National Free Flight Society

SEN 2611

  1. Help us timers
  2. F1B for sale
  3. Lost Hills Look 1
  4. Lost Hills Look 2.

Help us timers..
From:John Lorbiecki

From all of us timers going to the WC to all of you fliers…Since many of the models are the same design ( or at least the same shape) as well as (in regards to F1C) all carbon, please put some cosmetic design features on them to differentiate yours from others. Strips, stars, or other cosmetic things will help us know we are timing the correct model. A white fin (thanks Dan Berry) will also help. Unless you have been in a situation where there are 5 or 6 models in the same area and they all have the same planform you will not know how easy it is to transfer your view from the correct model to an incorrect one. Help us all out and make yours different!

Editor’s Comment – President John ( for those who don’t know John Lorbiecki is the president of NFFS, the National Free Flight Society, a keen power modeler who will be a timekeeper at the Champs), I could give a slightly cynical perspective but would rather comment what may be related to your presidential powers?   As I remarked below I was out at Lost Hills last weekend and Taron, the youngest on the USA F1C team appears to have got your message. He was flying what would have been in Chris Edge words , “a slinky black aeroplane” but the new carbon  F1C model has been painted Red, White and Blue. I must admit that I was so blown away by this that  I forgot to check if he had followed the Dan Berry “white fin improves visibility” rule.

F1B for sale
From:gilad mark

Dear friends,
I have F1B model for sale:
1720 mm wing
Mechanical timer
AA VP front end
3 position rudder
Build by Stepan Stefenchuk
Very good model excellent condition.
Can be delivered to Lost Hills WCh in October.
Price: $700
For more info please contact by email:
giladmark@gmail.com

B.R.
Gilad Mark.

Lost Hills Look – 1
Originally on FB with a photo

Out at Lost Hills yesterday. Mike McKeever and Bill Booth doing setup for the World Champs. Bill always has the coolest stuff. Not 100% sure what this gizmo does (yes it is a theodolite, I was being a smart a….) but I’m sure everything is in the right place. They were using some Lost Hills proof survey markers to show do the flight line and parking area locations. The official signs will arrive close to the start date. You can see the flight line for Lj Norvall ‘s contest in the back ground. Perfect contest weather, very calm in the AM a little breezy later , maybe 4m/s for a short while , very tricky thermal conditions and the temp did not pass 90F /32C. So no complaints but not easy to max out.

Below are a few observations from FaceBookistas


Jeff Ellington
That machine is called a Theodolite, I use this tool a lot in my trade. It’s getting close.

* Malcolm Campbell I knew you were on the level Jeff Ellington.

John Carter Its a theodolite used one for yrs at start of my career

Donald Wilkinson i was a rod man for a while.

Chris Edge The grass is coming along nicely. CHE

Roger Morrell Actually Chris Edge one of the things that they had to do fortunately or unfortunately , depending on your perspective was whack/cut some of the grass on “new” parking areas as it is a fire hazard, something to do with a side effect of catalytic converters. But I’m still confident that the feathered supporters of the UK from the EoB farm yard will be able to find seeds and grass to eat.

Lost Hills Look 2
There has been road construction in Lost Hills for about a year.  This involves street widening and doubling the width of the bridge over the I-5.  This is a good news/bad news story.  Just talking about the bad part, a few months a go it looked like all the work would be finished in time for the World Champs. Unfortunately because of the mid summer temps of 100F + aka 40 C+ plus in the San Joaquin Valley, Cal Trans don’t work on this mid summer so the road constructions/works is still on going. There could be delays at the I-5 crossing.  All true sportsmen being resourceful and all that should consult their maps or talk with Mr Google to investigate alternate routes. The I-5 exit North of Lost Hills is Twissleman Rd and South is Lerdo Rd both provide alternate routes to  the Field and Lost Hills Community Center.  A blinking red light on the I-5 bridge won’t delay the start of an event.