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Category: Archive 2010

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1. Tustin Indoor bash
2. UK Team Selection and the like
3. Looking for Sychov

Tustin Indoor Bash!

April 9-10-11, 2010

Tustin/Santa Ana Airship Hangar, Tustin , California

After many months of careful negotiations, Norm Furutani, Ralph Ray, and Stan Buddenbohm and have secured a contract for an AMA-sanctioned Category IV indoor Free Flight meet inside the Tustin hangar. The famed building, many times site of National and World record flights, F1D team selections and other large meets, has not hosted a contest since at least the late 1990s.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE to fly in one of the world’s best Category IV sites. The height to the bottom of the center beam is 167 feet. The catwalks are approx 135 feet high and are 140 feet apart, enabling record attempts in every Cat lV indoor Free Flight event. This is the site of Stan Buddenbohm’s record-setting “Holy Grail” HLG performances in October and November of 2009.

The organizers wish simply to break even. The entry fee is $80 per flier (Anyone that puts up a flight, official or not). That’s for three full days of flying.

The fine print:

• Due to occupancy restrictions for this event, by the owners, you MUST be pre-registered and on “THE LIST” to enter the base.
• Indoor Free Flight only. Gliders and rubber power.
• AMA license required for all flyers.
• FAI  sanction will be in place for world record attempts.
• FAI license required for record attempt
• Flying hours are limited by natural light 8 a.m. to Dusk. The hangar will be open for setup Thursday, April 8^th at 1pm. The contest will end two hours before dusk on Sunday. Contact Ralph Ray for details.
• AMA indoor rubber and glider only. No R/C or electric flying!
• FAI HLG
• Free parking on-site
• John Wayne/Orange county airport (SNA) is a mere 15 minutes’ drive
• Motel 6 Irvine is about 1 mile from the hangar. 1717 East Dyer Road , Santa Ana , CA 92705 . This is the most remarkable Motel 6 that I have ever seen. Highly recommended and special Record Trial rates. Be sure to mention the Blimp Hangar. (949) 261-1515
• Contact: Ralph Ray This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.619-504-2661

5 Mar 10

 BUT - The number of entrants is restricted by the owners of the property. There are still spots free so DO NOT miss out - get in touch with Ralph right way to get on THE List

                               HANGAR RULES  5MAR10

Due to occupancy restrictions for this event, by the owners, you MUST be pre-registered and on “THE LIST” to enter the base.

Absolutely no arguing with the CD, the job is hard enough. You may discuss your point and then accept the decision.

NO smoking inside the building. Smoking is allowed outside but not within 50 ft of any structure.

Carry out all trash, including cigarette butts.

NO running inside the building, except during a hand launch.

NO pets.

There is no water.  There is no electricity. There will be a porta-potty.

There are good skylights but you might want to bring a battery powered worklight.

If you want a place to work, or sit, you need to bring your own table and chair.

Models that get stuck in the rafters, or on the mezzanine, are lost. There is NO climbing to retrieve a model. There should be some long poles and helium available.

Do not go within 50 ft. of the construction curtains toward the north end. Do not take any photos of the construction, even in the background. Do not allow a model to go into that area. Everyone will need to sign a Non Disclosure Agreement about that construction.

Keep the doors closed as much as possible. The opening of a door can disturb the air for several minutes.

Observe the 10 mph speed limit at all times.

The locked gate, number 14, is a mile from the hangar. It is imperative that you arrive and depart at one of the scheduled times. The gate will be locked at all other times. Some exceptions can be made on Thursday and for emergencies.

For lunch the gate will be open at the beginning and at the end, not during. The contest will end 2 hrs prior to Sunday exit.

Thursday, April 8,  entry at 1pm     Exit about dusk.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday    Apr. 9 – 11    Entry 7am      Lunch 11 to 12:30  Evening exit about dusk.

UK Team Selection and the like.    

John O’Donnell

Hopefully you have seen David Brawn’s email on this subject.

I would support much of what he says.

At long last we are hearing opposition to our long-established procedure for selecting our FAI Teams.

This is also due to be discussed at the forth-coming Conference about increasing UK interest in FAI. Unfortunately this has got off to a poor start. The Agenda and general content will appeal far more to those already interested in FAI than to those who are not (and who might tell us what is wrong). In short, it is preaching to the converted.

The high-profile addition of Per Findahl, complete with a talk on his approach, should certainly be interesting and informative – but to whom ? It would seem highly unlikely to motivate anyone to start up in FAI. Whist many would like to attain his success, precious few could hope to match his enthusiasm, dedication, and plain hard work – not to mention talent ! Many of us are quite simply too old !

To encourage someone to participate in FAI (or anything else) you need to make it attractive, practical, and within reach. Current FAI techniques do not meet these requirements. The models are far too clever.

Restricted Technology specifications have been proposed – but are sure to be opposed by those with vested interests. They include not only the Cottage Industry suppliers, but their customers. Remember those who fly any event do so because they like it just as it is – and will therefore oppose any suggestion for change that will reduce their expertese and/or devalue their models and “investment”.

Add in the viewpoint that the purchasers of expensive models will not like to be beaten by “cheap and nasty” homemade models – and I can hardly see any likelihood of radical changes such as permitting simple alternatives to take the top awards in FAI contests. Allowing them alongside current hi-tech models, but excluded from “medals”, is treating them as “poor relations” of lowly status – a category we can do without.

All of this leads on to the subject of Team Selection and the numbers interested. Consider what is involved – three 2-day weekends up and down the country (held nearly a year before the actual Championships), the need for four models and all that goes with them, the real advantage of having help with timing and retrieval, plus the pressure of having to do well, etc.

These factors result in there being only a small number of Trials participants. Naturally the ‘regulars’ want to retain the present system as it favours their chances by discouraging prospective entrants. The claim of needing ‘practice’ is a red herring. Other things are needed more – like raving enthusiasm and real talent.

Our present FAI exponents are effectively an informal, but real enough, ‘club’ – who know and help each other as they ‘gad’ round the Open International circuit. This is fine in itself, but then some denigrate the UK domestic scene. The view that “you have to go abroad to get a proper contest” has been heard too often. This elitist attitude does not help their numbers - or their image.

Who should represent the UK? If you want success then what is needed is the ‘man on form’ – not someone who did well many months before. With the numbers presently involved we hardly need 3 weekends – despite the vociferous (and rude) lobbying seen at the “Way Ahead” conference.

One Trials weekend early in the year of the Championships is enough to show who can ‘produce when required’ – just what is needed at the actual Finals. There is then little need for lengthy preparation. Buying more models (or bits thereof) is quicker than building. Perhaps some people will need time to save up instead ! Or can all FAI enthusiasts be assumed to be rich ?

Expenses saved by pruning the Trials could well be spent on the domestic scene – which is where the money  came from – via the ASC meetings. If it is appropriate to subsidise meetings, then the Free Flight Nationals do not need to run at a profit. This is heresy of course !

This would seem a good place to stop !

John O’Donnell     2 March 2010                                                              Word 2003

Can someone supply a current email address for Volodomyr Sychov, Ukraine F1C sportsman?

thanks

Don DeLoach

NFFS Editor

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