Focus on Competition - 2004/03
Technical Director — Steve Kaluf
Last month I discussed the broadband over the power lines (BPL) issue. I don’t have anything new to report right now. The AMA Frequency Committee will meet here at AMA HQ in January 2004. BPL will be one of the main topics of discussion. In the next column, or at the latest the one after that, I will have an update on BPL and a report on this meeting for you.
Control Line World Championships
As I hope everyone knows by now, the AMA is hosting the Control Line World Championships this year. The opening ceremonies will take place on July 4 and the general public is invited. Immediately following the opening ceremonies, those directly involved with the World Championships will be invited to a welcoming barbecue on the AMA site. After that we will have a short (roughly 12 minutes) but intense fireworks display to celebrate the opening and, for those of us from the U.S., Independence Day.
Flying for the World Championships takes place July 6–10. The closing ceremonies and banquet will take place on July 10.
How to get involved
There are a number of ways you can be involved in the World Championships:
- Supporter: For $50 you can become a supporter of the U.S. team. To do so you must register as a supporter with AMA HQ. There will be a cutoff date to register, so contact us soon so you don’t miss out. You’ll be issued a name badge when you check in at the World Championships that will identify you as a supporter. Supporters will have the ability to purchase tickets for the barbecue and the banquet. You must at least be a supporter to attend either function.
- Volunteer: Many workers are needed in many different roles. Please contact AMA HQ if you would like to serve as a volunteer. Volunteers (depending on their roles and time spent) may be eligible for a small compensation package.
Hotels and accommodations
Hotel rooms are tight for this event and for the Nationals (Nats). Some of you will find that you cannot book a room at the hotel/motel where you are used to staying. We’ve had to reserve many rooms for World Championships competitors; in all cases we have left rooms available for the Nats. However, since these filled up earlier than normal, you may need to look for a room at a different property.
If you have difficulty finding a room, give us a call; we normally know which properties have rooms available. Once all of our World Championships competitors are accommodated, we will release the remaining rooms back for Nats use.
Web resources
If you want to know what is going on with on-site events—World Championships, Nats, contest calendars, BPL, etc.—be sure to visit the Competitions/Technical Department section of the AMA website frequently. Our department maintains its own pages (outside of the magazine), so the appearance may differ from other parts of the site, but the information is there and it changes almost daily.
Direct link: www.modelaircraft.org/Comp/Competition.htm
Events at the Nats
I want to remind everyone that Radio Control (RC) Competition Fun Fly will be flown at the Nats this year for the first time. This is rule-book event 705. The sport has changed a lot since I flew in the first national-level event in the mid‑’80s—back then the aircraft were already quite specialized (I discovered that after I got to the event!). This should be a fun event to fly in or to watch.
Also, RC Indoor Electric Duration (rule-book event 627) will be flown during the Indoor Nats. This event is separate from Indoor Free Flight events, but it will be flown at the Johnson City, Tennessee facility at the same time as Indoor Free Flight. Contact the Competitions Department if you need entry forms for this or any other Nats event.
Indoor flying and the community
There seems to be an ongoing controversy regarding Indoor RC; much of it stems from the Indoor Free Flight community. Over the years, the Free Flight community has acquired a few indoor facilities and has carefully protected their use. In many cases they have been very good stewards of those facilities. Lately, however, it seems some are not only protecting them but are also working very hard to keep others out.
I know that statement may raise eyebrows and upset some in the Indoor Free Flight community, but after listening to people for the last two years, that is how I feel.
The vast majority of us fly model aircraft for enjoyment—whether in competition (sport) or recreation (hobby). Only a very small handful of people get paid to fly as part of their occupation. The point is: why can’t we all get along? Is our misunderstanding of Indoor RC so great that we really think these light, buildable models are going to cause catastrophic damage to a facility and get modelers kicked out? Don’t we want Indoor RC fliers to help maintain the use of facilities as much as Indoor Free Flight does? The influx of Indoor RC modelers could actually open doors to more facilities that Indoor Free Flight can also use.
By the same token, it’s not only the Indoor Free Flight community attempting exclusive use of facilities—this sort of issue appears elsewhere as well (fixed wing, helicopters, and so on). We’ve even heard from members of the Indoor Free Flight Contest Board who feel that the board should have oversight over the use of facilities for all indoor flying. Ultimately, though, it is up to the owner of the facility who uses it.
Indoor RC flying, park flying, and other light electric aircraft are bringing people into our hobby/sport who would not have come otherwise. Let’s embrace them. Let’s help these new folks along and be friends with them. Let’s all get along and share our common love of model aircraft.
Have a great winter!
’Til next time ... SK
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
