"A MODEST PROPOSAL" (revisited from May 2005 Windy Sock)

It does seem that we need to take a fresh look at how we have been doing business. Competition has always been the life blood of free flight action, but is it necessary or desirable that it remains so? Our British friends don't seem to pursue fame and fortune (kanones) that way. In fact, we have read comments from them suggesting that American emphasis on first place is unique and ignores the importance of lesser ranking. Maybe so, but it makes us what we are. Nevertheless, it does seem that competitive flying in our hobby has reached the point of diminishing returns; perhaps we need some other way to keep free flight alive. This has been suggested before: Why not a system whereby a modeler competes against himself, thereby honing his skill and getting the satisfaction of important achievement at the same time, without comparison to what other modelers are doing? Proposal: Set up a system whereby a modeler is challenged to build increasingly more complex models, receiving a medal or trophy at each step. For example, Step One could be a Cub, built to a specific plan with minimum details required, and the ability to stay aloft in stable flight for 20 seconds. Step Two could be a Stinson Reliant, built to a specific plan with more detail required and the same endurance, 20 seconds. And so on to more and more complexity and difficulty of achieving stable flight. The "promotions" could end up with a multimotor design at top rank, with only the 20-second flight duration required. The various ranks could be given titles like "Lindbergh," "Rickenbacker," "Yeager," etc. or the military rank system or whatever. Something to think about. The present emphasis on competition doesn't seem to be attracting us peons, especially those of us in the so-called "Golden Years," those of us who still have the interest but not the physical stamina necessary for retrieval in successful free flight activity.

KANONES A LA CAFFEINE?

Has anyone noticed a lesser interest in competition flying and a greater interest in socializing? At first ye editor thought it was just a local thing-y but then we heard that Dallas/Ft. Worth flyers are enjoying that coffee break more these days, too. Well, I mused, maybe it's just in Texas, with all the heat, drought, more wind than normal, etc. But take a look at page 7 of November 2011 Model Aviation, where Jerry Gollott of Biloxi, Mississippi writes: "In days past we would come together to compete. Now we come together to see each other without much else on our minds. Like coffee breaks of the old CB radio days. Just a get-together." So how about that? Things they are a-changing it seems.

And how about this: Our loyal friend, Joe Fergusson in Scotland, has sent us a copy of November 2011 AMI – Aviation Modeller International (Thanks a lot, Joe!) that reads on page 7, "Radio-Assisted Free Flight is a form of flying which is very suitable for those still interested in free flight, but who have limited mobility or indeed wish to take up free flight but are not physically able to retrieve. The arrival of both 2.4 GHz radio and micro equipment at very reasonable prices has provided the possibilities to add radio to any type of model and for it to be flown without the need for additional flight line control. Vintage enthusiasts were quick to see the opportunity to fit the equipment to free flight models to allow them to be flown on smaller sites and to avoid the long walk to retrieve……."

ABOUT THE MUNCIE FAC OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Allen Shields reports: "As you probably have heard by now, the weather for the Muncie area was not cooperative at all for the period September 7-8. The contest flying took place on just one very long day, which was Friday, September 9. All mass launch events were flown. With only 39 flyers remaining some of the (planned) events did not have the necessary 3rd entrant. All the trophies went home with somebody, and Wally Farrel (named Grand Champ) took most of the juicy ones. The weather was very wet and windy, and for a while it looked like the scale judging would take place in the AMA Museum. It didn't work out that way but we had a chance to visit and shop under a big tent left over from the AMA Nats. I had a chance to meet and rub elbows with some very nice people. Not much to report really, but I wanted you to know what I experienced on this trip. I did take third place in Old Time Rubber Cabin….Allen Shields."

TEXAS SCALE CHAMPS

Ed De Loach reports, "We successfully conducted the 2011 edition of the Texas Scale Champs on Saturday September 17 and Sunday September 18 at the huge Sendera Ranch flying site in Haslet, Texas, a dozen or so miles north from Ft. Worth. This year, as in most years, we flew the event in conjunction with the Texas Cloud Climbers 63rd Regional Championships. Though the grass at Sendera Ranch was dry, requiring a prohibition of fuse use, the relatively short grass provided at least a fair amount of cushioning from crash damage while enhancing the chances of finding our models; I'd rate the Sendera site from the purely physical standpoint as very close to perfect for scale model flying. Fifteen contestants participated in ten events. Contestants flew 44 models, racking up 89 official flights. We submitted a total of seven Kanone (requests), since two of the events (Peanut Scale and Dime/Pseudo Dime Scale) had less than the three contestants required for a Kanone."