A Laid-Back Contest

I just returned from practicing stunt at Arlington. There was a combat contest of sorts going on there, although the ratio of sitting around BSing to matches flown was very low. They flew speed-limit combat for awhile until they pretty much destroyed all the airplanes (including one of mine, lent to Abu Emo Willcox). It felt strange to hear a mid-air collision while flying stunt. It took awhile to realize that my stunt plane wasn't involved.

They broke for a couple of hours for lunch, at which point I joined them, because Ken Burdick was doing the cooking. The contest was pretty much an excuse for him to put on a feed.

Then they started Vintage British Diesel Combat. Some elderly British expatriates living in BC introduced this sport a few years ago, and it caught on with the locals, who enjoy helping the Brits relive their youth. This contest had a peculiar twist: it was also a balloon bust. A contestant got credit for an additional cut by popping a balloon on a stick near the ground, but only while combat was in progress. Ken was starting matches with blasts on a trombone.

When I left, they hadn't yet started the third event. I'm not sure what it was, but it involved a piñata.

>When I left, they hadn't yet started the third event. I'm
>not sure what it was, but it involved a piñata.

There were two more events on the schedule.
Free-style stunt flown with combat planes,
and a melee to kill the pinata.

Good contest, and great steak (yummm!).

Highlight of the day was Mel flying against himself in the "freestyle" event. Two hands, two planes, full-boogie combat, in and out of line tangles and a kill to top it off.

Jeff tried to top that with two half-A combat planes but it's not clear if he was ever really in control of them. Looked good for about ten seconds anyway. My attempt to fly a Yuvenko RTF with my foot (in theory while juggling three clubs) was a technical failure but did score well in entertainment points. Did I mention how good the steak tasted?

Prior to the freestyle event there was that pinata thing. Six planes versus one large paper bee, simultaneously... Oh, "the horror".

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- Dave (just call me "Top Dawg")

Hey, that's my pit box.

> My attempt to fly
>a Yuvenko RTF with my foot (in theory while juggling three
>clubs) was a technical failure...

I witnessed a number of technical failures.
My fave was Dave (Top Dog) Pellerin, after losing the outboard wing
in a collision, determining that the plane was still flyable
(had control and a shutoff). He put a bladder in the inboard wing
and launched. The plane didn't fly well at all. Perhaps if he'd
whipped it a bit harder?

Later, Mel Lyne was DQ'd by Dan Rutherford,
during the pinata popping, an event with no actual rules.

>
>Later, Mel Lyne was DQ'd by Dan Rutherford,
>during the pinata popping, an event with no actual rules.
>
>Preston

True enough.

These truly crazy folk decided to whack a pinata with a flying model airplane, said dealie sitting on the ground. Yes, between *two* circles, all arranged so that a flier in either circle had a full-on shot at pinata. Thus flight path of a model in circle one could (briefly) overlap that of a model being flown in circle number two. And of course models would be approaching each other head-on, making for possibility of **some fun** as aim was taken at Mr. Pinata.

Complicating things somewhat, while serving to raise level of entertainment measurably, 6 fliers entered this event, were randomly assigned their circle, 3 per circle.

For reasons unknown I was chosen to judge this event, parameters being limited to entertainment value involved in hitting a pinata with what were (mostly) a whole slew of D-Bat models. (English Combat models from the 60s, powered by 15 diesels.)

Mel Lyne somehow got in the wrong circle. When he realized this there were three airplanes in his circle, another being prepped for launch.

Mel decided to exit circle, and there did not seem to be a problem as he appeared to announce his intentions, everybody stayed out of his way. Uh, Mel was still flying at the time, remember.

The real problem, although it was most amusing, took place when, unannounced, Mel ran into second circle. Again, remember: Mel was actually flying a model as he did this. The two fellows already flying in this circle were mildly surprised, to say the least.

I will admit he pulled it off. And he was allowed to go ahead and take a good shot at the pinata, which Robert Smith nailed perfectly.

As Mel had a shot, had pulled a really risk maneuver in going from one circle to another, there were few real rules, and we were doing this purely for entertainment value, I decided it would be entertaining to see what might transpire if I disqualified Mel. So I did. And sure enough it was entertaining.

Incidentally, I was also a judge during next event where Mel flew Combat against himself, giving his performance my highest score of this particular event. Disqualification was briefly discussed, but as there appeared to be little entertainment value this time around the motion was tabled.

Heh! I was really hoping he would have been flying 2 models
at the pinata, one from each circle.

>
>Incidentally, I was also a judge during next event where Mel
>flew Combat against himself, giving his performance my
>highest score of this particular event. Disqualification was
>briefly discussed, but as there appeared to be little
>entertainment value this time around the motion was tabled.
>
>Dan
Dan,
you should have DQ'd him.
In the photo above, the safety thong in his left hand is clearly not around his wrist. Is there even one on the right handle?
Double DQ!
I used to practise flying left handed, but ever since we went to safety thongs there has been no reason to. I wonder if it is even possible to fly a match like this with two F2D models?
Pat MacKenzie

For the record, I wore a thong for my performance but you can't see it in the picture because it was hiding under my jeans. Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more.

>>
>>Incidentally, I was also a judge during next event where Mel
>>flew Combat against himself, giving his performance my
>>highest score of this particular event. Disqualification was
>>briefly discussed, but as there appeared to be little
>>entertainment value this time around the motion was tabled.
>>
>>Dan
> Dan,
> you should have DQ'd him.
> In the photo above, the safety thong in his left hand is
>clearly not around his wrist. Is there even one on the right
>handle?
> Double DQ!
> I used to practise flying left handed, but ever since we
>went to safety thongs there has been no reason to. I wonder
>if it is even possible to fly a match like this with two
>F2D models?
>Pat MacKenzie

Pat,

Well, the lack of a safety thong on Mel's left hand was precisely the reason put forth, not by me, to disqualify him a second time. As I mentioned, had there been some entertainment value in doing so, I probably would have been in favor of giving him the boot. But at that particular moment there was the distinct possibility of Mel having a mid-air with Mel, destroying both models, maybe even an engine or two.

People like to say "safety first," but not when something really cool, even if a bit dangerous, is about to take place.

Sounds like you should try a "Hayes 3 in 1" event. (My club Hayes and Dist. M.A.C.).
Any model you like. Any engine you like. Tank 60cc. Lines 50ft. One model, only the prop. may be changed.
1st. event - Speed. Timed for 10 laps.
2nd. event - Hayes Rat Race. As many laps as you can in 5 minutes. High flying allowed. Loops don't count. Laps inverted are taken off. Up to four in the circle.
3rd. event - Combat, if you still have a model.
We used to start and finish every season with this event, all take our lunch and drinks to the field. Happy days!

Ian,

No disrespect, but are you putting forth described event as somehow being superior to yesterday's scene of 6 fliers, 3 each in convergent circles, all flying at the same time and trying to hit a pinata sitting on the ground?

It was disappointing to discover said pinata did not actually contain live snakes as had been advertised.

Picture #2 is The Dirt (left) and ME (right). Does this make Dan a Leftist? NOT a chance! Steve