holly711
Aug 29, 2004, 02:00 AM
!Introduction
Well, now that you have <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4461">your members (with the rules pages clutched in their hot hands)</a> building <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4474">the agreed upon racers</a>, you can move on to other things. If you want to be sanctioned by the AMA, you will need to set up your race course as they suggest as to distances from people and some other safety issues. Most of the issues can be lived with without strain, and there are some important insurance reasons to consider AMA sanction, so be sure to look into this issue carefully if you were initially just dismissing the idea.
!The All Important Volunteers
Setting up your crew is one of the most important aspects. These folks will make your life much easier if they know their jobs. Give your inspectors the authority to make decisions on what’s right or wrong. Inspections should be made of each plane as they are signed in, both for safety, (hinges, clevis locks, structure, weight, etc.) AND any changes not authorized.
!!Enforcing the Rules - Random Inspections Will Keep Your Contestants Honest
If an airplane does not meet the rules you have set forth for any reason, SEND IT HOME FOR TODAYS RACE!! If you allow it to race “this time”, you are lost, and trust me it WILL bite you. You will only have to do this once, maybe twice, and the planes will show up legal after that.
Should you want to make “everything even” by supplying props and fuel, by all means, do so. Some clubs even require the modeler to purchase the engine to be used from the club on the day of the event, and some manufacturers support these club events with group discounts and such. (Be sure to charge/budget accordingly so that the club doesn't lose too much money on this endeavor. A first event will often lose a little, but lose too much and I guarantee you've lost the club's support for doing this again!)
However, inspect the props randomly during the race, as someone may "accidentally" change one. Also have the person at the fuel dock make sure the tank is empty before filling the plane with the race fuel. Not that there should be any reason to do this...FAR BE IT FOR ME to suggest that racers might need these kinds of supervision applied. I mean, “I hit a rock and had to take the ding out and re-balance the prop didn’t I? I didn’t try to shave it.” or “Gee, the only fuel I had for my practice flight was this old jug of 20% nitro and I forgot to take it out afterward.” Again, with the attitude adjustment. Just once or twice of refusing to allow someone to fly and the problems will be gone for good.
!!Starters and Judges Deserve the Utmost Respect and Support
The starter and the pylon judges are others that must have some authority. Their word and judgments are final!! If they err too often, get new ones, but, always give them the benefit of the doubt, and back them at the race if at all possible, unless it really is a bad call. The starter calls the start cuts and the deadline infractions, (deadline being the center of the runway or the closest edge, wherever you want it; if you are AMA sanctioned be sure you comply with their regulations). The starter also calls the finish and if it is close he could sure use some help. Pylon judges call pylon cuts only, (not going past).
It will be a rare day when a pilot or caller will admit to cutting a pylon...
“I went past that sucker by 10 feet”, will be the cry. The word of a judge has to be gospel with no question. Just like the Ump at the plate with balls and strikes. The intent is to go around the pylon, but, since the judge really can’t see that close, going past is fine unless he comes back into the face of the other planes. Not to worry, the other racers will straighten that pilot out very quickly and you won’t have to concern yourself about it. Pylon judges are hard to find, special folks, and you will need to keep them happy and content. They are out at the end of the runway or race course, not enjoying the racing. After the racers spread out a little they can only catch a fast glimpse of the close 1st and 2nd action, as they have to watch for the planes coming toward their pylon for cuts.
When they are waiting for the next race to start they have time to feel hot, tired and dusty etc. A comfortable lawn chair, shade, an ice chest with cold pop or water and a walky-talky to call in the cuts will help keep these folks in the mood to do this again.
