"Thank You!" LSF Officers for the fine post to the King County Council
Members! Below is _some_ of my edited post! We need to let them KNOW
NOW that SASS is US !! NOT just them and this is an activity that DOES
involve all ages and families. I have done it in my own way and you
can help by posting your own messages! "I have researched RCHLG/DHL
history for a book on its relatively short existence--Since 1979.
Whereas the beginnings are a Southern California phenomena it quickly
developed exponentially into an international part of RC Soaring.
After a yet long ongoing process there will be be a World
Championship in Europe in 2009 or 2011 under the auspices of the
Commission Internationale Aeromodelling/Federation Aeronautique
Internationale (CIAM/FAI), and will be attended by a number of our US
pilots. From the1979 origin, through the innovator (known in the
hobby as The Ole'Buzzard, Dave Thornburg) attending a CIAM/FAI World's
Championship for RC gliders (similar to the larger gliders flown at 60
Acres) with his prototype RCHLG in France there was the subsequent
birthing of RCHLG in Europe. One of today's prominent Japanese in RC
Soaring was attending the same international competition and returned
to Japan and introduced RCHLG here! I have been a part of its
becoming here in Japan what at one point was called /Hand Launch
Mania/. *Meanwhile* !! Three parties particular to SASS became a
*/force'majeure/* in this international community of RC sailplane
enthusiasts with their introduction of MAJOR changes in the hobby
through launch technique and in aircraft design, an evolution in
launch technique that required equally radical design changes. The
change from a so called/ javelin launch/ (physically distressful) to
the /discus launch/ (tripling launch heights and making it possible
for youngsters, the less physically endowed and especially older
pilots to enjoy flying) revolutionized this art-form when one SASS
pilot, Dick Barker, showed up at the 2000 International Hand Launch
Glider Festival competing with his own innovative design and discus
launching. At the next year's IHLGF everyone was doing it; and I was,
too, with a Dick Barker custom built sailplane !! Phil Pearson,
another SASS pilot who had introduced the Side Arm Launch, SAL, the
precursor to the DHL, continued with advancing the RCDHL design which
became a hobby standard. /Red /Weston as an entrepreneurial pilot has
been another of the SASS RCDHL pilots responsible for the popularity
of RCDHL and known to us all! The whole WORLD knows what & where 60
Acres IS, we DO, and what has and IS happening there!
"I am reminded of how in Southern California it became necessary for
us across the United States and around the world as a part of the
soaring flight community to come together over against developers and
fight to maintain Torrey Pines as an American ALL gliding flight
HISTORICAL site (so designated today) for Full-Scale, Para Sailing
and RC Soaring as it is as historic to sailplaning in America as is
Elmira, New York--both are Meccas for silent flight soaring in America
and the WORLD. It is quite easy to understand how you could see the
SASS as just a local group--and as just a bunch of kids who didn't
grow-up playing with their toys--selfishly trying to push their own
agenda--they are a part of us, lobbying for our kids and families! In
our minds, as an international community, let alone the USA, in your
OWN back yard you have a site and a club, the SASS, that is virtually
as important to our RC Soaring community as is Torrey Pines and the
Torrey Pines Gulls, the IHLGF sponsors! The singular nature of 60
Acres as unique to our pastime has been rehearsed for you before--in
that respect, it is not just about being there, it is about its
uniquely meeting meteorological requirements for sailplane flying,
making it one of the best fields in America for RC Soaring, and the
unreasonable possibility of coming up with an alternate site."
Let SASS know we appreciate them; LET KING COUNTY KNOW . . . --Sky
Pilot (Yes! I am still around!!!)
