A Note From the Technical Director
Bob Underwood CompuServe: 76117167
A stand-up comedian's routine usually contains the "a funny thing happened on the way to the show" joke. I suspect I need to begin this month's column with the line, "A funny thing happened on the way to this column," only it wasn't really funny. I had an operation on March 17. The following few comments are not meant to elicit sympathy, but rather to explain why you may have encountered a little delay in response from me around the end of March.
From a technical standpoint the operation was very interesting. In simple terms, they sawed my leg in half below the knee and removed a small pie-shaped slice to straighten out a bowed condition caused by a knee operation 20 years ago. I feel as if I am currently dragging around enough plaster and counterweight to redo half the walls of the known world.
Probably the most unusual aspect was the anesthetic I elected to use. While it is not new, it was new to me. The other three operations I've had involved general anesthetic — a quick "bye-bye" and then a slow, agonizing awakening in the recovery room, always attended by moaning, groaning and other equally humiliating stuff.
This time there was no sleep with the epidural application. I carried on a conversation lasting almost two hours with a charming lady anesthesiologist and could actually feel the attendant motion in my leg while they operated. The doctor let me see the problem with the knee through the arthroscope before he whacked away. There was a brief, 20-minute pause in the recovery room afterward — no pain, no fuss. Great!
Unfortunately, I managed to have a little problem later when I was back in my room. It's kind of slowing up my activity in recovery, but it was not caused by the technique of the operation itself.
In any case, that's why my response rate slowed down a bit after March 17. I am conducting technical work from the bedroom at home at least until they get the stitches out and the plaster counterweight off the leg. The office staff has been great about feeding me calls to make from home. Ms. JoAnne Spampinato (Executive Assistant at AMA Headquarters) has been especially helpful.
FAI International Competition Rules — Proposal Submission
Modelers wishing to submit proposals to the FAI international competition rules are reminded that current AMA procedures require proposals to be sent to AMA HQ first, addressed to Micheline Madison, and must be received by August 22, 1988.
There is no official AMA/FAI form for submitting proposals; however, submissions must reference the appropriate sections and paragraphs of the FAI Sporting Code using the Code's numbering system. Members should note the 1979 edition of the FAI Sporting Code is no longer valid. A limited number of the latest edition of the Sporting Code are available for $3 from AMA HQ.
Also available for the first time is AMA's updated version of the FAI Sporting Code entitled International Aeromodeling Rules, a book formatted exactly like the FAI Sporting Code and available at no cost from AMA HQ. Proposed FAI rules must briefly state the reason for the proposed change. Sample typical (imaginary) rules proposals were provided in the original announcement.
U.S. Junior Free Flight Team
Back in December 1987 Competition Newsletter we printed a note about the forthcoming Free Flight Junior World Championships. Juniors (modelers under age 18) were advised to send application forms to AMA HQ. The roster of U.S. Junior Free Flight team members has been chosen by the FF Team Selection Committee and approved by the AMA President. World Championships will be held later this year in Poland. Team members and alternates:
- Mike Keller, Chatsworth, CA — F1C
- Adam Tracy, Maple Valley, WA — F1B
- Martin Pelatowski, Ansonia, CT — F1A
- Linda Anderson, Mountaintop, PA — F1C
- Anthony Hutchins, Portland, IN — F1C
- Charles Gagliano, Floral Park, NY — F1C
- Alternate: Jimmy Buxton, Bethel Park, PA — F1B
- Alternate: Bob Sifleet — team manager
RC Aerobatics Masters Tournament — Site Bids Wanted
Clubs interested in hosting the 1989 RC Masters Team Selection Finals should document offers in writing and send them to AMA HQ, Attn: Micheline Madison, by December 1, 1988 (postmark deadline). Finals will be held during a three-day period in late June/early July 1989. The selection site will be chosen among bids by vote of the Program Finalists' Team Selection Committee sometime after January 1, 1989. The winning site will be announced as soon as possible thereafter.
A well-prepared site bid should include:
- Adequacy of the flying site: size, surface, orientation with respect to the sun, parking, spectator control, etc.
