but who’s
counting? We have
too many great
friends, and the
kids have way too
much fun to pass
up a week in
Indiana.
If you have
never experienced
the Nats, make it a
priority to attend
this year. You eat, breathe, and sleep
Pylon Racing for an entire week, with an
extraordinarily supportive and helpful
group of people. It is a modeling
experience you will carry with you the rest
of your life.
ParkZone T-28 Racing: Now that I’m in
a new area of the country, I will be trying
to spread the RC Pylon Racing addiction I
have enjoyed for close to 25 years. This
part of the world does not have a strong
history of the event; it will take some time
to develop interest from enough modelers
to make it a reality.
Randy Meathrell submitted the
following excerpt about a form of racing
that has been successful. It might be worth
considering, to start building a Pylon
Racing foundation in your area—or mine.
“The Chino Valley Model Aviators
(Arizona), CVMA, have been racing the
Parkzone T-28 for the last two years and
are having a blast. The T-28 is the perfect
126 MODEL AVIATION
ParkZone T-28 racing
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Pylon Racing Aaron “AJ” Seaholm
Also included in this column:
• “Aggressively Conservative
Game Plan”
• Fred Burgdorf’s final flight
Left: Members of the Chino Valley Model
Aviators in Arizona have been racing the
ParkZone T-28 for two years and,
according to Randy Meathrell, are having
a blast!
Below: The CVMA T-28 racecourse uses
two pylons set 300 feet apart, with the
start/finish line in the middle.
GREETINGS FROM South Dakota!
This is the first article I have written from
my new home in Rapid City. I want to
take a few lines to discuss the move and
the friends I left behind in Kansas City.
I was raised in Billings, Montana, and
my wife, Michele, is from Rapid City. She
secured a job offer here as an assistant
principal and couldn’t pass it up.
I stayed in Missouri to find
employment and get our home sold and,
as fate would have it, both occurred in the
same week, after only three months. That
seemed like an eternity to be away from
my wife and kids, but it was a fairly short
period of time in the grand scheme of
things.
One of the key decision points was to
get our young children closer to
grandparents. We had grown very close to
a number of people in Kansas City; most
were friends developed through
aeromodeling and local Pylon Racing.
It was difficult to leave town, although
I am confident that those friendships will
last many years. A great part about
modeling and Pylon is that the people one
meets often become lifelong friends who
transcend racing “toy airplanes.”
On the way home from the Nats last
year, Michele and I decided that we will
continue to make our yearly trek to
Muncie. The Nats is a part of who we are
as a family, and we will not step away
from our roots because of the couple extra
miles to get there.
Well it’s closer to 600 miles farther,
aircraft to get into racing since it is
relatively slow (you don’t need nerves of
steel), very maneuverable and an
inexpensive way to get racing.
“The T-28 is also a fun flying sport
model and trainer. Replacement parts are
also readily available.
“The Chino T-28’s must be left
completely stock, no changes are allowed
to the airframe, motor or propeller. Any 3
cell size Lithium polymer, Lipo, battery
can be used. Most members use the
Hyperion VX G3 Lipo for its fast recharge
capability although the new Nano
Technology fast charge batteries from
several manufacturers should also work
well.
“They have had as many as 20 racers
show up on race day, and that is from a
club with only about 100 members. They
try to break the racers into two classes,
Standard (Novice) and Expert.
“The number of classes depends on the
number of pilot entries. Any Standard pilot
that wins the Standard class for the day is
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/20/10 8:18 AM Page 126
automatically raised to the Expert class.
“The race course is set up with two
pylons 300 feet apart with the start finish
line set in the middle of the course. An air
start is used with a 10 second count down
to get the race started. They fly 7 laps
around the course and try to get in at least
4 heats during each event.
“They usually have 4 aircraft per
round, but on occasion will have 5 planes
at one time. The advent of new radios
using 2.4 Ghz makes frequency control
very easy.
“The CVMA has made their pylons
using plastic 20 gallon containers filled
with cement, which weigh around 50
pounds each. A pipe was set into the
concrete that holds a 15 foot upright pipe
that is the pylon. The tip of the pipe is
painted red and yes they have had a 31
ounce racer knock over a pylon—amazing!
