The future of Pylon Racing
by Aaron “AJ” Seaholm
aseaholm@gmail.com
In early June, my son, Tagan, and I made our annual trek to the Billings Flying Mustangs (BFM) race in Billings, Montana. Special thanks go to the BFM club, Shane Elbert, Leon Elbert, and Allie Russell for creating a great racing experience.
Tagan is now eight, the same age I was when my father, Earl, started teaching me how to fly. The combination of this and seeing great friends from 20-plus years ago—Mark Martin and Dick and Stephanie Smith—had me reminiscing.
As I look back on 30-plus years of RC Pylon Racing, I realize how much it has shaped my life. The experiences, memories, and people have influenced my personality, my family, my friends, and my career. RC Pylon has taught me how to win with humility and how to lose—but not have to like it—as well as how to compete, how to be a part of a team, and how to maintain composure during pressure-packed situations.
I care deeply about this sport and want future generations to benefit from it as I have. This column focuses on how we can propel RC Pylon forward for future generations.
Elusive New Racers
Throughout the years, the pursuit of new racers has been a heavily discussed topic. The debate has often raged over the best way to attract and retain new blood. Despite our best efforts, new racers have proven to be an elusive pursuit. We are not getting any younger and desperately need to fill event registrations with new racers to sustain the sport.
At the Billings race, there were two first-time racers, Andy Pinney and Neil Martin. I thought it would be helpful to understand what lured them to Pylon Racing and use that knowledge to attract new racers elsewhere.
A.J. Seaholm: What is your RC biography?
Andy Pinney: I have been flying RC on and off for the last 16 years. I have always had a fascination with anything that flies. I have my private pilot’s license. The Billings race was my first RC competition. I have always been in Montana at the Billings Flying Mustangs.
Neil Martin: Dad (Mark Martin) had me going to the flying field [when I was] very young. He got me a trainer [when I was] 8-9 years old. I flew trainers for a while, then got out of it starting in middle school. I got back into flying [at] the end of high school and the summers while in college. I got better and did it a lot more and moved on to more advanced airplanes. I really like speed.
AJS: What made you attend your first race?
AP: Shane Elbert, the contest director. I had no idea what a Pylon race was, but Shane encouraged me to get involved. I had not had any exposure until a couple weeks before the Billings race.
NM: Dad raced when I was younger. He mentioned Billings was having a race this summer, but I was working. A month later, after a couple
flights with old Dodger Q-500s, I said I would take vacation to go and Dad got serious. I showed up and did my best.
AJS: What was the best part of your first race?
AP: Learning something new and flying with a purpose were both intriguing. This was a totally different type of flying with a great bunch of guys. I enjoyed competing against others and liked the idea of a measure (time) to see progress on each flight.
NM: Competing again during the races. The rush of adrenaline from competition I had not had since playing basketball and golf in high school. (Neil won the Montana divisional golf tournament and took second place in the state.) The first
race, my leg started shaking. I got better every race, which was pretty cool. Seeing the improvement [in] each flight was great.
AJS: What was the worst part about your first race?
AP: Crashing and losing an airplane on the third heat of the first day. I was bummed [that] I didn’t get to race the rest of the day and lost a good Scat Cat. It’s hard to find Scat Cats these days.
NM: Crashing into the ground in the third race of the first day. The airplane went into the ground around Pylon Two after losing control.
AJS: Do you plan to attend another race?
AP: If my schedule allows, I will be at the next race in the area. I have already ordered the new Jim Allen Quik-V6 (two days after the contest).
NM: Absolutely; the race was definitely the most fun I’ve had flying airplanes. [I am] definitely planning on it. [I] will try to get to the Helena [Montana] race (in September) and also the Denver race (in August).
Thanks, Andy and Neil. Welcome to the RC Pylon Racing family.
It seems that the best way to attract new racers is to have local races and promote the events to interested pilots. I challenge veteran racers reading this column to be Pylon ambassadors and help new racers experience the thrill of RC Pylon Racing.
Next Generation of Racers
Neil Martin’s story reminded me of another important source of new racers—the next generation. Thanks to Neil’s father, Mark, he has now gotten involved in RC Pylon Racing. As I look across our great sport, I realize that this is surprisingly common.
Here is a list of some of the multigenerational Pylon Racing families:
- The Richmonds
- The Van Barens
- The Martins
- The Elberts
- The Blanchards
- The Russells
- The Hemkens
- The Vaclavs
- The Fehlings
- The Freemans
- The Kanes
- The Seaholms
I am sure I have missed some and encourage you to send me stories and photos of your next-generation Pylon Racing family. It’s now on us to fill the future with the next generation of racers.
Fly hard, and have fun.
SOURCES:
National Miniature Pylon Racing Association (NMPRA)
www.nmpra.org
Billings Flying Mustangs
www.billingsflyingmustangs.us
Tower Hobbies
(800) 637-6050
www.towerhobbies.com
