control line/radio control

I fly a lot of RC and really enjoy it. I fly 'at' control line and really enjoy it. I think I'm starting to enjoy cl more and rc less, and the reason is the difference in challenge, and skills required. before I went out to fly rc, and while I was building my trainer, I got a simulator and spent a lot of time practicing on it. I soloed the first day out after one "buddy-box" flight. Now, rc has lost some of its challenge and excitement, because if one can take off and land, he can get high enough and make all kinds of mistakes without losing his plane. With cl there are no simulators, no "buddy'boxes", and one cannot fly high enough to recover from a bad goof. I really believe that the person who can fly control line at expert level is more skilled than the rc'er who flies at expert level. Don't get me wrong. I have all kinds of respect for, and envy of, the skilled rc pilot, but when you really boil it down, the rc guy who flies at expert level, say in 3D, has put a tremendous amount of money into equipment like computerized transmitters, etc., that help make him look good. Yes, he is skilled, and has earned his wings through practice, and spending a lot of money, but I really think that there is a lot more "raw" skill involved in control line. I'm not going to quit flying rc, because I get a lot of enjoyment from it and from the friendships I've made at the rc field, but I certainly intend to put more effort into control line.
Am I all wet? Thoughts?
Glen

I remember a couple of years ago, someone on one of the message boards (I forget which) related a story about interacting with a couple of spectators when at the C/L field. Two women in a car, if I remember correctly (not that it's relevant). When he described to them what he was doing and how C/L flight is accomplished, one of them remarked "Ah, the pure art form of the hobby." I always liked that quote (wonder why?).

I certainly think that there's a lot to be said for being in direct contact with the plane... feeling the pull on the lines, and seeing the direct result of any control input. I have NOT flown R/C, so I don't have any direct comparison, but I have played some video games, which I'd guess would be about the same feeling. I have to say that the video games don't engage me the way flying my planes does...

Tim

I feel the same way you do. I love the building, and I will have that 70's style pattern screamer with retracts one day. The range of control cannot be equaled by Control Line.

Yet, it still comes down to twiddling some sticks like a video game. As a matter of fact, unless you learn to fly close, which many don't do, it's worse.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-04 AT 03:51 PM (CST)
 
I have not flown R/C, but I have used R/C simulators. I can best describe the experience to be similar to a video game.

I have been asked by many people including my neighbor, “When are you going to MOVE UP to R/C?” I’ve never had a good answer to that question, only to usually reply something to the effect of “I don’t feel it would be moving up”.

I can’t knock R/C pilots, I’m sure they love their toy planes as much as I love mine.

I met Jeff Welliver from MN this past spring at the Pewaukee WI contest; good guy. I can’t recall verbatim what it was but he had a great answer to that type of question. It was something like “ I’ll fly R/C when I feel like taking it easy and stepping down to some easier flying”.

Hey Jeff, chime in on this one.

>I have not flown R/C, but I have used R/C simulators. I can
>best describe the experience to be similar to a video game.
>
>I have been asked by many people including my neighbor,
>“When are you going to MOVE UP to R/C?” I’ve never had a
>good answer to that question, only to usually reply
>something to the effect of “I don’t feel it would be moving
>up”.

Two answers

1)since RC is older than CL why move back to the older control system.
2)As soon as I get physically unable to fly CL or FF

Have always got a kick out of RC flyers saying that their plane felt better that flight, man they must have LONG fingers.

Chris:

Thanks for the compliment !

As I recall the wind that day, sliding down a 30'razor blade into a pool of iodine would have qualified as taking it easier.

