What's the difference?

[Model Monster]

This came up in conversation at my club's field and even though there are lots of self proclaimed experts, no one could come up with anything that was actually sensible or anything to do with model flying.

[Ross Clarkson]

Not 100% sure but my understanding is:

Show Line: Where the aircraft are on static display.

Display Line: Where the aircraft displays takes place, beyond this line.

Flight Line: Where the aircraft are parked and maintained etc...but not on display.

Edited By Ross Clarkson on 19/04/2014 11:30:55

Edited By Ross Clarkson on 19/04/2014 11:31:10

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

I would suggest that all of these are, in physical terms, exactly the same thing, ie the longitudinal axis of the main take-off strip or one slightly displaced outwards from that line. It is the line along which any aircraft should fly when performing an aerobatic manoeuvre - note that a "manoeuvre" could be as simple as straight and level flight.

What does differ is the application.

1. It's a "Show Line" if the event is primarily for the entertainment of the paying public.

2. "Display Line" - is effectively almost a synonym of "Show Line" - but is perhaps sometimes used a little more generically - to encompass any activity in which the aircraft is being "displayed" - this could for example apply to a scale competition, not strictly speaking a "show" but none-the-less a formal display of the aircraft.

3. A "Flight Line" is for me the totally generic term - every time you fly at your local club there is a flight line - up and down which you should be doing (or endeavouring to do!) your end-to-end aerobatic manoeuvres. There is without doubt also another looser use of "flight line" to simply indicate the array of pilots standing together to fly as in "I was standing next to him on the flight line".

Just my shot at some working definitions!

BEB

[Ross Clarkson]

My understandings were taken from Full Scale Airshow Displays so they may be lost in translation slightly in the model world.

[Ross Clarkson]

Been looking at some literature regarding this and full size Airshows, although i fully appreciate you are looking more to the model side of things.

Display Line is defined as: "A line defining the closest a display aircraft should approach the Crowd Line"

Show Line is: "The line along which a performance is flown, usually but not always parallel to the crowd or runway. Distances involved are regulated by law.

Hope that helps in some way.

[Model Monster]

Thanks to you both, your replies seem very sensible.

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