Competition Newsletter
International News
Mexico: International FF Champs Oct. 30–Nov. 2, 1981
The first Alberto Lozano International Open Championship for FAI classes F1A, F1B, and F1C (Towline Glider, Wakefield, Power) has been announced. The contest is organized by the Free Flight Mexican Coordination under the auspices of the FMDA (Federación Mexicana de los Deportes Aéreos, A.C. — Aero Sport Mexican Federation) and will be held in the vicinity of Mexico City. The contest dates are October 30 through November 2, 1981.
The first two days are reserved for practice flying (the flying site is at an altitude of 7,200 ft. MSL) and model processing. The entry fee is $20 per contestant per event and includes transportation from the hotel to the flying site on all four days.
The official hotel for this contest is the El Diplomatico in Mexico City:
- Rooms: $35 per person/night (double occupancy) or $31 per night (single occupancy).
Meet entry forms and information can be obtained by writing to:
- Antonio Abaunza, Adolfo Prieto 727, Mexico 12, D.F., Mexico
- Telephone: 536-5496
Entries must be returned by August 15, 1981.
Hotel reservations must be made separately. Reservations can be made by writing to:
- Mrs. Rebora, Viajes OLINCATL, Insurgentes Sur 1650 — 100 piso, Mexico 20, D.F.
In addition, a parallel contest will be held on October 31 at the same site for Coupe d’Hiver, A-1 Glider, P-30 Rubber, and 1/2 A Power. Entry fees are $5 per event. Trophies will be awarded to the first three places in each category.
FAI RC Soaring: Impound the Entire Transmitter
The FAI's CIAM (Commission Internationale d'Aéromodélisme) decided at its April meeting in Paris that, at the F3B Thermal Soaring World Championships (scheduled near Sacramento, CA on July 12–17), a competitor's entire RC transmitter must be impounded — not just the frequency-determining elements of the transmitter.
This affects competitors who use “supersets” with a transmitter-to-flight-pack interconnecting cable. Those sets allow the flight pack to be exercised directly from the transmitter without transmitting radio frequency energy. Normally these sets can be used in the pits with RF output switched off and the plug-in frequency module removed; under the new CIAM decision, the entire transmitter must be impounded.
New FAI Sporting License
FAI now requires that all contestants at FAI-sanctioned international competitions have a special sporting license issued by their national aero club (for U.S. competitors, the AMA, an affiliate of the National Aeronautic Association). Obtain it in advance by writing to AMA HQ, attention Micheline Madison. There is no added fee if you already have the $5 FAI stamp on your AMA license.
Obsolete FAI Records Retired
The FAI’s CIAM approved retiring old records when rules concerning a particular event change. Specifically:
- Record number 30 (CL Jet Speed) was retired because the engine definition has changed.
- Record number 34 (RC Glider Speed) was retired because the course is now 200 meters long instead of 50 meters.
'81 NATS NEWS
First '81 Texas Nats Winner!
The first 1981 Outdoor Nationals entry form received at AMA HQ was submitted by William Baker of Norman, OK. Bill’s entry form was received on May 11, despite entry forms not being mailed out by AMA HQ until May 6.
Great Nats Site
Final negotiations and advance planning have set the stage for an excellent Nats. An AMA representative team visited the site in May to finalize event layouts, headquarters management, and traffic planning.
Contestants should find Seguin to be the best Nats site in many years, with excellent facilities for Free Flight, Control Line, and Radio Control. Arrangements for FF retrieving (including permitting motor bikes to chase models beyond the primary airfield if necessary) will help minimize problems from long flights. The field is large with excellent chase paths.
Specific site features:
- CL fliers: excellent asphalt surface (without tar strips) and a good grass Combat site close by.
- RC Pattern, Pylon, and Scale: near-perfect runway, currently active for jet training.
- RC Soaring and Helicopters: a good site much closer to the rest of the Nats than last year.
Nats planning includes lodging and food, trash disposal, portable toilets, first aid, communications (phone and radio), personnel recruiting (200–300 volunteers), and many other details. Ron Morgan is Contest Director this year, assisted by Vince Mankowski as Contest Manager. Most key worker slots were filled by Memorial Day, so this year’s Nats should require much less last-minute staffing than in past years.