I'm on here a couple of other times, and on the thread on Control line promotion, all comparing with R/C.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-04 AT 03:50 PM (CST)
 
I have flown free flight, control line and radio control. When I flew radio control, I actually flew that heavy box around my neck. I never had a sense of "control". Free flight and control line are two extremexs in the hobby. Free flight, you must build light, straight and true, and trim. Once launched, it is absolutely free. Only your building and triming ability will keep it from crashing. You just watch. In control line you litterally have a hand on it and are in control. The other extreme. My wife says I tend to be an extremeist, either on or off, yes or no, now or never type of person. So FF and CL fit me. There is grat joy in watching one of your creations flying all by itself like a bird, and you mutter under your breath, "wow, and I built that"! On the other hand, the slightest mistake and it's tinder.

I built my first model airplane (a Comet rubber f/f) at about age 10. You could barely tell it was an airplane and it never really flew. Still, I was hooked for life! I went on from that to complete several more successful f/f models. Then I got into c/l. Big step up! I loved feeling the plane- being connected to it. Eventually, I took up r/c and I enjoy it very much to this day. I like all types of models; scale, sport, etc. I have a large collection of planes and gear from trainers to ducted-fan jets. Even so, I have never forgotten that feeling of being connected to a well-built c/l ship. About a year ago, I picked up a ratty old Ringmaster at the LHS. I've been playing with it at our r/c field. We have 70+ members- almost none had ever seen a c/l model fly! The snide remarks and giggling went away with the first loops, Eights, and inverted laps! We are now developing a 180' circle on our property, with several more guys wanting to give it a try. I tell everybody that when you look at bang for the buck, c/l wins by a mile! I'm building more c/l planes now- by next season I'll have several ready to go (hopefully). I plan to let all my buddies give it a try if they want. Right now I'm having an absolute ball with c/l!

Sorry if I rambled.

>Free flight, you must build light, straight and true, and
>trim. Once launched, it is absolutely free. Only your
>building and triming ability will keep it from crashing.
>You just watch.

Ty,

I built two or three Goldberg 1/2A Blazers. They were lots and lots of fun, but I lost every one of them as a fading pinpoint in the sky. I could never meter the fuel in a Baby Bee, and the de-thermalizer fuse always fell out from the rubber bands.

I finally retrieved one once from Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains. I jumped a fence, and before I realized it, a bunch of bulls were staring me down, threatening to charge. I slowly backed up and went the long way around to get my plane.

I'm sure every Free Flighter has the tall tale of the one that got away!

I also fly R/C but only for relax, no contest only hotline electro gliders, slow flyers and I tried also electro heli, but if I compare it to C/L it is like sex by phone ... no real touch

>I also fly R/C but only for relax, no contest only hotline
>electro gliders, slow flyers and I tried also electro heli,
>but if I compare it to C/L it is like sex by phone ...
>no real touch

HE SAID:

"If I compare {RC} to C/L, it is like sex by phone - no real touch."

*** ONE FOR THE AGES ***

Tom;
Notice he didn't leave his number, though.......

I agree about the feel of flying a controliner vrs flying an RC. But I still get the biggest thrill getting a first flight in a brand new hand built FF model. The suspense of wondering if you have it set up close enough to avoid re-kitting on the first test flight, or watching it coming down with only a few seconds during a contest, then suddenly catching a thermal.
Right now I definetely have more CL planes than either of the other two. I'll give up RC before either of the others.

I too started out flying FF then went to CL, then back to FF. Where I lived then, there was miles and miles of nothing but more miles and miles. Cross roads usually every mile in each direction. Lots of chase room. The only thing was a slight rocky/hilly terrain with sparce mosquete trees (shrub type). BUT quite a few more than plenty of RATTLE SNAKES!!! Did you know that from a steady trot, you can jump at least 40 feet!!! Jogging along and BBBBZZZZZZ and you land 40 feet away!! I quit FF for that reason. Then went back to CL then into RC in the mid 60s and then back to CL in the 70s to now.

