Category Archives: News
Dernières informations avant le concours
Bonjour à tous, petit message de mise à jour / information sur le concours de Caussols (FAI) de ce weekend.Premièrement, nous avons pu valider un restaurant pour le samedi soir, à Chateauneuf de Grasse (le Capriccio), nous aurons un repas à l’exterieur avec Salade Antipasti en entrée, Poulet sauce Forestiere et Tarte fine aux pommes, accompagné d’une boisson de son choix (soda, vin, biere). Un groupe live jouera durant la soirée. Il a été tres compliqué de trouver quelque chose, pour etre honnete, les restaurants ont je pense un peu “montés” leurs tarifs et trouver une solution dans le budget n’a pas été possible, l’organisation participe donc un peu car sinon cela n’etait pas possible. Le restaurant est juste sur la route en redescendant de Caussols, a environ 15-20minutes maximum, donc on pourra faire un maximum le samedi et descendre directement.
Concernant la competition, le rdv est prevu a 9h vendredi comme annoncé depuis le debut. Il faudra par contre faire attention car nous risquons un episode pluvieux sur cette journée. J’espere encore que la meteo va s’ameliorer mais on risque de ne pas voler, ou etre tres reactif pour profiter de la tempete entre les orages. Soyez donc equipés et prets!Samedi et Dimanche s’annoncent ensoleillés, avec une meteo comparable au weekend passé (perso je signe de suite tellement c’etait bien).Donc espoirs pour vendredi, belle et longue journée samedi et final dimanche!
Fai lemoncello 2021 confirmed in Caussols
Dear pilots,
First of all, and as we are only getting bad news regarding competitions, let me confirm that Yes! The competition will happen this year.
But I want to stay rational and transparent with what is happening regarding the venue in Tende.
The roads are still not confirmed as available (some work to make a dirt road access from tende to Casterino up to the Bunker are still going next week). As of now, I can not validate the quality of the access, and still not for at least another week or two minimum.
We are now only one month from the competition and I can’t wait longer and take the risk of a too dangerous access road, of having to ask everyone to change their reservations at the last minute.
This is why I have decided to move this year’s Lemoncello Cup “back” to Caussols. The competition will be held at the far west slope (or west slope if wind requires), as we did once before. The slope has better wind and is steeper. Landing area is not bad at all (with respect to location….).I really hope next year we will be able to fly back in Tende.
Regarding restaurant / banquet, I need to quickly find a restaurant to host us all. I will keep you posted when sorted.
So in short: FAI Lemoncello Cup is confirmed but moved to Caussols slope.
Many thanks for your understanding,
Allan.
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Chers pilotes,
Déjà comme on en a trop l’habitude des mauvaises nouvelles: le FAI Lemoncello Cup aura bien lieu!
Mais je tiens à rester honnête et raisonnable dans les prises de risques et décisions. A ce jour, aucune route d’accès valide n’est encore disponible jusqu’à la pente. Les travaux tournent encore au moins toute la semaine prochaine pour donner une première route d’accès en terre a Casterino, nous permettant ensuite d’essayer de monter au Bunker.
Je n’ai donc pu a ce jour valider la qualité de cette route, et cela ne pourra se faire sur les 2 prochaines semaines au minimum.
Étant seulement a un mois de l’événement, je me dois de prendre une décision pour éviter des changements de réservation de dernière minute pour tous en cas de route indisponible ou trop dangereuse.
C’est pourquoi j’ai décidé de replier comme annoncé en éventualité le concours FAI Lemoncello Cup a Caussols. Le concours aura lieu sur l’extrême ouest du site (ou ouest si le vent le demande). Il s’agit du site que nous utiliserons dans 15j pour le concours de coupe. Venez donc nombreux pour vous y entrainer…..
J’espère que l’année prochaine nous pourrons remonter a Tende.
Concernant le restaurant/banquet, je vais rapidement chercher une solution dans les environs pour nous accueillir tous et reviendrais vers vous.
