R/C slope soaring aerobatics

**surfimp** · 08-11-2014 09:54

One of my other passions within aviation is R/C aircraft, and specifically aerobatic gliders designed to fly off of slopes.

These planes do not have motors but that doesn't hold them back. They have a unique gravity-fueled flying style that's more akin to surfing and skateboarding than anything else.

A friend of mine from France is an extremely talented videographer. He visited a few months back and we shot some video together. So this is me and my gliders at our local costal flying site here in Santa Barbara.

Hope you enjoy!

More of my videos can be found here:
http://www.vimeo.com/surfimp

**Barkmann** · 08-11-2014 10:36

Amazing videos Steve! Incredible how it tries to dont touch the ground, or you were controlling it(because I saw a controller in your hand)? Got to give REP!

Have you ever tried elastic based planes (dont know of this is the right term). They are just as great as these.
Thanks

Nick

**surfimp** · 08-11-2014 10:50

Yes my gliders are radio controlled and flying per my inputs on the transmitter I'm holding.

The plane itself flies solely via lift created by the seabreeze blowing against the cliff that I'm standing atop - just like sea gulls or pelicans. It has no motor onboard at all, just the receiver, a small battery pack, and servos which control the flight surfaces.

Here's a photo showing one of my planes at the cliff, along with a big flight of pelicans soaring in the background:

One of the "games" we play is seeing how close we can fly to the ground without crashing. I like doing it inverted

Once a year we have a big fly-in event that usually attracts a bunch of visitors and around 30-50 pilots. The airspace can get a little crowded!

It's a fun hobby!

**gully_raker** · 08-11-2014 23:36

That looks a real heap of Fun!
Do you try having Dogfights?

**Archidamus** · 08-11-2014 23:38

Great video and pics Steve - looks like a lot of fun!

**Flying Officer Kyte** · 08-12-2014 00:31

A very interesting video Steve.
I know a few of the members fly remote aircraft and also Band wound models, but this is the first outdoor glider I have seen.
Rob.

**surfimp** · 08-12-2014 00:53

Thanks all for the nice words, I really enjoy my model planes!

Originally Posted by gully_raker

That looks a real heap of Fun!
Do you try having Dogfights?

There is a style of flying called "combat" that uses gliders similar to what I fly. The gliders are made out of EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam, which is similar to styrofoam but does not tear or chunk easily, and returns to shape if it gets dinged. It's nearly indestructible.

When flying combat, you attempt to have an intentional midair collision with your opponent. Whoever fails to recover and crashes is "downed" and the person who successfully flies away from the collision is awarded a "kill".

It's a bit silly and I don't do it much, but was very popular a while back. I'm sure it still is in some circles. Kind of hard on the planes but they're usually quick to fix in the field.

I prefer to fly low altitude aerobatics, and crash enough doing that. I also have a background in surfing and skateboarding, so try to combine those movements and ideas into my flying, including interacting with the ground and obstacles.

Here's a recent video filmed with a GoPro head-mounted camera: