Archive for March 2003

Fri, 28 March 2003

I've been working daily with video and digital cameras for many years, usually attached to a microscope, and as you can imagine I was an early adopter of digital photography.  I own a few digital cameras, I am a big fan of Sony products and the current camera that is always with me is a DSC-P9.  I was aggregating the web the other day and came across this page: Top Ten Digital Photography Tips.  Quite a nice collection of tips, I need to try out a few new things with my camera.

Sun, 23 March 2003

SOAR tents, AMA / LSF Nationals 2000

I found this photograph in my study last week while looking for something else.  Steve Meyer shot this photo and gave me a print, I really like it.  After finding it again, I decided to scan it so I could preserve it and share it.  This is an interesting picture because this is a very dedicated group of pilots that you will rarely see sharing the same scrap of shade together.  These kinds of things just happen at the Nats.  I know everyone in this picture, it was taken in Muncie, Indiana on the AMA flying fields.  Probably taken towards the end of the day, just before digging into the coolers for the ice cold "screamers".

From left to right:  Daryl Perkins (4 time world champion), Jim McCarthy (national champion and USA F3J team manager), Karl Miller (OVSS 2000 champion), Ron Kukral, Don Smith, David McCarthy (junior USA F3J team member), Steve "Sneidley" Schneider, Jim Bacus (OVSS 2002 champion, model in hand), Richard Burnoski (back to back F3J national champion), and Martin Doney from the middle of nowhere.

The model I am holding was an Agate, one of three in the states at the time, and only the second one left as Daryl had blown one of them up on launch.  I bought it second hand from someone on the west coast for more money than I had ever spent on a model before.  Was it worth it?  You bet, my first nationals trophy placing 5th in F3J.

Considering going to nationals this year?  click here

Thu, 20 March 2003

Here are the pictures of the new AVA RES model that everyone is looking for.  You may click on the images below to see a larger version.

Here is the recent post by Pat McCleave that brought this model to my attention:

From: <pmccleave@cox.net>
To: soaring@airage.com
Subject: [RCSE] New AVA RES
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 11:40:30 -0500

Hi Guys,

I just received my new AVA RES from Kennedy Composites and Vladmir or Graphite and Organic Fame.  The Glider is an absolute work of art and weighs almost nothing.  Thanks to my brother Randy letting me in on this little secret, I was able to get one of the first few planes to come into the U.S. so I am not sure about how quick they are going to be readily available.  For more information you can contact Barry Kennedy at bmkenndy@airmail.net or by phone at 972-602-3144.  To be honest I am not sure of the span and area of the plane but it is in the 3M range and should weigh under 40 oz.  When I saw my first pictures of the plane I just knew I would have to have one.  I can say this much this ain't your dads old Gentle Lady.  I will give more reports as soon as the radio gear is installed and first flights are taken.

See Ya,

Pat McCleave

Wichita, KS

Tue, 18 March 2003

Mon, 17 March 2003

Thu, 06 March 2003