Thursday, July 18, 2013

Nearly fell at the first fence !!!!!!

So last patient seen I dashed home to finish packing the motor home. I took some time over storage of gliders and then loaded another pilots kit. I was ready for the off. So with an emotional fare well to my wife Val i clambered aboard "Sammy Swift" the motor home and headed of to pick my friend and timer Lorry green. I had not got more than 2 miles down the road when the alternator warning light came on. EEeeeeekkkk Blind panic came over me as to the enormity of what would happen if I couldn't get to Denmark. As I drove home it crossed my mind that I had just had the camper serviced and a new Alternator belt fitted not more than a week ago. A quick inspection showed the new belt in-tacked but scrambling underneath with the van jacked up reveled a plug pulled off the alternator. Van fixed and back on the road in 20 mins.
     We drove to Harwich Tuesday night, camped over and got the morning ferry to the Hook of Holland. the sea was like a mill pond and the ferry was half empty which was nice.  Then started the long long drive to Herning in Denmark.
Sammy Swift ready at the ferry port
Interesting but not as comfortable as Sammy Swift
I have to say they do know how to look after drivers in Europe.Plenty of places to stop and eat and to sleep over at no charge. Why cant we do that in the UK. Driving from 2pm till 11.30pm  uneventfuly  through Holland-Germany.   pulling up just short of denmark knowing we would have a short 3 drive in the morning.
I am picking 2 pairs up on the way back
We arrived at the airfield 11.30am Thursday morning. The set up is brilliant.WiFi - Electric hook up. toilets. Showers, and even a trailer with washing machine.Oven.cooker . And fridge freezer. Best bit is a chap drives round in a golf trolley selling chilled beer. Tomorrow I will unpack the gliders and start some practice.
               Cheers Nick

Friday, July 12, 2013

Off to the World Championships

Well the time has come. I am off to Denmark for the World F3K Championships. The F 3 What I hear you cry.  F3K  is the international contest class for radio controlled, hand-launched model gliders. They are limited to a wingspan of 1.5 metres. They have a launch peg/blade on the wing tip the idea is to throw the glider as high as possible. Good pilots get 200 to 250 feet or 60 meters.  And then stay up using thermals (heat rising) or any available lift from possible ground sources. Like tree lines or even a house if i get desperate.



So what now!!. 10/15 Pilots all launch on the timing horn. where are all stood in a 75 metre box there can be carnage, but not often. Then depending on the task chosen by the organizers we have to stay up for specific times and land back in the take off box for the time to count as points. sometimes there are multiply timed task and this is where the fun begins guessing how the other competitors are doing. I will have own Timer/Coach in my old flying friend Lorry Green he is a good timer as he can spot good lift for me from other competitors during the task. Its going to be a long 10 days. There are 26 country's taking part all with teams of 3 senior pilots and there is a junior competition running along side the seniors. But first the long drive to Denmark I leave on the 17 will keep you posted




This is the official web site   http://wcf3k.dk/