RE: Re: No touch LPP flying in Cat I

From: Don DeLoach <ddeloach_at_comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2011 22:06:27 -0600

I set that Senior record back in 1990. It was at the Bedford Boys Ranch in
Bedford, Texas, a smooth-tiled site just under the 8 meter maximum. It was
the home of many records in the 1980s and 1990s.I flew there about once a
month in those days, learning at the feet of my mentors Jim Clem, Jesse
Shepherd (Sr and Jr.), and Stan Chilton.

The night I set the record Jim also set the Open (at the time) LPP record,
of one second less! 9:55. And remember: this was with FAI black rubber. Our
records stood side by side for about a year IIRC until Jim upped it a little
bit. Then around 1996 Warren Williams set the current Open record in what I
understand was a ridiculously lucky flight above the girders at a much
higher site (40 feet I think) with Tan II in southern California. It was a
*legal* Category 1 site because of the nebulous "15-meter circle" rule.

Anyway, based on my long experience with Cat. 1 ceiling banging I think it'd
be very difficult to do more than 8-9 minutes no-touch, even with modern
rubber that is 15-20% better than what we had back in 1990.

Don D.


> Kang:
>
> The AMA records for LPP for Cat. I ceiling height are:
>
> Junior 7:43
> Senior 9:56
> Open 16:14
>
> I am not sure what "open" means. I can't see how some other class of
person could do six minutes better than the best senior.
>

Hi Carl,

In AMA (United States model aviation governing body) age divisions, Senior
is something like 16-18. Open is the equivelant of the FAI "Senior". It gets
confusing.

16:14 was a once-in-a-lifetime Cat I flight. That kind of time rarely
happens under Cat III!

I'd think that 8-10 minutes would be a great no-touch LPP Cat I time, but
I'm just guessing.
Received on Fri Jun 03 2011 - 21:06:30 CEST