The Haught Corner
How You Play the Game:
What's your modeling pleasure? Is it sport flying? Competition? Or perhaps the ultimate oxymoron: competition fun-flying? Virtually every survey taken indicates that most modelers are sport fliers.
This column (and others) has beaten up on competition fliers pretty heavily in recent issues. We've received a number of letters critical of how competitive fliers have taken over some clubs and/or flying sites. The perception is that the contest fliers look down on sport modelers as second-class citizens unworthy of equal time on the flightline. And sometimes that is—unfortunately—an accurate perception.
But as one whose primary interest is competition, I'd like to stand up for an activity that can bring tremendous pleasure, camaraderie, and enjoyment in the testing of models for future use in contests.
There's hardly a more enjoyable activity than being out at the field with a few other fliers after work on a weeknight. Everyone has new models to fly, rebuilt models to check out, new props, fuel, or something of interest. Maybe interest is the key word. We're all trying to get ready for the big contest coming up; in most cases, we'll be flying against each other. But everyone is interested in how the other guy's models are doing. While we're working hard to get ready, we all watch how each other does.
A good flight brings shouts of appreciation—regardless of the fact that next week that good-flying model may whip the rest of us. Conversely, an off-pattern flight or out-of-trim condition results in shared observations and thoughts on how to correct the problem. Who cares whether Joe might beat me? I want to see his model fly well, that's all.
Just to fill out the picture, a foolish error or clumsy, bungled flight will bring forth gales of laughter and sharp-edged verbal harassment that will probably have at least half of us with tears in our eyes from laughing so hard.
And in the (hopefully) rare event that disaster strikes and a model is lost or damaged, there is real sorrow expressed from the others in the group. We all have "been there" and know the feeling. ("After this, how can I possibly be ready in time?") But at the end of the evening, when we've flown until it's almost too dark to see the models, there will be much good feeling and optimism about the upcoming contest. On contest day, we'll be hammering on each other again, but for now, there's a relaxed feeling of accomplishment.
Flying in contests can be fun; winning a contest can be even more fun; but for pure enjoyment, a few practice flights in "the cool of the evening" is tough to beat.
Rare indeed is the individual who can blend a competitive fire with the sport flier's "joy of flying." These things often seem to be mutually exclusive. But occasionally someone comes along who gets such a bang out of aeromodeling that he covers all the bases.
Larry Conover was like that. He was on several U.S. FAI teams, and was World Champion in 1960; yet he also published such pure-sport designs as a twin-Jetex-powered flying saucer, a bat-shaped kite, a whip-trainer (sort of an introduction to control line), an ornithopter, sailplanes, and the still-kitted Sig Cub trainer.
As a designer, builder, and flier of models from all disciplines, he had few equals. While he doesn't compete much anymore, he has spent countless hours teaching today's youth about modeling in his Grandpa Mentor programs. A phone call or letter always reveals the still-evident enthusiasm—modeling is always fun for him, even after all these years.
Another way to keep the "fun" while having competition is to have after-hours events—held at a contest after that day's normal events have concluded. Clubs wishing to experiment with new events, or new rules for existing events, can get a few fliers together and try different things in an hour or two after official flying has ended.
A contest I recently attended featured an early-evening Team Challenge for one of AMA's newest individual events: catapult glider. The organizing club decided to try three-person teams, with competing teams matching fliers against each other for a series of mass launches—a variation of AULD (All Up, Last Down).
I was skeptical about this format, but the first thing I knew there were about a dozen teams ready to go. Most interesting, though, was the mix of fliers involved: junior teams trying to beat the "old guys"; former national champions; national record holders; World Championship team members; and regular fliers, too. There was gamesmanship, laughter, and all kinds of carrying-on—and when it was over, there were thoughts on how to improve the format for next year.
Competition? Sure. But lots of people tried something new, and everyone involved enjoyed the flying. The often-heard complaint that flying in competition "is too much work to be fun" did not apply. All it takes is an idea and a little time.
How-to:
This issue marks the beginning of a fresh commitment to a formal how-to-do-it section. Each month we will have at least one tip or technique discussed in some detail.
Ever notice how one modeler builds great structures but is weak on covering them? Maybe someone else is an artist with an iron or brush but doesn't build that well. Still another person may be terrific at working with fiberglass. The how-tos will aim at enhancement of these skills.
We begin with an excellent piece by Bob Hatschek on music wire. It's well written, with sharp, contrasty, tightly framed photos, and tells an interesting story as it provides useful information.
This is the prototype of how we'd like to see other how-tos executed. The number of subjects is virtually endless: soldering, covering, working with high-tech materials, and on and on.
So if you have refined a particular skill, or have a unique, effective way around a modeling problem, draw up a cover letter to Rob Kurek (Publications Manager) outlining your solution and the way you approach it as a how-to.
Jim Haught Managing Editor
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
