S3A Parachute Duration Competition Strategies
The goal of the event is to get (3) maxes or 5-minute flights. Each round is fixed in length with the next starting exactly when the last one ends- this requires that the modeler be adequately prepared to deal with any situation be it weather, motor malfunctions or catos, or a catastrophe- "Dan just drove his Gremlin over my model!" Only two models are allowed for the first three flights. So, one of the flights must be returned. The usual strategy is to "go all out" on all flights and pray and hope that the recovery crew will be able to bring one of them back. Parachute models have been known to drift for many miles. Frequently at a US flyoff and absolutely at the world championships, one or more competitors are able to get three maximum times. Here, the physical and mental endurance of the recovery team is crucial to a successful recovery of one or more of the models. This crew is usually very adept at scaling trees, reading maps, swimming, marathon running, using chainsaws, etc. etc. etc.! With the advent of the electronic dt, hopefully some of these superman heroics will not be needed.
Parachutes that are at least 36" in diameter are used to guarantee that the model will be seen for the full 5-minute max. Deploying such large chutes with a very light model can be very challenging. A dependable method of accomplishing this is by folding the parachute over only once. Of course, this means that a longer airframe must be used which ads weight and decreases the model's altitude potential. Others have developed specialized folding techniques to guarantee deployment using minimum length models.
Of course what you fly is just as important when you fly. Deploying your parachute in a thermal or hot rising air current is a sure-fire way of getting a "max". Timing is key to flying into one and typically a 3 second count down is given once a competitor signals he or she is ready to launch. Many types of thermal detectors are used. Soap bubbles and long mylar streamers can be used to see rising air currents and sensitive digital thermometers can be used to measure small changes in temperature when a thermal is present over the launch site. Another strategy is to watch how other models in the air react and to launch accordingly. Frequently, there will be a half dozen or more models hanging in the air at the same time. Timing here is everything since down air or sink always surrounds a rising up current and the decision window to piggyback off a competitor's thermal is very short indeed. Experience plays a key role in choosing when or when not to fly.