Airplane Kits

A visit to a specific part of this website will also underscore the seriousness of a law currently being seriously considered in Congress. Passage of this legislation could put the screws to the model companies and designers who are so important to our hobby. As a matter of fact, it would go a long way to kill the growth of our hobby and make it difficult to "pay it forward".
Click on the following link, and go to the entry for March 22, which is the third entry from the bottom. The comment there is self-explanatory, and it call for action from those of us who share this interest in aircraft.
Within the last couple of weeks someone posted information on what we can do to try to head this legislation off at the pass. I can't find it at the moment, but if someone else can locate it, it might be worthwhile to get it back up on the board.
Harlan

Except if it is a US aircraft model you want. See

I'm lucky enough to have two hobby shops in the area. Winder Hobby has a good few kits and pretty much anything you need to build and fly'em. Unfortunately in recent years the owner hired a few rc car guys for help, and they've made the customer service so annoying I only go in when desperate. The other is Atlanta Hobby. This place is electric nirvana. Not a lot of kits, but more power system and battery choices than anyplace I've been. Great service too....
PCPhill

So, I'm not alone in thinking the 1.5 hour drive to Winder was a waste of time . . .

See

I found the same thing. The Winder Hobby Shop was a must visit on our trips to Atlanta to visit the kids, but the last time I was there . . . .what a change. The place was a pig sty, lout dozing in the corner behind the cash register could have cared less if anyone was there. Oh well, saved a couple hundred bucks I use to spend on a visit.
Red S.

I happen to be against the bill. IMO companies have the right to ask for a royality. Not sure if the model company has to comply for the very older compainies, but so be it. I also think that the companies are stupid for asking money for what amounts to free advertising. In short I think a free market will sort this out.
Even so paying a higher price for models, or even not having the kits around is not going to do much to ruin our hobby.

I was reading an article in one of the magazines better know in here that had a suggestion that might make flying less boring. Try flying with a purpose as this wrier put it. In other wors in stead of just going up and flying about for a bit Have in your mind a set of maneuvers you wish to perform and try flying them in order. I know you guys who have flown a bit will say well shoot I knew that its called pattern or scale flight or whichever your preference is but a lot of newcomers to the hobby don't understand this so they just learn to fly go up and fly a bit and then get bored ans ok been there done that now whats next.

Actually Phil I think you will find that Bruce Tharp also had a hand in designg the Sig Four Star 40. That was just before he started BTE .

I have heard that before. Just making laps can get kind of boring unless you try for some precision in those laps. Usually I bring a Slow Stick and my Pizzabox flier along to the field. My father and I combat the Slow Sticks ( I have to call him Ace lately) and try to knock each other out of the sky. Usually it results in a slow speed easily repaired wreck although I did a pretty impressive lawn dart today. The Pizzabox flier (coroplast slab w/ .32GMS) is flown trying to hover in one spot thru a full tank of fuel. Was windy today which made things even more interesting. Was two flights with it but only the one tank of fuel between em. Very interesting time trying to keep it in one spot. Very fun. Flew the F27 brushless for speed. Left the SS20 in the truck. Just circling the field can lead to boredom, no doubt. I have had days when I just wasnt into it at all and ended up taking everything back home without even unloading at the field.

Try a 4 point, 8 point, or slow roll. Or any other 'pattern' type'. From different directions. A simple loop can be a challenge. Might start left from right or right from left. Get the loop centered directly in front of you. Make it round. Use all controls.
Stay up 2-3 mistakes high.

That is how/why I began flying pattern a long, long time ago. Just flying around got boring. I needed a "mission". Learning the lowest pattern class maneuver set pulled my flying interest out of the doldrums and back into the breeze.
The maneuvers are simple maneuvers that most of us do anyway. The trick is in stringing them together in the proper sequence. It is not as easy as it would sound at first consideration. It makes you a much better pilot, whether you compete or not. Once you have learned the routine and have it down pat, competing is no big thing since you already know what to do.
Ed Cregger