The contest is September 15-20, 2025!
Blue Ridge Soaring Society has been the home for the Region 4 South Contest for many years, every September. One of the most notable contests was in 1990, when 17 of the 25 pilots completed a 1000 km task, covering ridges in 4 states.
Pilots Package
downloadable copies of the below pilots package, here:
Pilots-Pkg-2025-rev0.pdf
Pilots-Pkg-2025-rev0.docx
| SSA Sanctioned Contest | September 15-20, 2025 |
| New-to-New Castle Orientation | Saturday, Sept 13 10:00am |
| Practice day Sunday | Sunday, Sept 14 |
| Contest day Pilots Meetings | 10:00am daily |
| Mandatory Safety Meeting | Monday, Sept 15 9:30am |
All pilots meetings at Towplane Tavern unless otherwise specified
Welcome to the Contest
Greetings!
It is that time again – Region 4 South at New Castle, the week of flying, food, fun and friendship to which
we all so look forward to. Our manager Lorie (with the active support of our members) has put in considerable time to assure a great week, however, the presence of our guest pilots and crew is the icing on our cake.
Welcome to New Castle!!!
Camping at NCI
Camping spots are available for both tent camping, RV trailers and Motorhomes. Some of these are near electrical outlets for light electrical use and there are various water spickets available to fill up your system. We also have a two dump stations. Please see Bill McWhorter when you get to New Castle, and he will help you find a suitable location.
There will be charge of $15 per night for any RV that uses electrical hookup. Tent camping is no charge.
Registration
All contestants must be registered before 9:00 am of the first contest day (Monday). See the schedule below for registration times.
Fees
- Contest Registration Fee $300
- Tows $75 to 2500ft
- Self launch fee $15
- BRSS guest membership $20 (required for all pilots that are not members of BRSS)
- Camping $15
Contest Personnel
| Contest Managers | Lorie Smith, Jim Cole |
| Competition Director | Marshall McClung |
| Chief Tow Pilot | John Molumphy |
| Weather | TBD |
| Ground Operations | Jim Cole |
| Retrieve Office | Katy Cole |
| Scorer | Guy Byars |
Schedule of Events
| Date | Event | Details |
| Saturday Sept 13 | Registration 10am -noon | Trailer Barn Hanger |
| Pilots meeting | New-to-NCI orientation 10 am – Hosted by Hank Nixon | |
| Tows Available | Pilots meeting 12:00 pm on the grid | |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | Big Grill cookout – $15, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, dessert | |
| Sunday Sept 14 | Registration 10am -noon | Trailer Barn Hanger |
| Practice Day | Pilots Meeting and Briefing 9:30 am twoplane tavern | |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | BRSS Welcoming Dinner: no charge – baked spaghetti casserole, garlic bread, salad, cake | |
| Entertainment | Fireworks – North end of runway, 8:45 pm, bring a chair | |
| Monday Sept 15 | Registration 8am – 9am | Trailer Barn Hanger |
| Contest Day 1 | Mandatory Safety Meeting & Pilots meeting 9:30 am Towplane Tavern | |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | Firehouse Grill Chicken; $25, chicken, potato, green beans, rolls, dessert | |
| Entertainment | Halloween Night – Bring your favorite (or not so favorite) costume for a social hour costume party | |
| Tuesday Sept 16 | Contest Day 2 | Pilots meeting 10:00 am towplane tavern |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | Taco Tuesday – $25, carnitas tacos, black beans, rice, ice cream | |
| Music | Hill Hollow, old time string band and americana music | |
| Wednesday Sept 17 | Contest Day 3 | Pilots meeting 10:00 am towplane tavern |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | Low Country Boil: $25, in-the-shell-shrimp, corn, potatoes & sausage, salad, key lime pie | |
| Thursday Sept 18 | Contest Day 4 | Pilots meeting 10:00 am towplane tavern |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | Chinese buffet: $25, beef, chicken, pork, lo main, rice, spring rolls, pie | |
| Music and Sing-along | Jam with The Soggy Runway Boys – Bring an instrument and/or your voice | |
| Friday Sept 19 | Contest Day 5 | Pilots meeting 10:00 am towplane tavern |
| Social 6pm – Dinner 7pm | BBQ Night: $25, pork BBQ, mac and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, cheesecake | |
| Country Night | Big Hats, Big Buckles and Country Music | |
| Saturday Sept 20 | Contest Day 6 | Pilots meeting 10:00 am towplane tavern. Awards after flying |
GUEST/NEW PILOT BRIEFING
Welcome to Blue Ridge Soaring Society (BRSS) and New Castle International (NCI)! To help you enjoy your flights, please take a few minutes to review the following essential local rules as well as the area orientation map.
If this is your first time at NCI, we suggest an orientation flight with a BRSS member, an
experienced NCI pilot or a buddy flight.
