AMA Nats: CL Aerobatics
THE BATTLE to determine the best Control Line Stunt fliers in the United States for the year 1988 is history. Characteristically, the story of this year's Nats isn't just one of winners and losers. It is more a story of people and places and the things they choose to do to add a spice of individuality to their common avocation, flying Stunt airplanes. It's the story of an invasion of friendly foreigners, intent on carving themselves a slice of American Stunt history. Of an individual pilot, one of the best ever, who chose to do it his way, even though at first "his way" appeared to be a novelty footnote to the competition . . . and then nearly ran away with the whole ball game!
CL Aerobatics
DATE: Saturday, July 22, 1989. Place: Richland airport, Richland, WA. Today the sun rose in the east and set in the west; the tides of the world's oceans responded to the moon's come-hither flirtations; and Jimmy Casale won the Walker Cup. Rest easy, America, all is right with the natural order of things!
Control Line: Aerobatics
I HOPE you recall that in my coverage of the Stunt event at the Tri-Cities Nats in the November issue of Model Aviation I mentioned the formation of a new PAMPA (Precision Aerobatics Model Pilots Association-Ed.) committee. Under the direction of its chairman, PAMPA vice president Robert McDonald, the committee will develop a procedural format based on the use of skill classes for use at the Nats rather than the historical Junior/Senior/Open age-class divisions still in use. Eventually the results of the committee's efforts will be brought before the PAMPA membership in Stunt News, the PAMPA newsletter. If accepted, the procedures will be submitted to AMA and-barring an unexpected rejection-will henceforth become the official format for the Nationals' Stunt event.
Control Line: Aerobatics
ARF STUNT! Are we ready for it? Is ARF Stunt ready for us? What is ARF? These are just three of the questions for which we will search for answers in this month's episode of "As the Nobler Turns." (Yuuchh! Who wrote that drivel? Couldn't have been me . . .) Well, whoever wrote it, it is an appropriate entree to this month's column. You'll remember that at the end of last month's effort I mentioned the new Cox Super Chipmunk 1/2A almost-ready-to-fly (ARF! There, one of the questions is already answered!) Control Line Stunt flier which arrived on my doorstep sometime last summer. It was accompanied by a letter from the Cox people which concluded by noting they were looking forward to my review.
Control Line: Aerobatics
THE IMAGE. I received a letter from one of Europe's finest Stunt pilots. Because I know the individual so well, and because I respect his opinions-whether or not I might share them-I have chosen to devote my column this month to his article, "The American Dream." Suffice it to say that, notwithstanding my friendship with the author, I don't share most of his opinions . . . and next month I intend to publish a public reply stating why. Nonetheless, the fact that a mature and accomplished modeler with worldwide competitive experience sincerely believes in the accuracy of the image he paints of us in this article should give us pause. To the extent that his views may reflect the opinions of the rest of the Stunt world, it is worthy of our consideration.
