Report and photos from Gary Oulds of Crawley DMAC
2nd FF AREA MEETING - Ashdown Forest - 3 April 05
(results)A nice bright sunny day greeted the flyers. Light to moderate wind strength, unfortunately south south/westerly, which meant a hike up to Camp Hill, with all models and provisions from the car parks below.
We was fairly late arriving, but just in time to see Alex Cameron’s first glider flight disappear over the brow of the hill into the valley below for a max. We set up camp along side the main firebreak down from Camp Hill, bisecting the two main valleys we normally fly across. Models that got away headed up the valley towards the top road, on the Lodge end of the Forest. Some of the best glider flights landed just inside the bordering ridge road at three minutes plus. Geoff Stringer and John Oulds cleared the top road in the same patch of lift, drove round together in Geoff’s car. They were lucky enough to ask a woman in the car park they pulled into, if she had seen any models come over… She had seen both and directed them to where they had landed. She had carefully placed John’s just off a firebreak (undamaged - thanks and well done to that member of the public).
Geoff Stringer adjusts F1A
Geoff’s was slightly further on and awkwardly nestled in the top of a gorse patch ten foot tall, the only way into the model was to crawl under. With both models successfully retrieved they returned and Geoff was able to patch up a slightly shredded mylar tail-plane.
Terry knight had a similar experience with a ‘gorsey’ retrieve near the road opposite King Standing after a smooth first flight easily maxed. Recovered the model ok after homing in on it with his, proving to be very effective, home-build tracker. Crawley were on a roll - Alex, Peter, Terry and John had all started well. Tony Clark, flying a Serif glider, eventually materialised after an hours searching for a model that hadn’t gone far, but had proved a sod to find, stopped for a well deserved break, before continuing.
Robin Willes and Pete Cameron
The ever enthusiastic Robin Willes had amazingly already finished all of his glider flights. Setting a respectable total, dropping only the middle of his three flights, now turned his attention towards the Hand Launched Glider/Catapult square, which seemed to have generated a lot more interest this year. Despite the obvious difficulties of trimming and finding these relatively small models on the Forest, several had a go.
Brindley Taylor with HLG
Most notably Neil Allen and Brindley Taylor (J) in particular dedicated most of the day to this event. Every now and then throughout the day a good chuckie flight would be seen heading out across the valley, normally from the arm of one of these two flyers. A good arm, model, and even better eyesight than most needed here. So a great effort from both and all that had a go.
Mr “Competitive” Ken Taylor was everywhere as usual competing in as many events as possible. Just managed to complete all his Wakefield flights, but somewhat cruelly had to wake up his time keeper son Brindley, who had by this time crashed out exhausted after his days chuckie flying.
Bob Taylor, flying power, had the find of the day. He found a lost model from the first Area Meeting …which turned out to be his own! Unfortunately winged in his power model, more or less writing it off towards the end of the day …one of those strangely lost one, found one, scenarios
Crawley were still looking good in glider at this stage, with the possibility of Alex and John making the fly off nationally, poised on two maxes a piece, lined up side by side for their last flights. John flew first, but the model lost a lot of height initially got sucked into the valley and although recovered well dropped tantalizingly short of the max by just seven seconds. Alex launched soon after and got more height off the launch, but alas it was not to be…Crawley’s luck seemed to have changed along with a slight wind swing…John’s words later
”We was going good then we fizzled”
All this left the door open for Maidstone to step into the top two places on the day. Although a bit down in numbers, John Richardson missing this meeting through illness, they did well.
Trevor Grey readies Wakefield
Trevor ‘Grunter’ Grey had made the fly offs in F1B nationally, with some consistent air picking throughout the day. He rode his luck a bit with a last qualifying flight that could have gone either way, until it finally figured out what it wanted to do, finding good lift off the far slope eventually maxing out easily…. lucky maybe… but well deserved.
He was joined in the fly offs by club mate glider flyer Mike Cook, who comfortably made his last max with a superb bunt launch, Alex reckoned it to have been one of Mike’s best launches he’d seen at Ashdown, and this was to set his model up safe and well clear of the valley fate that had befallen Crawley’s glider flyers a little earlier.
That was pretty much the day for us and we decided to pack up and walk back down the hill to the cars, heading for home early, but wished best of luck to Mike and Trevor in the fly off.
Overall it had been pretty hot on the Hill, another exhausting but enjoyable day, whether your watching or flying, it’s always a great place to be, your in good company and of course there’s this fabulous scenery backdrop to gaze upon all day ……maybe. Ashdown really is god.