Donc en résumé : le FAI Lemoncello Cup se déroulera cette année a Caussols.
Merci de votre compréhension et à bientôt!
Status update
Little update on the upcoming f3f lemoncello cup this July: we have been discussing a lot with the local businesses (restaurant, hotels etc) expressing our support and goal of maintaining our event this year.
To help so, we are actively looking for access options (you all know and remember the disaster from last winter where all the roads got destroyed) with the mayor and officials locally.
Until last week, there was still no possible access to the bunker where the competition is held.
Yesterday, we got a very positive message announcing that a dirt road will be made available to us for the competition. It should be accessible by any car (not just 4×4), but we will be going up next weekend to do a survey and see the officials.
Knowing that the competition is close, we still want to keep you informed of the work being done and where we are at as soon as possible to help logistics for everyone. So please hold on another week so we can better know what we will be able to do.
I see some real hope there, and I want to express again my request towards you to give as much support as possible towards the Tende population, by staying there, drinking, eating… There as it is a very hard moment (not to mention Covid…) For them to live through.
Many thanks to you all and hope we can all enjoy this very special edition all together, again at last!
2021 Edition… Will keep you posted on location
As you must all know, the valleys of Tende have been dramatically damaged a few months ago, with most of the roads still not rebuilt.
As right now not much work can be done (middle of the winter), we will have to wait until this spring to better know what solution in terms of road is possible. (maybe through the dirt road of Casterino, or the old dirt road bellow the slope with xxxx turns..?).
Our goal is to maintain the competition (if Covid permits of course) in Tende. The people there have always been really great with us and it is on these moments of difficulties that we must even more help them.
In the case of really no access to the slope from Tende, we will have to move back the competition for this year to our club’s main slope: Caussols. Most of you already know the place, it will be easy to organize there but you will of course be informed asap for all your lodging arrangements.
Stay tuned!
2020 Edition canceled
Dear pilots and friends, I really was hoping we could make it and enjoy a great weekend together this next July, with the end of the confinement for the Covid19.
Unfortunately, latest decisions made in France this past Saturday night confirmed that even if borders were to be opened by the time of the event, there will still be a required period of quarantine when entering the country. We still have no information on potential reopening of hotels and even less of the restaurants.
These circumstances are as we know very exceptional and unpredictable.
We have to adapt and accept the fact that this 2020 edition will not be.I am very sad to announce this but think it is the wise choice.
All registered pilots are by default registered for next year’s edition (2021).
For pilots not willing to participate next year and preferring getting their registration fee back, please send me an email to allan(dot)cohen(@t)maccannes(dot)com with your PayPal account. Note that PayPal took roughly a 5euro charge on your registration so in case of deregistration and reimbursement, I will deduct 5euros from paid amount (and you may receive a bit less again).
Hope you are safe and to see you soon with all the new models and projects you must have all been working on during these past months.
Announcing the 2020 Edition
2019 Competition Report
Day “-1”: the preparation :
On Thursday, a group of 10 pilots where already on the slope, for some free flight on the slopes. The wind was North, with variable lift and wind of 6-8m/s. The organization team started installing all the bases on both slopes to be ready for any conditions during the next three days. By the middle of the afternoon, the wind had switched to south (light) with some foamies and light F3F runs. The weather forecast on Windy.tv was expecting that condition for the day, it was consistent; let’s hope their forecast for the next 3 days is right also!
Day 1: Light conditions, slow start:
The welcome of all the pilots started at 09.00 on the slope, with coffee, tea and croissants. People got all their number assigned, some free flights on the south slope (3-4m/s) as allowed until 10. Unfortunately, all pilots were there and ready by 10.00, but the wind was too weak. We had to wait until 15.00 on the dot to start round 1 on the South slope, with light wind (5m/s) which quickly went up to 7m/s average. We managed to validate 4 rounds in those conditions, and finished the flights at 18.15.
Michael Krebs did great flights all day long and was at the end of the day leading the competition.
