[MT-ALES] FW: AMA/ALES League Rules to Ponder

[Fred Maier]

Ford
Have guys of Brad's ability or better to time for you at contests. You can learn more in a few rounds that way than in a year of flying by yourself! Don't be afraid to ask, most guys would be happy to help and give you pointers. I try to do the same thing and it has helped me immensely!!
Fred

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jan 14, 2017, at 12:52 PM, Ford Rollo <fordrollo at cox.net> wrote:
> 
> Greg.  Of course, you guys are right.  I over-reacted.  I’m currently recovering from a prostate resection (aka roto-rooter) and spending most of my time in the sack.  Quite a bit of blood which has me concerned and not focused on less important things…but apparently the doc isn’t concerned.
> 
> I’m in a funk as far as ALES is concerned because I essentially lost my practice field (seven miles from home) early last spring.  Not a good judge of size, but I’m guessing 75 to 100 acres with about 1/4 of it in nice, mowed grass.  Surrounded by condos and apartments.  For some reason the owners (a church) have decided not to water it and it has turned into a sand and mud pit and the local kids are running their ATV's and cars and chewing up the level ground.  I flew one of my foam gliders there a month or so ago and landed routinely.  As it skidded across the sand, the motor got pretty messed up.  Crunchy, if you get my drift.  I've gotten the sand out of the motor, but I’m not happy about the situation.
> 
> So the next nearest place to practice is 60 miles away where the Mesa guys fly.  Really not something I want to do…fighting Phoenix traffic both ways, etc.
> 
> On Curtis’ point, the reason I come is because I enjoy the guys, seeing their gliders, and of course flying.  But, as everyone in MT knows, I’m struggling with the competition.  First, I don’t have competition in my blood.  I don’t enter many contests of any sort.  I make a lot of mistakes flying because I don’t have a place to practice in Ennis ( and now Phoenix) so when I come to Helena I don’t have a lot of expectations, yet I’m frustrated and embarrassed by my performances.  I love flying the gliders but I’m, at the same time, disappointed with my lack of even medium performance.  Strangely enough, even though I’ve been flying R/C in some form or another since 1961, I’m still quite nervous…perhaps partially the cause for my sloppy flying.
> 
> My friend, Brad Juntunen, is still flying at our local site.  His landings are so consistently excellent that he “boinks” his glider on his spot instead of skidding in.   No need for a sked for Brad.
> 
> I spent 15 years sloping in So. Cal. when I lived there and loved every minute of it.  I lived at the beach so my site was a mile from home.  Now that site is a huge business complex.   Go figure.
> I would go to Torrey Pines a couple of times a year to fly there and that was spectacular.  I flew at Torrey last month while on an RV trip, but had to go through extensive legal papers, pay $10, take a flying test, demonstrated to two members of the club there and finally got my ticket to fly.  Not much wind so I put up my Dream Flight Libelle and had a ball with it.
> 
> I’m hoping to spend more time this summer sloping while I’m still diligently working with realtors who know the local ranchers to find a spot to fly in Ennis.  The one place I got permission to fly at is too close to the airport so that’s out.  The problem seems to be the cattle.  All the ranch managers think any airborne disturbance would scare the beasts.  I’ve made it clear I wouldn’t attempt to fly if there were cattle in the field, but they move ‘em fairly regularly to different pastures so I could still find a place on a huge property.  Oh, well.
> 
> I appreciate your response and  I’ll likely see you this summer.
> 
> Ford
> 
> 
>> On Jan 14, 2017, at 10:06 AM, Greg <gdouglas at repeat.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Ford (and others):
>> As usual, Curtis' response is absolutely true.  It's supposed to be about fun.  Rules evolve, although I think in this case, the new AMA rules were rushed through without much thought, and certainly without any input from the regular members.  I never heard of any rules proposals or comment period.  First time I heard about them was when they announced 'OK - the new rules are approved and will be in place for 2017'.
>> 
>> I'd like to give you an analogy - what if someone who has been flying a foam and fiberglass sailplane said 'These new hollow molded carbon fiber sailplanes give an unfair advantage - I'm not going to compete if there are any of those flying'.  Perhaps that pilot should have said - 'I'm going to beat the pants off anyone flying one of those newfangled carbon fiber airplanes with my bagged wing Supra' and then proceeds to do just that.   
>> 
>> I certainly hope you change your mind, Ford.  BTW - I said (publicly, I might add) the same thing - I was going to boycott any contest where varios were allowed.  After listening to the voice of reason (Curtis and Thom Martin from Portland), I changed my mind and lifted my boycott.   :)
>> 
>> --
>> Greg
>> 
>> 
>>> Ford wrote:
>>> If I enter a contest with people with variometers and skegs, I’ll not compete against them.  If I don’t choose to use those tools, then I can’t compete fairly.  I don’t choose to have the option of telemetry and don’t choose to put a skeg on my Supra...so for that reason, (to quote a Shark Tank star) “I’m out!”.
>> 
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> 
> Ford Scott Rollo
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