US GPS Nationals 2021

[RickS]

The following paragraphs are from Dean Gradwell. For more immediate info on what is going on in GPS triangle racing follow the USA GPS Triangle Racing group on Facebook. There are also several other triangle racing groups to follow in the rest of the world.

Very excited to be able sponsor this event at our glider field near Montague ,Ca.
Pilots meetings, camping, workspace, evening meals in our hangar at Siskiyou County Airport.

June 6 practice
June 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 contest

Scale, SLS, Sports, Light classes.

If you are at all interested in GPS Racing you should try to attend. The best GPS pilots in the country will be there and very willing to help.

Signup information will be available soon.

[RickS]

Here is a web page of a Bing search of motels in Yreka. I have stayed at the Jefferson Inn back before I lived here although it was a Rodeway Inn at the time. It was one of my favorite motels in the whole country. It has a new owner and name change since I stayed there but appears to still be a good place to stay. I have also heard good things about the Klamath Motor Lodge as many of the XC participants stayed there in years past. There are also the usual more upscale big chain hotels in town. Well, upscale for here in the wild west, maybe not so much for folks from the big cities.

[RickS]

For anyone planning to fly to this event, check out the possibility of flying into Medford, Oregon - MFR. It can be surprisingly affordable and is only 60 miles away compared to the 250 mile trip to Sacramento - SMF.

[French1]

Flight booked, transportation booked, lodging booked
Looking forward flying with you guys



Stéphane

[pete914]

French1
Are you shipping your glider? How are you transporting? I would love to attend this event but no way for me to get my models there from the East Coast!

[hello82]

Hi Rick and all....I would love to start doing this too yearly, probably can't make it this year...but who knows. Is it possible for pilots to share a sailplane also? So for guys coming from far away, split a plane 3 ways etc. How many flights/rounds does a pilot actually do each day? Also is it possible to store a plane out there anywhere if it is a yearly event in same location? I could try to purchase one used from someone out there. I'm a newbie, and just want to get meet feet wet and hangout and learn etc.

thanks
Matt

[RickS]

It's not really practical to share a plane at this contest since we create a random flight matrix so that everyone flies against everyone else at some point in the contest. So far we have only done that for the 1/3 scale class when there are enough entries to have more than 1 flight group. The other classes have always had only 1 flight group due to low entry numbers. This year we expect to have 4 flight groups. 2 for 1/3 scale, 1 for SLS and 1 for Sports and Light class flying together. That means that each group will likely only fly twice a day. We might get in 3 if the daily north wind holds off till much later than usual. It might be possible to store a plane here.

The best place to get your feet wet is at your local aero tow where any one of a number of guys are flying triangles. They would have time to explain what they are doing and it would be easier to ask questions. Flying triangles is not something that is only done in contests just like flying in a thermal is not something that is only done during a contest. I've been doing this for 10 years and less than 1% of my triangle flights have been in contests. Every time I fly a glider I fly triangles unless I have some specific testing that I need to do.

Rick

[RickS]

For anyone that would like to stay in the hangar, Dean is buying several cots so you won't be on the floor. He is also looking into providing a portable shower. We already have a permanent restroom. There are 2 60'x100' hangars with epoxy painted concrete floors so there should be plenty of room. Dean will be staying in his motorhome parked outside and Scott Marnoch will probably be in his tent outside again so you will not be alone at the airport. It's so nice over there that I might decide to sleep in the hangar. The motels in Yreka are really cool too. Yreka is only about 10 miles from the airport.

We will probably eat at the hangar every night. You can't beat the view. I plan to provide sandwich and fruit trays for lunch at the field for a very modest cost.

Rick

[hello82]

thanks for the info Rick...will try to make it there sooner than later!

[hello82]

Hi Rick I had a blast this past week in Cumberland and putting my Antares through the paces of the GPS course. That's all I ended up doing. I need to really install the pito tube in the fin though asap.

What is the blue tubing in this photo of yours I found? I need to get some. I never got any with my used sale of the T3000 ... is it basically like Robert rubber air retract tubing that I have for my retracts in Mustangs/Fock Wulf etc?