Our starter uses a stopwatch and a small hand held air horn for the three minute window and the start. It is a pretty simple thing. When he calls “three minutes”, all pilots fire their engines, tweak if necessary, take off when clear, and climb up into the course. At one minute the starter starts announcing i.e. 60 seconds …..45 seconds …..30 seconds …… 20 seconds …..(This is done so that the pilots can position their aircraft in the most advantageous position to run for the start). Then …..10 ….9 ….. 8…. 7 …….6 …….. 5………4 …….. 3 ………2………1….. and THEN the horn. The horn starts the race at zero …… not 1 …… Racers have a hell of a time with the concept of 1 and zero. If, during the pilot's meeting, you remind the racers that you are counting the time BEFORE the start, so 10 means 10 seconds before start...and thus one means ONE second before the start, hopefully MOST will get it. The whole idea being not to cross the start/finish line before the horn.
!!Penalties
Crossing the line before the horn is a start cut and there will be a penalty. Pylon cuts are the same. How to handle penalties is up to the committee. Some add seconds to the elapsed time. Some take away a finish position i.e. if you finish 2nd and have a cut you are 3rd. Two cuts, two positions, or a zero for that race. Scoring points are what the committee designates.
As an example, if you have 12 racers entered, you could have 4 heats with 3 planes
each or 3 heats with 4 planes each. Points are 3-2-1 or 4-3-2-1 or whatever is easiest for you to track. Just remember to move the pilots around so that each pilot races every one else, not the same 3 or 4 racers. Be advised, attrition will screw up this simple little system and some thinking and planning will be needed to make the racing fair with an uneven number of planes. Not to worry if all is not perfect the first few times you hold a race.
!Conclusion
A little discussion, a few tweaks, use of a little common sense, and everything will smooth out in no time. My wife tells me that even the good God only got it right the second time (IE Eve...you get the idea). The club that I race with now had never run a race before. They just stepped out and did it, (I didn’t know about it and was never asked for any help) and they are doing a fantastic job. The races are well run and questions are handled very diplomatically and firmly. There have been no problems at all. And that’s what makes it fun, I don’t care who you are, that’s fun !!!
So there you have it in a nutshell. Not really rocket science is it ?? Just a few rules, a lot of common sense, some inspections to keep it even and fair, and your in business. So get out the shade, set up the chairs, fire up the barby, and lets have a race ……….
See ya <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4575">next time</a> to cover more in depth how to handle the pilot's meeting!
Well, now that you have <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4461">your members (with the rules pages clutched in their hot hands)</a> building <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4474">the agreed upon racers</a>, you can move on to other things. If you want to be sanctioned by the AMA, you will need to set up your race course as they suggest as to distances from people and some other safety issues. Most of the issues can be lived with without strain, and there are some important insurance reasons to consider AMA sanction, so be sure to look into this issue carefully if you were initially just dismissing the idea.
!The All Important Volunteers
Setting up your crew is one of the most important aspects. These folks will make your life much easier if they know their jobs. Give your inspectors the authority to make decisions on what’s right or wrong. Inspections should be made of each plane as they are signed in, both for safety, (hinges, clevis locks, structure, weight, etc.) AND any changes not authorized.
!!Enforcing the Rules - Random Inspections Will Keep Your Contestants Honest
If an airplane does not meet the rules you have set forth for any reason, SEND IT HOME FOR TODAYS RACE!! If you allow it to race “this time”, you are lost, and trust me it WILL bite you. You will only have to do this once, maybe twice, and the planes will show up legal after that.
Should you want to make “everything even” by supplying props and fuel, by all means, do so. Some clubs even require the modeler to purchase the engine to be used from the club on the day of the event, and some manufacturers support these club events with group discounts and such. (Be sure to charge/budget accordingly so that the club doesn't lose too much money on this endeavor. A first event will often lose a little, but lose too much and I guarantee you've lost the club's support for doing this again!)
However, inspect the props randomly during the race, as someone may "accidentally" change one. Also have the person at the fuel dock make sure the tank is empty before filling the plane with the race fuel. Not that there should be any reason to do this...FAR BE IT FOR ME to suggest that racers might need these kinds of supervision applied. I mean, “I hit a rock and had to take the ding out and re-balance the prop didn’t I? I didn’t try to shave it.” or “Gee, the only fuel I had for my practice flight was this old jug of 20% nitro and I forgot to take it out afterward.” Again, with the attitude adjustment. Just once or twice of refusing to allow someone to fly and the problems will be gone for good.