Bigiron (68 years of modeling madness and still enjoying it)

We don't have such serpents on this side of the Cascades, but a couple of years ago on the way back from Nils's contest in central Oregon, I stopped by the side of the road where there's a placard that tells you the names of the mountains you can see from there. While indentifying the mountains, I heard what I thought was a cicada in the weeds. I thought that was interesting, so I went to investigate. About the time I started to bend over to look for the bug, I figured out what the buzzing was.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-04 AT 08:55 AM (CST)
 
Howard,

Used to fly FF with Pat Johnston and Jim Welch in Idaho. Much the same as Marvin describes. Nothing but miles and miles of sage brush and a lot of nothing as far as you could see. An area called Freezeout Ridge above Emmett. Not far from Firebird drag strip. Well over a hundred in the summer and insane thermals and not much else. So days it would be the middle of the afternoon and dead calm and hot, hot, hot. Lost many a hand launch glider out there. Just pitch it up and watch it circle out of sight. But Jim flew the killer planes. Wakefields! Loved that Whump, whump, whump when he let it go with an enormous balsa prop and probably too much rubber motor. What a blast.

Besides, it was just too hot to fly CL at a 110, dead calm and 3700 feet.

Edit: In fact, much like the picture you posted. Must be Eastern Oregon or Idaho. I-80?

Hi Randy. I too used to fly FF with Pat Johnston and the gang in the Boise area. I was in Pocatello at the time. Lots of guys from Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Boise. We had some contests at the Knudsen Park in Boise and some out by the prison. Pat always had some great scale FF planes.

Here is a picture of my wife, taken on the way to the 2003 Nats.

If I didn't know better, I'd say that was just outside of my hometown in Nevada. Except we don't put up signs warning about rattle snakes, as it is a given. We figure all the tourists are in a casino leaving Nevada green!!

It was on I-15, probably somewhere between Barstow and the Nevada line.

Barstow? On your way to the Nats from Seattle? Must have been on tour.

We went to a combat contest in Riverside on the way to Muncie. It was a great trip.

I think that's a good point. I left CL to fly RC for awhile. Got relatively good at it. RC pylon racers are a blast and pattern planes take some real skill to get good at (at least they did in the late 70s and early 80s when I flew them). But I could never get past 2 things. One, everything is so far away. If I flew near the runway, the other flyers were pretty unhappy (you trying to kill us?) and two, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't "feel" the plane. There is that disconnect between you and the plane. You're not really flying it, just giving input so the servos can fly it. Eventually, I lost interest (except for an electric park flyer I fly out in front of my house every once in awhile).

With CL, every plane feels different and the nuance of movement is transmitted directly to your nervous system. That direct connection is hard to beat so:

Step up to Control Line.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-04 AT 05:43 PM (CST)
 
I got back into control line about 5 years ago after being away for 30 years. I like building just as much as flying. I like holding on to the airplane with the control handle and actually flying it. I like the pull and feel of the airplane as it flies. When I tried RC it was no different than a video game. With RC there is no feel of flying at all you just stand there holding the control and the airplane flies 200 yards away. I think if I had NEVER tried Control Line I might like RC. The guys at the RC club are very negative about control line they like to make fun of me. One day at the hobby store 3 RC guys ask me, "why in the world would anyone want to flying those old out dated airplanes that go in a circle and make you dizzy." Last week I stopped to talk to 2 guys at the park flying electric RC, after I told them I fly CL they acted like I had AIDS or something. There is 1 guy at the RC club that said he would like to see a CL circle at the RC club. A CL circle at the RC club would be great but I don't thing it will ever happen at this RC club to many negative attitudes about CL. I am not sure I want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member.

Futaba 6 computer radio. Too far away and couldn't feel the plane, lost interest. May get back into park flyers some day.

