Words and photos from Gary Oulds of CrawleyDMAC
3rd FF AREA MEETING - Ashdown Forest - 8 May 05
(results)For a change I’d pretty much sorted everything I was going to take the night before, and soon had the car loaded up ready to go. I couldn't see any reason not to, so I did, but I guess it was early.
As I drove through the sleepy villages on route, the sun was still at that fairly low awkward height.
For the next half mile or so the car turned into a kind of bubble machine in an effort to clear a hazy windscreen.... looks like I’d over done the screen wash a touch,. As the wipers shuddered to a stop the suds cleared revealing I could see the road ahead again, and avoid that stationary pheasant which seemed to be living in the middle of the road at West Hoathly. Junctions seem also easier to negotiate with advance visual warning (like noticing that stop sign)
At about 7:30 am I pulled into Stone Hill car park....breakfast on the forest...only one and a half hours early. Initially I had ideas that I was going to have a go trimming a model…pre comp, but found myself walking along the ridge top firebreak instead overlooking the views of the forest and the valley we were likely to be flying across. Somewhat blankly I was also staring towards that large block of uninviting trees up the other side of the cutting...that could possibly drag in the unlucky wayward flight or two...think we'll try and avoid that.
The wind direction had been light Westerly to North Westerly, but unfortunately by 9 o'clock, when Maidstone’s Mike Cook rolled up, the wind strength was varying between 10 and 14 m.p.h.
Mike was acting CD on the day ...Neil Allen being unavailable...Terry Knight was next to arrive, he'd had some trouble starting his car... but was OK in the end.
I told him it was just as well he didn't ring.... as I was here!
Mike informed us that Trevor Grey would have been there but was committed to a club fishing match on the same day. By 10am no one else had appeared (Crawley win by default, I thought). It was still blowing quite hard at this time, so there didn't seem much urgency for us to fly. The CD was already suitably relaxed, deck chairs out, we chatted whilst waiting for an improvement in the weather.
By 10:30 the wind seemed to drop enough to inspire me to get the models out of the car, and enter. Mike had no competition models with him, but was keeping warm by throwing a chuck glider around the car park area, DT’ing it after about 10 seconds or so. It had been something to watch while we'd mulled about...Nigel Lee briefly came and went.
Now it was time to get out and fly, Terry pieced his A1 together and the three of us walked well down along the firebreak I’d walked earlier. The mylar streamer was set up as usual along the towing path, but we started off a bit poor with two lowish first flights apiece, that landed well on this side of the valley, but at least we were flying and off the mark. Back quickly both models were soon away again. This time with a max each, Terry’s flight was much more stable, both models were low, Terry's DT’d half way up the far slope at 2:02 to the ground, my model flew on slightly further up onto the ridge for 2:10.
On this side of the forest, landing up the far side means getting the model by the direct approach. Bogs and thickets of trees of course hamper progress, which means having to find a way down across some steep cuttings and the stream, before scrambling up the other side and returning the same way with a model in hand
(Note when retrieving there’s often a sense that you could quite easily slip and fall down a hole onto your own model at any minute...how embarrassing is that! Assuming you admit to it, and can't think of an alternative reason for the amount of damage caused ...I’m sure it’s probably happened to people in the past.... I think Aeromodellers instinctively try and hold a model (through experience) in such a way that they can throw their model to one side and safety when free falling into the mire occurs...although others may feel.”The sod the model I was trying to save myself approach a more sensible option”)
The forest is hard going sometimes, walking around the long way is a safer less hazardous option.
By the time we returned Jarvis Shephard, John Richardson, Mandy, Pete Harris, Martin Stagg had appeared, Crawley had competition! Jarvis flew mini Vintage dropping his first two flights, concluding with a great last flight max, then switched his attentions later in the day to flying A1.
John Richardson had a torrid time on the line with his A1 glider. After successfully repairing a broken tail plane from an earlier heavy landing, he suffered unlatching problems in two successive tow ups, eventually the model plummeted earthwards when a wing folded mid air, more or less totally wrecking the model, it wasn't nice to see. Undaunted, John decided to have a go at trimming his new A2 instead. Two tow ups with it promised much on tow, but the model failed to unlatch, but luckily flew down safe unscathed and John decided it was now probably a good time to call it a day.
Terry meanwhile had continued to fly his A1, consistently improving thoughout. With more or less three mid flight maxes from his series of five. A great launch should have guaranteed his last flight with a well deserved max, but surprisingly dropped out of the thermal, but overall he had done the biz, topping RAFA on the day and top points for Crawley.
I'd disappointingly not flown as well as hoped, finishing a string of messy up and down A1 flights ....We'd both finished by about 3pm....so I attempted to fly Open Rubber with a rather embarrassing off trim soggy powered old Wakefield, which has definitely seen better days. Martin Stagg had reluctantly flown two flights with his open rubber model, had elected not to fly it again with the Nationals looming, after his second flight had landed perilously close to the trees, was slightly worried at first he'd have to fly again.....if I’d done any good. He didn't have to worry.....It flew rubbish (as expected) only salvaged by what turned out to be the last flight of the day which somehow clawed its way up the hill, still, good enough for a point or two.
Thanks to Terry for taking my stuff back to the car park whilst I went out for the model. By the time I got back all that was left was the streamer and mylar pole, which was strangely laying on the ground, not where I’d left it. Terry told me they'd decided to drop that suddenly and wisely as there had been a sudden rumbling of thunder and a blackening of the skies across the forest (mmm… good conductor a carbon pole, best to be safe not sorry).
Thanks also must go to Mike for stepping in and doing a great job as CD.
Back at the cars, only Terry , Mike, Jarvis & myself were left, as I packed away the last few bits the others, one by one, left. It had been another long day and I was somewhat shattered now, but I just managed a glance back as I left the car park, probably just to make sure I hadn't left anything.... but also I think you’re kind of thanking The Ashdown Gods when you do that.
Maybe they will shine on you the next time you fly!