AFC Hermanus Slope-Fly 2010 – Event Report

Atlantic Flying Club’s Hermanus Slope-Fly event is the premier RC slope event in the country. Traditionally, the meeting takes place on the last weekend in November each year, as it is then that the chances of fair weather and suitable Southerly winds are most likely. In recent years though, the festival has been dogged by unseasonable wind patterns and even the damp arrival of a stray cold front bringing unflyable North-Westers!

With over 50 registered pilots set to attend this year’s weekend meeting, an advance party of AFC types trekked down to Hermanus on Friday 26^th to set up the temporary base camp at the top of Rotary Way and test the air. Windguru had promised good conditions, with consistent, moderate Southerly and South-Easterly winds, but the Cape weather gods were fickle and the breeze was more East-West-East, forcing the Friday few to try out the slopes near the power lines a little further along Rotary Way from the traditional flying site. More than one AFC committee member looked a little apprehensive at the thought of potentially having another event marked by uncooperative winds. Nevertheless, plans proceeded apace and the wind, come sundown, had steadied and allowed an afternoon of good sloping fun for those who chose to skip work and come through before the official Saturday morning opening.

Saturday 27^th began ominously. During the early morning, a layer of low cloud moved in and those who were on the slope before the event’s official start, were effectively grounded.

Fortunately, the wind veered, the temperature rose and by the time pilot briefing took place, the cloud base had lifted to a comfortable height and the wind was steady, albeit from a South-Westerly direction. With the rules of engagement firmly in place, pilots set off to test the western scarp slope and began to enjoy the camaraderie and highs only a solid dose of slope flying can deliver.

Highlights of the first day were many. A rumour on RC groups that the world’s largest Correx Mig-7 (styled after the now famous Dave West SPAD combat design) would be unveiled at Hermanus 2010, proved true.

Ulrich Meintjies brought out his superbly built 3m span Mig-7 and demonstrated it to an enthusiastic audience. Ulrich’s Mig flew on the proverbial rails and before landing, he had managed a “kill” - a spectacular tangle with a PE based Mig-7 that saw the smaller craft lose half a wing and do the death spiral into the fynbos.

Hermanus is synonymous with warbirds and Saturday morning’s action was initially provided by some enthusiastic pilots from the Two Oceans Slope Soarers (aka “The Tossers”) who brought out a ME 109, a Spitfire and a P51 Mustang respectively. These EPP PSS machines are designed and manufactured by local man Anton Benning (he of glass Impala fame). In the hands of “The Tossers”, these warbirds put on a dog-fighting, hedge-hopping display of flying second to none. Thereafter, the slopes were cleared and it was time for the big boys to take the field.

Recent Black Eagle trophy contestants, Bobby Purnell (P51 D), Damian Hinrichsen (P51 B), Christo Le Roux (P40 Warhawk) and Kevin Farr (P38 Lightning) arranged an impromptu static display of their creations. The level of craftsmanship and scale detail applied to these machines boggles the mind but leads one to conclude that traditional building is alive and very well. Shortly after Christo had fired up the P40’s Allison engine and let loose a few bursts of .50 (thanks to his on board sound system); the planes were lined up and committed to the sky.

Although winds were reasonable, it soon became apparent that the wing loading on Christo’s P40 was simply too high for the conditions on hand and that, at best, he would be landing out. Christo deftly controlled the Warhawk to the foot of the slope about 200 metres below, but the audible “going in” noise wafted up-slope and hinted at some damage. The search party soon rescued the downed P40 and reported that despite the noise of its heavy arrival, the plane had emerged virtually unscathed. Undeterred by the P40’s short flight, Damian, Bobby and Kevin put their planes through their paces and the assembled photographers were treated to some ultra- realistic photo opportunities with the mountains and sea as background enhancers.

When “normal” flying resumed, the sky was filled with a wild mixture of aggressive bees, calm floaters, a few bravely offered glass ships and some others beside. Later that afternoon, the sky lowered and more than one pilot was relieved when it began to spot and spit enough to suggest a general retreat to a pub with a big screen in anticipation of a Springbok victory over England.

According to the early risers, it was raining and miserable at daybreak on Sunday. There was little evidence of this as pilots began assembling for Sunday’s pilot briefing. The wind sulked and blew along the slope for a good while, before almost petering out. The lighter planes and the PE guys with their Alulas were undeterred and showed the rest how to have fun while waiting for the serious wind to arrive.

Our local weather connection had promised a decent, flyable Southerly wind from 10:00. Soon after the appointed hour ticked over, the wind did indeed stir and began to offer up good, useful lift. The foamie combat crews indulged themselves in their usual unrepressed style. They promptly infected the Alula guiders who invented new games involving impossibly tight turns and impromptu spot landings. By mid-day, the wind had reached a point where the glass ships were able to carve up the sky and, as any slope-nut will attest, there is no sweeter sound than a slender, high aspect ratio wing ripping through the air at Mach plenty.

Marc Wolfe rashly called the bluff of the foamie fraternity and suggested a novel version of a spot landing competition. 15 or so pilots entered and were briefed to mass- launch their craft and assume a holding pattern a few hundred metres out.

Then, at a pre-arranged signal, they turned and zoomed in to claim a spot on the AFC landing mat. Gradual elimination whittled the group down to four, and with one pilot trying hard to ignore the steady protest of a low battery warning pinging out of his Bee, the final race for the mat saw Jonathan McKeown claim the prize – a subscription to the new South African R/C Modeller magazine launched here in SA by Traplet in 2010.

By late on Sunday, it was a weather- beaten, tired but elated group of pilots who gathered for the prize giving. Thanks to the generosity of the event sponsors, the lucky draw allowed every entrant a prize with special prizes given out to the bravest, most enduring and even the most dim-witted of pilots!

Hermanus 2010 was a great event. It goes without saying that the event would not be possible without the behind the scenes work of the AFC committee and their helpers. The spirit evident at Hermanus 2010 Slope Fly and the amount of fun had safely by all involved bodes well for the future of our sport.

Text: Mike Hagemann

Photos: Andrew Basson