The 2012 Alpine Soaring Adventure is scheduled for July 5-8. It will take place in Joseph, Oregon, which is in the northeast corner of the state.
There are three flying sites: the golf driving range (25 acres of mown grass), the Memaloose airstrip (which is about an hours drive from Joseph), and Mt Howard (which is south of Joseph about eight miles).
The driving range is where pilots can aerotow their airplanes. There will be at least two tug aircraft there, with one being large enough to tow 40%-scale models. Pilots are asked to pay a $15 a day landing fee at the driving range, with all of the money going to the landowner as compensation for us using the site rather than the golfers.
The Memaloose airstrip is a Forest service facility that is perched at 6,970 feet above sea level. The airstrip is 3,300 feet long, with the southern end dropping into the deepest canyon in North America—that being Hells Canyon—the canyon at the site is nearly 6,000 feet deep. The soaring at this site is nothing short of spectacular and any size sailplane/glider can fly there. The landing is 3,300 feet of grass, so pilots have plenty of area to land even a 50%-scale glider.
Mt Howard requires a gondola ride to the top of the mountain. There pilots will find a nice, little cafe, with a spectacular view. They will also find two flying sites with stunningly strong lift and a landing zone that is about 10 acres of alpine grass. This soaring is not for the faint of heart! Know too that flying here and at Memaloose is not slope soaring! It is, however, superb alpine soaring, with thermals drifting up out of the valley at a rate that will carry models to extreme heights in little time if the pilot chooses such.
Pilots are invited to bring their family members to Joseph as this is a vacation/resort designation, with much to do beyond just RC soaring. Also, there will be a no-host barbecue on Saturday night at the Wallowa Lake State Park. Pilots are urged to bring their float planes if they want to have fun beyond that of alpine soaring.
For more information follow these links:
www.alpinesoaring.com Main site with all of the important information
www.wallowalakevacationrentals.com
Don’t MISS the ALES Clinic on Sunday.
It promises to Become an Alpine Tradition!
RCAeroTowing.com