"I don't know about this tuned pipe business. I practiced on that thing until my lips turned blue, and I still can't play a stinkin note."
"Homer J. Simpson"

I tried to build and fly C/L as a kid, but most never made it a full lap. I tried again in the early 60's and learned to fly some of the pattern. Then a friend of mine got me into R/C. I Flew R/C pattern for 25 years and enjoyed it very much. Then about 12 years ago a couple of my pattern flying bud's wanted to do some C/L flying just for fun. Well, I was hooked again. I still fly a little R/C, mostly old timers like the Play Boy and am building a Lanzo Bomber for an O&R 23. THe Play Boy has had a Super Cyke, and an O&R 60. I really like running the old spark engines and find myself building planes for the engines rather than building planes and finding engines to fit. In C/L I have a Taurus with an Anderson Spitfire 60 and Viking that I fly with a Super Cyke on spark, and a Fox 59 glow. I am having the time of my life. The R/C club put in a very nice C/L circle with a concrete pad for take off, and one in the center of the circle, just for me. Good bunch of guys.

My father and I fly control line at Whitehouse OLF in Jax. Fl. (An airstrip used for practicing touch and goes by the Navy) After a few hours of C/L flying we fly our R/C trainers. Best of both worlds. Just flew the first flight on my Twister that my dad built for me, getting it trimmed out. Good times...

In my case, I learned to fly R/C about 30 or so years ago. Didn't have the use of a buddy box at the time. I srtarted with a taildragger trainer and a Veco 19 eith a Cannon radio, which was thought to be "small" at the time.
Soloed from the middle of the first flight on. Of course, having flown C/L and picking up on how planes fly might have helped.
I moved to WW II Scale planes and a couple different size "Sticks", but never really enjoyed the flying as much as I do C/L.
I am sure that it's the tactile sensations of "flying" the ship that only a handle can give.
It's much more "exciting" to hold on while your plane approches the terra firma at close to 60 mph straight down and pull out at 4' (or less ).
Bill <><

The last time I flew RC this last summer, I was cutting circles, loops, stall turns, touch and goes, and eights with an old Sig Seniorita. After I landed, my buddy Roger said, "You fly that the same way you fly controlline..."

Kelvin:

Is it repaired yet?

There is not much idea trying to compare RC and CL as they are different hobbies and both very nice.

RC boring ? Most RC sunday flyers fly their trainer or sports plane. Try to fly only your CL trainer and i think you get bored to fly level flight very quickly. Many (most?) CL stunt flyers fly in competitions and that is the reason why it is so exiting.
And if you think all RC is boring, go ahead and try RC AirCombat. Never boring and still cheap fun.

Feel ? There is some "feel" on the RC planes also. You notice it when you change your plane and fly with a different plane. Every plane has it's own "feel".

Regs, Jyrki

You're only bored because you don't have any streamer behind the plane. Add the streamer and things get WAY more exciting.

>You're only bored because you don't have any streamer behind
>the plane. Add the streamer and things get WAY more
>exciting.
>
>
>From somewhere near Parkville, Mo.
>William Crane
>AMA 6733

If you wish to get excited flip your Heli inverted 1 foot from the ground turn it nose in to you , just remember that your controls are reversed all , and you really can't be thinking which way do i move the sticks, then do a backward loop from nose in and come to a stop 1 foot from the ground still nose in. Yes there might not be this magic feel but guys don't you ever compare RC and C/L when flown by competent people .It makes it look like poetry in motion It's the same comparison as a Ringmaster and a SV 11.Furthermore most flyers that are skilled do not fly way out. That is the mark of a beginmner who is letting the plane fly him. The same as a beginner in any sport, the equipment owns you till you master it.
I have flown every facet of the hobby with the exception of turbines and would never be so snobbish as to allude that one facet of the hobby is better then the other. I enjoy them all.
Dennis

Dennis got it right. Each to his own and each facet has something to offer. As to helos, real or model, whoa, what a difference in flying. Yep, they take skill and great coordination. Leaves me out. Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission.

>>And if you think all RC is boring, go ahead and try RC AirCombat. Never boring and still cheap fun.<<

Or Pylon Racers. That was a lot of fun though not at all cheap.

I disagree on feel. The all "feel" the same. The response time and abilities of the plane vary, but they all feel the same at the sticks. Very much a video game feel.