“They don’t use timers for their races.
If there is a tie a fly off is used to
determine the winner.
“They use a pylon judge at each pylon
to record cuts. A single cut means the pilot
gets only 1 point for that race and a second
cut means a zero for that round. They use a
caller/lap counter, for each pilot and notify
race officials when their pilot is flying his
final lap.
“Four points are given for 1st place, 3
for 2nd place, 2 for 3rd place and 1 for 4th
place. The racer with the most points at the
end of the day is the winner of that class.
“Parkzone T-28 electric pylon racing is
a great way to get club members involved
in pylon racing. Give it a try and see how
much excitement you can have.”
Tactics and Techniques—“Aggressively
Conservative Game Plan.” The what? I
heard Randy Bridge use this description of
his flying style a couple years ago.
Not that I worship Randy or anything,
as my wife, Michele, may lead you to
believe, but I do have a great admiration
for the team that he and Travis Flynn have
built. They are arguably—I argue that they
are—the most successful pair in the current
Pylon Racing era, and perhaps ever.
Randy and Travis have amassed six
overall National Championships, countless
big race wins, and a World Championship.
So I’ve watched these two closely
throughout the years, to figure out what
makes them so tough to beat.
Randy and Travis also exemplify the
no-hesitation information exchange that I
believe makes RC Pylon Racing unique.
Both are approachable and will divulge
everything they’re doing, be it propellers,
engine setup, needling, etc. All you have to
do is ask, and I encourage you to do so the
next time you’re at a race with them.
The Aggressively Conservative Game
Plan in the simplest terms means that you
can’t win if you do something stupid such
as cut or crash.
One area that has made Scott Causey
and me successful in the past few seasons
is the reduced number of bonehead
mistakes and the impact of the remaining
mistakes. By developing a reputation of
not making errors, you place the pressure
squarely on your competitors.
We’ve had some breaks of late, but
we’ve also minimized the impact of our
mistakes. The effect of a misstep makes or
breaks your event.
Let’s say you make a mistake on the
needle or on the ultracritical first lap of a
heat, and somebody gets an early lead.
Don’t compound that situation by cutting a
pylon while trying to catch up. That will
turn a probable 1- to 2-point mistake,
meaning a second- or third-place heat
finish, into a 3- to 4-point mistake. Headto-
head AMA-style Pylon Racing is all
about amassing points.
Another way to think about the
Conservatively Aggressive Game Plan is
that you need only fly fast enough to win
the heat. If you go out there every time to
set Fast Time, you’re going to amass a
long list of mistakes. With the “Fast Time
Aggressive” strategy, you steal the margin
for error primarily at Pylon One.
If you’re a half-lap out, your caller
should instinctually back you off a bit to
get some margin for error back at Pylon
One. If he or she doesn’t, all it takes is a
slightly blown line to Pylon One or a
slight change in wind speed, and boom,
you post a cut and likely a couple-point
mistake.
Fly hard enough to win the heat and
don’t let 1-point errors turn into bigger
ones. This technique probably won’t
accelerate you to a win right away, but in
the long run you will see more consistent
finishes as your skills continue to
develop.
In Loving Memory of a Fallen Friend:
On August 31, 2010, the RC Pylon
community lost a tremendous competitor,
Pylon supporter, and friend. Fred
Burgdorf passed after a long battle with
cancer. His influence on the sport and
accomplishments will not be forgotten.
Godspeed, Fred. MA
Sources:
Chino Valley Model Aviators
www.cvma-online.com
ParkZone
(800) 338-4639
www.parkzone.com
National Miniature Pylon Racing
Association
www.nmpra.org
February 2011 127
Pete Reed (L) and Fred Burgdorf (R) were
huge figures in RC Pylon Racing. Both
passed in 2010 and will be dearly missed by
their racing family.
Randy Bridge and Travis Flynn prepare to exercise the “Conservatively Aggressive
Game Plan” during a 2008 heat in Phoenix AZ.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/20/10 8:18 AM Page 127
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/02
Page Numbers: 126,127
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/02
Page Numbers: 126,127
but who’s
counting? We have
too many great
friends, and the
kids have way too
much fun to pass
up a week in
Indiana.
