RC SLOPE SOARING
BUILDING MEMORIES AT SDR
By Greg Schutte | gshooty@yahoo.com
ONE OF THE QUALITIES I really like about Slope Soaring is the adventure aspect. Ken Hawkins talked me into going to a Slope Soaring fly-in this year. I have never really been interested in attending events before, but with the promises of big air, smooth lift, and rock-free landing zones being dangled like carrots, I decided to go for it.
The event was Sam’s Dirt Road (SDR) in Washington state, the weekend of May 21-23, 2022. SDR is not an official event but more of a fun-fly and is an easy 5-hour drive from my house. When I suggested the possibility of going, my two youngest kids were all in. Road trip!
With the truck packed, we left early Saturday morning and arrived in Benton City, Washington, approximately 10 a.m. We stopped at the store for groceries, connected with Ken, and followed him up the hill to SDR.
It was cool to see approximately 10 to 15 vehicles all lined up, with Slope gliders laying everywhere. SDR is a 1,000-foot-tall ridge that goes for miles. The ridgeline is rounded, free of rocks, and has tall grass to softly catch your airplane. The rotor is also very manageable. Ken wasn’t selling unicorns.
A light wind was forecast, but it was decent for flying. There were thunderstorms in the area, so the wind would come and go, but that did not seem to bother anybody. The variety of gliders made it possible to see multiple airplanes flying at any given time. It is always impressive to see big Slope models fly.
My son was intrigued watching two guys manhandle a 12-foot wingspan glider. His mouth was on the ground when they launched it. When the wind would pick up, you could see the nice carbon-fiber sailplanes come out to play. The high-pitched scream that they made when flying by gave me goosebumps and put a smile on my face.
The thunderstorms really developed later in the afternoon and shut down the flying. In fact, a gust front came blowing from the backside of the hill. There was a mad dash to tear down gliders and get off the hill before we got electrocuted. With the wind blowing the wrong direction, the flying seemed to be done for the day. We drove into town and got something to eat while the rain fell.
Approximately an hour after the storm passed, the wind reversed to its predicted direction. With nothing else to do, I decided to see another spot. When I got to Kiona Butte, the wind was blowing straight in at 20 mph. I quickly called Ken and he called some other pilots. He arrived with his son, Sammy, and we all started flying. The wind had calmed to 16 mph, but the lift was still good.
I flew my newly scratch-built A-10 and it carved like a champion. Ken’s P-51 was also flying well.
My son soloed his first RC Slope sailplane that evening. He had been intimidated earlier in the day and was too nervous to fly then.
Sammy flew a Weasel and was tearing up the sky. I threw out my Sparrow, and next thing you know, Combat was in the air and uncontrollable laughter was coming from the ground. My son entered the mix with his Sparrow and moments later, he scored his first kill. It was my airplane, of course, and I am quite sure he will never let me live that down. We all flew until dark.
The plan was to camp in the back of my truck that night and get up the next day, fly, then drive home. I checked the wind forecast and it looked bleak, so we decided
to drive until I got tired, pull over to a safe spot, and camp. On the way home, all we talked about was weather, the people we met, airplanes, flying, and reliving the moments of the trip.
I definitely had fun, and my kids are ready for the next Slope Soaring adventure as well. The seeds have been planted for future Slope Soaring pilots, and SDR was well worth the drive.
Fly safely!
SOURCES:
League of Silent Flight (LSF)
www.silentflight.org