Get a briefing on current conditions before you launch: strong soaring conditions go hand in hand with turbulence, and sink, in the area around the field. Be sure that you can meet the challenge of the flight.
There is a significant amount of airplane traffic arriving and departing Roanoke through “our” airspace. Stay alert for power traffic and stay clear of Roanoke’s Class C airspace, south of the field.
The downwind leg is east of the field for landing north or south: left traffic for landing RWY 18 and right traffic for landing RWY 36. Please announce entering the downwind with direction of landing, on 123.3.
The eastern third of the field is for landing only, the middle third is for takeoff and the western third of the field is for ground movement.
WHEN LANDING, TOUCH DOWN ON THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE RUNWAY, ROLL OUT TO THE WEST, AND STOP IN THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE RUNWAY. EVERY TIME.
Contest Operations
Number One Rule
The number one rule at New Castle is to keep the landing lane open on the EAST side of the field all the
time. After landing you must roll clear to the West. Cars and people should never be on the runway except in support of operations.
The pattern at New Castle is always to the east of the field, due to the ridge, higher terrain, and potential rotor turbulence to the west. The runway is north-south, or 18-36. Pattern entry calls are made “landing
to the North, or to the South” rather than using runway numbers.
Roanoke Class C airspace is approximately 10 miles south of New Castle. We have a letter of agreement with them, and we notify them by phone each day regarding the task course, number of gliders, and altitudes expected.
Towplanes squawk a unique code and all gliders with transponders are asked to squawk 1202. Gliders are to always remain clear of the Roanoke Class C airspace, except in the case of emergency. In the event of an emergency contact should be made with Roanoke Approach on 126.9, if able.
Trailer Parking and Glider Assembly
Trailer tie-down spots are available on a first come first served basis. Assembly and disassembly will be
restricted to these areas. Trailers must be properly secured in their tie down spots. Please see Bill McWhorter when you get to New Castle, and he will help you find a suitable location.
Staging for Launch
Staging will be in four lines with ships staggered and overlapped. Ships in the center two lines must
stage on their numbers prior to grid time, while ships on the outside lines should be pulled out to the
edge of the field to allow access to the center two lines. At grid time, the outside lines will pull into
position. If you are staging on the hill, it is possible that you will need to chock your glider to prevent rollback. DO NOT USE ROCKS TO CHOCK YOUR GLIDER. There will be a box of yellow wooden chocks available at the flight line. It is the pilot’s responsibility to inform operations that there is a wheel chock so it can be removed before launch.
Tows
Release will be at 3,800 ft. MSL (2500 ft above glider port elevation). Pilots are expected to release promptly when the release altitude is reached. Radio calls to the tow pilot must include the towplanes ID. All tows will be roughly 75mph, unless otherwise requested. All pilots are encouraged to speak up during the tow if they would like faster or slower.
Landing
The pattern for landing to the North is right hand and for landing to the South is left hand –the downwind leg is always flown on the east side of the field. The mountainous terrain around New Castle often produces unpredictable conditions or turbulence and sink around the field. You are advised to exercise more than normal caution and carry extra energy in the landing pattern.
Relights
If relights need to land while the initial launch is still in progress, they need to announce pattern entry and land in the same direction of the launch (launching to the north, land to the north). Your landing should prepare for a rollout into the areas at the hangers and clear of the runway. Do not proceed back to the launch area until advised by operations to do so. Operations will do everything they can to get you back to the grid as soon as possible, but under so circumstances are you allowed to tow back to the grid, during the launch, without approval from operations. Once the main launch is complete, the relights can position on the grid and take the next available tow.
Critical Assembly Check
A conspicuous mark must be applied to the tape at the wing-root area indicating that the Critical
Assembly Check has been completed. After grid time, the marks will be checked. No CAC, no tow.
Tow Release Check
There will be no tow-release checks done on the grid at launch time. We encourage checking the tow-release during glider pre-flight.
Be Ready for Launch
Pilots must be ready to launch prior to hook-up. This means that the pilot must be in the cockpit with all
checks completed when fourth in line for take-off. We do not want to rush anyone. If not ready, signal the line crew and we will push you off the grid.
Use of Spoilers
We recommend holding the wheel brake on as the slack in the towrope is being taken out to prevent over- running the rope. Pilots using spoilers during the initial take-off roll should cycle them up and down prior to takeoff, indicating to the line crew that you are in control.
Self-Launching Gliders
Self-launching of gliders will be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Please check with operations.
Water Ballast
We will fly dry.
Scoring
The scoring office will be in the White House. We will post the email address that you can send your log to or you can bring the file to the scoring office. Logs are due to the scoring office no later than one hour after you return to the field. If you launch, you must submit a log for your flight even if you did not attempt the task. Task Claim Forms are required for MATs, safety finishes, motor runs and logger failures.
FLY SAFE, FLY FAST, HAVE FUN
Retrieve Office Procedures
The Retrieve Office phone number(s) will be found on the daily Task Sheet.
