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Blue Ridge Soaring Society in New Castle Virginia is again hosting the Region 4 South contest with 18 meter, 15 meter, standard and OLC classes. Practice days are 9/16/2017 - 9/17/2017 and the contest runs from 9/18/2017 - 9/23/2017. Preferential registration date of 7/20/17 is coming up fast. Register on-line at SSA.org. Come join us for the flying and social event of the season. Fly the ridge with kettles of hawks. Enjoy the unparalleled social environs.

We look forward to seeing you there!

On Friday, July 7, 2017 at 3:41:14 PM UTC-4, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
Blue Ridge Soaring Society in New Castle Virginia is again hosting the Region 4 South contest with 18 meter, 15 meter, standard and OLC classes. Practice days are 9/16/2017 - 9/17/2017 and the contest runs from 9/18/2017 - 9/23/2017. Preferential registration date of 7/20/17 is coming up fast. Register on-line at SSA.org. Come join us for the flying and social event of the season. Fly the ridge with kettles of hawks. Enjoy the unparalleled social environs.

We look forward to seeing you there!


R4S Contest
2017 Region 4 South – Sep. 16th to Sep. 23rd

For more than thirty-five years, pilots have gathered in New Castle, Virginia to enjoy the challenge of flying its impressive collection of Appalachian ridges, and the warmth and hospitality of the Blue Ridge Soaring Society, which is again hosting this wonderful contest.

With Standard, 15-meter, 18-meter classes, and an OLC guest group, the 2017 contest promises the opportunity for everyone to have fun and to compete with great pilots. The contest usually coincides with the fall raptor migration to the south – expect to share the sky with kettles of broad wing hawks, plus golden and bald eagles. The social calendar is also filling out – with food, music and entertaining company.
Details

Practice: Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17, 2017

Contest: Monday, September 18, 2017 – Saturday, September 23, 2017

Cost: $430 plus $20 guest BRSS membership (includes up to 4 tows); additional tows are $55

Deposit (refundable until August 16): To hold your place, send $150 check payable to:
Region 4 South Contest c/o Charlie Cole 6310 Sunnyvale Road Roanoke, VA 24018

Contest Managers: Sandra Danoff (412-973-1417) and Charlie Cole (540-797-2486).

Camping is permitted on the field and is free (donations welcome); some rental units are available. Contact Charlie Cole for more information.

Registration procedu

You may register online at the SSA website: SSA Contest Registration Online..

In order to complete registration on site, you must provide the signed waiver form, along with a valid pilot license, proof of current SSA membership, and proof of insurance (See Regional Class Rule 5.5.3 for specifics).

Other: We fly without water ballast, unless blessed with extremely strong conditions and a long ridge mission. Due to field conditions we do not permit self-launching. If we do not have enough entrants for any specific class, we will combine “adjacent� classes into a FAI Handicapped class.
Social Calendar

BRSS is famed for its inviting social environs, prompting one regular to opine that “bringing a glider to the contest just complicates the experience.�

There are several evening meals planned along with nightly impromptu music (bring your instrument) and bonfires to complement the open air “fine dining� experience:

Saturday night — Judge John’s spaghetti dinner (free)

Sunday night — welcome dinner at the home of Thecla and Lanier Frantz (free)

Monday night — Open grill/bring your own protein or reserve burger fixing at the tow plane tavern. Sides provided by R4S.

Tuesday night — BBQ chicken ($15/person)

Wednesday night — low country boil ($15/person)

Thursday night — leftovers/potluck/open grill night (free)

Friday night — Glenn Maxwell’s famous pig roast ($15/person)

Contest Team

The contest team is an amazing group of volunteers. We are extremely grateful to everyone who helps make this such a wonderful event!

Charlene (Charlie) Cole and Sandra Danoff, Contest Managers

On Friday, July 7, 2017 at 3:41:14 PM UTC-4, John Godfrey (QT) wrote:
Blue Ridge Soaring Society in New Castle Virginia is again hosting the Region 4 South contest with 18 meter, 15 meter, standard and OLC classes. Practice days are 9/16/2017 - 9/17/2017 and the contest runs from 9/18/2017 - 9/23/2017. Preferential registration date of 7/20/17 is coming up fast. Register on-line at SSA.org. Come join us for the flying and social event of the season. Fly the ridge with kettles of hawks. Enjoy the unparalleled social environs.

We look forward to seeing you there!


R4S Contest
2017 Region 4 South – Sep. 16th to Sep. 23rd

For more than thirty-five years, pilots have gathered in New Castle, Virginia to enjoy the challenge of flying its impressive collection of Appalachian ridges, and the warmth and hospitality of the Blue Ridge Soaring Society, which is again hosting this wonderful contest.

