Spring 2019 F5J contest in St Augustine Florida 

Around here it seems like anything electric is becoming more popular. Seems like they integrate with the powered flyers a little better, need less launching room, no winches, no setup, and the modern power systems are light enough to not impose much of a handicap on the airplane. F3-RES has caught on too (I suspect due to the low cost, small size, small and cheap hi-starts, etc), but it's too soon to know if it's just a passing fad.

Gudmund Malones looks like NAN models airplane from the tail, likely an explorer

It's at the St Augustine RC Flyers' field in Elkton FL, just west of I95. staugustinercflyers.org/ There's usually a good group Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays. The glider field may be closed for several months sometime after mid-May due to work at the flying site. There's a powered aircraft field there too though, so things may be consolidated while the site is being worked on.

Yes and no. Variometers aren't allowed in most contests (they weren't allowed in the F5J contest in the video), but are allowed in some. Everything is visual. With experience you can see how a glider reacts when hitting lift or the edge of a bubble of lift. When the glider is flown to the center of lift it's pretty obvious - it goes up quickly. It's similar to watching vultures at low-level. Watch them long enough and you'll see when they hit the edge of lift, turn into it, climb, and start working the thermal. There are tiny solid-state variometer available though. They give altitude and change-of-altitude data telemetry. The modern radios will translate that into the familiar tones used in full scale gliders. They're excellent training tools but an experienced flyer can see the lift almost as well.

The skill is in finding then centrering on the lift. The precision landing also yields flight points. Good eyesight, a well trimmed model and local knowledge all help. Try it. I am a PPL, glider pilot and have also stayed an aeromodeller, nearly 50 years now.

Most of the rc glider varios are in larger scale gliders, fully compensated for airspeed and highly adjustable in regards to delays and thresholds for signaling lift or sink. As already mentioned, they aren't allowed in thermal duration contests, where everything is done with your eyes and feedback through the sticks. There isn't any physical feedback, but your brain learns to use your eyes and the expectations of given stick inputs to determine the energy in the plane at any given time. Then there's the "Third Vector" developed by, or most well known because of, Joe Wurts. It involves reading the winds at ground level to determine thermal locations around the local field environment. When mastered, you know almost exactly where the thermals are and about how strong they will be. It's a very important skill for those competing in hand launch classes especially. You'll see guys running across the field to try to launch into a thermal they don't think they could reach from where they are standing, or at least you used to. Now they can launch pretty darn high and the planes really move out with the modern airfoils, made for small planes with morphing airfoils/fully controlled trailing edge. Here's a video from Joe about how to read the air. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0w_87NRe2fk.html

Hang out with some real TD pilots and you'll be waiting all day long for them to come down. You couldn't have a contest because the first round would last until the thermal activity dies for the day. LOL I don't even read thermals, see video link, and can stay up until I'm tired on any day that's decent by just watching the plane and feeling the energy it's carrying at any given time. Add a good understanding of the "Third Vector" philosophy, and you'll be playing with the thermals and daring them to throw some sink in your direction. Once you learn basic soaring skills, the only thing that distinguishes the men from the boys in a contest setting is the launch, the landing and the precise timing, especially when the time on the winch line is subtracted from your score. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0w_87NRe2fk.html Joe Wurts, the guy in the video has one launch on youtube that is under a second because he knows there is a good thermal just down wind and he only needs the zoom to get to it.

Ehh... What? Sorry, I can't hear you. It's too noisy here!

😂

@@Nicopolis151 This may explain the sounds coming from the sky and the 7th trumpet that people Worldwide are hearing. Cheers

For the timed rounds the pilot's task is to land as close to the end of their 10-minute window as possible. Their time starts when they release the glider and ends when it touches the ground. Additional landing points are earned based on how close the glider's nose stops from the landing pin (but no additional points are earned if the glider lands AFTER the first end-of-round horn, and all points are lost if the glider lands a minute or more after the last end-of-round horn). F5J also penalizes the score based on the launch height, -.5pt-per-meter up to 200 meters, -3pt-per-meter over 200 meters. Part of the strategy is to stop the launch as low as possible while still flying a perfectly timed round and good landing. More details at www.f5j-usa.com/

You can buy them already made or make them from scratch. Check out tailwind videos for scratch built and just search "F5J rtf" on the google machine for a ready to fly version, should bring up a bunch of retailers.

They are prefabricated air frames. You have to install the electronics, which can take some coaching and/or skills to do right, but there is very little construction. You can build your own air frame but the gliders in the video are almost all fully molded modern competition planes. $$$$$$

There is no such thing in F5J. To the contrary, the duration task is limited to 10 min.

The preliminary rounds were set to 10 minutes. For the most part those getting to the final rounds were putting in 9:57-9:58 times. The final rounds were set to 15 minute windows, the top entries were putting in 14:55-14:58 times. All but one pilot had issues during the final round - everyone had zeros, the top contestant had 14:58. Full discussion on RCG here: bit.ly/2V7dtvv A report for the event is posted here: bit.ly/2vxGX6t Scores and times are scattered through the first part of that thread.

SKPA, thanks! 👍

So what is it about your ego that led you to make such an uninformed post about something that gives many people joy and a little bit of exercise. This particular class of soaring became popular because it is even more relaxing than winch launched classes. The contests are just a way to attract more people to the sport/hobby and enjoy each other's friendship and knowledge. There's all kinds of gliders and all kinds of glider pilots. Don't project, just go fly! ;)

Joshua andrews. no one cares for haters.

The irony of your comment. Competition and ego is precisely the reason you decided to shit on this video. What an incredible douchebag you are. Did it feel good to hit the 'return' key to post your comment. Feel better about yourself when weighing your skillset against these builders/flyers?

@Joshua Andrews - You're welcome to your opinion, but it's worth noting the simple mission statement from the group that organizes these events: "Our goal is to have friendly get togethers, for all to enjoy and to promote the art of soaring. Another goal is to encourage new participants to join us, as we are always willing to teach new members the wonders of soaring!"

@@SKPA99 The mission statement you mentioned is meaningless. It costs several thousands of dollars to even be in the realm of competing against/with these people. A moderately equipped Snipe is approximately 1.5-1.8 k$.