I've been a space flight simulator addict since the days of "Elite" on a C=64, through the Wing Commander Saga and all the way to today flying Starlancer, Freelancer and recently, the new SpaceWars. But until the advent of Force-Feedback joysticks, it was largely a non-responsive system (though still a lot of fun). Your Thrustmaster felt the same whether you were cruising around Los Angeles in a Cessna with Microsoft Flight Simulator or strafing a Kilrathi Battlecruiser while being fried from behind by a Dralthi. It all felt the same even if the "experience" was different.

Maybe that's an idea for RC. A force-feedback system on the sticks.

I am one of the many who started in C/L and FF, went to R/C and now have come full circle back to C/L with a bit of F/F for fun. I still have about a dozen R/C planes in the hangar, but haven't flown anything but the E-power Park Fliers in 3 yrs. I keep saying I'm gonna sell all the R/C stuff and buy C/L, but it never happens. I just buy more C/L stuff!

I still enjoy flying the park flyer type in my cul de sac, or the local school, but they handle less wind than even a small C/L.

I do love the smell of nito and castor oil!

>>I keep saying I'm gonna sell all the R/C stuff and buy C/L, but it never happens.<<

One word: Ebay

I gave up R/C completely to get back into C/L. I joined the Dallas club, got some great coaching, and do pretty good in contests. I used to fly by myself here in Aggieland, until Glen got back into c/l. Now I have a flying buddy! Control line is more of a challenge, and more rewarding, than R/C ever was for me.
Dale McCord
(Glen, hope as goes well today)

The only reason I started flying radio control, was, the boy wanted to learn. Getting help back then was a pain. Then I found the Shawnee Mission Radio Control Club. They taught both of us to fly. I went on to become an instructor and the boy got tied up with work, girls and cars. Mot quite in that order. But, he would go to control line contests with me. Then I decided I was getting to the point that I was not having fun with radio. Started flying more control line, there was a grass circle across the road from the radio field. Then the quesstions, "Why do you play with control line?". My response was, "When I crash I only have to walk about sixty feet to pick up the remains." The other answer when they quit laughing, " I don't have to spend four hours looking for a downed plane." Now I am selling my radio stuff, as, there was an accident with a radio plane in which someone got hurt. The person flying did not belong to the club nor was they an AMA member. I found out when I was going to fly my Nobler with the Brodak 40. A patrolman came walking across the circle and informed me I could not fly model planes in the park anymore. He told me the short story and I introduced myself and alked if he would contact park manager. Heard a few words to the effect of, "yes he is an older gentleman, He wears glasses and there are lines coming out of the end of the wing. He hung up his cell phone and looked at me and said continue flying until further notice. Later, after flying I stopped by the new location for the radio guys. Mac Strader the head instructor was there with a student. Radio is great for him as he is confined to a wheel chair. I was one of the ones who taught him how to fly. Of course he does not fly alone at anytime. We were talking when the patrolman showed up and informed Mac that they could not fly except on trainer nights. Then he saw me and started apologizing for interupting my flying. I thanked him and told him he was only doing his job. Also told him I hope I didn't give him too hard a time. Now the radio club has full use of the field, but, now in order for me to fly my radio plane once or twice a year I will have to join the club and get a park license. I can fly control line all I want to as I take care of the circle. I know this got too long, but, anybody in the KC/Shawnee MSN area want to fly contact me. John Bender, Mr Clean and I have been flying at the Argosy Casino. Later, DOC Holliday:)

RC flying went over the hill with the advent of the computer radios and all their mixes. From a flying point of view, any radio that uses more than 4 plain channels is cheating. With the various mixes you can iron out virtually all the little foibles a plane may have, and all that you have left to do is steer it around the sky. That loses its thrill really quick. Trying to fly pretty maneuvers with four unmixed channels is a real challenge. I have a great respect for Phil Kraft, Don Lowe, Dave Brown and all other pattern champs who did it with basic radios. Doing it with a new computer radio, while it does take some practice, is so much easier it is silly.

