The Inside Loop - 2008/09

ood pilots come from all over, but
how to tell whether a pilot is truly
“good” takes another good pilot.
Good pilots have something in them that is
contagious; I call it skill. How do I know?
Because I’ve found that the more time I
spend with good pilots, the more I seem to
become like one of them. Not as good, but at
least similar.
The Extreme Flight Championships
(XFC) is where a lot of good pilots come to
find out who out of the group is really good.
To some, events such as these appear to be
high-class trials where Unobtainium and that
ailment called skill are honed to bring forth
the best of the good pilots. An XFC title, as is
that of so many other admirable events, is an
honorable mention to the individual that can
lead to career development.
To the competitors, XFC honors their
efforts and influences. Those influences came
from good pilots like you and me. To the
spectators, who are typically RC enthusiasts,
the benefit is far more valuable. They too
want to be good pilots, but the competitive
environment isn’t really the place for idle
chitchat. Sometimes these good pilots come
off brash or snooty. I’d be stressed out too.
Down the road, what the XFC fraternity
produces is good pilots who go home, or to
local events, and the spectator or club
member can then take the time to relate to the
good pilots on a more personal level; they’re
in a better mood. It’s not long before the
spectator is infected with skill, and the
practice of good showmanship grows on.
Should there be more events around the
country like the XFC? Hey, I’ll go! They
entertain and benefit the hobby/sport.
However, people don’t have to go to an XFC.
Instead, they might prefer to visit/participate
in a local event, and if the timing is right an
XFC veteran will put on a demonstration.
The spectator will likely find that these
pilots are very approachable. Don’t be
bashful; they enjoy helping others and talking
about what’s worked well for them.
Behind the scenes at this year’s XFC, I
was able to help the sponsors and, along with
volunteers from the Munsee Sky Chiefs RC
club, we trained new pilots all weekend on
the back of the AMA’s International
Aeromodeling Center. Hobbico gave us the
trainers, and all we had to do was show the
visitors how much fun it was to fly a model
airplane.
To these beginners, we were the good
pilots. And that’s a special feeling that’s hard
to match.
I’m honored every month to feature
projects from good pilots. This month, in
contrast to the enormous and complex
machines featured in Ben Lanterman’s
coverage of the XFC, what better way to
anneal the Unobtainium than with a great
project from Dick Sarpolus? His revisit of a
1949 favorite Stunt model is exactly what the
Editor Michael Ramsey
[email protected]
G
doctor ordered for relaxing building and
sport aerobatics.
Dick pointed out that even though the
model has been presented with modern
building methods, it should still be legal for
flying in Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots
Association (PAMPA) Old Time Stunt. We
sent the plans and related documents to the
PAMPA board to put the question to bed—
and we got the thumbs up.
Major events like the Southeast Electric
Flight Festival (SEFF) are becoming more
intensely attended each year. Dave Terry
donned his camping gear and reported on
this event for us, and I think his unique skill
with his words and pictures will surely
populate this event and events like it in the
seasons to come.
Surely SEFF is among the most
organized, and there are a number of factors
that make it popular. If your club is looking
to have such an event, pay close attention to
what’s visible in the article; keep going in
your research and check out the online
resources such as RCGroups. AMA events
make a difference in how successfully our
hobby/sport is experienced.
We enjoy presenting events like SEFF
and the XFC in MA because they reflect a
great deal of what’s popular and innovative
in the hobby. Likewise, if an AMA club
wants its event to be successful, we hope
that what we’ve presented here in these
pages offers incentive and inspiration for all
aeromodeling pilots to seek out the bug and
be infected by skill. MA