Advance entry by mail postmark deadline is July 23. Sending your entry by July 15 is suggested so you receive confirmation, maps, and the latest information before arriving; entries mailed after July 15 (but before July 23) may require you to pick up materials at the site.
If you enter in advance and cannot attend, the basic fee will be refunded on request. AMA HQ still has plenty of Nats entry forms — request one now (please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope).
Mopeds at the Nats?
Anyone attending the ’81 Nats who intends to bring and use a moped, motor scooter, motorcycle, or similar vehicle should note the following:
Operations on the Air Base
- USAF requires no operator’s license but does require all operators to wear protective helmets and eye protection (visors, goggles, or similar).
Operations off the Air Base
- Texas state law requires licenses for both the operator and the vehicle and requires all operators under 18 years old to wear a safety helmet.
AMA Requirements
- The AMA has no specific requirements in this area; however AMA leaders and Nats officials request that all operators use safe, sensible, and responsible practices.
We’re there to have a good time — let’s be safe and courteous!
Additional '81 Nats Unofficial Events
In addition to the regular events at the ’81 Outdoor Nats, there are unofficial team events:
- Team HLG and Team Mulvihill: run at the same time as the regular HLG and Mulvihill events. Each 3-member team’s scores are added together (highest total wins). Team members must be from the same state.
- Each event has a perpetual trophy: Steve Geraghty made the trophy for Team HLG. George Perryman is making the new Steve Geraghty Perpetual trophy for Team Mulvihill.
AMA Sanctioned?
Flights made at an unsanctioned contest, even if they exceed an existing national record, cannot be recognized as national records.
'82-'83 Rules Change Cycle: Contest Boards' Interim Vote Results
This coverage of the '82-'83 rules change cycle continues a series that began in October 1980. Previous issues summarized all proposals received prior to the cutoff date, reported on the Contest Boards' Initial Votes (which decided which proposals would be kept for further consideration), and covered cross-proposals (alternate solutions to originally submitted proposals).
The Interim Vote is taken by the Contest Boards to decide whether the basic proposal or one (or more) of the cross-proposals should be retained for further consideration, or to choose which of several similar basic proposals should remain for further action.
This report summarizes the Interim Voting on cross-proposals. (Because of a last-minute problem, the Free Flight Contest Board's vote on one item will be reported later.) Actions of the Control Line, Scale, Radio Control, and combined Contest Boards are summarized here; the Free Flight report is incomplete.
Modeler Inputs Desired
- The Contest Boards have one more vote (the Final Vote) to decide which new proposals will become part of the official AMA rules in 1982. Their deadline for completing the Final Vote is September 1, 1981.
- Modeler input is still desired. Send comments to the appropriate Contest Board member in your AMA district — do not send them to AMA HQ.
- Names and addresses of Contest Board members can be found in the Directory elsewhere in this edition of the Competition Newsletter.
Combined Contest Boards Interim Vote Results on General Proposals
Legend:
- Y = Yes
- D = Defeated
- N = No
- P = Passed
(Proposal references appear in November 1980 and cross-proposals in June 1981 MAs.)
Abbreviations:
- RC = Radio Control Contest Board
- SC = Scale Contest Board
- CL = Control Line Contest Board
- FF = Free Flight Contest Board
Note: Vote was requested to choose between 4 and 4A. Proposal GEN-82-4 was not "defeated" in this vote even though it failed to be passed by all Contest Boards; it can only be defeated in the Final Vote. The Interim Vote showed that cross-proposal GEN-82-24A failed to be selected over the basic proposal.
Control Line Contest Board Interim Vote Results
Legend:
- Y = Yes
- D = Defeated
- N = No
- P = Passed
(For full proposal descriptions see December 1980 MA. Cross-proposals are described in 1981 MAs: 20A/34A, May; remainder, June.)
Voting instructions included:
- Choose between proposals 8 and 9.
- Rank proposals 20, 34, and 20A/34A as 1, 2, 3 according to desirability (lowest total score wins).
- Vote on whether 38A is a valid cross-proposal and whether to approve 38B.
- Choose between proposals 29 and 38.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