>RC flying went over the hill with the advent of the computer
>radios and all their mixes. From a flying point of view, any
>radio that uses more than 4 plain channels is cheating.
>With the various mixes you can iron out virtually all the
>little foibles a plane may have, and all that you have left
>to do is steer it around the sky. That loses its thrill
>really quick. Trying to fly pretty maneuvers with four
>unmixed channels is a real challenge. I have a great
>respect for Phil Kraft, Don Lowe, Dave Brown and all other
>pattern champs who did it with basic radios. Doing it with a
>new computer radio, while it does take some practice, is so
>much easier it is silly.

Phil, While I have the greatest regard for the pattern champs of the 60's they were flying a completely different pattern then is flown today. it was with fairly small,fast planes and reasonably wide open maneuvers. Not so today the emphasis is on power, turnaround and stay in the box type of flying. I did fly aa lot of those older designs but never went too far into the modern large,YS 110 powered stuff, I'm not one to bury myself in the good old days. They were but they are gone and I'd rather create some newer 'good old days' Incidentally, Don Lowe is not using a plain vanilla radio today. He uses top of the line digital stuff. Another point is that you can't believe how many older modellers are intimidated by computer radios and as a result limit themselves to simplistic trainer type models when really they still want that B-17 with all the bells and whistles. Kind of like some of the barriers that flyers here put up for themselves. heck they are only toy planes and your not in them.Live a little and have fun.
Dennis

Really has nothing to do with the type of maneuvers or planes. A simple four channel rig requires the pilot to do all the compensating with his fingers. So you need to learn how much to nudge the rudder, or how much elevator to feed in when you chop the throttle, etc. It is pretty difficult to make a nice looking flight, a lot more like flying a CL plane. No to mention trying to learn all the corrections to apply when the plane isn't in normal upright flight.

Control-line flying always gives you that sensation of "Pucker Factor" that no other sport can give.....From the beginning to the end of every flight....

My ideal flying day is one in which I get to the field a little early, find nobody flying, even if the weather is great, so I can break out a couple hand launched gliders and some rubber FF planes, maybe one of the Jetex planes I usually have with me, get some trim flights in, then break out my stooge and a couple CL planes, get a few flights with these, cook a lunch on my one-person camping set(Includes a small single burner propane stove)maybe get a couple kite flights, then break out one or three R/C jobs when people start showing up. My Taurus station wagon is recognized at work as being a hangar on wheels.

The best day like this I ever had was when I even had some of my rockets, when a pack of Cub Scouts showed up in three vans. The councilors were hoping there would be more people flying, but I was able to put on a one-man show with rubbber, rockets, R/c, and finishing up with a Goldberg 1/2A Shoestring. The kids were having a ball pretending to be AA shooting at the plane. Of course, the Piece' de Resistance was coming out of a loop in front of them, my up line broke, at about 5' altitude. The kids were jumping up and down with the exitement of "We got him. We got him."

The councilors tried to apologize and offered payment for the plane, but I just pointed out how excited and happy the kids were, and told them it was worth every minute of the show and the loss of the plane.

Making kids happy.

That's living!

Hi All

I have flown every fixed wing model except monoline and RC jets. Jets are too expensive for me, may be one day Mono will come. Just a slow model just to say i did it!

All aeromodelling modelling is good modelling.

Fly a model on the side of a hill for 4 hours (RC) and thats flying. But, a good flight with Palmer Chief and that is a buz too.

But then a big RC glider on the end of a 450 ft tow line nearly lifting you off your feet in a thermal is too, a good feeling.

There are too many interesting models to build and no time.

