Letters to the Editor - 2001/04
Scale World Champs Clarification
The article about the World
Championships in the February issue of
Model Aviation unfortunately opens the
possibility of an incorrect impression
concerning Lloyd Roberts’ model.
My explanation in the submitted text,
while clear to me, was admittedly vague to
someone not directly associated with Scale
competition. As a result, the editing process at
the magazine level omitted a phrase which
was necessary for a correct interpretation.
Lloyd’s model represents a reproduction of
a full-scale Fly Baby he built a number of years
ago. While it is similar to the more commonly
modeled Bauer Fly Baby, there are a number
of significant modifications as compared to the
Bauer version. The model Lloyd presented for
the competition depicts the aircraft he had
built, not the Bauer version.
I very much regret the confusion caused by
my presentation of the text to Model Aviation
and apologize to Lloyd for having created a
false impression concerning his model
Bob Underwood
St. Peters, Missouri
Newcomers - 2001/02
ONE OF THE most misunderstood elements
of the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ part in
aeromodeling concerns the “rules.”
The casual observer may see little specific
evidence of rules, or the need for rules when it
comes to flying model aircraft. He or she
understands that competitive events must
operate within a rules structure—but what
part do rules play in recreational flying?
When someone becomes more deeply
involved, he or she becomes aware of
specific items that have an impact on
participation in the activity. When he or she
links up with a club, an awareness of flyingsite
rules occurs. Upon joining AMA, he or
she is given the Safety Code and receives
the AMA Membership Manual.
Although many aren’t aware of it, there
is a fourth set of rules for Radio Control
(RC) that many newcomers never come in
contact with: the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Part 15 and Part 95
regulating radio usage.
There are also directives by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) concerning
flying activities. The Competition Regulations
are used for specific event flying.
Within these documents, there is an
interesting blend of “Thou shalt and Thou
shalt nots” we’ll call rules, and some
recommendations.
Problems develop when the lines between
these blur, and misinterpretations occur. In
most cases, there is confusion about priorities
maintained by these documents, and
somehow the “recommendations” take on the
value of absolute rules.
I’ll try to clear up some of the confusion.
Scale World Championships
InTeRlAkenis a storybook type of Swiss
town. Nestled in a deep valley, it seems captured
by crystal-clear lakes edged by a tapestry of treecovered
mountains. This beautiful area was the
scene of the nine-day 2000 Scale World
Championships, held August 18-26.
As the Swiss Alps came into view, the 21⁄2-
hour bus ride from Zurich International Airport
became more like an amusement ride; the
vehicle climbed the twisting and turning narrow
road, barely missing oncoming cars and buses.
As your eyes traced the source of a
rushing mountain river, three snow-capped
peaks dominated the view. At 13,000+ feet,
the Jungfrau is the master of this trio.
Newcomers - 2001/01
ToMoRRoW IS the big day! The
weather man has promised sunshine and a
light breeze. The club instructor will be at
the field at 9 a.m. You’re ready—at least
you think you are!
It feels as though it’s been a long
time since you approached the club
members at the mall show—but it really
hasn’t. Some of the first questions you
asked seem kind of silly now, but you
appreciate how politely the members
handled them.
The “How fast? How high? How far
away can you control it? How much does
it cost?” questions soon gave way to more
relevant issues.
The show that piqued your interest
featured everything—ultralight Indoor
models, Control Line (CL), and Radio
Control (RC). You were afforded an
excellent opportunity to compare the
many aspects of aeromodeling. It also
allowed you to do a “wallet check,” to see
how this newfound activity could fit in
your budget.
Trips to the hobby shop and club
meetings followed, along with the myriad
relevant questions that developed as you
prepared the model.
Let’s do a “home preflight check”
before you go out to the field!
NewComers
SURPRISE! SURPRISE! All you're going to get this month from your regular NewComers author is a brief introduction to Matthew Usher's expanded coverage. Matt is an editor for Model Aviation. The events detailed this month consumed a prodigious amount of my time over many months, culminating in a mind-numbing, hectic flurry of activity on Tuesday, March 12! As a result, since I was sitting squarely in the middle of the forest, it seemed far more prudent to let someone else describe the trees. The short of it was that, working in conjunction with the Indiana Academy at Ball State University, AMA beamed almost four hours of live interactive TV programming to 32,000 students, grades 4 through 7, in five states.