Day 2: South slope as we love it:
On Saturday morning, pilots started arriving at 08.00. wind was already blowing at 6m/s, south. Tende South slope: welcome back!!! The weather forecast is expecting some growing conditions, with up to 10m/s in the afternoon. Most of the pilots were there by 09.00 as we had asked at the end of the previous day, but unfortunately some pilots were not there during the announcement (packing in the cars) so we had to wait until 10.00 (initial “website” time) to get everyone ready. The round 5 started at 10.00 with a nice 7m/s wind. Flights were very fair between pilots, thanks to the clouds covering us and limiting the thermals. We managed to do 7 more rounds until the fog covered the whole area at 15.17. Only 5 pilots were left to race, but the interruption lasted more than 30 minutes and we had to cancel that round. Luckily, we managed to start one last round at 16.45, with lighter conditions as time passed (going down from 7+ m/s to 5m/s), yet still within local rules (4m/s minimum and average during the run, wind orientation less than 35deg off).
At the end of day 2, Pierre Rondel did get back on the lead after that total of 12 rounds, followed by Philippe Lanes and Andreas Bohlen.
But the time was for some good local fresh made cuisine at the restaurant “La Margueria”. Everyone enjoyed their drink with appetizer (Pissaladiere and Barbajuan), Dinner appetizer (Mozzarella di Buffala from Cuneo with grilled red peppers, pesto sauce and pinions, Main course (Oven baked Lamb with baby gnocchi and girolle mushrooms) and choice of dessert. I have to actually really thank the restaurant team for their efficiency in serving our large group with such great and tasty products.
Day 3 : Stamina:
Last day, wind is already blowing like the previous day. Lift is not as good (slightly off) as people do some free flights with foamies before the beginning of the competition announced at 09.00.
Wind is blowing at 6m/s, we start the race but the pace is much slower, both in the bases but also to leave the slope to the landing area (pilots have to climb as much as possible before walking in front of the Bunker and land by the front of the slope, it is impossible to walk through the usual path). Rounds are taking a little more than 1 hour. We still manage to validate another 5 rounds, and as it is only 14.48, we can even launch one final round before the end of the competition. Last flight was validated at 15.51. Time for computing the new rounds that got us to a total of 18 valid rounds and discover the ranking.
End of Competition:
As the times were computed, an Aperitif was offered to all pilots.
After almost 500 runs during the weekend, we really all wanted to thank all the judged, who have been standing in the wind and sun, and yet stayed concentrated and very efficient all weekend.
We also want to thank the sponsors without whom it would not be possible to make this competition happen: BlueBird Servos, la Ligue d’Aeromodelisme, La région PACA, Lindinger, les commercants de Tende (Hotel du Centre, Boulangerie des Merveilles, Restaurant la Margueria). This year was very special for me with my baby born only a few months ago. I would like to thank my wife Nicole for supporting me in still making this 10th Edition of the Lemoncello Cup happen.
Regarding final results: Best time was made by Michael Krebs (36.32 sec on round 9), the final podium is:
- PIERRE RONDEL (FR)
- PHILIPPE LANES (FR)
- ANDREAS BOHLEN (CH)
Weather forecast this weekend
Hi guys,
the weather forecast keeps on changing. Yesterday, many websites would project north wind and risks of rain, some would say south and some just clouds.
today, I see more some trends towards south wind, clouds and little risks of rain. I like seeing the forecast getting better in a night, let’s hope it continues to evolve like this as the summer storms break today. I will see you all on friday morning anyway, and many already on thursday PM I’m sure!
Drone Regulation (Rules)
In regards to new drone related laws in place in France since the beginning of this year, it is mandatory that all models used during the contest are registered on the following internet portal belonging the the French civil aviation agency (DGAC)
https://alphatango.aviation-civile.gouv.fr
As of today, the training attestation is not required for non French pilots, however we encourage everyone to make you aware about the model aircraft related rules in place in France ( https://fox-alphatango.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/en/ )
Best practice to know before flying in France: http://www.f3fcaussols.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/rules_proper_use_recreational_drone.pdf