MGA NATS 2019 Report

Model Gliding South Africa

National Championships 2019

20, 21 , 22 September 2019
GEMS, Bapsfontein

Report by Brett Lewis

Left to right - Eloff Mare, Michelle Goodrum, Aldo Vos, Craig Goodrum, Nicky Goodrum (family member and spectator), Mike Vos, Brett Lewis, Rudi King, James Steel, Angela Hardy (scorekeeper), Gordon Browne, Peter Shulke, Ken Goodenough, Theo Wolthers, Kevin Farr, Chris Schmidt, Hans Van Kamp, Rudolf Engelmann.

On the long weekend in September 2019, 25 model glider pilots from around South Africa came to Bapsfontein, 20km as the crow flies north east of OR Tambo International Airport.

	Name	Surname	Province
1	Oliver*	Booysen	NW
2	Gordon	Browne	GP
3	Stephane	Duponsel	GP
4	Rudolf	Engelmann	GP
5	Brian	Fanning	KZN
6	Kevin	Farr	WC
7	Ken	Goodenough	GP
8	Michelle**	Goodrum	NW
9	Craig	Goodrum	NW
10	Rodney	Goodrum	NW
11	Rudi	King	WC
12	Brett	Lewis	GP
13	Eloff	Maré	GP
14	Neil	Murray	KZN
15	Julian	Roeloffze	GP
16	Chris	Schmidt	GP
17	Peter	Schulke	WC
18	Jan	Sime	GP
19	Alan	Sneedon	KZN
20	James*	Steel	NW
21	Hans	Van Kamp	WC
22	Mike	Vos	GP
23	Aldo*	Vos	GP
24	Kyrle	White	WC
25	Theo	Wolthers	GP

Included in the line-up were 3 juniors* and one female** pilot. Aldo* and Michelle** featured prominently in the results, proving that thermal gliding in not just for old men. Although the competitive thermal gliding scene is largely based around Johannesburg / Pretoria, we were very happy to have 3 pilots from Kwazulu Natal, 5 from the Western Cape and 5 from the North West Province. The podiums saw pilots from a variety of provinces - this holds great potential for widening the scope and reach of model gliding in South Africa.

The GEMS glider field (Google Map - https://bit.ly/gemsfield) is located on a farm, sharing flying fields with a local polo club. We flew on a field approximately 400 x 400m, with a dust road and line of trees on the north-eastern border of the field and a chicken sheds to the north-west.

Aside from dry dusty conditions, the largest challenge faced by all of the pilots was the weather. Both mornings saw light winds but from midday on both days the wind gusted up to around ten metres per second, making for very challenging conditions. Fortunately we had scheduled the rounds of the light and small F3K-hand launch gliders in the first and last slots of the day, when the wind was at its lowest. Nonetheless, we ended up having to move the Saturday afternoon F3K slots to Sunday morning due to excessive wind.

We scheduled and flew six rounds of competition, with two groups of pilots per round, in four classes.

The first class we flew were F3K discus hand-launch gliders. These are 1.5m wingspan models, weighing in the range of 200 to 300 grams. In this class we flew six different tasks. F3K competition is one of thermalling and timing. Although launch height is important - and Aldo’s 80m launch is a great advantage to him - it is not measured and doesn’t directly contribute to any scores. Landings are also not measured, though all launches and landings have to happen inside a common predefined box that all of the pilots stand in. Pilots are free to move around the box as they see fit - moving to get closer to the lift or to get away from congested areas. Another beneficial skill is to catch the model in flight by its launching peg and relaunch all in one movement, to minimise the time lost during a catch-and-launch in a so called 'turn-around' task. The ability to do quick ‘turn arounds’ like this is important in a number of the tasks that have been set up where the pilots ability is tested to fly back-to-back successful flights, with minimal time lost. Top pilots will lose just five seconds in a ten minute flying working time using good technique.

