Here are the contest reports and notes from the 2014 season. Click on the "scores" link to see all the rounds details as well as all rraw scores.
The D8 photo album with several years of pictures is avalible here.
Red Apple Fliers Pattern Contest, Wenatchee, WA, pictures, scores
The District 8 2014 pattern season is off to a great start after the 6th annual Wenatchee Pattern Contest. We had a total of 19 pilots including a first time Sportsman pilot, Steven Carothers, from the Salt Lake area! We had a total of 4 Canadian pilots join us, also Mike and Jean Greear from Sothern California made the trip up north and Jean was the first female pilot ever to fly in the Red Apply contest!
We flew 4 rounds on Saturday in a light breeze and two more on Sunday in about the same conditions. Overall this was likely the best weather we have seen at the opening Red Apple contest.
Please checkout the pictures and scores using the links provided. If you and pictures, or anything else, you would like posted please send them to me!
Thanks to Dick Matson and the Red Apply flyers for CDing and hosting this event.
Thanks to all the pilots that attended for all your help judging and keeping the action moving.
Hope to see you all in Boise in a couple of weeks!
--Gordon
Treasure Valley Pattern Contest Boise, ID. pictures, scores
The fifth Treasure Valley Pattern Contest was held the weekend of June 7th and 8th. With good - windy - weather we had 16 entrants in AMA pattern.
With four sportsman everybody spent time in the judges chair. Thank you everybody for the help.
Four people entered Classic pattern using two airplanes. Classic pattern was a victim of (pre-contest) carnage capped off with a spectacular - event ending - example of what happens when a Tower arf Kaos is rolled over the runway at an altitude slightly less then half its wingspan.
Boise's humble contest beginnings with 9 participants has grown each year of the last five years. Can we break 20 next year? We'll have to wait and see. Good weather is guaranteed!
--Mike Riggs
Hi-Desert Classic Pattern Contest, Redmond OR. pictures, scores
The 8th annual Hi-Desert Pattern Classic was held in Redmond OR June 21st and 22nd with 13 pilots completing. This year we even had a few pilots flying classic pattern, novice and advanced. The weather conditions were pretty good with a little breeze picking up in the afternoon.
We completed 4 rounds on Saturday and 2 more on Sunday wrapping up the competition by about 1:30. The morning sun prevents an early start so Saturday morning we flew 2 rounds of classic pattern including the first competition flights on my Taurus.
The contest did have one pretty spectacular event, Alexander Safarik’s airplane hit a bird and then either his airplane or the bird hit Art Kelly’s airplane. I heard a number of descriptions of the event from different witnesses, one fact that is not in dispute, both aircraft were totaled!
We had to change our traditional Saturday night diner at Sully’s (the Italian restaurant) because they went out of business! We held diner at the Black Bear Diner and the food was great so I guess we will start a new tradition.
--Gordon
Molalla Pattern Challenge, Molalla OR. pictures, scores
The 11th annual Molalla Pattern Challenge was help July 12 and 13 with a total of 11 pilots competing. We completed 4 rounds on Saturday including 2 rounds of classic pattern; Sunday we flew 2 more rounds with a short rain delay. Overall the weather was great, maybe a little too hot on Saturday!
We only had two classic pattern fliers, Gordon Anderson with his Taurus and Rick Bergeron with his new Dirty Birdy. Rick put the first flight on his new classic plane on Friday then flew a couple rounds of Advanced.
We had a great dinner that Ray Gauthier setup at the local country club.
Thanks to Bill Carder for running a great contest and to all the people how helped make this contest a success.
--Gordon
Albany Thundervolts Precision Aerobatic Contest, Albany OR. pictures, scores
The Albany Thundervolts held their 2nd annual pattern contest July 26-27 at Camco Field in Millersburg Oregon. Flying weather was similar to last year: Warm with moderate cross winds from the north. Four rounds were accomplished quickly on Saturday with 2 rounds of Classic Pattern Advanced class starting off first thing in the morning. The turn out was light which made the 4 rounds go quickly on Saturday. Two additional fliers joined the fun on Sunday swelling the contestant numbers to 10. We finished the last 2 rounds close to noon on Sunday which was welcome to the distant travelers from the North East Washington area: Gordon and Mari Anderson and Wayne Lovette. Wayne went home with his nice Vanquish in pieces. Ask him for the details.