If you have
never experienced
the Nats, make it a
priority to attend
this year. You eat, breathe, and sleep
Pylon Racing for an entire week, with an
extraordinarily supportive and helpful
group of people. It is a modeling
experience you will carry with you the rest
of your life.
ParkZone T-28 Racing: Now that I’m in
a new area of the country, I will be trying
to spread the RC Pylon Racing addiction I
have enjoyed for close to 25 years. This
part of the world does not have a strong
history of the event; it will take some time
to develop interest from enough modelers
to make it a reality.
Randy Meathrell submitted the
following excerpt about a form of racing
that has been successful. It might be worth
considering, to start building a Pylon
Racing foundation in your area—or mine.
“The Chino Valley Model Aviators
(Arizona), CVMA, have been racing the
Parkzone T-28 for the last two years and
are having a blast. The T-28 is the perfect
126 MODEL AVIATION
ParkZone T-28 racing
[[email protected]]
Radio Control Pylon Racing Aaron “AJ” Seaholm
Also included in this column:
• “Aggressively Conservative
Game Plan”
• Fred Burgdorf’s final flight
Left: Members of the Chino Valley Model
Aviators in Arizona have been racing the
ParkZone T-28 for two years and,
according to Randy Meathrell, are having
a blast!
Below: The CVMA T-28 racecourse uses
two pylons set 300 feet apart, with the
start/finish line in the middle.
GREETINGS FROM South Dakota!
This is the first article I have written from
my new home in Rapid City. I want to
take a few lines to discuss the move and
the friends I left behind in Kansas City.
I was raised in Billings, Montana, and
my wife, Michele, is from Rapid City. She
secured a job offer here as an assistant
principal and couldn’t pass it up.
I stayed in Missouri to find
employment and get our home sold and,
as fate would have it, both occurred in the
same week, after only three months. That
seemed like an eternity to be away from
my wife and kids, but it was a fairly short
period of time in the grand scheme of
things.
One of the key decision points was to
get our young children closer to
grandparents. We had grown very close to
a number of people in Kansas City; most
were friends developed through
aeromodeling and local Pylon Racing.
It was difficult to leave town, although
I am confident that those friendships will
last many years. A great part about
modeling and Pylon is that the people one
meets often become lifelong friends who
transcend racing “toy airplanes.”
On the way home from the Nats last
year, Michele and I decided that we will
continue to make our yearly trek to
Muncie. The Nats is a part of who we are
as a family, and we will not step away
from our roots because of the couple extra
miles to get there.
Well it’s closer to 600 miles farther,
aircraft to get into racing since it is
relatively slow (you don’t need nerves of
steel), very maneuverable and an
inexpensive way to get racing.
“The T-28 is also a fun flying sport
model and trainer. Replacement parts are
also readily available.
“The Chino T-28’s must be left
completely stock, no changes are allowed
to the airframe, motor or propeller. Any 3
cell size Lithium polymer, Lipo, battery
can be used. Most members use the
Hyperion VX G3 Lipo for its fast recharge
capability although the new Nano
Technology fast charge batteries from
several manufacturers should also work
well.
“They have had as many as 20 racers
show up on race day, and that is from a
club with only about 100 members. They
try to break the racers into two classes,
Standard (Novice) and Expert.
“The number of classes depends on the
number of pilot entries. Any Standard pilot
that wins the Standard class for the day is
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/20/10 8:18 AM Page 126
automatically raised to the Expert class.
“The race course is set up with two
pylons 300 feet apart with the start finish
line set in the middle of the course. An air
start is used with a 10 second count down
to get the race started. They fly 7 laps
around the course and try to get in at least
4 heats during each event.
“They usually have 4 aircraft per
round, but on occasion will have 5 planes
at one time. The advent of new radios
using 2.4 Ghz makes frequency control
very easy.
“The CVMA has made their pylons
using plastic 20 gallon containers filled
with cement, which weigh around 50
pounds each. A pipe was set into the
concrete that holds a 15 foot upright pipe
that is the pylon. The tip of the pipe is
painted red and yes they have had a 31
ounce racer knock over a pylon—amazing!
