The Haught Corner
No country club
A few issues ago we ran a letter from a modeler who complained about some rather rude treatment he received while on a visit to Florida. The welcome mat was certainly not rolled out for him, and he naturally didn't appreciate it too much.
I commented that I hoped this was an isolated incident—that there may have been some sort of misunderstanding. But judging from reader reaction, this may not be the case.
It's amazing and saddening, but since the letter and comment appeared, we have received a startling number of nearly identical "horror stories" from across the country.
The scenario is nearly always the same:
- A relatively inexperienced modeler seeking help is shunted aside by those who feel their own flying time is more important—often because they are practicing for a contest.
- The "lesser" flier then gets little or no help (not to mention the dregs of flying time).
- He or she is then shoved out the side door, and is either discouraged or gives up altogether.
"You know nothing about what's happening," wrote a reader from the Pacific Northwest. "You should get away from your desk once in a while and find out what's going on in the real world. This sort of thing is happening all over the country."
"A particular club is so overloaded with big egos, they can't possibly be having any fun." Their solution? "Ten of us located a farmer who is letting us use one of his pastures. It's a little rough... but it is a huge space with no egos or politics involved."
What's going on here? Do we have such strength in numbers that we can afford to arrogantly exclude someone from our ranks? As for the "excluders," didn't someone once help them learn to fly? How can we forget so much so quickly?
I know that many clubs have full training programs and actively seek recruits. But the idea that even one group would take such an elitist attitude—about a hobby, after all—is enough to give aeromodeling the blackest of black eyes.
Fortunately, there are some clear-headed folks out there. We received a letter from a member of the Florida club in question which read, in part:
"I was present at the field when this difficult/distasteful incident occurred... and I silently cringed as it happened.
"At the next meeting, I was one of the key members who forced the president from office... I later found that the same person had been forced from office from a New York City club a few years earlier.
"This hobby is supposed to be about fun and friendships."
The writer also thanked us for publishing the letter, and indicated that it would help rid the club of another undesired officer. While we didn't intend to help anyone "clean house," it's nice to know there was a positive effect to an initially negative situation.
I do wonder, though, why the writer "silently cringed." Why didn't someone step forward to stop such boorish behavior as it happened?
The overwhelming majority of modelers are more than sympathetic to a fellow flier in trouble, and will go out of their way to help anyone—even a fellow competitor. The recent US Outdoor Championships in Muncie (largest free flight contest in the country) provided an excellent example.
Muncie: an example of sportsmanship
Alabama's Charles Caton was running off his usual string of max flights when he suffered a momentary lapse in concentration and reached across the prop arc as his engine started. The wooden prop fractured a knuckle, broke a fingernail or two, and cut Charles' hand—six stitches' worth of mess.
Fellow competitors immediately came to the rescue:
- One ran for ice.
- One took care of the model.
- One got directions on the fastest route to a doctor.
- Another drove Caton to get medical attention.
Charles returned to the flight line later that afternoon with his hand heavily bandaged and protected by a rubber surgical glove. Now even handling the model would be a problem, not to mention the fact that during the time he lost, others had passed his score, and time was running out.
Again, there was no problem, because his competitors—including some who were ahead of him in the standings—helped him out. Two or three people helped with ground support, preparing the model for flight, and another did retrieving duty.
To add a bit more drama, lightning and thunder were not too far away, making it a real question of whether the potential winning flights could be made before the storm hit.
Despite all the problems (and perhaps because of all the help) Charles proceeded calmly and put up the flights necessary to win the event. We then beat a hasty retreat, and the rain began as we helped Charles pack up his equipment.
The extra points he got from winning that event were enough to give him the Power Category Championship later in the week, edging out Joe Clawson—one of the people who helped Charles earlier in the week, and who lost points because of that help. The championship went down to the last flight of a five-day contest, and Joe would have won had he not helped a friend.
Just after the accident, Joe had said, "Damn, Charles, I wanted to beat you—but not like this!"
"That's what I'll remember most about this contest," said Caton. "The Clawsons are good people."
Respect all parts of the hobby
That's true. And so are most modelers. But what can we do about those who feel they're a cut above—who have the bully's mentality and couldn't care less who suffers for it?
As a competition-oriented modeler, I'm especially sensitive to complaints about contest fliers' behavior. Sometimes we're perceived as high-strung, rude, and inconsiderate of those who don't understand our special needs.
But our part of the hobby is not better than that favored by someone who isn't trying for perfect maneuvers, greater speed, or longer duration; it's just different.
It's the same sort of attitude seen recently about the World Cup. Many Americans believe that soccer is inherently inferior, because it's not a big sport here. But almost everywhere else in the world, soccer is the sport. Like sport fliers, soccer fans have the numbers to overwhelm their competition.
Sport fliers are the backbone of the hobby, and while theirs is not the path I follow, I believe their wishes should be respected by all.
While competition brings advances to the hobby, the market for modeling equipment would be mighty small if only contest fliers were catered to.
Arrogance and elitism in a hobby? You must be kidding me.
Jim Haught Managing Editor
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
