SASS Updraft, November - December, 1998

SASS Updraft
Newsletter of the Seattle Area Soaring Society
Volume 10, No. 6
November - December, 1998

Upcoming Club Meetings
7-9 P.M., Monday, December 14^th and Monday, January 11^th at Rose Hill Junior High
(Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of the month unless otherwise noted)

Holiday Gift Exchange
(Bring one or more gifts valued at $5 or less --
good stuff not junk
to the December 14^th Club Meeting)

We have agreement from King County Park headquarters to continue the multi-use status of 60 Acres South for 1999. Event scheduling can begin soon.

Letter writing continues to impress parks and council members, judging from my conversations with Louise Miller's office, Craig Larsen, Director of Parks and Bob Nunnenkamp, Marymoor Recreation Coordinator. If you haven't written to your County Council member, please do so soon.

In early December, Waid Reynolds and I, along with Jeff Clayton (Northshore Soccer) will co-host a "tour" of 60 Acres S. and soccer related rec-land to share ideas with county officials on the future use of these facilities. Attending from King County will be Barbara Wright - Parks, and Council member Dwight Pelz. Part of the information presented will be a winch/hi-start launch at our field to demonstrate the space required for this activity (it will not rain nor will it snow).

Thanks to Pete Hinze we have a letter of support for continued field use from A.M.A. Also, his efforts have contributed greatly to the official recognition of RC flying in state parks. Details park by park will evolve in the near future.

Dave Haldeman (superintendent of 60 Acres North soccer fields) tells me he can make more winter parking available in the soccer lot if we can work out security by barricading SASS parking from the rest of the lot.

Destruction, carnage and hilarity have prevailed at the Whidbey slopes during November, along with much exhilerating flying. Members should be reminded that frequency conflicts are even more hazardous in this informal, frequently chaotic, environment. Solution: Identifying conflicts seems to be the easy part - just start a frequency list or use a portable board - REMEMBERING is more difficult. In the heat of battle with a large group of flyers you would be wise to DISABLE YOUR TRANSMITTER...

The December 14 meeting will focus on the new Board elections. The1998 Board has agreed to stay on if the membership so desires. Hopefully, this activity will be brief so that we can concentrate on the annual gift exchange. This year all are hoping to have gifts in the $5.00 range that are useful rather than just leftover junk (an x-acto knife rather than used mono-kote). Pete Hinze will be in charge of discipline during the gift grab session. This will be followed by serious B.S. until 9:00 and the usual gathering at Coco's Restaurant afterwards.

SASS Mid-Winter Break, January 23^rdBy Jeanibee Skotvold (jeanibee@aa.net)

Has cabin fever set in yet? Wondering if your flying buddy ever got that plane repaired after that wild mid-air crash last summer? Well - Good News! We are planning to gather for dinner at Coco's in Bellevue for a mid-winter break on Saturday, January 23, 1999 at 5:00 p.m. This is a casual evening planned for the sole purpose of visiting and catching up on all the latest news. The only requirements are: Bring your wallet as you will be responsible to pay for your own meal and leave a mandatory 15% tip (required by Coco's because of the size of our group). You will just order whatever you want from their menu.

If you wish to attend, you will need to email or phone Jeanibee Skotvold by Jan. 15 to let her know how many people will be in your party. Spouses are encouraged to attend. Here are all the details:

Where:
Coco's Restaurant at Bellevue (near Redmond just off SR520 at 148th exit)
14804 NE 24th, Bellevue

The continued intensive lobbying by SASS President, Bob Brewer has paid off as evidenced by the following letter from King County Council Chairperson, Louise Miller, to County Executive Ron Sims:

November 24, 1998
King County Executive Ron Sims
Room 400, King County Courthouse
516 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

It has recently come to my attention that the Parks Department is looking at available park property to accommodate more youth soccer. I applaud this effort. However, one parcel of property in particular, Sixty Acres South, has me concerned.

We have heard from many constituents who use this open space for hobby activities. To utilize this site for soccer would not solve any soccer problem and would instead, create a new problem for hobbyists who recreate at the site. The real need for new soccer fields is in the east Redmond area. For example, I have proposed a study of the Happy Valley property for soccer field use and have encouraged soccer associations to work with the City of Redmond to meet new field needs. I encourage you to look to meeting the needs of youth soccer in the east Redmond area.

