World competition in any sport is interesting. To see how others from around the globe interpret rules and regulations and stylize their methods is intriguing. Attending a World Championships (WC) modeling event provides the opportunity to examine strategies we may not have considered through our own approach; that is especially true in the world of championship aeromodeling.
What has more than 500 pilots from around the world, a 4,000-foot-long flightline, impounds more than 600 transmitters, is supposed to start Thursday but normally starts Monday, and logs a few thousand flights?
The Nats is unlike any other annual “contest” in the world. The idea of the event is to attract competitors from across the nation so that they may come together in a face-off, if you will, to determine who is the best. With luck, skill, or otherwise, a champion is crowned who has outdone those who have participated in a particular special-interest event.
The greatest day in Free Flight history took place on a golf course. It was August 6, 1939, and the location was the appropriately named Aviation Golf Course in Bendix, New Jersey. The event was the Wakefield International Cup contest: the world championship for FF model airplanes.
Last month I explored the storied early history of FF, from the 1870s through the 1960s. This month FF enters the modern era: 1970 to 2006.
There has never been a better time to get started in FF modeling. For one thing, kits are much better today. For those who don’t enjoy building, expert builders are selling excellent RTF models. Great videos, books, and other resources are available, and excellent clubs and fields still exist.
Movies Added! -The Hangar 9 Ultra Stick 40 is more than just a great Advanced Trainer. With flaps or quad flaps, this low-cost, easy to fly aircraft has some amazing flight abilities. Check for yourself On The Flight Line.
