TEAM SELECTION PROGRAMS IN PROGRESS
The Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) currently affords World Championships status to 10 categories of model aircraft, with about half of these events held each year—frequently in Europe. National teams are limited to three representatives; U.S. team members are chosen through AMA programs which are designed to allow all AMA members to participate and to select the very best competitors for the World Championships. Travel of team members to the various World Championships sites is financed through an allocation of AMA dues and over-ocean travel assistance of the National Aeronautic Association (of which AMA is its aeromodeling division).
There is an entry fee connected with each program which, up to now, has been primarily used for state-side travel by the teams, but a recent decision by AMA's board of directors (the Executive Council) has freed program entry fee money to be used for other purposes of benefit to the programs—but tied to approval by program participants. At least a portion of program entry fee money is held in escrow by AMA HQ to provide a reserve for over-ocean transportation (until a basic amount is accumulated) in case it should be needed later.
The only requirements for entering any of the team selection programs is possession of an AMA license with the FAI stamp, payment of the appropriate program entry fee, and a model conforming to the appropriate FAI rules. Specifications and flight rules for these models are in the AMA rule book. The most important details of the various team selection programs are described below.
RC Aerobatics
The wrap-up of the program begun in 1974 to select the U.S. RC Aerobatics Team will take place on June 28-29 this year at Rough River, Ky., in an event known as the RC Masters. Forty flyers will be vying for the three team member slots, consisting of the top 10 from the 1972 RC Masters, the top 10 from the 1973 National Contest, the top 10 from the 1974 Nationals entered in the team selection program, and the top 10 from the points part of the program in 1974. The team so chosen will compete in the World Championships in Berne, Switzerland, September 8-13, 1975. So the situation is that no new entries can be made in the current program. The next program is expected to begin in 1976, and announcements will be in these pages when the details have been firmed.
Scale (CL & RC)
Two U.S. Scale Teams, one for Control Line and one for Radio Control, will be chosen from among 1975 National Contest contestants in the Scale events who register in the Team Selection Program by paying a special fee (in addition to regular Nats fees) of $10.00 when models are left for Nats judging. No other pre-registration is necessary. CL or RC Scale models meeting either AMA or FAI rules may be entered in the Nats; both will be considered for team selection. Anyone who wins a place on the team with a model not meeting FAI rules will be required to build a model which complies before finally being accepted as a team member.
Teams so chosen will compete in the 1976 Scale World Championships slated for Bremen, Germany, probably in July. The 1975 National Contest is to be at Lake Charles, La., August 3-10, 1975. See article on page 4 for more Nats details and schedule.
Indoor
The program to select the U.S. team for the 1976 Indoor World Championships tentatively involves eight regional contests in 1975 and a single-site Team Finals tentatively at Santa Ana, Calif., August 30–September 1, 1975. All flyers are invited to participate in regional contests; the program fee at the regional contest is $10.00 payable either at the contest site or in advance to AMA Headquarters. Participation in at least two regional contests is needed, essentially, in order to possibly qualify for participation in the Team Finals—which requires the entrant's two-regional-contest score to be within 80% of the best nationwide two-regional-contest score (based on the entrant's best three rounds).
Team Finalists pay an additional program fee of $20.00 (except that Senior AMA members pay half the stated regional and Finals fees, and there is no charge for Juniors). Team members will be determined by a combination of performance at the Team Finals (worth 60% of the total) and at two regional contests (40%); thus, eventual team members will have excelled at both program levels.
Full air fare to the Indoor Team Finals for the top three nationwide two-regional-contest scorers will be provided from program entry fees, if possible. The goal is to pay half fare for the 4th through 6th place finishers and quarter fare for the 7th through 9th place finishers. Those whose homes are a short distance from the Team Finals site will not participate in the distribution.
It is suggested that all those desiring to enter should make advance contact with the site coordinator for the area concerned:
- West: Irv Rademsky, 1624 St. David Dr., Danville, Calif. 94526; phone (415) 837-3341
- South Central: Bud Tierney, P.O. Box 545, Richardson, Tex. 75080; phone (214) 233-4035
- North Central: Bucky Serafites, 7605 Duffield Circle, Centerville, Ohio 45459; phone (513) 433-0975
- East: John Kukon, 14 Brandon Rd., Trenton, N.J. 08638; phone (609) 737-3522
Control Line
The 1976 Control Line World Championships to be held in the Netherlands is comprised of separate championships for Aerobatics (Stunt), Speed, and Team Races. U.S. teams for each will be selected from three separate programs, but a common thread is that each consists only of Team Finals, and no pre-qualification is required to enter.
