RADIO CONTROL PYLON RACING
Bill Hager — 4 Holly Springs Dr., Conroe, TX 77302
Flying radio-controlled model airplanes can be enjoyed by everyone, and today's technology in radios, models, and engines makes modeling pretty easy. I consider pylon racing to be the premiere event for radio-controlled model airplanes.
Just about anyone can race, but you must be pretty sharp in order to do well. As in many types of competition, the young flier has the edge. Better reflexes and better eyes—about the only thing young fliers lack is experience. This combination puts younger fliers on an even plane with us older folks (you know who you are). See how a couple of young pylon racers are doing:
Bryan Shadel — Gardnerville, Nevada
Bryan Shadel is an extraordinarily successful part-time pylon racer. Although he seldom races more than once or twice a year, his skill level is high, and he has shown a great ability to fly all types of radio-controlled aircraft. Much of his success is due to consistent flying and the knowledge of equipment learned from his father, Dave Shadel.
Bryan studies mechanical engineering at Western Nevada Community College, with a scholarship from the Nevada Builders Association. Next semester he will transfer to the University of Nevada at Reno for further study.
Bryan started his aeromodeling career at age four with a control-line trainer, and he still enjoys occasional control-line flying. He began RC flying a couple of years later and quickly advanced to sport aerobatic models.
For the next few years, Bryan's many interests kept RC flying on the back burner. In 1992, he raced Q-500 at his first AMA Nationals, placing second in the Senior age division and having Fast Time in Senior. In 1993, he flew his first-ever Formula I race (again at the AMA Nationals). Bryan had never flown an F1 airplane until the day before the contest, but his consistent flying put him in twelfth place overall and Best Senior in F1.
His only contest in 1994 was the AMA Nationals, where he flew QM-40 and was well on his way to a high placing when an unfortunate midair collision took him out of the running. Nonetheless, he set a record for Senior QM-40 with an eleven-lap time of 1:22. In F1 at the same contest, Bryan learned all about wake turbulence in one tough lesson: scratch one F1 model, engine, and radio in less than a heartbeat.
It is unlikely that Bryan will be a serious competitor until his schooling is complete. But be warned: if he ever decides to hit the competition trail seriously, his perfectionist attitude will undoubtedly make him a champion.
Ben Johnson — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Eighteen-year-old Ben Johnson, current Senior National record holder—Formula Long Course Q-500—achieved this in his first season racing.
Ben first became interested in RC flying at age nine and won a fun-fly contest in Oklahoma City. He began accompanying his father, Norm Johnson, to several races. His interest escalated and he decided to race after attending the 1992 Nats. It did not take him long to get the hang of racing; in his first season he finished eighth place in District VIII and was invited to attend the Championship Race, where he finished tenth—a very respectable showing.
Ben recently surprised District Eight racers by almost winning a Formula contest at Brazoria, Texas. He was one point down and tied for first place when a radio malfunctioned and he lost the fly-off. During the contest, however, he set a new Formula Senior AMA time of 1:10.51. He also set a new AMA Senior Q-500 Long Course record of 1:13.61.
Due to his successes and flying ability, he has chosen to fly Team JR equipment, using JR radios and equipment distributed by Horizon Hobby.
Ben is also a talented RC car racer with several local district wins in oval and off-road racing. In addition to his RC hobbies, Ben is an accomplished athlete. He has played basketball and soccer since age five and was named Most Valuable Player on his high school soccer team during his senior year. His soccer ability earned him a four-year scholarship to Oklahoma City University, where he was a starter as a freshman. Regrettably, Norm and Ben missed years of Nats when Ben represented the U.S. at a prestigious soccer tournament in Europe; almost every country was represented in that international event. Although Ben is busy with academic and soccer responsibilities, he plans to continue and expand his interest in flying RC models.
Look out, young guys—the future races look like these two have quite a future. Good luck, and always go out of your way to help anyone interested in modeling. So do not be afraid to ask!
Wow—what a season! Many of you will be getting ready for the season-ending Q-500 Championship race in your area. This year's NMPRA Formula I Championship Race will be held about thirty miles east of Dallas, Texas. More on these races next time.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
