NEAT Fair 2005
By Michael Ramsey
If your idea of a fun vacation is to go fly model airplanes, congratulations! There's a place where you can join hundreds of other model-aviation fanatics: an event called the Northeast Electric Aircraft Technology, or NEAT, Fair.
I call it a vacation because the spot selected for this electric-only event is deep in the wooded terrain of the Catskill Mountains in New York state. September is the perfect time to visit because the summer heat is past and the area has toned down from all the hustle and bustle (if there is such a thing in that part of the country) of vacationers wandering through from around the globe.
Through the efforts of CD Tom Hunt and the tremendous volunteer support from the Silent Electric Flyers of Long Island (SEFLI) model airplane club, this year's NEAT Fair, held September 17–19, was a landmark event. More than 225 pilots registered, bringing models of every size and shape from across the United States, Canada, and even overseas.
The format for the weekend was primarily fun-fly, but the CD extraordinaire covertly sought out the finest scale model and the best sport model for the end-of-event honors of Best in Scale and Best in Sport. Among these honorees was a pilot who logged the most flights. All of the award winners were recognized in the "In the Air" section in the December 2005 MA.
There was one other contest, the first of its kind I'll bet, that pertained to night-flying and pylon racing. I'll get into that shortly.
Location and atmosphere
Many things make the NEAT Fair special, one of which is that it's a great flying event held at a fantasy location in the picturesque mountains of the northern Appalachians. Many people would want to come here for a weekend getaway, so why not bring an airplane? The location is actually a campsite within a wide, open valley through which the Delaware River winds. The name "Peaceful Valley" is perfectly fitting for this beautiful slice of Americana. The atmosphere is friendly and the accommodations have that country flair. If you're a nature-loving person who loves to hit the great outdoors, I recommend a visit. Oh, and while you're packing those hiking boots, load up an airplane. This is a place to get away from it all, including cellphone service.
What's included
Another thing that makes the NEAT Fair special is that it's three; no wait, four; excuse me, five events in one. When you come to the NEAT Fair to enjoy flying your airplane, you can also pitch a tent, listen to the birds, and attend one or more of the long list of symposiums bursting with talented guest speakers teaching about many aspects of electric modeling. The lectures alone are worth the price of attendance. Sergio Zigras is to be thanked for rounding up this special part of the event. From motors to batteries to top-secret nanoaircraft, there was a great deal to learn.
The NEAT Fair functioned as:
- A fun-fly (flying and casual competition)
- A symposium (lectures and demonstrations)
- A trade show (manufacturers and distributors exhibiting)
- An indoor-flying showcase
- An air show (noon demonstration flying) and night-flying events
Exhibitors and manufacturers
Manufacturers and distributors exhibited their electric-modeling goods at the NEAT Fair. It was like an outdoor flea market, only with stuff you really wanted to buy. Tents were lined up along the quarter-mile stretch of the event site. The products displayed under those canopies were on the flightline all weekend. It's a show-and-tell theater that influences manufacturers to talk the talk and walk the walk. This is where many new releases are debuted to the modeling public.
Some of the active manufacturers included:
- Hobby Lobby
- Esprit Model
- Northeast Sailplane Products
These companies flew the airplanes that are bought and sold on the hobby-shop shelves. The bonus was seeing their favorite setups because these models were their own creations, and they were done right.
Special guests and builders
On the flip side, the NEAT Fair offers modelers the opportunity to showcase their aircraft before the manufacturers. People such as Ales Pelikan—who owns Model Motors and produces the extremely popular AXI motors—made a special trip from the Czech Republic as a survey and fact-finding venture to see his products used in the field. Ales is friendly and eager to hear comments about his product. The idea is that what he learned by coming out to talk to us will spill over into an even better product down the road.
It was encouraging to see all the revamped and scratch-built creations, greatly rejuvenated by the advantages of electric power. Electric power excites the tinkerer and invites modelers to dream-build that special project. ARF converts were exceedingly popular.
Indoor flying
Saturday night at the Downsville High School, less than a half-hour away, a standing-room-only crowd of spectators packed the gymnasium to witness high-performance and minimal-performance aircraft and helicopters. Gordon Johnson directs this event at every NEAT Fair. High technology never looked so simple. Who would have thought that RC aircraft could weigh less than an ounce?
Air show and demonstration flying
The NEAT Fair was also an air show. Each day the noon demonstration flying was scheduled for an hour, but Tom Hunt found that his assembly of talented attendees was overflowing and had to extend the demonstration time to almost two hours. An event such as this attracts major players from within the hobby. Expert pilots and builders were featured during this special time to highlight their talent and hopefully inspire those watching to pursue their hobby interests to the next level.
Night flying and pylon racing
Last on the activity list was the "official" night-flying event, which to my knowledge remained un-named. I call it official because night-flying went on regardless.
From my rented cabin near the end of the runway I could see shimmering LEDs and Glowire dancing about the sky into the wee hours of the night. Then, come morning, obviously fresh off charge, these models flew again at dawn by pilots who I could swear were still in their pajamas.
Official night-flying was a single event in which rules dictated that only aircraft weighing less than 8 ounces total were allowed to compete. The competition involved a racecourse. Along the track outline were helium-filled balloons, which effectively made it into an obstacle course. The balloons were illuminated with tiny light sticks. The shape of the racetrack was a figure-eight.
In addition, this was not just a race; it was also a game of dogfights. If the pilot hit or released one of the balloons, bonus points were awarded. The object of the race was to fly the course and complete 10 laps within a four-minute time frame, all the while trying to bust balloons. During this time the pilot also had to avoid the other three competitors who were trying to complete the same task.
If you can think of a name for this contest, be sure to let Tom Hunt know; it's his baby.
If that painted a picture for you, you could imagine being in stitches laughing the whole time during the contest. The event was contested by 12 pilots in two rounds. I suspect the winner was victorious not just because of skill but by the process of elimination, in that he was the last one standing (still flying) at the end. Bravo! This is one night-fly I'd come back to see.
Banquet
Friday night was the NEAT Fair banquet. I don't count that as an event since it deals with food, but it was memorable. There wasn't a single airplane there, but some nice hobby-related prizes were given away that included a JR radio and some Li-Poly batteries that would be nice to have. Out of respect I must comment that the food was excellent, as were the guests at the banquet.
Final thoughts
What I found most significant about the NEAT Fair was the modelers it attracted. They were everyday people like you and me, out having a good time. I spent a great deal of time at the NEAT Fair just hanging around the flightline. This gave me an opportunity to give pilots the limelight and showcase their models in action. I didn't see everything; if you search other leading publications and the Internet you'll probably get the full impact of this event.
MA
Michael Ramsey [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