The next class we flew was our two metre class. The challenge with this class was to thermal for a maximum of six minutes in an eight minute working time, and to land as close to a demarcated landing spot as possible - both the duration of the flight and landing distance - shorter distance being better - contributed to scores. In this class gliders are typically launched by electric winch but to open the field to the maximum number of competitors, we also allowed electrically motorised gliders with their launch height electronically limited to one hundred and fifty metres by an altimeter device. Pilots typically use Altis devices (https://aerobtec.com).

The third class we flew was ‘open’ or F3J per the FIA competition definition. In this class, gliders may have a maximum wing surface Area of 150 dm2, a maximum flying mass of 5 kg and wing loading in the range of 20 to 75 g/dm2. These gliders typically have wingspans in the 3 to 4 metre range. Traditionally this class saw two tow-men pull the gliders into the sky, but the launch is now left up to electric winches. Again, to open the field as widely as possibly, models with electric motors were also allowed with their launch heights limited to 150 metres. This to match the length of the winch lines from launch point to ‘turn around’ - the pulley mechanism around which the winch line is run to bring it back to the winches located at the launch positions.

The last class we flew was F5J - this is the relatively new FIA competition class for electrically motorised thermal gliders. The first world champs for this class happened last month in Slovakia with Mike Vos and Jam Sime having just recently returned from that campaign. In this class a maximum 30 second burst of motor power is allowed with the pilot having points deducted the higher his or her model climbs, so a low launch is preferable, though not always optimal depending on the conditions. After the motor is cut automatically or manually by the pilot, a motor restart is prevented by the Alits device. At the world champs, the lowest launch resulting in a flight of the full working time was just 8 metres. Our conditions this past weekend didn't lend themselves to low launches and our pilots typically launched in the 100 to 200 metre height range. The pilots then needed to attempt to fly out the 10 minute working time and land as close to the landing spot as possible, before the sound of the horn.

After two full days of flying the results were as follows:-

Congratulations to Craig Goodrum for winning F3J/Open and 2m. For coming 2nd in F5J and F3K. For coming in as the top senior pilot and being declared the Victor Ludorum.

Congratulations to Aldo Vos for winning F3K (overall, though flying as a junior). And for coming in as the top junior pilot.

Congratulations to Neil Murray for winning F5J.

Congratulations to Michelle Goodrum for placing 2nd in F3J/Open, 3rd in F5J and 2m. And competing in F3K, all of this after having undergone chemotherapy on the Friday before the weekend’s competition.

Congratulations to Rudi King for placing 2nd in 2m.

Congratulations to Mike Vos for placing 3rd in F3K.

Congratulations to Allan Sneedon for placing 3rd in F3J/Open.

Rudolf Engelmann was drawn (by Nicole Goodrum - centre) as the winner of the Lanyu E-Fair glider generously sponsored by Aerial Concepts.

My thanks go to…

Craig Goodrum and Aerontec for the generous donation of the carbon and composite repair kits, received by each pilot (https://www.aerontec.co.za).
Michelle Goodrum for organising the dinner and the magnificent handmade ceramic trophies from Kyrle White from Porcupine Ceramics (https://porcupineceramics.com).
For Mike Vos for preparing the scoring system and organising the prizes from Aerial Concepts - vouchers and Lanya E-Fair glider (https://www.aerialconcepts.co.za) and Flying Robot - FrSky Receivers (https://www.flyingrobot.co).
Gordon Browne for being the tournament director. For Jan Sime for the cleaning of the clubhouse and laying out of the field.
Angela Hardy for keeping score.
Peter Shulke for the shirts and hats.
To the spectators and family members who came to watch - I know it looked a bit boring but we were having fun. And for helping with setting up and breaking down the equipment at the field.
To each and every pilot who travelled from as far afield as the Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal - and participated in a friendly and sporting fashion.
To Stefan Coetzer from Pilot’s Post for the coverage, photographs and videos (http://www.pilotspost.com).