Focus on Competition
Competitions Director — Chip Smith
Just what is the difference between modelers who fly in competition and modelers who fly for the fun of it? Some believe the difference is dramatic, but the one thing we know for sure is that whatever keeps us at it — whatever makes it enjoyable — is worth the effort.
This summer I met Frank Zaic and heard him speak at the Free Flight World Championships banquet. Team members from 35 countries listened as he congratulated their efforts and reminded everyone that modelers have always been comrades because we compete against a common foe: gravity.
The challenges modeling presents — whether in building, in boring holes in the sky, or in the excitement of a close contest — are what keep it interesting. For me, early flights were about bringing the model home in one piece. Then came learning basic maneuvers. Now the biggest thrill is making an airplane do what I want and not hit the ground. The important thing is to keep reaching for more.
Becoming involved in world competitions made me aware of the lofty status modelers enjoy in other countries: craftsmen, engineers, and artists. Here in the U.S. we are still sometimes perceived as boys with expensive toys, forgetting that a model often starts as a box of sticks or a few lines on a piece of paper and that someone poured a great deal of themselves into it. We may not change every outside perception, but we should not fall into the trap of underestimating what we do.
In an age of instant gratification and plug-and-play cyberspace, it is increasingly rare to find someone who can start with a dream and coax it into reality. The ability to take a project to completion is a timeless skill; if you acquired it through modeling, the hobby has already paid back every dime you spent at the shop and continues to provide entertainment dividends.
Phone System Hints
When the AMA auto attendant answers, you don't have to wait for the whole message — you may punch an extension any time after the message begins.
- Sanctioning a contest: extension 233
- Contest Calendar listing: extension 234
- FAA matters: extension 231
- National record or CD application: extension 235
- Nats information: extension 230
Your AMA membership manual will arrive in a few days; keep the back cover handy for a listing of important extensions. We try to have a real person answer the phone, but when calls back up the system switches to voice mail. People either love or hate voice mail — either way, please leave a daytime phone number and your AMA number on your message.
Personnel Note
On a sad note, for family reasons JoAnne Spampinato, Administrative Assistant and a veteran AMA employee, has decided to return to Virginia. JoAnne was involved in nearly every aspect of the technical and competitions side of operations. Many of you worked directly with her; we will miss her and wish her well in her new endeavors.
Synopsis — 1994–1995 Urgent Rule Change Proposals, AMA Competition Regulations
Wayne Yeager
The following provides a synopsis of urgent rule change proposals affecting Event Number 422, Quarter Midget RC Pylon, in the 1994–1995 Competition Regulations. To obtain the complete proposal (including the logic behind the change), contact the Competitions Department at AMA Headquarters. To comment before submission to the Racing Contest Board, contact your district contest board member; names and addresses are printed in the Focus on Competition section in Model Aviation.
- RCR 94-1
Event 422 Quarter Midget — page 88, para 4.12: add language specifying "side-exhaust" engine specifications. This change allows use of side-exhaust engines only.
- RCR 94-2
Event 422 Quarter Midget — page 89, para 10 Propellers 422-QM: delete language "compression molded continuous-fiber plastic." This change allows wood-only propellers for Quarter Midget.
- RCR 94-3
Event 422 Quarter Midget — page 90, para 14 Landing Gear 422-QM: add the word "fixed" after "shall" (line 1). This change allows fixed gear only — no retracts.
Proposers / Contacts
- Robert Wilkie
19 Everett St., Rockland, MA 02370
- Richard Sobrino
87-26 88th St., Woodhaven, NY 11421
- Ernest Nikodem
407 Willow St., Lockport, NY
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
