Result of GSSC ---UNFAIR

[Paul Walker]

I just couldn't wait any longer. It has been about 3 weeks now, and I must speak up!

To start off with, I drove down with Alan Resinger. We met in Seattle and left the next morning. We drove down to Redding, all the way with the fancy Ford cruise control. Yup, right foot in cruise mode!! When we approached Ashland I noticed that all of a sudden the car was now in warp drive and I was doing 140 mph. Then instantly we left warp 10 and were in impulse drive only approaching 0 mph. We were full of gas then instantly empty. After the instrument show, things settled down and we filled with some 3.09 gas!

Finally in Redding and back from dinner, we set about charging our batteries so we could hit the field running the next day. Within 20 minutes, I had all 6 of my 6S batteries charged. Alan decided to charge Chris Cox's batteries first. He showed me that he too could charge 6 at a time. Things went well until he plugged it into the charger. There was a crack, a pop, and then smoke! Then I noticed the fire!!!! I calmly let Alan know that the charger was on fire, and he instantly pulled all the wires from it and ran with it to the nearest exit. Concerned about smoke, I opened the room door and the window to air the place out. It was then that I noticed that the pig tail that had the 6 batteries attached to it was just sitting on the table and the two power leads were perilously close to each other. I jumped up and grabbed them and held them apart. Have you ever touched the leads on ONE battery. Imagine SIX. Alan came back and feverishly removed each pack painfully slowly in my book, as I was holding the leads! Alan then carefully charged his batteries for the next day.  Sorry Chris. No charge for you!

The next day we cruised into Madera just as the assembly crew started to lay out the field. We finally got some flights in, and started the process of adjusting our planes for the change in altitude and density. The next morning we were at the field early (as in before the sun was up) and got some more flights in. After changing props several times Alan has his plane settled down,

Brian Massey had arranged for quite a cadre of helpers. Things were done quickly and efficiently. Things rolled on quickly.

Now I must discuss the Problem:  Judging......Plain and simple......You dropped the ball Brian!

OK, what was the problem?  Here is the problem Brian.....I judge that it was UNFAIR to have such nice weather there (80's) and then send me home to 50 degree weather. I FROZE my butt off for about 2 weeks readjusting to that indignity!  Now the real sad part. I am afraid I have readjusted to being a snowman. Just tonight I had to leave my shop and go to the barn to fetch a laser level. I simply walked outside, into the non insulated barn, root around for it, then had to climb into the loft to finally find it. Back down, lock up, and walked back to the shop. All this without a jacket, and it was 28 degrees out (that's Fahrenheit, not Celsius). All this without a jacket on.....Ugh.  How sad.

Now it is going to get cold. All this cold air from British Columbia.  Thanks Chris....Another poke!  Single digits air temperatures in the next day.

Thanks again Brian, but it was just UNFAIR!  Maybe you can come to the Northwest Regionals next year and we can "even" the score.   

[Brett Buck]

I just couldn't wait any longer. It has been about 3 weeks now, and I must speak up!

Thanks again Brian, but it was just UNFAIR!  Maybe you can come to the Northwest Regionals next year and we can "even" the score.  

   This whole thing made me literally SICK.

   Brett

  

[Howard Rush]

I regret missing the charger fire.  Paul is aware of what happens with batteries connected to wires with loose male plugs.  I have only done that twice, both times in Paul's shop at the Ranch.  It turns banana plugs into plasma.  

The next morning we were at the field early (as in before the sun was up) and got some more flights in.

And I got there about 9:00, when it was still chilly.  The Dawn Patrol person quoted above came to me and said, "What good will it do you to fly now when it will be 20 degrees warmer for your official flight?"

My GSSC beef was with the scheduling.  Brian scheduled my flights for when the wind was blowing every whichaway.  The judges were never in the right position to see my maneuvers.  Come to think of it, had they seen my maneuvers, my score would have been less.  Never mind.  

I want to set the record straight about something else.  Sure, I sat next to Brett at the dinner where he got poisoned. I didn't do it.  If you'll remember, Brett, you said many mean things about Fox .15s in a voice loud enough for lots of people to hear.
 

 

[Brett Buck]

I want to set the record straight about something else.  Sure, I sat next to Brett at the dinner where he got poisoned. I didn't do it.  If you'll remember, Brett, you said many mean things about Fox .15s in a voice loud enough for lots of people to hear.

    A bad case of Duke's Revenge, no doubt. When I think of the word "projectile", my first two choices are a Fox 15, and vomit.