“They don’t use timers for their races.
If there is a tie a fly off is used to
determine the winner.
“They use a pylon judge at each pylon
to record cuts. A single cut means the pilot
gets only 1 point for that race and a second
cut means a zero for that round. They use a
caller/lap counter, for each pilot and notify
race officials when their pilot is flying his
final lap.
“Four points are given for 1st place, 3
for 2nd place, 2 for 3rd place and 1 for 4th
place. The racer with the most points at the
end of the day is the winner of that class.
“Parkzone T-28 electric pylon racing is
a great way to get club members involved
in pylon racing. Give it a try and see how
much excitement you can have.”
Tactics and Techniques—“Aggressively
Conservative Game Plan.” The what? I
heard Randy Bridge use this description of
his flying style a couple years ago.
Not that I worship Randy or anything,
as my wife, Michele, may lead you to
believe, but I do have a great admiration
for the team that he and Travis Flynn have
built. They are arguably—I argue that they
are—the most successful pair in the current
Pylon Racing era, and perhaps ever.
Randy and Travis have amassed six
overall National Championships, countless
big race wins, and a World Championship.
So I’ve watched these two closely
throughout the years, to figure out what
makes them so tough to beat.
Randy and Travis also exemplify the
no-hesitation information exchange that I
believe makes RC Pylon Racing unique.
Both are approachable and will divulge
everything they’re doing, be it propellers,
engine setup, needling, etc. All you have to
do is ask, and I encourage you to do so the
next time you’re at a race with them.
The Aggressively Conservative Game
Plan in the simplest terms means that you
can’t win if you do something stupid such
as cut or crash.
One area that has made Scott Causey
and me successful in the past few seasons
is the reduced number of bonehead
mistakes and the impact of the remaining
mistakes. By developing a reputation of
not making errors, you place the pressure
squarely on your competitors.
We’ve had some breaks of late, but
we’ve also minimized the impact of our
mistakes. The effect of a misstep makes or
breaks your event.
Let’s say you make a mistake on the
needle or on the ultracritical first lap of a
heat, and somebody gets an early lead.
Don’t compound that situation by cutting a
pylon while trying to catch up. That will
turn a probable 1- to 2-point mistake,
meaning a second- or third-place heat
finish, into a 3- to 4-point mistake. Headto-
head AMA-style Pylon Racing is all
about amassing points.
Another way to think about the
Conservatively Aggressive Game Plan is
that you need only fly fast enough to win
the heat. If you go out there every time to
set Fast Time, you’re going to amass a
long list of mistakes. With the “Fast Time
Aggressive” strategy, you steal the margin
for error primarily at Pylon One.
If you’re a half-lap out, your caller
should instinctually back you off a bit to
get some margin for error back at Pylon
One. If he or she doesn’t, all it takes is a
slightly blown line to Pylon One or a
slight change in wind speed, and boom,
you post a cut and likely a couple-point
mistake.
Fly hard enough to win the heat and
don’t let 1-point errors turn into bigger
ones. This technique probably won’t
accelerate you to a win right away, but in
the long run you will see more consistent
finishes as your skills continue to
develop.
In Loving Memory of a Fallen Friend:
On August 31, 2010, the RC Pylon
community lost a tremendous competitor,
Pylon supporter, and friend. Fred
Burgdorf passed after a long battle with
cancer. His influence on the sport and
accomplishments will not be forgotten.
Godspeed, Fred. MA
Sources:
Chino Valley Model Aviators
www.cvma-online.com
ParkZone
(800) 338-4639
www.parkzone.com
National Miniature Pylon Racing
Association
www.nmpra.org
February 2011 127
Pete Reed (L) and Fred Burgdorf (R) were
huge figures in RC Pylon Racing. Both
passed in 2010 and will be dearly missed by
their racing family.
Randy Bridge and Travis Flynn prepare to exercise the “Conservatively Aggressive
Game Plan” during a 2008 heat in Phoenix AZ.
02sig4.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 12/20/10 8:18 AM Page 127
