Page 42 - MFW June 2024

F3K North Island
North Island
F3K F3K
North Island
Rd1
Series
Rd1
Rd1
Series
Series
F5K Kevin Botherway
F5K F5K

Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay

The Invite was sent out to all pilots for a
weekend of great weather in Hawkes Bay. The
forecast was better than the rest of New Zealand, although
rather uncertain for Saturday. We had 7 entries for F3K
(discus hand Launch) and 6 entries for F5K with one late
withdrawal. We all met at the field early on Saturday
morning with Joe doing the competition draw for both
events. Joe arrived with a John Deere mower to lower the
grass height for a nice launch and landing box area.
Everyone got into helping set up the gear and doing test
flights before the competition started. The conditions were
great although the afternoon was predicted to get quite
breezy.

We decided to do two rounds of each class so we didn’t
have to keep changing between classes every flight. As
we had one pilot withdraw just prior to the comp for F5K.
We finally decided to fly all up last down 4-minute max with
the two other attendees doing the timing for the F5K fliers
from the sidelines. That was a bit of a challenge to get
right, but Stew Cox and Myles Maloney did an admirable
job. Somehow, they sorted out the timing, even when
three pilots landed within a few seconds of each other! The
first groups in F3k had the usual flight 5mins in a 7-minute
working time, these slots had zero thermal activity, as well
as sink from being downwind of tall trees. Most managed were necessary to
around one and half to two minutes for a good flight. The have a safe landing
next round was last two flights three-minute max and (hence the halt to the
again one and half to two minutes was a good flight. A event for the day). We had a team debriefing afterwards
change to the F5k planes and 4-minute max flights saw a and departed the field to meet up at Andrew and Jane
little change in conditions with some thermal activity Hiscocks for a wonderful evening barbecue and social.
starting to show up. During the morning the conditions
became better for thermals. Sunday morning was a better outlook for the whole day
with light wind, and a little southerly which meant a bit
The wind eventually arrived, and using ballast became cooler temperature. One of those days where its jacket on
important. We flew until around two thirty in the afternoon jacket off! Peter Glassey flew the F5K very well although
before things became rather annoying due to the Joe was proving very consistent as usual to take the win
increasing NW winds. There were some interesting flights after completing 8 rounds for the weekend. Joe did once
with models being tossed around, and quick reactions again “cheat” as he was using Kevs back-up F5K plane
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