!!Starters and Judges Deserve the Utmost Respect and Support
The starter and the pylon judges are others that must have some authority. Their word and judgments are final!! If they err too often, get new ones, but, always give them the benefit of the doubt, and back them at the race if at all possible, unless it really is a bad call. The starter calls the start cuts and the deadline infractions, (deadline being the center of the runway or the closest edge, wherever you want it; if you are AMA sanctioned be sure you comply with their regulations). The starter also calls the finish and if it is close he could sure use some help. Pylon judges call pylon cuts only, (not going past).
It will be a rare day when a pilot or caller will admit to cutting a pylon...
“I went past that sucker by 10 feet”, will be the cry. The word of a judge has to be gospel with no question. Just like the Ump at the plate with balls and strikes. The intent is to go around the pylon, but, since the judge really can’t see that close, going past is fine unless he comes back into the face of the other planes. Not to worry, the other racers will straighten that pilot out very quickly and you won’t have to concern yourself about it. Pylon judges are hard to find, special folks, and you will need to keep them happy and content. They are out at the end of the runway or race course, not enjoying the racing. After the racers spread out a little they can only catch a fast glimpse of the close 1st and 2nd action, as they have to watch for the planes coming toward their pylon for cuts.
When they are waiting for the next race to start they have time to feel hot, tired and dusty etc. A comfortable lawn chair, shade, an ice chest with cold pop or water and a walky-talky to call in the cuts will help keep these folks in the mood to do this again.
Our starter uses a stopwatch and a small hand held air horn for the three minute window and the start. It is a pretty simple thing. When he calls “three minutes”, all pilots fire their engines, tweak if necessary, take off when clear, and climb up into the course. At one minute the starter starts announcing i.e. 60 seconds …..45 seconds …..30 seconds …… 20 seconds …..(This is done so that the pilots can position their aircraft in the most advantageous position to run for the start). Then …..10 ….9 ….. 8…. 7 …….6 …….. 5………4 …….. 3 ………2………1….. and THEN the horn. The horn starts the race at zero …… not 1 …… Racers have a hell of a time with the concept of 1 and zero. If, during the pilot's meeting, you remind the racers that you are counting the time BEFORE the start, so 10 means 10 seconds before start...and thus one means ONE second before the start, hopefully MOST will get it. The whole idea being not to cross the start/finish line before the horn.
!!Penalties
Crossing the line before the horn is a start cut and there will be a penalty. Pylon cuts are the same. How to handle penalties is up to the committee. Some add seconds to the elapsed time. Some take away a finish position i.e. if you finish 2nd and have a cut you are 3rd. Two cuts, two positions, or a zero for that race. Scoring points are what the committee designates.
As an example, if you have 12 racers entered, you could have 4 heats with 3 planes
each or 3 heats with 4 planes each. Points are 3-2-1 or 4-3-2-1 or whatever is easiest for you to track. Just remember to move the pilots around so that each pilot races every one else, not the same 3 or 4 racers. Be advised, attrition will screw up this simple little system and some thinking and planning will be needed to make the racing fair with an uneven number of planes. Not to worry if all is not perfect the first few times you hold a race.
!Conclusion
A little discussion, a few tweaks, use of a little common sense, and everything will smooth out in no time. My wife tells me that even the good God only got it right the second time (IE Eve...you get the idea). The club that I race with now had never run a race before. They just stepped out and did it, (I didn’t know about it and was never asked for any help) and they are doing a fantastic job. The races are well run and questions are handled very diplomatically and firmly. There have been no problems at all. And that’s what makes it fun, I don’t care who you are, that’s fun !!!
So there you have it in a nutshell. Not really rocket science is it ?? Just a few rules, a lot of common sense, some inspections to keep it even and fair, and your in business. So get out the shade, set up the chairs, fire up the barby, and lets have a race ……….
See ya <a href="http://www.rcgroups.com/4575">next time</a> to cover more in depth how to handle the pilot's meeting!