We’ve been dabbling with Altitude Electric Soaring here at SLNT. Initially we started with Radians and a stop watch. Now the format has matured with higher performing sailplanes and standardized altitude/timer cutoff switches.

On 12-17-11 Tim Bennett was CD at Eastfied College, eleven pilots showed up to fly five rounds of Altitude Limited Electric Sailplane competition. Two were from Tulsa, Two from Houston, one from Abilene, and six from here in the metroplex. The task was ten minutes with a FAI landing from a 200meter/30-second launch. Flights were flown man-on-man with the field divided into two flight groups and scores normalized.

 

This is the first time we have tried this format, but not our first ALES event. The format went well. Some pilots supplied their own altitude limiters with others supplied by SLNT and from the contest kit provided by Don Harban. Don also provided the landing tapes. Special thanks go to Don for his material support and enthusiasm. Barry Kennedy also helped with his attendance and support for the Multi-Logger switches provided by the club. There was one zero flight caused by a pilot inadvertently turning his motor back on in the landing pattern. Otherwise the altitude limiters worked well.

 

Initially, there were two Explorers, an Electric Supra, an Ava-EF, A Silent Dream, a Radian Pro, and five Radians. The Silent Dream and one of the Explorers dropped out after the first round with the Explorer replaced by a Radian.

 

The weather couldn’t have been nicer with gentle breezes from the north, high broken clouds, sixty-degree temps and bright sun.

The competition was as stiff as it was friendly. The results follow: