Category Archives: Reports

Warrnambool April 2014 – Event Report

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With the Friday being ANZAC day, it was a good chance to leave early for the trip to Warrnambool and do some test flights and setting up. The weather on the Friday was quite spectacular. Quite a few of us camped out at the field.

Saturday started off with rain but this dispersed by the time test flights started. After setting up the course, F400 started. With the first round completed, it was decided that the course needed to be re positioned due to a visibility issue with the no. 1 pylon judges. There was long grass obscuring the planes taking off, causing some confusion as to which plane to follow. If you don’t know all the plane very well, it is very easy to end up following the wrong plane if you can’t see the launch.

The course was reset and racing started again having dropped the already raced rounds. It was around 11am by the time we got going again. As a result, the number of rounds ended up being 7 rather than the usual 9 rounds for the weekend.

This was also exacerbated by having to reset the course at the last minute on the Sunday due to the predicted wind direction.

Pylons 2 and 3 judges were in place all week end which was excellent. Again this makes for legitimate results.

Thanks goes out to the members of the Warrnambool Club, Toni Axon, Nerida Matthews and all who helped out with pylon judging.

Check out the event photo gallery>>>

Results

FA1

Place getters in FA1, Tom Wetherill, Leigh Hocken & Frank Cassella (L-R)

It was good to see the team of Leigh Hocken and Frank Cassella back racing at this event and doing well. F3D is getting serious now with the next event at AMPRA being the start of the Australian team trials for the next world champs in 2015.

Places:
1st Leigh Hocken
2nd Tom Wetherill
3rd Frank Cassella

Fastest Time: 57.37 – Leigh Hocken
No. of competitors: 11
Course – 10.5 Lap

F400

Places:
1st Glenn Matthews
2nd Tom Wetherill
3rd Andrew Davies

Fastest Time: 68.71 – Glenn Matthews
No. of competitors: 10
Course – 10.5 Lap

Q500

Places:
1st Daniel Arapakis
2nd Tom Wetherill
3rd John Schmidli

Fastest Time: 96.35 – Daniel Arapakis
No. of competitors: 8
Course – 10.5 Lap

Check out the full results>>>

2013-2014 Season Championship

This event marked the end of the 2013-2014 VMPRA Season Championship after a total of 8 events for FA1 & F400 and 9 for Q500. I know from my point of view, it has added an additional element to the competition through-out the year.

FA1

2013-2014 Season Champion for FA1 – Barry Murphy

2nd place – Brian Steele
3rd place – Glenn Matthews

Congratulation to Barry Murphy who won by a huge margin even though having raced in 1 less event than the maximum. Brian Steele also raced in 1 less event and came in 2nd.

F400

2013-2014 Season Champion for F400 – Glenn Matthews

2nd place – Andrew Davies
3rd place – Daniel Arapakis

Congratulations to Glenn Matthews on winning this class. It was very close at the top with Glenn and Andrew on equal points with only 1 event left to run.

Q500

2013-2014 Season Champion for Q500 – John Schmidli

2nd place – Daniel Arapakis
3rd place – Jim Orenshaw

It was a tight battle all season between Daniel and myself and I had not expected to be able to defend my title from the previous year. Daniel announced at Warrnambool that he was going to retire from Q500 and put all his efforts into FA1 & F400. Well done Daniel. He was responsible for many of us cutting our personal bests by a considerable amount. There is nothing like strong competition to sharpening your performance.

Full Championship Results>>>

New Event

There has been the addition of a Q500, EF-1 & Sport event scheduled for Werribee on August 24, so all those interested, pencil this one in to the calendar. We have been getting quite good size turnouts at these 1 day events, especially being to close to Melbourne.

Next Events

The next event for those wanting to travel to sunny Queensland and to the 1st of the 3, F3D world champ team trials is AMPRA which is being held at Maryborough on the Queen’s birthday week end . Check out the AMPRA schedule and the QMARA website.

The next VMPRA event is at Marong near Bendigo on July 5-6. We intend to run the VMPRA AGM on the Saturday night. Time and location TBC.

Report & Photos: John Schmidli 

The written content in this post is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of publishing. It is written from my perspective and reflects how I have experienced this event.
Photos published as feature images are selected purely for their quality, general interest or topicality. They are chosen from a pool of photos taken by myself and others when time permits.
If a perspective is not being represented, I am more than happy to publish any written content or photos that are supplied to me provided it is fair and reasonable.

Quick Reference

Event Result
Photo Gallery
Season Championship
Event Calender

 

Munro March 2014 – Event Report

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Once again a great week end was had down at Barry Murphy’s superb pylon racing field at Munro in Gippsland. The weather forecast was for fairly good conditions. There was a really good turnout with 12 compeditors in FA1, 11 flying F400 and 9 flying Q500. It was great seeing interstate competitors there also in Ranjit Phelan and Tony Howse.

It was a very impressive collection of caravans, trailers and gazebos with the addition of Andrew and Daniel Arapakis’s Basecamp van complete with Dannmann18 livery.

We flew 9 rounds of each class with 4 rounds each for F400 & Q500 and 5 rounds of FA1 on Saturday and the balance made up on the Sunday. This was officially the “John Hughan Trophy” event and trophies were given out at the end of racing on the Sunday. John Hughan was a very big influence on pylon racing in Victoria, Australia and internationally. Most of us flew with John in the past and it is fitting that we remember him with this event.

On Saturday Q500 models were randomly scrutinized checking props, muffler baffles, intake venturis and weight. It was great to see this happen. Also there where cut judges on 2 & 3 all weekend which also kept us honest and the racing very competitive. Thanks to all who volunteered to judged on all the pylons. It’s important for the health of pylon racing to run our races this way.

Check out the event photo gallery>>>

Results

FA1

The Minute Master crew - 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Places:
1st Beau Murphy
2nd Barry Murphy
3rd Daniel Arapakis

Fastest Time: 59.78 – Beau Murphy
No. of competitors: 12
Course – 10.5 Lap

No change in places from Camperdown with The “Minute Master” Crew coming 1,2 and 3 again. Daniel was only 0.1 of a sec behind Barry after 9 rounds.

F400

Places:
1st Ranjit Phelan
2nd Andrew Davies
3rd Glenn Matthews

Fastest Time: 66.04 – Gary Davidson
No. of competitors: 11
Course – 10.5 Lap

Q500

Places:
1st John Schmidli
2nd David Axon
3rd Jim Orenshaw

Fastest Time: 91.89 – Gary Davidson
No. of competitors: 9
Course – 10.5 Lap

Check out the full results>>>

2013-2014 Season Championship

Tony Howse and his beautifully presented F3D model

Now with only one event left for the 2013-2014 Season Championship, we are really down the business end. But also it’s time to consider starting a-fresh for your assault on the title for the 2014-2015 Championship.

FA1

No change at the top with Barry Murphy still in 1st and Brian Steele in 2nd, but Glenn Matthews has jumped up to 3rd place displacing Gary Davidson. It’s tight between these two.

F400

A pair of Super Cats

Glenn Matthews and Andrew Davies are drawn on equal points. It’s a very tight battle at the top for these two. Gary Davidson remains in 3rd place.

Q500

Top position is now John Schmidli with Daniel Arapakis in 2nd having been equal after the Camperdown event. Jim Orenshaw remains in 3rd.

Full Championship Results>>>

Next Event

The next event is at Warrnambool on April 26-27, 2014. FA1, F400 and Q500 classes will be racing. See you there.

Report: John Schmidli
Photos: John Schmidli & Andrew Arapakis 

The written content in this post is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of publishing. It is written from my perspective and reflects how I have experienced this event.
Photos published as feature images are selected purely for their quality, general interest or topicality. They are chosen from a pool of photos taken by myself and others when time permits.
If a perspective is not being represented, I am more than happy to publish any written content or photos that are supplied to me provided it is fair and reasonable.

Quick Reference

Event Result
Photo Gallery
Season Championship
Event Calender

Bacchus Marsh, March 2014 – Event Report

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Not sure how many people we would get to this event, the good weather and an location that is close to Melbourne, brought out a good number of people. We ended up with 12 Q500, 4 sports and 2 EF-1 pilots. There was a couple of Scanner pilots there but it is a little surprising that with the popularity of this model and the scanner racing program, that there wouldn’t be more interest in going racing more often and trying out flying the international recognized FAI pylon course. Theoretically, I believe the Scanner actually conforms to the Q500 rules, so could be flown as a Q500. A good way to start.

We ran 4 rounds of each class before lunch and another 3 rounds after lunch. There was no helpers for the event so, we took it in turns with Pylon#1 and being starter. I think all who attended had a good time.

Check out the event photo gallery>>>

Results:

Q500

Daniel was blitzing the field again with some fast time.  Unforntuneately, a model that Barry Townsend and Tony Curzon were sharing was written off in the first race.

Places:
1st – Daniel Arapakis
2nd – Tom Wetherill
3rd – James Hurley

Fastest Time: 90.37 – Daniel Arapakis
No. of competitors: 12
Course – 10.5 Lap

Sports

There was a bit of a mix of planes in this class, but all where able to work on improving their times. Tony Curzon’s Nemesis was flying very nicely and looked the part going around the course.

Places:
1st – Tony Curzon
2nd – Brian Steele
3rd – Matt Young

Fastest Time: 117.11 – Tony Curzon
No. of competitors: 4
Course – 10.5 Lap

EF-1

Unfortunately Walter Muller’s plane was damages during a take-off incident, so Alan Swift flew 4 round on his own.

Check out the full results>>>

2013-2014 Season Championship

With only 2 races left for the championship, the battle at the top has seen Daniel Arapakis catch up to John Schmidli (myself) on equal points with only accumulated times leaving me at the top (for now)!

Full Championship Results>>>

Next Event

The next full FA1, F400 & Q500 2 day event is at Bazza’s paddock down at Munro on March 22-23, 2014. Sure to be a good turn out as this is a great venue for pylon racing. As this is a private flying field, if you are interested in attending this event and don’t know the location, can contact the committee for the address.

John Schmidli

The written content in this post is accurate to the best of my knowledge at the time of publishing. It is written from my perspective and reflects how I have experienced this event.
Photos published as feature images are selected purely for their quality, general interest or topicality. They are chosen from a pool of photos taken by myself and others when time permits.
If a perspective is not being represented, I am more than happy to publish any written content or photos that are supplied to me provided it is fair and reasonable.

Quick Reference

Event Result
Photo Gallery
Season Championship
Event Calender