    Actually, I didn't really get better for about a week and a half, so I don't think it was food poisoning. Some sort of stomach flu - one of the secretaries said she had the same thing. And before you ask, no, body fluids were not exchanged. Unfortunately.

    The trip home on Sunday was *a very bad idea*. I just barely managed to get the car loaded, at great effort, and only made it to Los Banos before I had a brief moment of clarity and decided that I was going to kill someone, myself, or worst of all, get the airplane damaged in a crash. So I stopped at the first available Chevron station, got on the floor in the middle seat and took a nap. After a bit of a nap, I felt some better, but I got trapped for a few minutes because the child-proof door handles were armed, so I couldn't open the doors from the inside.

    Brett

[Clint Ormosen]

My GSSC beef was with the scheduling.  Brian scheduled my flights for when the wind was blowing every whichaway.  The judges were never in the right position to see my maneuvers.  Come to think of it, had they seen my maneuvers, my score would have been less.  Never mind.  

Could've been worse. You could've had my scheduled time slot in which the wind was not blowing AT ALL. Not just dead air, but dead with set in rigor mortis. No amount of back peddling did any good and the model was NOT happy about it.

[Alan Resinger]

Paul's narrative of the "incident" at the Marriott is Redding was way too kind.  I could see the management asking for my Marriott rewards card and saying I was banned from ever making a reservation again.  Luckily, Jack, the official greeting cat, was on my side and my points are intact.  I told a few people that I looked like Bill Murray in Ghostbusters carrying one of those smoking boxes with a trapped ghost in it as I scurried down the hallway heading for the parking lot.  When I got back to the room poor Paul had the "deer in the headlights" look on his face while he was holding the leads to the balance board.  He did start calling me "Sparky" ( sorry Robert ) for a while.  By the way it was Chris' charger that went up in smoke.  When we told him the next day he ask if it might be repaired?  I told him I had used my charger to charge his batteries and that his charger was in a trash can in Redding.  Paul and I promised check the trash can on the return trip.  We fulfilled that promise on Sunday evening. 
After watching Paul and his Powerlab 8 charger doing 6, 6S 2700 batteries in 20 minutes, I could take it no longer.  Both Chris and I upgraded to the same unit and use the MPA balance board.  My time of waiting long periods waiting for charging and discharging is over.  I also upgraded my power supply to a 24V unit made of server supplies wired in series.  Now you'll really see some smoke.
Brett, glad your feeling better and being that I was on the other side of you during dinner, I want you to know it wasn't some kind of Pacific Northwest plot.  You know how rumors about the West coast seem to get started.       

[Doug Moon]

What caused the fire?

[Larry Wong]

Well I had a senior moment and left all my flight equipment at the airport ,when I got home to unpack it wasn't there, I call Brian right away and with luck he was still at the airport cleaning up, Mike Massy said he can get my things to me . That's 6 batteries 6props lines handle and tools .   Thank you Mike   👏

[Gerald Arana]

Whoa Larry. And I thought I was bad leaving my DOPE at the last Woodland contest I attended. Thanks to Shawn Lenci for picking it up and storing it for me until the GS event. 

GA

[Russell Shaffer]

I left a camera somewhere in Salem at the Fall Follies.  Ain't it great to get old?

[Alan Resinger]

Doug,
I'm pretty sure it was pilot error.  My PS has an off/on switch while Chris has one without.  I remember climbing under the desk in the room to try and plug the thing in and then after getting out from under the desk I noticed the charger wasn't plugged in and just plugged the thing into the PS.  Never plug in the PS or power it up without the charger being plugged in.  Scratch a 306B I-charger.
Alan 
 
 

[Steve Fitton]

Sounds like Brett has Ebola...

[Paul Walker]

Na, it was probably the thought of going back to work on Monday.

 

[Larry Renger]

Or freezing his butt off.

[Randy Cuberly]

After reading through this thread I am once again convinced that some folks would complain if you gave them a solid gold brick!!

 

I am also convinced tha the only bad contests are the ones I don't get to go to...Which has been most of them for the past several years!!!

Phooey!

Randy Cuberly
No Fun No More!

[Howard Rush]

It was a very nice contest, Randy.  You should have been there.  You'd have seen some mighty good stunt.

[john e. holliday]

I agree with Randy, the only bad contest is the one I didn't get to.   If the lottery would come through I would be at all of them.

[Brian Massey]

Paul, Man, Jeeez! I read your subject line and just about crapped my pants! What did I do??? By the time I got down to your complaint I was shaking all over! Wheeeeew! But I really apologize for the weather. Maybe you should come back now, it's a bone chilling 68 degrees today, and may even rain tomorrow. How cold is it? It's so cold that I had to put my shorts away and don long jeans. You should feel right at home now.