Or is it an interior special size ID meant for this exact purpose?

thanks
Matt

[RickS]

Once you get the hang of this GPS triangle flying it tends to be the only thing you are interested in doing. But then I'm not really into aerobatics or seeing how fast I can go. I can see how those things could be attractive.

The tubing is nothing special other than it is the same stuff that comes from RC Electronics. I get it from McMaster-Carr. It is 3mm OD which works nicely with the soft silicone tubing that connects it to the 3mm brass tube in the fin and the 4 mm inlet to the TEK module. It has a nice stiffness to it that allows it to be fed through the fuselage yet can bend enough to go up the fin. The Robart air tubing would work just as well but you will need the correct size soft silicone tubing to connect it to both ends. The 2 requirements for tubing connecting a TEK probe or pitot tube to its sensor is it must be stiff enough to not flex with the pressure changes and it must be air tight. The ID is not very important as it is providing pressure information, not air flow.

[hello82]

thanks Rick, will get that going... Also scouring around the web for Instal info of the pitot tube into the Antares Fin. Best height etc... If you or anyone has ay pics and tips please share. I presume it should be removable in some fashion etc too to help with transport.

thanks
Matt

[RickS]

It should be located has high on the fin as is practical such that it is pointed directly into smooth air flow. A 3mm brass tube with .225mm wall thickness is permanently installed in the fin protruding about 1/2 - 3/4". That is often enough to be in clean air but if you want to make sure you can insert a removable 2.5mm brass tube about 3" long and sealed with some soft silicone hose. I use a 3" length of stainless steel tubing because it is available from RC Electronics and I think it looks cool. :-) But I have flown with just the permanent tube and it doesn't seem to make any difference.

Note that I am talking about a pitot tube here, for measuring airspeed with the Raven. If you are using the Sparrow or T3000 they do not have the hardware to do airspeed. In that case the setup would be the same except a TEK probe would be inserted into the permanent 3mm tube in the fin.

[hello82]

thanks much again Rick ...just placed order to McMaster Carr

[hello82]

Putting in the parts as we speak into the Antares. Drilled the hole up high and added some extra hardwood strength for the tubing support . Will epoxy tubing in . So yes, it is a T3000 right now and the TEK probe slides in and out perfectly....is it just a friction fit that holds it in while flying, or is more tubing coupled over it once again? I will upgrade to the Raven and snipe etc soon with you also . Adding some more GPS planes to the collection. So what technically is the difference between a TEK probe and pitot tube?

[French1]

Amazing event, fantastic scenery, wonderfull company and the food is awesome. Gliding paradize for a week.

Got the chance today to win my heat, midwest has been represented, we need to bring a bigger delegation from East to West next year.

Here is some pictures, about 200 between mines and Brian's

Enjoy!!!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jNiPDRbcr5BNqTXw9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jNiPDRbcr5BNqTXw9

[hello82]

Hey Stephane...thanks for posting all the great pics! Many congrats on taking that heat too! Looks like a superb time and place. Yes really hope to make it there next year with a bunch more of us from the east. Keep us posted on how it all wraps up.

best,
Matt

[French1]

Here is a video to share with you some of the scenery/ambiance/flying of last week during the 2021 US GPS triangle nationals.
Was a lot of first times for me, first time in Montague,CA a place that has been described to me many times as one of the sailplane paradise, and I would say that it was not oversold to me, what a site! Thanks to Dean Gradwell for hosting us in such a nice venue and to John Ellias for organizing the event.
That was my first RC competition for me, never competed in the hobby in the 30 years I have been flying, was fun and the highlight of the week has been to win one of the heat, still a lot of work if I want to compete with our top US pilots.
I have really appreciated the experience and the mixed ambiance of raised hart beat during the day when competing and the chilling at the hangar with everyone in the afternoon, sharing experiences, tricks, repairs.
Last thanks a lot Peter Goldsmith for bringing my model, without your help that wouldn’t have been possible
See you next year!