FREE FLIGHT INDOOR - 2003/11
Bud Tenny, Box 830545, Richardson TX 75083
I have periodically asked Steve Brown about the hangars at Santa Ana MCIF. His answers have grown steadily more gloomy. Apparently the hangars, once one of the world's best sites, had collapsed, probably from lack of repairs.
The 2003 US Indoor Championships (USIC), or Indoor Nationals, had lower attendance than in previous years. I asked Steve Brown his opinion about why. He replied:
"I think the cumulative failure of the hobby to attract newcomers and keep them. During the 1980s, other than myself, and of the 1990s guys, only John Kagan is still flying. So many people we counted on (Coslick, Underwood, the Lenards, etc.) drifted away.
"With the loss of our flying sites and with the aging of the 1960s and 1970s fliers, things are really not good. We really can't promote the hobby without regular flying sessions in high sites. This is quite a contrast to the 'golden years' of the 1960s and 1970s."
Sites We Have
Carl Bakay, editor of Indoor News and Views, has been cataloging and profiling indoor sites worldwide. I asked him about currently active US indoor sites. He produced the following list (including some very active high school sites):
- Gymnasium of the Willamette Modelers, Albany, OR
- Kibbie Dome, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
- Tropicana Dome, Saint Petersburg, FL
- North Springs High School, Sandy Springs, GA
- Teachers Memorial Junior High School, Norwich, CT
- City Auditorium, Beatrice, NE
- National Guard Armory, Oklahoma City, OK
- University of Illinois Armory, Champaign, IL
- Kent State University, Kent, OH
- National Guard Armory, Tampa, FL
- MiniDome Field House, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
- Everett and Oxbow Recreation Center, Seattle, WA
- Hangars #1 and #6, Lakehurst, NJ
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology DuPont Gym, Cambridge, MA
- UniDome, University of Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
- National Gallery, Washington, DC
- Bedford Boys Ranch, Bedford, TX
- Inside Swing Golf Dome, Burton (Flint), MI
- New Covenant Fellowship, Penfield (Rochester), NY
- Heritage Junior High School, Sterling, MI
- Akron Air Dock, Akron, OH
- West Baden Resort, West Baden, IN
Steering Basics
Steering is either a necessary strategy or an emergency action undertaken with trepidation, often too little and too late. Any serious indoor flier, regardless of which events he or she flies in, needs to know a lot about steering. Models that hang up are quite often damaged, sometimes severely. Models can hang up during test-flying and at contests. At a contest you should have a backup model, but it is a shame to lose a good airplane before you get it trimmed!
Models in any class in which the rules do not prohibit steering can be steered. The next limit is how fast the model flies: if you are nimble enough, you can learn to steer it. Don't try to steer a model for the first time at a contest. You may desperately want to steer it, but you need to know ahead of time if it has strange quirks in response to steering. Otherwise, you may wreck it or someone else's model.
Some contest directors may define no-steer areas in a site. If a faster model gets over bleachers or seats in a stadium, it is often safer to try to capture the model than to lead it back over the floor. You must devote a great deal of attention to keeping the model on the line, and you are likely to fall over a seat, step, or railing, possibly injuring yourself and almost surely wrecking the model unless it is very stable.
Tools and history
- For years steering was done using balloons.
- Later, extendible steering poles were permitted, allowing steering in corners and under building hardware where balloons might be punctured.
- Two main tools and techniques exist to enhance the safety of wayward models: balloons and extendible poles.
Balloon steering — basic action
- The simple concept is to change the model's orbit by introducing a string into the propeller/wing area.
- Raise the balloon higher than the model and move it so that the string passes behind the propeller and ahead of the wing. When the string contacts the motor stick, let the model fly forward until the wing touches the string.
- Walk forward toward the new orbit; the model will follow the string as you move. Release the model when you get to the new location.
- Carefully move the balloon straight away from the model, avoiding the propeller. If you do catch the propeller, have a helper stand by as you lower the balloon just fast enough so the model stays level as it descends.
Using a helper
- When your helper can reach the string, have them pull the balloon lower to slacken the string. With their other hand, the helper can steady the model, leaving you both hands to deal with the aircraft.
- Hold the propeller with one hand and remove the string from the model. Then have the helper lower the balloon slowly so it doesn't snag another model.
Capturing vs steering
- If you want to capture the model instead of steering it, move the string against the motor stick as before, but move forward to snag the propeller. Lead the model away from danger, and lower it as described. You and your helper can then unhook the model.
After any balloon/aircraft contact
- Inspect the model carefully to make sure it hasn't been damaged. Repair it even if it was only slightly harmed. Otherwise, the next launch might cause more damage. Be safe, not sorry — the minute it takes to inspect the model is time well spent.
Low-ceiling sites
- Steering in low-ceiling sites is different because there may not be room to get the balloon above the model. Almost all you can do is let the propeller or wingtip touch the balloon. The model will stall and drop lower, where you can safely catch it and move it to the new orbit.
Poles and pole steering
- Dedicated Category I fliers have their own extendible steering poles.
- When poles were first permitted, the legal length was between 2 and 8 meters. After the length restriction was removed, Richard Doig joked that even toothpicks would be legal for steering.
- Crappie-fishing poles were commonly adapted. Until Kevlar poles became available, poles were heavy and so flexible that shaky hands caused the tip to wiggle, endangering the model. Kevlar poles are lighter and much stiffer, making precise steering easier to learn.
- In flat-ceiling sites within reach of the top of the pole, there is a danger of snagging the ceiling so that the pole tip could whip forward into the model. This disrupts your aim and timing and can ruin your whole day if you hit the model. Avoid leaving the pole in the flight area when finished; someone might trip on it and fall or crush it.
Selecting and preparing balloons and poles
- Choose a balloon appropriate to the site to help you steer more accurately. If the pole isn't quite long enough, avoid standing on tiptoe — that is unsafe for you and the model. It is often possible to modify your pole by adding an extension or replacing it with a longer pole.
- Aluminum tubing attached to the bottom of the pole increases reach.
- Precision aluminum tubing attached in place of a floppy top section makes a stiffer pole that works better.
- Attach a scrap of brightly colored rag to the tip; that helps you see exactly where the tip is if the ceiling area isn't well lit.
Balloon lift and handling
- Be sure your balloon has enough lift to maintain a tight line; otherwise you are trying to control a long, limp noodle. If the balloon has lost helium it will lag behind so that it isn't directly above your hand — like trying to steer with a kite; it can't be done reliably.
- Small party balloons (e.g., red 11-inch) with light thread can work at around 30 feet, but they may only hold lift for a couple of hours before becoming unusable.
- A high-ceiling balloon can't be used safely in a low-ceiling site such as an armory; the roof lattice of rusty steel may puncture the balloon. Underinflating to make it fit may also cause rapid loss of lift.
High-capacity balloons
- True high-ceiling balloons (e.g., weather balloons) can hold enough helium to lift several pounds. Use a deep-sea-fishing reel with an extended handle to hold it down, play out line to working altitude, then wind it down quickly. The reel should have only enough line to reach from the floor to approximately 4 feet from the ceiling.
- Ensure the line is attached to the spool so the balloon cannot fly away. If the reel isn't heavy enough it can float to the ceiling and stay there until the balloon loses lift — hang a wrench or other weight on the reel to hold it down.
Final notes
- Practice steering well before contest day so you know how your models respond.
- Always exercise caution around propellers and ceilings, and inspect and repair models after any contact.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
