FAI BUREAU (OFFICERS) MEETING REPORT
In the spring of each year the FAI officers of the Committee for International Aero Modeling (CIAM) meet to review current international activities, especially planning for World Championships and the annual December CIAM meeting. Thus, the FAI officers (referred to as the Bureau) act in the interim between the winter meetings of the full CIAM.
Johnny Clemens, AMA president, and John Worth, AMA executive director, attended for the U.S.—Clemens as chairman of the CIAM Information and Education Subcommittee; Worth as CIAM secretary. Highlights of the meeting follow.
1977 World Championships
Free Flight
For the 1977 event to be held in Denmark July 6-12 a jury was approved consisting of S. Pimenoff, Finland; P. Allnutt, Canada; J. Sirotkin, U.S.S.R.; and (reserve) E. Krill, Austria. The Bureau noted, with regret, that the organizers have found it necessary to charge timekeepers for accommodations and meals (though much less than for competitors), and similarly with regret noted a very high entry fee of approximately $150. The Bureau feels that high entry fees should be avoided, if possible, so as to not discourage participation.
RC Soaring
Confusion still existed at the time of the Bureau meeting as to what rules should be used for the event which then was scheduled to begin a few days later. It was agreed that the rules previously compiled and distributed by the RC Soaring Subcommittee chairman were correct and would be applied. Both the subcommittee chairman, G. Dallimer, and the CIAM President, S. Pimenoff, were to attend the event in South Africa and would explain the rules in a team managers meeting prior to flying.
RC Aerobatics
Several items were clarified for this event which is to be at Springfield, Ohio, over this year's July 4th weekend. Silencer measurement definitions accepted in December 1975 will be applied (these are as shown in the current AMA rule book); beyond a minimum of three flights in the event, any additional flights would be a matter for the organizer to decide. The jury was approved consisting of C. Olsen, RC Subcommittee chairman; A. Aarts, Netherlands; J. Nelson, U.S.A.; and (alternate) A. Tigerstedt, Finland. A list of judges was approved: Jim Edwards, U.S.A.; Geoff Franklin, England; Dave Henshaw, Canada; Camille Gerard, Luxembourg; Don Mackenzie or Levy, So. Africa; Johansson or Lyrsell, Sweden; Loris Kanneworf, Italy; H. Freundt or Sitter, Austria; J. Sederholm or Tigerstedt, Finland; J. Dible, Ireland. Reserve judges: H. Becker, Germany; A. Hofer, Switzerland; J. Merory, Yugoslavia; R. Austin, U.S.A.
1978 World Championships
Additional details of the British offer to be host to the Control Line and Scale World Championships (CL Speed, Team Racing, Aerobatics and Combat; CL and RC Scale) were distributed to the Bureau. Plans call for the event to be held during the period of August 4-10 at RAF Woodvale, with accommodations at Liverpool University. There is also the possibility of Stand-Off Scale being included; this will be clarified at the CIAM winter meeting.
CL Combat
The Bureau was in agreement that an official team would consist of three pilots and a manager, which means that mechanics are not recognized as part of the team as in CL Team Racing.
CIAM Bureau Meeting
Continued from page 67
World Championships is held in conjunction with other CL World Championships, then there can only be one overall manager for all the CL events.
FAI Rules "Freeze"
The president of the FAI (Mr. Gehriger) attended a portion of the Bureau meeting and explained that it is possible to change the FAI aeromodeling rules more frequently than every four years (in order to accommodate technical progress or local problems in connection with World Championships) by dividing the Sporting Code into two sections; this has been the practice for full-scale sailplanes. One of the sections would contain the rules which are essentially permanent or not subject to frequent changes; this section could be changed only every four years in accordance with the current FAI ruling. The other section would be a supplementary annex to the basic Sporting Code — containing "technical" regulations which are subject to more frequent change; this section could be changed at any time, but no changes regarding World Championships would be applicable less than a year before such events. In order to proceed with this plan, the Bureau is requesting that each of the CIAM subcommittees prepare outlines of their respective areas for a new Sporting Code in 1979, divided into "permanent" and "flexible" sections. It is intended that the drafts be reviewed and approved during the 1977 winter full meeting, and this will be the last chance to act on proposals for the 1979 Sporting Code since all of 1978 would be needed to get the Sporting Code draft finalized, printed and distributed before the first of 1979.
Subcommittee Reports
Control Line. Projects underway are development of a Team Race Jury Guide and a rewrite of the Combat Rules. A basic draft of the TR Guide is already being studied by the subcommittee.
Competition Newsletter
Free Flight. A compilation of A-1 Towline Glider rules is being sought from the various countries via a questionnaire, with the goal of an approved proposal for the 1977 winter CIAM meeting. The subcommittee also will be considering whether the proposal for an Indoor beginner's class should be updated or revised.