Glad you're feeling better Brett. Everyone was really sorry you weren't able to be in the mix at the end of the second expert round. That would have added a lot.

Brian

[Tim Wescott]

A customer made me think today, about how you can measure how well you're doing by the worst thing you can bitch about (my power was out until about 30 minutes ago, which meant I couldn't work).  If that's all we have to complain about...

[Randy Cuberly]

It was a very nice contest, Randy.  You should have been there.  You'd have seen some mighty good stunt.

Gee Thanks Howard...Rub it in!

 

[Paul Walker]

Or......Brian.....You could come up here now.  It's supposed to be 2 degrees ambient tonight. The wind is blowing at 20 to 30. You could use your long pants here..

Yes, I know other parts of the country are even colder. I know they aren't having any fun outside either.   

[Brett Buck]

Na, it was probably the thought of going back to work on Monday.

 

   That is indeed a sickening prospect and in fact I did not go to work on Monday at all, and did as short a days as possible the rest of the week.

   However, in terms of ebola, I did come in contact with unscreened and potentially undiagnosed foreigners on Friday, and was violently ill on Sunday morning. Said foreigner ended up winning  - while I was passing out in the parking lot of a Chevron station in Los Banos.

   Conspiracy? Food for thought and grounds for further investigation.

    Brett

[Randy Cuberly]

Or......Brian.....You could come up here now.  It's supposed to be 2 degrees ambient tonight. The wind is blowing at 20 to 30. You could use your long pants here..

Yes, I know other parts of the country are even colder. I know they aren't having any fun outside either.   

Gee, it was 77 degrees here in Tucson today.  C'mon down...This is our best flying season!  It was a little windy this afternoon, but mornings are great!

You can even wear shorts!

Randy Cuberly!

[Paul Walker]

Na, if I did I would never get a plane built. I actually enjoy "the building season". My shop is nice and warm and I have nice views out the window of various atmospheric activities!

My previous comments were on the extremely rapid change from 80 degree weather to now sub freezing weather. It seemed there wasn't any fall time this year! I can now look out the shop window and see the snow clouds heading our way. So much for any outside activities.  Back to work on the new plane!

[Richard Walbridge]

Well I had a senior moment and left all my flight equipment at the airport ,when I got home to unpack it wasn't there, I call Brian right away and with luck he was still at the airport cleaning up, Mike Massy said he can get my things to me . That's 6 batteries 6props lines handle and tools .   Thank you Mike   👏

Larry....I figured you had a 'senior moment' as a result of viewing my stunt calendar project...

[FLOYD CARTER]

I don't understand how P.W. stays in practice.  The weather in our part of the world is less than ideal for any sort of outdoor activity.  I also enjoy winter building sessions.  Trouble is, I have too many planes accumulated because it's tough getting good flying days.  So my planes don't get used much.

At least, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Floyd

[Randy Cuberly]

Na, if I did I would never get a plane built. I actually enjoy "the building season". My shop is nice and warm and I have nice views out the window of various atmospheric activities!

My previous comments were on the extremely rapid change from 80 degree weather to now sub freezing weather. It seemed there wasn't any fall time this year! I can now look out the shop window and see the snow clouds heading our way. So much for any outside activities.  Back to work on the new plane!

Yeah, I understand that attitude...It is more difficult to build here when you can fly nearly every day of the year!
It definitely slows my building process drastically!

Randy Cuberly

[Paul Smith]

What caused the fire?

Carbon combined with oxygen and liberated heat.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse 5

[Paul Walker]

I don't understand how P.W. stays in practice.  The weather in our part of the world is less than ideal for any sort of outdoor activity.  I also enjoy winter building sessions.  Trouble is, I have too many planes accumulated because it's tough getting good flying days.  So my planes don't get used much.

At least, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Floyd

Floyd,
I have from early April to the end of October. Since my flying field is a few short steps from the shop door, I tend to get choosy about when I fly. In general, I have 7 months of flying weather.

[Chris McMillin]

Once, in the 80's, I saw Paul practicing on a lot near Paine Field as I finished up a periodic inspection on the Twin Beech I was flying. In the period of a couple of hours he put in what seemed to be 15 flights. I think he just flies a lot in a short period of time!
Chris...

[john e. holliday]

Just think if he moved to Tuscon he would have almost 12 months to practice in if he could get Bob, Lou, and a couple of others to leave the circle open.      Well he has been there and know what I talk of.  Great bunch of guys and gals out there.