The Haught Corner
About Me
Hello! For those who may be wondering, I'm the Managing Editor at Model Aviation. A brief biographical sketch:
I am a 38-year-old, second-generation free flighter. Those of you who flew FF during the '50s and '60s may recall flying with and against my father and brother (both named Bill) during our time with the Baltimore Aerocraftsmen.
I began spending time in the workshop at age two, and haven't really stopped, aside from a brief lull just after I got married. I still retain a deep and abiding love for free flight, though I have built and flown the other disciplines as well, and can respect the accomplishments of those who choose CL or RC.
The vast majority of my modeling has been competition oriented, starting with a few HLG contests in 1961, and progressing to A-1 and 1/2A Gas in 1964. I can still clearly recall my first "max" flight—the 1964 Junior Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. I won the event—my first trophy—and my Mom bought me ice cream to celebrate. Not a bad deal for a nine-year-old.
Along the way I've accumulated the usual collection of trophies, set a few records, and had a few designs published. I also picked up a degree in journalism, though I never gave a thought to merging my career and my hobby.
My intent was to write about sports in general and baseball (my other "passion") in particular. Low pay and lack of a big "break" eventually forced me back into the real world and a "real" job. I wrote on a part-time freelance basis for a number of years, until I received an offer to join the Model Aviation staff in January 1993.
I am still heavily involved in FF competition. My primary interest these days is in the small AMA Gas and Nostalgia classes. I dabble a bit in Nordic and Catapult Glider, but the various 1/2A events are really my "thing." I'm also a Regional Vice President for the National Free Flight Society (NFFS).
What this column will be
This column will likely be many things: a place for me to respond to readers' comments and answer their questions in greater detail than "Letters" will allow; to discuss various modeling-related issues; and nearly anything else of interest. If that sounds a bit like we're making up the rules as we go along, it's only because we are!
One of the first things I'd like you to know about is the magazine staff.
Magazine staff and organization
It's a common perception among our readers that the Managing Editor actually runs the magazine; this probably stems from the "old days," when guys like Don McGovern (Flying Models) did a bit of everything, from inking plans to writing copy to layout and paste-up.
These days, things are done a bit differently. Here's how our staff is organized:
- Publications Manager: Rob Kurek
- Has ultimate responsibility for the magazine.
- Sets fees with authors, establishes which articles will appear, handles business-related matters, and supervises the Managing Editor and the Production Manager.
- Managing Editor: (me)
- My main task is what has been described as "fixing da words."
- I have limited input as to article selection and photo selection, but my primary job is to edit all copy in the magazine (except ads and the Contest Calendar).
- Gina Frost (Editor) works with me on copyediting.
- Production Manager: Judy Hollandsworth
- In charge of the layout and design of the magazine.
- Her staff (Graphic Designers Bill Thornbro, Carla Kunz, and Andrew Vitale) handle the magazine's graphic considerations. They select the graphic elements to be used (photos, tables, graphs, etc.) and create the layouts for individual pieces, as well as the overall "look" of the magazine.
- Advertising: Sue Schrock, Hobby Advertising, Inc.
- Handles advertising from an office in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
- Competitions Department: Chip Smith
- Handles the Contest Calendar information, as well as non-flying events, swap meets, and related activities.
- They format the listings (and the ads) for these events.
In future columns I'll explain in more detail various aspects of our magazine's production cycle.
BOM: The Builder of the Model Rule
BOM—the infamous Builder of the Model rule—was for many years one of the cornerstones of our hobby. Now, many are questioning its usefulness—even in free flight, which used to have the strictest interpretation of the rule.
I understand that the rules of the road have changed a bit, and that advances in technology (a.k.a. "buy-tech") make it possible to purchase many mass-produced model components. I can also see where a Chip Hyde or Dub Jett can say that his specialty is piloting a model, not building one.
But it sure seems like we're missing something when the entire construction process is eliminated. I'll wager that there are a number of top model pilots who would have a difficult time constructing and trimming a model as simple as a hand-launched glider.
I've even seen an instance where a young flier made the Junior FF team, only to have his Dad buy him a couple of models, and he stopped his own building to build models for his son. Several suggestions have been made in print that this type of situation was essential, to get any young fliers involved at all.
Are we really at the point where Juniors should have fully functional "adult" models, built by someone else? I know there has been talk of returning the BOM rule in FAI events, and in the case of the Juniors, limiting the complexity of their models. How this can be handled effectively, now that the barn door has been unlocked with "legal daddy-builts" and "buy-tech," is a real question.
When I was a Junior—and that's not so long ago—I lost more than one contest to kids who didn't build their own stuff. My brother lost a Junior Nats Championship on the last flight of the last day of competition to daddy-builts.
One of the most difficult tasks I've had was to console my own son when he lost to kids who wouldn't know an X-Acto knife from a butter knife.
Concerns and questions
- What kind of message are we sending when parents or others do the actual building for Juniors?
- What should the rules be regarding BOM and buy-tech, especially in junior classes?
- Is the BOM rule worth much in events—such as CL Speed—where engine performance is the real deciding factor?
- Are we losing skills that can only be learned through hours at the workbench (carving props, making cowls, covering with tissue or silk)?
The argument has been made that athletes don't make the equipment they use in their sports, so modelers shouldn't have to either. I understand the reasoning. I didn't make my softball glove or my golf clubs; but the situation—the environment—is different.
One of our hobby's appeals is the respect given to one's peers for an outstanding modeling effort. There is real sympathy for anyone who loses or crashes a model with hundreds of hours of work in it. Can we say the same about a model whose major claim to fame is the amount of money it cost?
And what about the skills that can only be learned through many hours at the workbench? How many modelers/pilots today have ever carved a prop, made a cowl, or covered a model with "ancient" materials like tissue or silk?
That's my emotional outburst for this month. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope the real message comes through: I care very deeply about this hobby and its future, and I hope that care and concern is evident to the readers. I do everything I can to make this the best magazine possible. I will make mistakes, and will probably make some more; but it won't be for lack of effort or concern about the final product.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
