[LASS Soaring] "FSS2 Orlando Was Good, and Supra's Proved Super Again:-)"

[GordySoar at aol.com]

Got up, got out of bed, ran a comb across my head....
 
It was cold this morning for Florida..about 38 I'd guess, light winds  sunny.
 
My pal Tony Utley, his son Graham and I headed down the road to the field  
about 8am. Pilots meeting was 10am.
 
Tony flew his favorite, the AVA and I am now flying the Supra exclusively  
for awhile to learn it. My Sharon safely resting in its JT Models bag for a few  
months ahead...a much deserved rest.
 
This was #2 in the Florida Soaring Society series, 20 pilots  (LSF5!!!!! 
qualified) showed up to do battle in some interesting air.  Cold  breezes were 
moving thru and the buzzards were circling no higher than about  200'.
 
Its MOM Seeded, and the way they decided to do this one (always looking for  
the best way to do MOM down here!) was to have light groups of 4 pilots 
working  off two winches with fast retrievers.
 
Winch #1 was also Winch #3, and Winch #2 was also Winch #4.  So two  pilots 
lined up at each winch.
 
Pilot # 1 launched first as was chosen via a drawing.(as were all who  
launched in the first round), then Pilot #2 launched immediately since the  winches 
were spaced far enough apart to avoid line fouls. By the time he was up,  
Pilot #3 was already on his way up and then #4.  Aside from the usual and  
occasional line breaks or snarls, things went really smooth.  

First round was 6mins, at the end, all the pilots were seeded according  to 
their scores, and divided up into groups...the top guys in each group moving  
to Group #1 who would start each round except for the last, in which the last  
group would lead, working down to group #1 last. That's a really nice twist, 
it  throws in a sort of twist which could mean at the end of the day, the 
leaders  might end up in smeg.  By the way the Top group was not allowed to launch  
until the sky was clear,  no 'bird-dogs' to help indicate!.
 
I lead the pack from the beginning I think, with Jim Thomas right along  
side, (not sure because we stayed neck and neck).
 
Jim likes to have a 'count up' which confused his timer and that caused a  
snafu for one of Jim's flights....lost seconds and a rushed landing....for 25  
points. (he was at 75 points for all the other rounds I think)  That gave  me a 
small lead.
 
I got in trouble on two of the rounds, but managed some fun saves and a  pair 
of 100 landings.  It came down to the final round, with me having  about 90 
points cushion on JT.  My now famous statement "It was mine to  lose" applied 
again (TNT and Tangerine memories :-).  If we should both get  our times, and I 
were to zero the landing and he hit a 100, he'd move up.
 
The delay between the last round and our launch seems like an eternity  
because of end of day line snafu's (I got a line break right about on release,  and 
that sent a snaggle into the line, then once it as cleared.

By the time the lines were ready, the bunch of buzzards who'd been  
indicating had moved off, and it was time for an educated guess.  I guessed  to follow 
the wind and skied on the way out.  Jim got some too as did I  think about 
everyone in our group.  
 
Okay so it was going to be a landing contest.  The landings were  simple 
runway landings, 6" from the line was 100, about 12" from the line 75,  and about 
25" was 50, and a bunch after that was 25. I'm figuring about a 6'  measuring 
stick.
 
The wind calmed for the most part, right up the tape. I didn't have to  worry 
about seconds since I had a nice time lead, but I did have to get at least  
50, but I really wanted another 100, since I had been just short of on two for  
75's.  I came in first with an 8:02, and while it hit for 100, fairly  
gently, it plowed the sand for another just missed....and a third 75.
 
No matter what JT did, it was over, but being the artist he is, he dropped  
his Supra right in for a 100 and a 7:58.
 
That made World's Heaviest Carbon Supra #1 and JT's Supra Lite #2.   There 
was only 1 Perfect flying and while it looked like from the first launch  that 
it was going to dominate (To the Moon Gracie!) It was not to be  his day.
 
Louisville's own Tony Utley really showed that practice helps, he placed  6th 
in a really tough group with his AVA, getting time and hitting  landings.
 
Mike Popescu was campaigning his new Pelican 140", and it looked very much  
like it was gonna be a grumpy day after his first ucky flight, but he got his  
game back on track for some amazing flights and consistent landing points.
 
Mike Williams took 3rd by the magic of MOM scoring...he out flew his groups  
and pumped up his score in our last group. (forgot which plane he was  flying.
 
Likely scores will be posted on _http://www.soar-fss.org/_ 
(http://www.soar-fss.org/)  later this  week.  In the mean time, the winds are supposed to howl 
tomorrow 17mph for  most of the flying day, which will thin out the ranks and 
maybe even call it.  I'll be there for sure.
 
In my mind, JT was the top pilot today...I just got the spare LSF5 win  :-)
 
Gordy
PS - by the way, I have my Supra set up with the JW Thermal Mode mix set up  
described on Horizon's 9303 website.  It presets the camber per Drela,  mixes 
rudder an aileron on the right stick, with mostly rudder as a priority,  very 
little aileron and that with no Differential and some Expo on aileron too.  
VERY unusual feel, and you'd better know when to turn it off, but WOW, talk  
about a timer extender!
 
 
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