Radio Control: Aerobatics
AS CONTEST DIRECTOR (CD) for the F3A Team Selection Finals, I am deep into making plans for the contest which will be held at Duke Field, Eglin AFB, Florida on June 25-30. Also participating in the planning in an informal capacity, because he will also be a competitor in the event, is John Fuqua. John is an active CD who has directed my club's annual contest for the past four years, with me as his assistant. Between us we have either directed or assisted in directing more than thirty Pattern contests. So we know what to do and when to do it for Pattern contests.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
ATTENTION, all pattern contestants: I received a very interesting letter from Steve Campbell (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). What follows are excerpts from his letter: "Several of your remarks in the October '92 column have done more to reinforce my negative feelings toward pattern fliers than almost anything I have seen or heard to date. "At one time I was a national-level competitor in police combat shooting (PPC). Among my more notable accomplishments were winning Master Class at the 1986 Nationals in Des Moines and becoming the Louisiana State Champion in 1989. I relate this not to impress you, but simply to illustrate that I am no stranger to high-level competition.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
IT'S BEEN another month, and I haven't received any more letters on the subject of what a beginning pattern pilot's first airplane(s) should be. Maybe your pattern juices hadn't started to flow until the warm weather thawed you out. You should be heavy into the season by now, so let me hear from you or I'll be forced to assume that you are as out of touch with what beginner pattern fliers need as I have been alleged to be.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
NOW that the first few contests of the year are history, it has become apparent that some changes are necessary. That shouldn't really be surprising. We went from a set of maneuver schedules that were mostly nonturnaround format to a new set that are mostly turnaround format. There were bound to be some problems on the first try, and there are. The rules change procedures will take care of the changes eventually. Unfortunately, it will be almost two years until their effects will be felt.
'91 All American Nationals: RC Aerobatics
THE HOT ONE is how we'll probably remember the 1991 AMA Nationals. It was almost a war of heat attrition. More about that later, but first some results. FAI featured Chip Hyde, David von Linsowe, and Bill Cunningham in the same order they placed during the Team Selection Finals three weeks earlier. A total of 203 contestants competed in RC Pattern at this year's Nationals. The entries were 46 Sportsman, 27 Advanced, 36 Expert, 21 Master, and 77 FAI. As was the case last year, FAI entries far outnumbered the other events.
