Committee has taken place and as mentioned above I have taken over from John M as Secretary, Rob S continues as Chairman and Scott T remains the Treasurer.

We held a Committee Meeting recently to discuss several agenda items and the future AGM which we hope to hold later this year. We also welcomed a surge of new members over this past year, and we have grown from 25 members in Feb 2020 to 37 in July 2021, including one junior member.  

This has caused a massive surge in our training pipeline and due to the pandemic, a backlog occurred. I am pleased to say that this is starting to ease slightly as Rob S undertakes much of the ab initio training and when able to fly, the student is passed down the training pipeline to our continuation flying instructors such as the newly appointed Mark J who has taken to this new role like a duck to water. Being a very experienced flyer himself, passes on valuable instruction and advice to the nervous trainee. Being relatively new to the hobby myself, I too have benefitted from his sage advice and guidance. A big thank you goes out to all involved in our training program.

The polo shirts have gone down very well with Club members, and I regularly get asked for more. A further order will be placed soon but I need a minimum order of 5 or more to make it viable. So, during the next AGM I will start a new order list.

Mark J has taken the plunge and has invested in a 3D printer. He started with some small projects first such as a WW2 pilot bust and cockpit detail for his Cambrian Fun Fighter Spitfire. Being content with the results of these he has now produced a fully 3D printed glider called a Phenix 5.

The Committee are to review and update the Clubs Constitution and all policy documents, hopefully being published on this site early next year. We hope to have all documents encompassed within one single book available for all to view on this Blog.

That’s about all the news from Slope Soaring Sussex over the past 16 months. One of our members said to me at the start of the pandemic “health matters more than hobby” I totally agreed with him and am sure you do to. As we slowly emerge from a post-pandemic world, it is hoped more members will venture out and join us on the sunny slopes of Sussex in the future as the weather improves but in a safe and comfortable way for everyone.