Youth soccer is an important use of park property. Other uses are equally important, and Sixty Acres South should be left as open space to be utilized for hobby purposes.

Whata day !, Whata day !. The prospects for the club slope fun fly at or near Ebey's Landing did not look too promising this morning from where I was camped overnite at Rhododendron Park just south of Coupeville. The wind sounded good but not the beat of rain on the van roof.

The Tyee Cafe parking lot did not reveal any vehicles that I recognized so I waited until about 8:45 and went in for coffee. If anyone caught the 8:00 ferry they should turn up soon. And they did, Jeff Kasner drifted in with his son and daughter followed soon after by Oly Skotvold. As we were leaving, the group from the 9:00 ferry began arriving in mass. The rain had virtually stopped and there was a goodly SE breeze so a caravan set out for Sky Meadows.

In the beginning the wind was up slope at 8 to 10 mph but slowly increased as the day wore on. By early afternoon it was 15 gusting to 20 and by 3:00 it was low 20s to 30. Needless to say, there was a heavy ZAGI "overcast" that only thinned out once in a while for repairs and recharging. The combat was fierce with many, many kills. Jim Martin blasted my Zagi so hard and often that the servos were knocked so loose I had to retire it for the day. I fell back to my I-26 foamie and he whacked the wing so hard it spun like a top and "auto rotated" all the way down in a flat spin. The Fun-One flew fine but I kept it way to hell out and away from those bloodthirsty Zagis.

It was the best turnout I've seen up there. I counted 20 fliers and only three were not current or former SASS members. There was Bill Blodgett from Oak Harbor, a fellow from Silverdale (name ?) and Charlie Reifel's brother (Richard?). The SASS fellows were: McDonald, Hinze, Otter, Skotvold, Dye, Young, Bryan (Jon & Mark), Davis, Baumgartner, Martin, Kasner, Paszek, Riefel (Charlie), Oberto, Brewer. I may have even missed some - it was a mob scene.

It just goes to show that you have to just close your eyes to the weather around Seattle (it was miserable) when planning a trip to Whidbey. The biggest risk is that the wind will be light. Just remember that the average Seattle area yearly rain fall is about 35" and around Coupeville it is less than half that at about 14". So, if its raining in Seattle there is better than 50/50 chance for a dry Ebey's landing. You just have to go up there to see for sure.

Oh yes, some of you may be aware that Eric Dye was flying Oly's yellow Zagi when a spectacular midair distracted everyone's attention for a few seconds. A while later it was evident to Eric that the Zagi was not responding to his commands because it was not Oly's yellow Zagi he was trying to fly. It was no longer airborne but no one saw it dive, loop, spiral, roll away or just soar off and land in Penn Cove (water). A massive but unsuccessful search was conducted. However, late in the day it was found down slope toward the highway by Mark Bryan ( I think). The perfect end to a perfect day.

During heated combat at a recent fun-fly at Skye Meadows, a yellow Zagi disappeared suddenly from the horizon! Fellow pilots searched the area, found nary a trace and breathing a sigh of relief from the onslaught of unrelenting hits, returned to their fun. The owner stood gazing over the horizon, reflecting on the long, fun-filled life the lil' yellow plane had lived. He had no regrets. The lil' Zagi had served him well.

When what to his wondering eyes should appear, but Mark Bryant with the missing Zagi in hand! Seems that when everyone else had given up, Mark continued to search with his usual diligence and determination and lo and behold, recovered the plane unscathed! A big thank you to Mark (who even refused a reward!) and a word to the wise: Don't take your eyes off that banged up lil' yellow Zagi. There's still a lotta life left in her! Q

January 11, 1998	SECOND Monday
February 8	SECOND Monday
March 15	THIRD Monday
April 19	THIRD Monday
May 10	SECOND Monday

Note that March and April were not available for second Monday as the custodians will not be on duty in the evening unless we wanted to pay $150 extra for those days. Charlie was all for paying the extra $300 but I talked him out of it (JUST KIDDING, FELLAS, JUST KIDDING). Q