Retrieve Office headquarters is at the Tow Plane Tavern. Crews must check out there if leaving the field. The phones will be staffed until all pilots have been accounted for and crews communicated with.
Notification of Land-outs will be posted at the Retrieve Office. Pilots and crews do not need to call in
after they are together, but every pilot must call in if they land out, even if they are in contact with their crew. Main and secondary numbers will be on Task Sheets.
PILOTS WITH CREWS: You are responsible for providing contact information for your crew (name, phone number) at registration. Be advised that Verizon, AT&T and US Cellular are the only reliable services in the New Castle area
CREWLESS PILOTS: The Retrieve Office will maintain a “crewless pilots’ list” so you and a fellow pilot can act as each other’s crew if one lands out. You are responsible for making sure that the Retrieve Office has all necessary contact information. The Retrieve Office will help but is not responsible for organizing a crew for you if you land out. Before take-off have your trailer hooked to the car and ready to go, keys easily located in the car. This is not mandatory; you only need to do this if you want someone to pick you up.
Information for Crews
- Before leaving the field, the crew must report to the Retrieve Office as stipulated by the contest rules. If your pilot has not already done so, you must provide the land out information to the Retrieve Office.
- The Retrieve Office will close at 7 pm. If you are not together with your pilot by this time, call the Retrieve Office before 7 pm so someone can wait. Do not send a text
- When you return to the field, you are responsible for making sure that you, or your pilot checks in with the Retrieve Office.
Information for Pilots
- Promptly upon landing at any place other than the home airfield, a pilot must complete the Out Landing Form before calling the Retrieve Office. Have it in hand when you call as this will help expedite the process and make sure that someone is on their way as soon as possible.
- After a land-out you may call your crew directly, but the crew must communicate all information to the Retrieve Office before leaving the field. It is very important that the Retrieve Office remains in the communication loop.
- If you land out and desire an aero retrieve, you must call the Retrieve Office. Do not call from the air requesting a tow because you think you are about to land. All communication must go through the Retrieve Office.
- Upon returning to the field, immediately check in with the Retrieve Office. Failure to do so may result in grumpy Retrieve Office volunteers – and that is bad for everyone.
- If you launch, you must contact the retrieve office even if you did not attempt the task.
Turnpoints and Airspace
Airfield Notes
AIRFIELD NOTES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT REGISTRATION
Food on the Field
Towplane Tavern:
open Sunday thru Saturday from 7:30 to 11 for breakfast. Lunch will be available at the Tavern on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Sandwiches will be available Sunday thru Saturday at the flight line.
Dinners on the Field:
We hope that you will join us for the dinners in the Pavilion. Dinners are $24/person ($10 for children 10 and under). No tax, no tip, no travel, lots of friends
Social Hour 6:00 pm, Dinner 7:00 pm
Restaurants
Where the locals eat, some nearby restaurants and local favorites include:
Nearby in New Castle
- Bibos Pizzeria
137 Salem Ave, New Castle, Virginia 24127
(540) 864-5000 - Pine Top Diner
Hwy 615, New Castle, VA 24127
(540)-864-5864 - Subway
297 Market St, New Castle, VA 24127
(540) 864-8301
~30min drive to Salem
- Our Daily Bread Bakery and Bistro (www.odbb.com)
100 East 4th Street, Salem, VA 24153
(540) 404-3056
Tuesday – Saturday 7:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Sunday 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. - Montano’s International Restaurant (montanos.net)
3733 Franklin Road Roanoke, VA
(540) 344-8960
Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. - Cafe Asia 2 (cafeasiava.com)
3549 Electric Rd Suite A, Roanoke, VA 24018
(540) 774-1688
Su, Mo, We, Th: 11:30am to 9:30pm; Fri-Sat: 11:30am to 10:30pm - Luigi’s Italian Gourmet Restaurant (luigisvirginia.com)
3301 Brambleton Ave, Roanoke, VA 24018
(540) 989-6277
Sun & Mon 4:30pm – 10:00pm; Tues – Sat 4:30pm – 2:00am - Billy’s (www.billysroanoke.com)
102 Market St SE, Roanoke, VA 24011
(540) 206-3353 Hours: Mon – Wed 11 AM – 10 PM; Thu – Sat 11 AM – 11 PM; Sun 11 AM – 9 PM - Swinging Bridge Restaurant (theswingingbridge.com)
16071 Paint Bank Rd, Paint Bank, Virginia 24131
(540) 897-5099
(call for hours)
Things to do in the area
Hiking: There are many walking/hiking trails on the property and near the glider port. Access to the Appalachian Trail
Fishing/Wading/Kayaking in the streams and ponds on the property
Mountain biking and paddling at Carvins Cove. Trail head is about 25 minutes from NCI.
http://www.roanokeoutside.com/land/carvins-cove-nature-reserve/