Hi all...
The latest news in now that the results are out for round 2
The conditions have been extremely hard with Cape style winds, and the flight line has been set up 90 degrees to the wind! so you can pick to fly from the left or the right! Landings are also interesting, as the approach from the one side comes in behind a big tent and suddenly there is no wind and the plane drops out of the sky. Watching the "big guns" is awe inspiring... almost as if the wind has been switched off... CPLR, Onda, Wolgang Matt (still!), and the Yanks.
After the 2nd round, RSA is lying 12th in the team standings, just behind Australia and Canada and well ahead of Great Britain!
In the individual standings, Carel and Ian are lying in 47th and 48 place respectively, with a difference of 0,4 points on the raw scores. I am currently lying in 27th place, having dropped 1 place since the first round, but still in the cut for the fly - off!
All the results can be seen on the official website... www.argentinaf3a.com
This web site is very up to date and the results are available by dinner time (in Argentina) and should be available after midnight (SA time) for you to check on our progress!
That's all for now... we're off to fly round 3
Carel, Ian and Marc
Team South Africa
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Monday, November 12, 2007
Management Committee - who says?
The agm is done, the 10% have spoken, the cast is cast
and the rest of us players look forward to a new script. Can we move past the structure and set some ambitious goals? Say 25% of the members to vote in two years time?
and the rest of us players look forward to a new script. Can we move past the structure and set some ambitious goals? Say 25% of the members to vote in two years time?Perhaps we can make it a lot easier for the general modeller to vote regularly on issues close to his heart?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
F3A World Champs update -- Marc Wolffe
We have now finished with the practicing and set up of our models and everything is going well.
We were located at a full size Glider club in a small town called Diamante, about 65km outside Sante Fe (1 1/2 hour drive!) During the course of the 4 days practice, the whole team, along with helpers were offered a trip in both a glider and a beautifully original Piper J3 Cub.
On the last day of practice, both Carel and Ian had some motor problems with Ian's motor coming loose on his #1 aircraft, and Carel having a loose magnet in his motor. Carel's motor was quickly replaced , but our helpers, Gerrie and Johan quickly got stuck int Ian's plane and got it sorted out.
We have just come from the official registration, and model processing where we have all been successful. Carel made the 5kg weight limit easily with his ultra light battery pack,while Ian also got through with a couple of grams to spare. O n the other hand we got quite a shock when both my models scraped through on 5,000kg each!
Team South Africa's official 1/2 hour practice session at the Sauce Viejo Airfield had to be forfeited however, as it began raining, and continued for about two hours. (Four other teams were also affected) We will wait and see if we get an opportunity tomorrow.
More news to follow shortly...
Carel, Ian and Marc.
Team F3A South Africa
We were located at a full size Glider club in a small town called Diamante, about 65km outside Sante Fe (1 1/2 hour drive!) During the course of the 4 days practice, the whole team, along with helpers were offered a trip in both a glider and a beautifully original Piper J3 Cub.
On the last day of practice, both Carel and Ian had some motor problems with Ian's motor coming loose on his #1 aircraft, and Carel having a loose magnet in his motor. Carel's motor was quickly replaced , but our helpers, Gerrie and Johan quickly got stuck int Ian's plane and got it sorted out.
We have just come from the official registration, and model processing where we have all been successful. Carel made the 5kg weight limit easily with his ultra light battery pack,while Ian also got through with a couple of grams to spare. O n the other hand we got quite a shock when both my models scraped through on 5,000kg each!
Team South Africa's official 1/2 hour practice session at the Sauce Viejo Airfield had to be forfeited however, as it began raining, and continued for about two hours. (Four other teams were also affected) We will wait and see if we get an opportunity tomorrow.
More news to follow shortly...
Carel, Ian and Marc.
Team F3A South Africa
Saturday, November 10, 2007
A little bit of history taken from SARFLY
On 09 Nov 2007, at 12:12 AM, Christo van der Merwe wrote:
Here is a very interesting Wiki about "the first flying machine".
Apparently, a South African - a Zulu from Natal by the name of Goodman Household, flew his glider in 1871 for over 100m. Interestingly, this took place 20 years before Otto Lilienthal's hang gliding experiments in 1891. Although a lot of controversial claims are being listed, it's still an interesting read.
On 09 Nov 2007, at 9:08 AM, Neil wrote:
He was not the first in the world to fly - George Cayley's coachman probably was. However they had no controls (steering)
Household had the first CONTROLLED flight in the world. He steered the hanglider in a turn, and flew over gum trees 100 feet high and landed.
It is actually incredible. In Durban there lives today Harold Strachan, who writes for the newspapers (he is about 80)
When he was a boy of 12 he cycled out to see Karkloof where the flight happened.
There he met an ancient Zulu man, who remembered the flight very well - he saw it happen, and described it! Thus we have a unique chain of evidence, and really someone should make a documentary. We can interview Harold live, who can describe what the witness to the flight saw. There is no closer "chain of evidence" for other early flights. For example Cayley's flight is only vaguely referred to in books - there is no handed down verbal evidence.
Any film makers interested?
Neil
Here is a very interesting Wiki about "the first flying machine".
Apparently, a South African - a Zulu from Natal by the name of Goodman Household, flew his glider in 1871 for over 100m. Interestingly, this took place 20 years before Otto Lilienthal's hang gliding experiments in 1891. Although a lot of controversial claims are being listed, it's still an interesting read.
On 09 Nov 2007, at 9:08 AM, Neil wrote:
He was not the first in the world to fly - George Cayley's coachman probably was. However they had no controls (steering)
Household had the first CONTROLLED flight in the world. He steered the hanglider in a turn, and flew over gum trees 100 feet high and landed.
It is actually incredible. In Durban there lives today Harold Strachan, who writes for the newspapers (he is about 80)
When he was a boy of 12 he cycled out to see Karkloof where the flight happened.
There he met an ancient Zulu man, who remembered the flight very well - he saw it happen, and described it! Thus we have a unique chain of evidence, and really someone should make a documentary. We can interview Harold live, who can describe what the witness to the flight saw. There is no closer "chain of evidence" for other early flights. For example Cayley's flight is only vaguely referred to in books - there is no handed down verbal evidence.
Any film makers interested?
Neil
Thursday, November 08, 2007
2007 F3A World Champs update -- Marc Wolffe
Just a short note to let everyone know that the SA team has arrived safely in Sante Fe, Argentina with models unscathed!
We have had 2 good days of practice and look forward to another 2 days befor the "official" practice at the contest site.
More news to follow shortly...
Carel, Ian and Marc.
Team F3A South Africa
The official web site is here.
We have had 2 good days of practice and look forward to another 2 days befor the "official" practice at the contest site.
More news to follow shortly...
Carel, Ian and Marc.
Team F3A South Africa
The official web site is here.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Hermanus 2007 -- Andrew Basson
Hermanus Pre-Registration will be closing on Friday 16th November.
Pilots can either register online at or they can phone me on 082 901 9259 with their SAMAA number.
The AFC website has an update on what to expect.
We also have an online forum on the site which we are still getting to grips with.
Under the classified section of the forum there are a number of planes for sale too.
See you all on the 23rd November.
Cheers, Andrew
AFC Secretary
Pilots can either register online at or they can phone me on 082 901 9259 with their SAMAA number.
The AFC website has an update on what to expect.
We also have an online forum on the site which we are still getting to grips with.
Under the classified section of the forum there are a number of planes for sale too.
See you all on the 23rd November.
Cheers, Andrew
AFC Secretary
Thursday, November 01, 2007
AGM 2007
I was at the AGM on Wednesday evening. What follow are my personal impressions. I'll comment on the election of the committee first, them on some of the other things discussed.