RC Pylon Racing. The subcommittee's 1977 goal is to review all previous Pylon Racing rules in search of new rules which will be acceptable to more countries than at present.
RC Helicopters. The subcommittee is exploring the need for safety rules for competitions.
RC Aerobatics. Principal tasks are to consider two items referred to the subcommittee, electric power and interference problems, and to pursue perfection of current provisional rules for use at the 1979 World Championships.
RC Soaring. In view of the confusion regarding rules for the first World Championships, one of the subcommittee's tasks will be to develop improvements for 1979. Other items under consideration are possible elimination or separation of the Motorglider class, possible changes to the distance task to reduce the luck factor and possible establishment of a limited class (fewer controls, smaller size).
Scale. The subcommittee is developing exact wording for the revised complexity scoring proposals which were approved in principle at the 1976 winter meeting.
Information and Education. A questionnaire is being sent to subcommittee members to develop background as to what has been done in various countries regarding educational programs involving aeromodelling. This is being done as the basis for gathering information for the benefit of others.
Records
The technical secretary was requested to re-examine the 1976 claim by Austria for RC Glider Speed regarding timing documentation. The Bureau also noted that, due to the short length of the RC Glider Speed course, small inaccuracies in timing produce great errors in speed; due to this the RC Soaring subcommittee was requested to recommend a change to the course and/or permissible measuring methods.
Next Plenary Meeting
The full CIAM (Plenary) meeting was scheduled for December 1-2, 1977, in Paris. As mentioned earlier in this summary, this will be the last chance to consider proposals for inclusion in the 1979 Sporting Code.
AMA members wishing their proposals to be included in the CIAM agenda should mail them in sufficient time to be received at AMA HQ by September 1, 1977; they must include the exact wording proposed, with appropriate numbering as per the 1975 FAI Sporting Code (available from AMA HQ for $2.50) and with a one-paragraph description of the reasons for the proposal.
Any AMA member may submit such a proposal, which will then be screened by various special interest groups for recommendation, modification, or disagreement. Such groups include appropriate special interest organizations and AMA FAI committees.
Competition Newsletter
FAI BUREAU OFFICERS MEETING REPORT
The FAI Officers Committee (International Aero Modelling — CIAM) met to review current international activities, especially planning for World Championships, at the annual December CIAM meeting. Thus FAI officers referred Bureau action for the interim between winter meetings of full CIAM. Johnny Clemens, AMA president, and John Worth, AMA executive director, attended. Clemens is chairman, CIAM Information/Education Subcommittee; Worth is CIAM secretary.
Highlights of the meeting follow:
1977 World Championships — Free Flight. The 1977 event was held in Denmark July 6-12. Jury approved consisting of S. Pimenoff (Finland), P. Allnutt (Canada), J. Sirotkin (USSR); reserve E. Krill (Austria). The Bureau noted regret that organizers have found it necessary to charge timekeepers for accommodations and meals, though much less than competitors; similarly, the very high entry fee (approximately $150) was regretted. The Bureau feels high entry fees should be avoided as they may discourage participation.
RC Soaring. Confusion still existed at the time of the Bureau meeting as to what rules should be used in the event scheduled to begin a few days later. It was agreed that the rules previously compiled and distributed by the RC Soaring Subcommittee chairman would be applied. Both subcommittee chairmen, G. Dallimer (CIAM President) and S. Pimenoff, would attend the event in South Africa to explain the rules at the team managers' meeting prior to flying.
RC Aerobatics. Several items were clarified for the event at Springfield, Ohio, held over the July 4th weekend. Silencer measurement definitions accepted December 1975 will be applied as shown in the current AMA rule book. Beyond the minimum three flights in the event, additional flights would be a matter for the organizer to decide. Jury approved consisting of C. Olsen (RC Subcommittee chairman), Aarts (Netherlands), J. Nelson (USA); alternate Tigerstedt (Finland). The list of judges approved: Jim Edwards (USA), Geoff Franklin (England), Dave Henshaw (Canada), Camille Gerard (Luxembourg), Don Mackenzie-Levy (South Africa), Johansson-Lyrsell (Sweden), Loris Kannenworf (Italy), H. Freundt-Sitter (Austria), J. Sederholm (Finland), J. Dible (Ireland). Reserve judges: H. Becker (Germany), Hofer (Switzerland), J. Merory (Yugoslavia), R. Austin (USA).
