The Inside Loop - 2010/11

Most people flip out over the
smallest things. Take cooking for
example. Chef Ramsay (of
“Hell’s Kitchen” fame) screams and yells
all over the place, and for what? Who
cares if the parsley is on the wrong side of
the plate?
As for those really fancy dishes, I say
“Chill out!” Personally, I like my soufflé
unleavened. Try a hunk of it on a lightly
toasted bagel and you’ll taste what I
mean—it’s still good.
Take something more serious, like a
wedding. Now there’s a loving event that
can spin off into something ghastly—like a
reality show. Oh wait; it has.
With all good intentions, we plan for
every aspect, prepare for all contingencies
(less people not showing up), and hope for
the best. Lest we forget, the point of the
whole event is to celebrate and have a
good time.
A memorable time is up to each and
every person involved, including that guy
who plates up the entrées with the parsley
and compressed quiche.
You’re probably asking, “What does
this fluff mean about modeling?” Well, I
like food, but I’m not fond of planning
weddings. For the past five years I’ve seen
a wedding’s worth of effort go into a
national event on an annual basis. I think
the party hosts deserve a thank you.
I also think that the brides (you and I
know them as competitors) deserve a
handshake. As it turns out, as are their
hosts, they are our aeromodeling heroes.
On page 18 is MA’s tribute article to
the AMA Nats. We did it a little
differently this year, because the
comments received in the last four years
indicated that we weren’t doing enough.
So this year there is more in these pages,
not to mention that the NatsNews daily
publication is the best it has ever been.
If the photos and stories this month
strike you, jump online and have a look at
the daily newsletters. If you approve,
please send a note to Liz Helms, Ashley
Rauen, and Jennifer Orebaugh; they made
up the team that built it during the
summer. They will thank your favorite
authors too.
Having a well-run event is what attracts
competitors, and the AMA along with its
Special Interest Groups is what makes the
Nats happen. When you’re feasting on the
event feature, notice the list of Nats
management (the sponsors are special too).
That is a group of volunteers that frets
over the little things so that the big event
happens! They’re people like you and me,
who are able, amazingly, and willing to
devote an entire summer (and a good
portion of the year) to smoothly running a
contest with more than 1,200 participants.
If you don’t see national competition as
important, think about how crucial it is that the servos work in your airplane or that the
covering on the wings does its job. Maybe
control lines staying attached is a bad
thing?
Innovations and improvements always
take place at the AMA Nats. You don’t
have to participate to appreciate the
people and fun that good sportsmanship
breeds.
Lee Estingoy helps us out again this
month with the explanation of an
innovation. The Electronic Speed Control
(ESC) is a seemingly magical device that
is mostly responsible for making electric
power as popular as it is today.
Its evolution was somewhat different
from the norm, or perhaps I missed the
time when ESCs were available in kit
form. Brushless speed controls work
harder than you might think.
Another innovation that sprung out at
the AMA Nats is a new event that is
looking to catch on very quickly. Scott
McAfee conceived of Electric Formula
One, or EF1, two years ago, as a method
of making RC Pylon Racing more
popular. There is nothing really new in
that thought, but the approach taken to
develop the class is what helped make the
idea a reality.
Recognizing the popularity of ARFs,
the prototypes that were commissioned to
Jerry Small and others were immediately
presented to the manufacturing ilk. Those
with insight jumped on the project and
made it tantalizing to the average
modeler, with an average budget, so that
anyone can be cutting-edge competitive.
It will surely be a national event in 2011.
See you there. MA