Cheers John Q

John Quigley

>Am I all wet? Thoughts

Not even damp. All or at least almost all of our local CL retreads are ex RC. They simply say CL is more fun.
Also, IMO, you run into a much better class of modeler in CL. In local RC circles the king of the hill is the guy who spent the most money for his RC ARF and all the bells and whistles that go with it and flying and building skill is a non factor.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-24-04 AT 09:01 PM (CST)
 
I fly R/C and control line. We meet at the R/C field on Tues., Thurs and Sat. and fly control line at the school on Sunday and sometimes durring the week depending on how our work schedules go (I work rotating shifts). All my flying buddies, R/C and C/L are the best people in the world. Ages 5 through 90+. Always great stories and great conversation. I'm an airplane nut to the core, love the smell of nitro & bean oil and refuse to give-up any of it. The post about guys losing interest because they are still flying their trainers is absolutely right. Trainers suck! Build a good aerobatic plane. The bit about computer radio's is also hog wash (Sorry guy). Computer radio's just add more depth and excitement. Bottom line is, C/L, R/C..... It's all good clean fun. The Nitro, bean oil and especially good flyin' buddies are icing on the cake.

LAST EDITED ON Nov-25-04 AT 12:23 PM (CST)
 
I fly RC and CL. I fly each about the same amount. I fly CL at both RC fields I belong to and no one cares, so thats good. My dad and I been flying RC for 13 years. In RC im into Giant Scale and 3d airplanes right now. I also fly at some RC compeitions like CL. Here are some pictures of one of by big RC airplanes.
Its an Edge 540, 40%, engine is a DA 150CC, 32x10 prop. 38lbs. 11 servos, some digital, 2 PCM 9 Channel futaba recievers, 4 battery packs, smoke system. 118" wingspan, 110" long. It flies great for precision and 3D.
Ryan

That's a problem when you can't put the truck in the garage because of the airplane!

Thanks for all the responses. It's good to know that I'm not "odd".
Had to take a little break to get a defibrillator/pacemaker put in. Of course, I "chose" Thanksgiving as the time to do it. I'm sure I'm real popular with the doctors and hospital staff. Everything went well, and I'm feeling better. Hope to be out flying soon.
Glen

I've flown FF rubber and C/L on and off for 35 years, since I was 8. I only dabbled in R/C, mostly from other guys stuff who wanted me to "move up" to R/C. The single channel escapment stuff in the early 70s was nice, kinda like F/F that would not go too far away.

The last time I flew R/C was about 25 years ago, with a trainer from a friend. I never did completely lose the confusion with the controls when if was coming towards me, but I'll have a chance again soon. I put a park flyer on my Christmas list.My wife, who has enjoyed flying both control line and FF, thinks it would be neat to fly with the kids in the front yard.

Time will tell, but I don't think I'll really get hooked into R/C. But I will probably end up with a park flyer and a big old old timer FF with R/C so I don't have to go so far to retrieve it...

LAST EDITED ON Nov-29-04 AT 00:15 AM (CST)
 
Glen:

I'm too lazy to re-write it here, but look at my response (#8) on the CONTROL LINE PROMOTION THREAD regarding the differences between flying R/C and C/L.

You're right: we need to get away from this idea that radio is the highest form of modelling. To me PA is the highest of the piloting skills, and top level free Flight is the Purest Science. Before I get lynched over that, REMEMBER, once that guy let's go of that lightweight, overpowered bomb with a screaming nitro burner on the front, ALL he can do is watch and pray. At least we can try to avoid disaster.

Jeff

EDIT; I try not to let it show too often but my real problem is I get sick and tired being asked when I'll "move up" to R/C or seeing even our National leadership (AMA) treat us like second class citizens. I know, we're just a small fraction of the membership and "we should be thankful for what we do get", etc. Yeah, that's the real world but at my age I do reserve the right to occassionally get P.O.'d and even "politically incorrect".

Oh yes, my actual answer when somebody asks why I don't move UP to R/C usually is "when I get too old and senile to fly C/L, I'll move DOWN to R/C".