Letters to the Editor
5161 E. Memorial Dr., Muncie IN 47302
Corrections
The report published in Joyce Hager’s November “View from HQ” column was written by John Beckman. He can be contacted at [email protected] for further information about producing a Radio Control air show.
There were a couple of errors in the “AMA Gala 2001” article in the November issue.
The photo on the bottom left of page 26 has an incorrect caption. Shown are Ed Peltz (Fort Wayne IN) and Terry Conley (West Bloomfield MI) with Terry’s Cleveland Playboy.
Dave Arendt, co-owner of Sig Manufacturing, was mistakenly identified as Don Arendt.
Our apologies.
MA staff
Carrying on
On September 15, 2001 I was a spectator at a Giant Scale Fly-In hosted by the SPARKS Club of Pittsburgh PA. Although the nation was freshly mourning the horrific terrorist attack, the decision was made to proceed with the scheduled event.
Because I arrived early, I was able to speak with a number of others — spectators, not participants — and none expressed any reservation about the decision.
The halftime presentation involved appropriate and meaningful comments about our national distress and featured the flight of an American-flag-tango J-3 Cub, accompanied by clear and stirring recorded renditions of the national anthem and taps. An all-in-all moving experience.
There followed a loudspeaker address of an unidentified woman with a clear and forceful voice who soundly denounced the fliers for performing at a time when the nation was in mourning and “everything else was shut down.”
She spoke rather eloquently but overlong, and what became a diatribe was followed by absolute dead silence. The emcee commented that in this country of free speech, the speaker had the right to express her opinion, and the club was willing to offer her the opportunity to speak out.
Shortly thereafter, an unidentified male speaker, perhaps a club member, reminded the group that our president had suggested that the nation attempt to return to some semblance of normalcy as soon as possible.
He stated that he was former military and didn’t take these things lightly, a seeming reference to the situation and to the club’s decision to carry on with the meet. He ended with the observation that our country will meet this challenge. His remarks were rewarded with enthusiastic applause from seemingly all attendees.
On the way home I passed many local sports events being played, shoppers carrying on with life, joggers, walkers, and streams of traffic. “God Bless America” signs abounded at commercial establishments that were open for business.
I also learned that the decisions to defer many professional sporting events considered several issues, including the personal feelings of players, the unavailability of air transportation, and the potential for additional terrorist attacks upon large crowds assembled in rather confined spaces.
I believe that the decisions of the SPARKS club to go on with the meet and to offer a dissenting voice a vehicle to be heard were most commendable. The dissent caused me to think long and hard about the issues at hand and to finally resolve any lingering doubt in favor of the host club and its mature and America-like posture.
Oh yes, the fly-in itself was top-shelf. I will be eagerly looking for it again next year.
Tom Badsthimer Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Electrifying
I was delighted to learn (Mike Garton’s “Radio Control Soaring,” MA, page 95, August 2001) that the Paragon three-meter glider is still available from Sky Bench Aerotech.
At the suggestion of a member of the League of Silent Flight, in ’97 I bought the “last kit on the shelf” from a popular vendor.
Living in the Arizona desert at the time, where space for winches and hi-starts are scarce, I “electrified” it using a Leisure long-nose 3:1 gear coupled to a cheap truck motor (Magnetic Mayhem) and a 13 x 7.5 Sonic folder prop. It has been a superb performer, flight times limited mostly by the “neck stiff” phenomenon with the great thermals found here in AZ.
Despite the sarcastic put-downs I’ve gotten at the local hobby shop that Electrics “just can’t fly” here (elevation 5,500 feet), the Paragon launches with great authority, seemingly loving the self-powered independence.
I’ve gone into this detail to acquaint beginners or old-timers that 1) the Paragon lives! and 2) it’s very easy to electrify, making it practical for flying in undeveloped locations.
T. V. Ryan Prescott, Arizona
Talking Builder of the Model
I indeed did find the opinions expressed by Jean Paillet in your October 2001 issue thought-provoking.
What makes our hobby so great is that it is many things to many different people. I think that the reason most of us got into model aviation is because we saw others flying model airplanes. The excitement of being able to participate in the freedom of flight is certainly what prompted me to buy my first model airplane. That was over 30 years ago.
There weren’t any ARF (Almost Ready-to-Fly) models available at that time I was bitten by the “flying bug.” I wasn’t sure I had the skills to build a model airplane but felt that I could learn to fly one.
I remember walking around a flying field, stopping to ask questions and admire the models. One of the modelers said he would be happy to teach me to fly using his trainer. Once I learned to solo, I purchased the trainer from the modeler.
I’ve since built and flown many models, but what got me started in this terrific hobby was the ability to start flying without having to first build a model. I obtain great satisfaction in making balsa sheets and sticks turn into wonderful flying models, but the enjoyment for me remains in the flying. Judging by the popularity of ARF models today, I am not the only one who feels this way.
To answer Paillet’s question, “Wouldn’t competing (and particularly winning) with one’s own creation be more satisfying and a greater accomplishment?” I would say that it depends on the type of competition.
There are competitions where the participants must build and fly their own models. Other events are solely a test of flying skills. Certainly there is nothing wrong with this multifaceted hobby supporting both these types of competition.