[Background: At the last Whidbey fun fly Russ Lee's ASW-24 was shot down when someone else, an experience flyer who knew better, accidentally turned on his transmitter on the same channel Russ was using. The following is Pete's thoughtful "put" on the subject. -Ed]

I'm really sorry to hear of the misfortune at Whidbey last Saturday. I was there until 3:00 and don't remember seeing you [Russ] so the incident must have occurred later. Perhaps you can blame me . I usually have an 8 x 11 clipboard along so everyone can register frequencies. When the number of fliers was building up I went for it but for some reason it was not in my van. On the other hand, the "hit" could have occurred regardless of whether there was a clipboard or any other type of frequency registration available as it seems to me that this was simply the result of a momentary memory lapse. Both of you were aware of each other and the frequency conflict but there was a lot of combat going on and that really cranks up the emotions and adrenaline which may account for a lapse. In fact, there was another flier there on my channel and we were aware. I was flying my I-26 and it suddenly dove straight down in a spiral about halfway to the ground and then recovered. The other guy had turned on and in looking to check his model he saw me and realized I was on and in the air. The possible loss of my I-26 foamie doesn't compare to your ASW but the circumstances are about the same.

What to do ??? I will check next time to be sure I have my clipboard but suppose I don't make it to Whidbey. Should everyone carry a clipboard (you included) to cover whatever combination of fliers that show up ??? I feel that in the case of your disaster and my near one the only solution would be to implement a plan and facilities to impound Tx at least where conflicts arise. In my 6 years flying both AM and FM at 60 Acres I have never experienced (or recognized) frequency interference but if it is a problem there then the same absolute solution would apply. Perhaps this is too drastic. Bob Brewer suggests that the grounded flier simply remove his Tx battery or otherwise disable his transmitter until it is his turn to fly. On some radios this is a simple procedure, on others, like my ACE, not so simple.

I'm not convinced that impound/disable would be universally acceptable and observed. Humans are individual and unique and I'm sure that there are a lot of us who would think that "that's OK for those other guys but I'm not puttin' my Tx in no box or pullin' the battery out". I sure as hell hope that I never have a momentary lapse of attention and cause a crash as "I feel your pain". A few years ago I had a 3 meter electric plunge under max power and to destruction down at Hart's Prairie south of Parkland when a pylon racer a quarter mile away turned on. I agree with you that we should have something going up on the slopes so that a late arriving flier can quickly determine if he has a clear channel. However, once that identity is made I think it behooves the concerned fliers to keep in close contact and coordinate their activities as that will then be the only real assurance that there is not a momentary mistake with disastrous consequences.

Perhaps in the next Updraft Waid Reynolds can cite this misfortune and suggest that all slope fliers go equipped so the first one there can start a frequency listing. Beyond that, the conflicting fliers should work out their own prevention method such as removing Tx battery: place grounded Tx in a plastic grocery bag: tape the Tx switch in off position; etc.

Boy! We just missed losing another local hobby shop. Sheldon, the proprietor of Webster's Model Shop a block east of 183rd and North Aurora, has quietly been trying to sell his store and retire. Not having found a firm commitment he had decided that if there if there was not a buyer by Dec. 31st then he was just going to lock the door and walk away from it. However, a very nice retired gentleman, "Nick" Lavender, has stepped in at virtually the last minute and he and one of his sons are going to have a go at it.

Nick is aware that hobby shop owners don't get rich and in fact barely keep heads up due mostly to price cutting by the mail order houses. I hope we can give him all possible support for if Webster's goes down then the alternatives are Abernathie's or way up to Everett to Tim's. I don't depend much on Hobby Town, Galaxy, etc. as they don't carry much for model building beyond basic kits.

Total Members in 1998	130
Total Members in 1997	117
New members or members who had not paid in 1997	33
New Members (1^sttime)	27
Members in 1997 who dropped out	20
Members in 1997 and 1998	95

From: Mark Morland
Sent: Monday, November 30, 1998 11:10 PM
Subject: Aerotowing HLGs