Free Flight

[RC Steve Sterling]

I read it a little different. I thought he was giving the free flight and
control line folks (and us) a shot across the bow. Because they are only 10%
of members, they wouldn't be given 50% of the magazine space. The would put
more into sport flyers. Maybe I misread it.

I have never understood MA. Virtually 100% of their contstruction articles
have been the reserection of some old ancient-looking design, mostly .40
size or under, done by some equally aged fossil (no disrespect intended for
our modern thinking seniors in THIS SIG). These are followed by some equally
non-relevant article on how to keep your Kraft or Heathkit servos going
another year. Engine articles about some 1930's museum piece or how to keep
that 1950's Fox in top shape. And the monthly dept. articles-- free-flight
scale, free-flight long wing, CL scale, CL Aerobatic, CL carrier, CL
combat -- all totaling 10% of the interest (that number seems high to me).

Even as a sport pilot (prior to pattern), I always turned to the Precision
Aerobatics monthly section first. The articles written by Rick Allison were
usually relevant to my sport flying-- how to fly a straight line, use
rudder, proper loop, build on previous skills. I've heard the sport flyers
in my club discuss Erick Henderson's articles on the various "combo" ARF's
that work for sport and Pattern, and several have bought airplanes based on
those articles, so I know he is read also. Most of our sport flyers (90% of
our club also) aren't interested in the competition of Pattern, but would
like to do a better slow roll or Cuban 8.

MA really does need to get more relevant to the times-- more devoted to
MODERN sport models, a whole lot less on FF and CL. But if they did a survey
on what articles are currently read 1st or 2nd, I think at least 70% of the
sport pilots would say Precision Aerobatics or Scale Aerobatics.

-----Original Message-----
From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
[mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Tomanek, Wojtek
Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 11:52 AM
To: 'discussion at nsrca.org'
Subject: Free Flight



Ok, have you all read the latest Model Aviation editorial about how the free
flight and control line folks constitute 10% of all modelers and thus should
get increased attention in the magazine and other SIGs (including precision
aerobatics) will have to give up monthly columns to bimonthly ones.  I
belong to three clubs with approximately 80, 120, and 160 members.  Very few
may have a free flight glider/plane but have never flown it at the field,
same goes for control line.   If you look at their NATs the same names
appear in most of the categories and even then the whole listing of names is
shorter than the Masters list form the pattern NATs.

What gives .............................. ??

my $0.02 for today
Wojtek

=====================================
# To be removed from this list, send a message to
# discussion-request at nsrca.org
# and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
#



=====================================
# To be removed from this list, send a message to 
# discussion-request at nsrca.org
# and put leave discussion on the first line of the body.
#