Election of Committee
The committee was elected unchanged. About ten percent of members voted. Compare this with about thirty percent for the last election.
It's not clear what the low voting percentage means, if anything.
Some representative members changed.
The committee is:
Dirk Meyer - elected member
Dave Armitage - elected member
Ludwig Steyn - elected member
Keith Nichols - elected member
Marietjie Skinner - elected member
Tim Blackman - dealer representative
Vic de Vries - club representative
Tony Stockwell - regional representative
Joe Coetzer - outgoing chairman
I took some photos with my cell phone. You can see them here.
The committee is largely unchanged so I expect it to operate in a similar manner as before.
SAMAA ARO status
It turns out that the Act makes no provision for a Model Aircraft Organization to have ARO status. You can see a copy of Neil de Lange's note to this effect here. What the SAMAA has is a special arrangement with the Aero Club and the CAA to represent Aeromodelling in SA. This is important. It allows, for example, the SAMAA to negotiate with the CAA for an increase in operating height above SAMAA registered flying field. In terms of 96.06.11 (i) no model aircraft may fly more than 150 feet above the surface.
Just what else the special arrangement means is not clear. The new committee will follow-up on this and in particular its legal status.
What the special arrangement does need though is approval of a Manual of Operation, which brings me to...
Manual of Operations
The meeting accepted the controversial Manual of Operations "in principle" with the proviso that it should be reviewed within the next few months. "In Principle" is one of those weasel phrases that mean nothing. The manual has been accepted. Until it is changed we are stuck with it.
I did raise my concern over the possible impact on insurance claims but this fell upon stony ground.
We clearly need a Manual of Operation in terms of the special arrangement. But not, I suggest, this one without amendment.
Park Flying
The meeting accepted the guidelines for Park Flying as set out in SAMAA News dated May 2007.
Drinking and flying
Some incidents of drinking and flying had come to the attention of the committee. The meeting supported the committee in its view that this never had been, nor ever would be, acceptable behaviour.
Election of Committee
The committee was elected unchanged. About ten percent of members voted. Compare this with about thirty percent for the last election.
It's not clear what the low voting percentage means, if anything.
Some representative members changed.
The committee is:
Dirk Meyer - elected member
Dave Armitage - elected member
Ludwig Steyn - elected member
Keith Nichols - elected member
Marietjie Skinner - elected member
Tim Blackman - dealer representative
Vic de Vries - club representative
Tony Stockwell - regional representative
Joe Coetzer - outgoing chairman
I took some photos with my cell phone. You can see them here.
The committee is largely unchanged so I expect it to operate in a similar manner as before.
SAMAA ARO status
It turns out that the Act makes no provision for a Model Aircraft Organization to have ARO status. You can see a copy of Neil de Lange's note to this effect here. What the SAMAA has is a special arrangement with the Aero Club and the CAA to represent Aeromodelling in SA. This is important. It allows, for example, the SAMAA to negotiate with the CAA for an increase in operating height above SAMAA registered flying field. In terms of 96.06.11 (i) no model aircraft may fly more than 150 feet above the surface.
Just what else the special arrangement means is not clear. The new committee will follow-up on this and in particular its legal status.
What the special arrangement does need though is approval of a Manual of Operation, which brings me to...
Manual of Operations
The meeting accepted the controversial Manual of Operations "in principle" with the proviso that it should be reviewed within the next few months. "In Principle" is one of those weasel phrases that mean nothing. The manual has been accepted. Until it is changed we are stuck with it.
I did raise my concern over the possible impact on insurance claims but this fell upon stony ground.
We clearly need a Manual of Operation in terms of the special arrangement. But not, I suggest, this one without amendment.
Park Flying
The meeting accepted the guidelines for Park Flying as set out in SAMAA News dated May 2007.
Drinking and flying
Some incidents of drinking and flying had come to the attention of the committee. The meeting supported the committee in its view that this never had been, nor ever would be, acceptable behaviour.
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