Gordon Anderson flew his nicely rebuilt Taurus with a .55 2 cycle for power in the Classic Pattern event and Rick Bergeron had a new Great Planes Dirty Birdy powered with a new YS .61 Classic 2 cycle for his Classic Pattern weapon. Gordon's Taurus flew smooth and steady for both rounds. Rick's Dirty Birdy screamed past and through the maneuvers just like the days of old. The results were: An old time fable came to mind for the results of this battle of the oldies..."The Tortoise and the Hare!" Rick didn't count the 3 rolls correctly on the first round and on the second round the YS went lean and landed "dead stick." And that, boys and girls, is how the Tortoise beat the Hare! Good flying Gordon!
Thanks to the Albany Thundervolts for the use of their field and Brian Wilson (President) for cooking the lunch on Saturday
Rick Bergeron
SilverHills R/C Flyers Pattern Contest, Athil, ID. pictures, scores
Canby Dusters Pattern Contest, Woodburn, OR. pictures, scores
Fun In The Sun Pattern Contest, Richland, WA. pictures, scores
Medford, Oregon Pattern Classic Contest. pictures, scores
On Friday, September 26, an intrepid group of pattern pilots arrived at Agate Field near Medford, home of the Rogue Eagles R/C Club. Winds were modest and the sky was 68.932% blue. Pilots were soon in the air orienting themselves to the field’s sight lines and the new runway. Those whose primary experience has been grass fields were surprised to see their landing aircraft continue a gentle journey down the long expanse of asphalt. (Hmmm, should pattern planes have brakes?)
As the afternoon sun began to ease into the west we noticed an ominous mass of dark gray clouds building in the east. And, shades of last year, everyone was grabbing for airplanes and gear as a formidable wind crashed across the field and we irrigated by horizontal rain.
Our numbers were modest for the end of season contest (perhaps confirming that this year’s schedule of contests was too ambitious?) Nonetheless, pilots trekked long distances for the D-8 championship. The longest journey was tallied by Karl Watts who put in eight hours of driving from Boise. We also enjoyed welcoming Forrest Waller (and his namesake and son, Forrest) from Lakeview Oregon, just 15 miles from the California border. Forrest (father) revealed to us that in 1972 he was the Latin American pattern champion, at age 14, but has has flown virtually no pattern since.
The biggest class at this year’s event was Sportsman. Joining Karl and the Wallers were Harvey Gilmore and Ray Wasson of the Medford club. Forrest Waller, the father, won the Sportsman class, but by virtue of contest participation and constantly improving flying, Karl Watts achieved the title of Sportsman District Champion for 2014.
Bill Carder flew six rounds of uncontested Advance sequence and earned the accolades as 2014 District Champion.
Pat Harris and Rick Bergeron duked it out in the Master’s sequence and Pat was anointed as D-8 Masters Champion.
Rex Lesher and Gary McClelland graced the air with some fantastic flying. We were all entertained as their airplanes climbed tall into the FAI sequence reaching a limitless blue sky or huge puffy white clouds. The rest of us dream.... Rex won this contest by a mere 6 points and wears the garland as 2014 D-8 FAI champion.
As we wrap up another year of this very special event known as precision pattern it is appropriate to extend our collective appreciation to the diligent work and support, contest after contest, offered by Gordon and Meri Anderson and Rex Lesher. The events run smoothly and efficiently. We all know that doesn’t just happen. Rex, Gordon, Meri - thanks a bunch!
Next season introduces new sequences, new airplanes and it also needs to introduce new pilots to our great obsession. It is incumbent on each of us to use the coming months to sell the Big Gulp! No, this not an attack on the soda customs that Michael Bloomberg addressed in New York. The big gulp is the emotion each of us felt when we decided to enter our first contest, last week or in the last century. At each of our fields there are pilots who are competent but are intimidated by the notion of the big “C” word -- COMPETITION. Harvey Gilmore of the Medford club said “I’ve just been flying around in circles. This contest has been an incredible experience. I’ve learned so much.” Yes, he gulped. Over the next several months, if we can talk up pattern and build a comfortable, non threatening image we can persuade more to take a Big Gulp. They will be glad they did.
And, next year introduces a new contest schedule that will hopefully be finalized soon. With fewer contests we will support one-another by trying to get to as many events as possible. Keep your calendars close at hand.
Winter is coming, build them straight.
Art Kelly
Medford CD