1978 World Championships. Additional details: the British offer to host Control Line Scale, CL Speed, Team Racing, Aerobatics, Combat and CL/RC Scale was distributed to the Bureau. Plans call for the event to be held during the period August 4-10 at RAF Woodvale with accommodations at Liverpool University; also the possibility of Stand-Off Scale being included will be clarified at the CIAM winter meeting. CL Combat: the Bureau agreed the official team would consist of three pilots and a manager; mechanics will be recognized as part of the team. World Championships scheduled for England in 1978.
Competition Newsletter
CL COMBAT TEAM SELECTION FOLLOW-UP
Gary Frost MACA President
Planning for the FAI Combat Team Selection Program continues as new information and ideas are presented. Probably the most significant is information from the FAI meeting in Paris on March 25. The official team, per country, consists of a maximum of three competitors, i.e., three pilots. Per a letter from John Worth, "What this means, concerning U.S. team selection, is that pairing of the pilot and pit man is not necessary. It also means that only the three pilots on the Combat Team can get AMA travel assistance and payment of World Championships entry fees. Mechanics, helpers, pitmen, etc., are to be welcomed within the capability of the meet organizer as to numbers of same per team."
To the pilots, this means the $25 entry fee is firm; money should still be sent to AMA for deposit into the Combat Team Selection Program Fund. Those in the program will vote on how this money is to be spent. MACA will take a voting tally as part of registration at St. Louis, and that tally will be used to indicate participants' desires to AMA on how monies collected shall be spent. The voting will be based on recommendations by MACA officers. Presumably the recommendation will be to split the funds for inboard travel for the team. Any excesses could also be used for the pit man.
Once again the source of monies is as follows: AMA pays for over-ocean travel and World Championships entry fees, which includes food and lodging during the contest period, for pilots only. The pilots probably will not have to pay for inboard travel, assuming enough entries are obtained at St. Louis. The pit man will have to pay for everything, including supporter fees, except for any funds the participants wish to recognize for the pit man. According to SMAE, organizer of the 1978 CL World Championships, the anticipated cost for the pit man will be 51 pounds.
In addition to the $25 fee to AMA, MACA will collect $5 at St. Louis as a part of regular registration. Also possession of the green FAI stamp will be checked. For the $5, each competitor will receive automatically a specially designed shirt, as a souvenir of the team selections. The style of shirt may be available at a later time, but not a genuine FAI Combat Team Selection shirt. Remainder of the $5 will go into the MACA treasury for defraying miscellaneous costs to run and promote the program—expected to amount to about $2.
Ron Malloch, 116 Scottsdale Dr., Guelph, Ont. N1E 2K8, Canada, is the official Contest Director for the team selections. Future planning and execution of the team trials will be under Ron's control. MACA believes that Ron will give unbiased management of the event.
Another development concerns Junior entries for the team selections. At this point the thinking is not to handle a Junior entry in the normal manner, but rather to pair off the Junior entries separate from the Senior and Open entries—then have the Juniors fly against the first round losers of the Senior-Open competitors for a place in the second round of the pyramid. Also, MACA will soon make a recommendation about whether to reduce the Junior entry fee.
Other details being suggested for the team trials are as follows: a big party at the home of Gary Frost on Friday evening, July 1; Saturday, July 2, start flying at 1:00 pm to allow plenty of time for all to show up and start at 10:00 am on Sunday; raffle and/or auction for merchandise for extra travel funds; availability of a Fast or Slow bash on Monday, July 4, if all goes well for the program on Saturday and Sunday.
Details of the area and site can be obtained from Gary Frost. Butler Park is in Valley Park, MO (south St. Louis County) at the intersection of I-44 and Missouri Highway 141. Butler Park is a 50-acre modeling park, designed specifically for model airplane flying. The field has a pavilion, a control line area, a fenced-in Speed circle, a Carrier deck, two asphalt stunt circles for any line length from 52' to 70', two grass areas for Combat with asphalt center pilots' circle, plus circles on each side of the Combat circles. The St. Louis Park Department maintains the area for modeling use; it is removed from nearby houses so that noise is no real problem.
Just down I-44 from the park is Six Flags, an amusement area for the entire family to enjoy all day long, Saturday and Sunday. Entrance is collected to get into the area, then you are allowed unlimited number of rides at no additional charge, among them the famous "Screaming Eagle," the fastest roller coaster ride anywhere.
The Ramada Inn and Holiday Inn both have nearby motels; the Ramada Inn on I-44 and, being the closest, the Holiday Inn on Hwy 270. If anyone is a pilot, a small airport, Weiss, is about two miles from Butler. St. Louis has the largest shopping center anywhere, with 100 stores in one location—Northwest Plaza, which is located about 15 miles from Butler. Scenic rides on the Arch are constantly going on at the riverfront. And McDonnell Planetarium will have shows in Forest Park in the evening.
For other information, please write Gary Frost, 22 Glynn Dr., Florissant, MO 63031.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
