Free Flight: Indoor
LOOK SHARP! That applies two ways to the Rubber Speed event; first, it often is run for short periods on a fixed time schedule, so you have to be sure not to miss it. Second, the flight judges need to watch carefully to be sure a model hasn't "cut" a pylon. What's he mumbling about? Well, a new event on the scene at a few contests is called Rubber Speed or Circle Speed or Peanut Speed-but the event is a challenge, whatever you call it. The rules call for two pylons to be 20 ft. apart, and the model is required to take off and make two complete circles around the pylons. The score is based on the elapsed time required for the model to complete two full laps-the faster the model, the lower the time and the better the score.
Free Flight: Indoor
MAKE READY! This is the time of the year that Indoor fliers begin to think about the upcoming contest season. Don't do like I do-put off looking at the models until the night before the contest. I usually find out that there are warps in the paper-covered models, holes in the microfilm models, and the only rubber I have stripped is for the model that was destroyed last spring while trying to balloon it down from the rafters! Besides all that, I used the last of the patching film last spring, and there isn't a single sheet of film in storage. Wise up!
Free Flight: Indoor
GOOD NEWS FIRST! The last column told a tale of woe-how the New York City area fliers were looking gloomily toward the loss of two of their regular sites. Although they have not replaced the Nassau County Arena in Long Beach, the latest word is that they have reestablished contacts to allow flying in the Low Library Rotunda at Columbia University. Then, in Florida, John Martin's MIAMA club has again been able to schedule activity in the Goodyear Hangar at Opa Locka Airport in Miami.
Free Flight: Indoor
MORE GLOOM AND DOOM. The previous column (March 1984) carried glad tidings of business as usual at West Baden. We had to publish a disclaimer on that in the April 1984 "Competition Newsletter," since the traditional type of Indoor Week will no longer be possible at the Atrium. I'm sorry about this release of bad information, but we all just knew that the site would be available again! Unfortunately, the new owner of the Atrium is remarkably insensitive to the needs of Indoor fliers! The process of renovation to produce a new resort hotel out of the building may include a swimming pool and other amenities in the Atrium incompatible with Indoor flying. So passes a marvelous site which holds happy memories for many of us.
Free Flight: Indoor
GOOD NEWS, AGAIN! As I was typing this column, Tony Italiano called to say that he had finally worked out the details on Indoor Week. The site will be the Michigan State Fair Coliseum in Detroit. Indoor Week, which includes John Martin's Peanut Bash, will run from Sunday, June 17 through Friday, June 22, 1984. If this is the first you've heard of this, you will want to know that Tony will send you a flyer and entry blank if you send him a business-sized SASE. Those of you who sent one in response to the last column need not repeat-you should have your info before you see this, due to publication lead times.