- Preferred dates to hold the Finals (choose one): June 15–18, June 23–26, or June 29–July 2, 1989
- Weather statistics
- Club personnel available to act as assistants (at least a dozen will be required)
- Contest equipment that can be provided (tents, ropes, barriers)
1988 Canadian Free Flight Contests
Peter Allnutt of the Toronto FAI Group has sent the AMA a list of 1988 Canadian free flight contests:
- June 4–5 — Spring Contests. Open Saturday plus Old-Time Wakefield; FAI Sunday. Site: Canadian Air Force Base Borden, near Alliston, Ontario.
- July 2–3 — Toronto and District Championships. Open Saturday; FAI Sunday. Site: CFB Borden.
- July 23–24 — Midsummer Contest. Open Saturday; FAI Sunday. Site: CFB Borden.
- August 6–7 — Ontario Championships. Open Saturday; FAI Sunday. Site: CFB Borden.
- August 8–14 — Canadian Nationals. All events. Site: Near Brantford, Ontario. For details contact MAAC, P.O. Box 9, 344 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, Ontario L6J 4Z5, Canada.
- September 17–18 — Eastern Canada Open. Old-Timer Saturday; Open Sunday. Site: Gananoque, Ontario.
- October 1–2 — Autumn Cup. Open Saturday; FAI Sunday. Site: CFB Borden.
1988 RC Electric Team Selection Program
To participate in the team selection, a contestant must be a current AMA member and possess a current FAI stamp (available for $10 from AMA Headquarters).
To qualify for the finals contest:
- Submit a $15 entry fee to AMA (Attention: Micheline Madison) for official registration, performance-qualification form, and program details.
- Achieve 450 or more points in accordance with the published FAI Sporting Code — "5.5.3 Electric Powered Motor Gliders." Qualification must be witnessed by a Contest Director (CD) who must sign the performance affidavit for the flight to be official.
- Return the completed performance qualification form to AMA, Attention: Micheline Madison, by May 31, 1988 (postmark deadline).
The three members of the 1986 F3E team (Schrameck, Charles, New) are automatically prequalified for the 1988 finals upon entering the program by paying the $15 entry fee. They will also be required to pay the finals entry fee.
All those who qualify shall be invited to compete in the finals contest. The top three finalists shall comprise the U.S. entry for the 1988 World Championships. The team shall have a team manager who will be selected by the team members after consultation with the chairman of the Team Selection Committee.
Additional details:
- The finals fee shall be $50, payable to AMA HQ, postmarked not later than 30 days prior to the finals. Requests for refunds prior to the finals must be received at Headquarters no less than two days prior to the finals.
- The finals contest site shall be determined by bid and selected by the Team Selection Committee. Bids must be postmarked no later than March 15, 1988.
- All fees collected are primarily for financing the U.S.A. team.
The Team Selection Committee shall allocate from the Team Fund monies for the following team expenses:
- Travel expenses not paid by the AMA.
- Vehicle rentals.
- Excess baggage for model boxes (AMA pays only 80%).
- Other expenses approved by majority vote of the Team Selection Committee and program participants.
Schedule:
- Deadline for qualifications: May 31, 1988 (postmark deadline).
- Deadline for bids to host the finals: March 15, 1988 (postmark deadline).
- Finals contests: to be held during June 1988 (date and location to be announced).
- World Championships: August 15–20, 1988 at Parks Air College, Cahokia, IL (suburb of St. Louis, MO).
RC Aerobatics Program (continued)
- a) Up to 1/4 of the finals fee to the host club (if needed) to cover appropriate contest expenses.
- b) 1/3 to the judges to partially compensate them for their travel expenses.
- c) 50% plus any remaining funds from the host club's 1/4 to the F3A Team Fund (held in escrow at AMA HQ).
- The Masters (team finals) entry fee must be sent to AMA HQ no later than 15 days before the start of the Masters Tournament.
- All program participants must be in possession of an FAI stamp ($10) before attempting to qualify. Those found not to have had an FAI stamp at the time of qualification will be disqualified.
Masters Site Bid (continued)
Support personnel and equipment shall be supplied by the NSRCA and/or the USPJA as necessary. The jury shall be appointed by the AMA Executive Council. The Contest Manager will coordinate with local officials with respect to the assignment of personnel and other contest needs.
Competition Newsletter
Academy of Model Aeronautics
Note: Technical Director W. Bob Underwood, CompuServe 76117167
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