Aerobatics. The Team Finals will be at Dayton, Ohio, August 30-31, 1975, with registration at the flying site (West Municipal Flying Circles, two blocks west of I-75 on Nicholase Ave.) during the day on Friday, August 29, or at contest headquarters during the evening (location to be announced). Registration will close at 5 p.m. on August 29. Alternately, registration can be by mail if received by the Contest Director (Keith Trotter, 10900 Phillips Dr., Upper Marlboro, Md. 20770) before August 15.
The Aerobatics Team Finals program fee is $40.00 for Open contestants; $30.00 for Juniors, Seniors, and full-time students. Note that although advance registration by mail is not required, a statement of intent to participate is requested in order to assist necessary planning; send as early as possible to the Contest Director at the address above.
Not all details are known at this writing, but the Speed Team Finals is scheduled for two sites: September 6-7, 1975, at Dayton, Ohio, and October 4-5, 1975, in California. Flyers may participate in one or both. The deadline for obtaining entry at the reduced program entry fee is now $40.00 payable either by mail to AMA HQ or in person at the site prior to competition. Team Finals HQ information, sites, and other details will be publicized as soon as available.
The Team Race Program entry fee is $40.00, payable either by mail in advance to AMA HQ or in person during registration at the site.
Regional Contest Schedule
At presstime the eight regional events tentatively were scheduled as follows:
- WEST: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., May 24-25; July dates to be announced.
- SOUTH CENTRAL: Tulsa, Okla., American Airlines Hangar, June 14-15; Lake Charles, La., Civic Center Auditorium, August 3-4.
- NORTH CENTRAL: West Baden, Ind., June 7-8; Akron, Ohio, Goodyear Airdock, August 16-17.
- EAST: Lakehurst, N.J., Naval Air Station, June 21-22 and July 19-20.
Note that the schedule of the regional contests and the Team Finals is subject to change depending upon the outcome of negotiations for use of the Marine Corps Air Facility hangar at Santa Ana; contingency plans are being formulated to use the Lakehurst NAS hangar for the Team Finals if Santa Ana cannot be used.
Free Flight
The U.S. teams to participate in the 1975 Free Flight World Championships in Bulgaria August 15-29 were chosen in a program concluded in 1974, but right now the first stage of the AMA program to select 1977 teams (for the WC tentatively slated for Finland) is in full swing, and there's plenty of chance for everyone to become involved and participate. Three separate events and championships are involved: Wakefield Rubber, A-2 Towline Glider, and FAI Power.
The 1977 team selection program began on January 1 and continues up to two weeks prior to the 1977 Labor Day weekend. Entry required is a one-time payment per entrant of $5 if mailed in advance to AMA HQ, or $6 if paid at an AMA-sanctioned Qualifying Trials (entry by Junior members is free, but must be requested). Either method allows unlimited attempts to qualify for the Semi-Finals, requiring a seven-flight total of 14 minutes or more (for FAI Power, with the new 7-second engine run).
A number of regional Semi-Finals will be staged, each consisting of eight rounds by procedures similar to World Championship trials. The number to be advanced from the Semi-Finals to the Team Finals is by a formula to produce 30 Finalists; those achieving 95% of the winning time at their Semi-Final may also be advanced. The Team Finals is planned for Labor Day weekend of 1976 at an East Coast location if possible. The entry fee per contestant for the Team Finals is $15. Procedures will be very much like World Championship trials.
A good share of the travel expense to the Team Finals will be reimbursed from program entry fees at all levels. The goal is to have equalization of travel costs to the Team Finals irrespective of where the Finalists live or how he places in the Semi-Finals.
On the Horizon
There is a strong likelihood that there will be a first-time RC Thermal Soaring World Championship in South Africa in early 1977; it is expected that the National Soaring Society will assist in developing a program for selecting U.S. team members. These pages will keep you posted on any developments. Control Line Combat and FAI-class RC pylon racing are possibilities for World Championship competition in the near future; look for additional details as they develop.
(End of Competition Newsletter)
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