Paillet even admits that the views expressed in the letter are “a bit extremist.” So long as our choice of participating in this hobby is not so limited, I can respect those opinions. At least Paillet didn’t so far as to say that we should be designing and building our own engines too.
Charles R. Varvaro Norco, California
Your “Now You’re Talking” in the [October] Model Aviation is a masterpiece. I don’t think anyone else has described the AMA situation so well and so succinctly.
Having said that, I don’t think there is, or can be, a solution, or solutions, to the problem. In fact, it would be hard to convince most of the AMA membership that a problem exists!
You describe three facets of the hobby:
Design: This has always been a rather small group of people. I think all of us in FF [Free Flight] try our own designs on occasion, but most of us are either not talented or unwilling to study the aerodynamics and other factors thoroughly enough. Designing our own is not so important, but we are eager to build the good designs of others. During it is our building that today's competitors diverge from those of us who grew up in a time when flying a model built by someone else meant you were cheating. Like the 14-year-old Little Leaguer, if you were caught, theoretically, you lost your trophy and your reputation.
The anti-BOMI (Builders-of-the-Model-Rule) faction says that in other forms of competition you don't have to build your machine. Like a soccer, a jockey, a race-driver, a fisherman, even a pilot, your skills determine your success in the competition, not whether you made the club, mailed the score, or tied the flies.
Again, wrong emphasis, in my view. Building is important. Some of us build to fly; some of us fly to build. Building gives us a deeper appreciation of what we fly and why it performs as it does.
Today, segment #8 is the most important. Flying, or more accurately, piloting, is what most AMA members do in their hobby. Thus the majority of AMA members now do only one-third of the activities for which the organization was founded.
I'm not going into the sociology of why this is so other than to say that a lot of time-based (it's also much easier to claim back of time and buy an ARF when you’re too busy to build). I'm not ignoring the many RC (Radio Control) folks who build their models, but their "Tired of it or I'll sell it" philosophy is also part of the ARF or RTF (Ready-to-Fly) culture.
There's no way to change this. We have gone from an organization based on builders to one which gets most dues from pilots. So be it. I don't see any way to apply BOM to international competition nor to any AMA RC events. Too late. AMA has to be persuaded to serve both groups.
Don Tynond and I have been talking this thing around and come to some conclusions. We don't necessarily agree with each other, but we are in accord on one thing: AMA Free Flight is about the only place where BOM is appropriate or important. In R/C and Control Line, piloting is the supreme function.
AMA should always encourage members to be really involved by building their own aircraft, but by no flight society by making rules which are seldom observed? Actually, it seems to me that most top CL people do build their own but RC is a different world.
Tynond says that I (and perhaps you) don't really want AMA to serve both the builder and nonbuilder groups, that we want AMA to be the "purist" organization of 50 or more years ago, insisting that all modelers be builders. That's bunk, but ...
I would like to see some method instituted to give special recognition to competitors who build and fly their own models. Somehow I get all warm and fuzzy thinking about someone like yourself, winning with an original, self-built design, competing against a flock of assembly-line products from Verbitsky Corporation.
I know, you'll say that there's no credit for designing the model either, but I think I covered that at the beginning of this.
Unfortunately, I have not yet figured out how the recognition of the builder would be judged or presented.
There are endless fine points to be made, such as how important it might be to build your own Wakefield front end instead of buying one. If you use a mass-produced tube for your fuselage, does that negate BOM? We've seen mass-produced engines, timers, and other hardware for years; don't they go against BOM?
Never mind. It was a wonderful time when AMA had only FF and Control Line, and people were expected to build their own. BOM can perhaps be saved in AMA Free Flight with a lot of noise from members and support from NFFS (the National Free Flight Society).
Your most graphic example, the two guys flying the same airplane, makes me ill, but I wonder, again, how many people recognize that this is a problem?
Once again, wonderful job of writing.
W. F. Harris Wheeling, West Virginia
Grateful for the Help
I am green as grass. I am one of the new people who show up one day and say, "I want to learn to fly!" It may be some experienced flyers' worst nightmare or a new challenge. In my case it was good luck on my part.
I found a Web page for Gateway RC of Jacksonville, Florida and contacted the president of the club. Via E-mail we discussed learning to fly. I had a list of trainers that I was considering building, and he made suggestions on what airplane to build and put me in touch with two very competent fliers who enjoy teaching.
I met my instructor Donnie Davis at the field one day after exchanging E-mails, to show him the progress I was making on building my trainer (SIG LT-40). He gave me an application for the AMA and told me all the benefits of joining.
During my training period, I learned a great deal from Donnie. He has great patience and experience. I graduated from the buddy box and trainer cord, and now can take off, fly, and land in the manner that the airplane was designed. But I still consider myself learning!
I began learning late in life also (50), and I approached everything the same way. I was grateful that someone was taking the time to help me and took in all the instructions, hints, tips, etc., with much gratitude. I came with "my hat in hand" so to say.
I have learned that flying is more than just fueling up and going out and flying. You can always help someone else. Help hold the airplane while adjusting the engine. Be the extra set of eyes before takeoff, during radio range checks, and while someone is flying. If someone lands dead-stick and I am closer to the airplane, I will chase it down for the pilots or he will not have to walk down the runway.
The little things mean a lot. My hat is off to all who take the time to train us newbies! Some day I hope to try to help someone who asks for my help.
J. D. Owens Jacksonville, Florida
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