With Standard, 15-meter, 18-meter classes, and an OLC guest group, the 2017 contest promises the opportunity for everyone to have fun and to compete with great pilots. The contest usually coincides with the fall raptor migration to the south – expect to share the sky with kettles of broad wing hawks, plus golden and bald eagles. The social calendar is also filling out – with food, music and entertaining company.
Details

Practice: Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17, 2017

Contest: Monday, September 18, 2017 – Saturday, September 23, 2017

Cost: $430 plus $20 guest BRSS membership (includes up to 4 tows); additional tows are $55

Deposit (refundable until August 16): To hold your place, send $150 check payable to:
see SSA website

Contest Managers: Sandra Danoff and Charlie Cole.

Camping is permitted on the field and is free (donations welcome); some rental units are available. Contact Charlie Cole for more information.

Registration procedu

You may register online at the SSA website: SSA Contest Registration Online..

In order to complete registration on site, you must provide the signed waiver form, along with a valid pilot license, proof of current SSA membership, and proof of insurance (See Regional Class Rule 5.5.3 for specifics).

Other: We fly without water ballast, unless blessed with extremely strong conditions and a long ridge mission. Due to field conditions we do not permit self-launching. If we do not have enough entrants for any specific class, we will combine “adjacent� classes into a FAI Handicapped class.
Social Calendar

BRSS is famed for its inviting social environs, prompting one regular to opine that “bringing a glider to the contest just complicates the experience.�

There are several evening meals planned along with nightly impromptu music (bring your instrument) and bonfires to complement the open air “fine dining� experience:

Saturday night — Judge John’s spaghetti dinner (free)

Sunday night — welcome dinner at the home of Thecla and Lanier Frantz (free)

Monday night — Open grill/bring your own protein or reserve burger fixing at the tow plane tavern. Sides provided by R4S.

Tuesday night — BBQ chicken ($15/person)

Wednesday night — low country boil ($15/person)

Thursday night — leftovers/potluck/open grill night (free)

Friday night — Glenn Maxwell’s famous pig roast ($15/person)

Contest Team

The contest team is an amazing group of volunteers. We are extremely grateful to everyone who helps make this such a wonderful event!

Charlene (Charlie) Cole and Sandra Danoff, Contest Managers

I'm really looking forward to participating in my first R4South as a pilot. Thanks to Ron Sutton for bringing me here 12 years ago as crew and sharing the magic that is New Castle with me (first time I ever met Charlie Spratt). And, thanks to the BRSS folks too as their hospitality is 2nd to none. Like other 1st timers who come here, I'm coming here to learn, and to enjoy the weather and the festivities. JP, I'm counting on you to mentor me!

-Chris Schrader (B2G flying "CN")

Due to field conditions we do not permit self-launching.

Huh? What does this mean? Just an effort to collect $55 per launch or something more subtle? 85% of all new gliders are self-launching. Get with the program.

I did my first Newcastle contest 22 years ago, how do I know? My son was about 4 months old and we rented a hunting lodge.

Yes, great site, I had good mentors (UH, KS and others).

It was worth paying for a power plane area view by John Malumphy(sp?) to see general area a well as "contest finish" routes from a glider view.
Well worth the cost.

Notes.....
If coming back from Blacksburg on the ridge, do NOT dive off the ridge to do a speed finish!
Ever!
Unless you have a death wish or a ASW-17 with 15M tips (which I believe has no redline) because you WILL exceed redline!

If you get to the front ridge, listen to notes about "Jessie's knob", I heard about it the day AFTER I got low there.......not fun.

The Blacksburg tunnel run can be fun with "flexie wings" and tight belts. Sorta common run if nothing else works, low, fast, rough, dry.... Figure on about 120MPH+ for this, so, about an hour on course. Reread comment on bailing off the ridge for a low speed finish.......!

Social aspect is great.
Local peeps are great, fun local stuff to do.
Have a Teflon stomach, ask about "shine"!

Really, east coast soaring, Newcastle flying is great to do at least once, most sign up for the following year before leaving the current contest.

Wanting to go back......soon......

How many "new gliders" will be at this contest"?

Some sites preclude self launching unless it's a healthy launch, thus why most flights out of here are dry, not wet.

Maybe you didn't have a "/sarcasm" button.....?

Nah. I think watching someone die attempting a self launch from the shortish grass field with an uphill run and a 50 foot high tension line at the end is/was enough of a reason. It's one thing to self-launch on a nice, paved, 5,000 foot runway. Another thing entirely to try it on a fairly constrained field.

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Re...Final&IType=LA

Erik Mann (P3)

Where did your sense of adventure go?!?!
;-)

The site does not want "splatters there", I can understand the local rules.....

On Friday, August 4, 2017 at 1:45:49 PM UTC-4, Soartech wrote:
Due to field conditions we do not permit self-launching.

Huh? What does this mean? Just an effort to collect $55 per launch or something more subtle? 85% of all new gliders are self-launching. Get with the program.

One out of the current entries is self launch capable.
Possibly you could list the self launching sailplanes that could participate in this event if BRSS allowed self launching.
I know the list- let's see if you do.
UH