Club Flying Competitions

[Robin Colbourne]

Having probably rather foolishly volunteered as our competition organiser at this evening's AGM, I'm looking for inspiration for as many different competitions as possible.
We have a mix of IC, electric and glider fliers plus abilities that range from 'under instruction' to B Certificate.  There are some builders, but the majority fly ARTFs.
Competitions that have already been tried include thermal and electric soaring duration, fun fly (Limbo Dancer type models) and scale.

I'm looking for competitions that as many members of the club as possible can compete in.  Not necessarily with their own model, maybe small teams or even building and flying something a bit like scrapheap challenge.   If beginners can compete on the buddy box, even better.

What have you tried? 
What works? 
Do you have any ideas for novel events?

Please fire away!

 

[SIMON CRAGG]

Robin, I have a LOT of experience of organising club events and have sent you a pm, as way too much to post!.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

We do Warbird days, helicopters etc, and throw in an free aperitif and BBQ facilities, but make it known that any one or thing is free to come and fly.

[Ron Gray]

I’m in a similar boat to you Robin as I too have just taken on the role of comps sec for our club. I’ve devised a comp series for next year which will be a ‘one make class’  using one stipulated electric motor and 3s as the battery pack. The models will have to be built and to that end I’ve decided on using ‘Hanky Planky’ which feature in last months RCM&E. As a test I’m building one using foam board as the aim is to make it as cheap as possible to not only build but for the inevitable repairs! The comp (the Hanky Planky Wacky Races) will be held throughout the year and will comprise multiple rounds including the good old limbo, pylon race, all up last down (20 sec motor run), break the breadstick etc, the idea being that points are scored but not accumulated so you can enter as many times as you like but only your best round scores will count. I make no excuse for stealing ideas from David Davies’ ‘Coup de Barrons’ annual comp!

 

If you, or anyone else are interested I can either pm you the details I’ve devised or will publish here as I think it could be rather fun to have an inter club league too!

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

We also do one of those every year, this year it was this, depron and a drone motor, battery 1200mah 3s lipo.

combat flying trailing a length of paper.

[Brian Cooper]

I too have organised club competitions in the past. 

From experience, the mention of the word "competition" makes people stay away in droves. 

 

However, keep it light-hearted and make it fun, and people will be more willing to have a go. 

Organise a barbecue for the event too and it will be a lot more popular. 

 

The classic club comp is a spot landing. 

This can be elaborated by introducing a timed element to it. 

These are not too stressful and pilots of all abilities can have a go. 

[Jon H]

If you really want a laugh try a taxi race. 

 

You set up two cones on the runway  about 30ft apart and each participant has to race a figure 8 track round the two cones. The tricky part is there are penalties if they actually take off so they have to taxi round as fast as possible without leaving the ground. 

 

We did this at a club event some years ago and it was hilarious chaos as it clearly revealed a certain lack of ground handling proficiency among the competitors. We had models all over the place so you might want to keep people well back! 

[Ron Gray]

18 minutes ago, Jon - Laser Engines said:

so they have to taxi round as fast as possible without leaving the ground. 

Somewhat difficult with no U/C!

[Andy Gates]

Gents please do post your comp details as I am sure there are many out there taking their first steps into event organisation and every little bit of help is useful.

 

I have taken on club secretary role with no events man & no safety man recruited. I face an uphill struggle so anything is appreciated.

 

I love the sound of the ground handling comp especially as the saying at our club is that "rudders are for girlz"

[Engine Doctor]

Try a spot landing comp . Pin £5 note on the patch and first to land on it ( not roll onto it ) wins it . Or even nearer to it . Make it a £10 if you feeling flush 😃.

Loop and a roll are good for fun fly models and get your digits moving. 

Balloon bursting is also fun provided your membership can blow up the balloons 😤

[Jon H]

7 minutes ago, Andy Gates said:

 "rudders are for girlz"

 

To quote my pc gaming friends 'that sounds like a skill issue' 😉 

 

The following is from full size flying, but it amused me. 

Ode to the Tail Dragger

 

Tail Dragger I hate your guts
I have the license, ratings and such,
but to make you go straight is driving me nuts.
With hours of teaching and controls in my clutch
It takes a little rudder — easy, that’s too much!

You see, I learned to fly in a tricycle gear
With one up front and two in the rear.
She was sleek and clean and easy to steer
But this miserable thing with tires and struts
Takes a little rudder — easy, that’s too much!

It demands your attention on the takeoff roll,
Or it heads towards the boonies as you pour on the coal
Gotta hang loose, don’t over control

This wicked little plane is just too much
With a lot of zigzagging and words obscene
I think I’ve mastered this slippery machine.
It’s not too bad if you have the touch
Just a little rudder — easy, that’s too much!

 

I relax for a second and from the corner of my eye
I suddenly realize, with a gasp and a cry
That’s my own tail that’s going by!
You ground looping wreck, I hate your guts
Give a little rudder — Oh no, THAT’S TOO MUCH!

[Robin Colbourne]

Thank you for all the responses and the really great ideas so far. 

Jon, your taxiing competition sounds a great one for the the pre-A test members; well, in fact all the members!  Some might actually leave knowing what that stick on the left is for by the end of the day!

Paul, the one design 'cheap and cheerful' event(s) are a really great idea.  I had been thinking of a pylon race for 40 size trainers (restricting engines to for instance ASP, SC & Magnum 40s), but something that uses a cheap brushless setup and the most common size of battery as you have would be a bit more up to date and probably get more members involved.

An idea that came to me over breakfast is a high level limbo competition for less experienced fliers.  If you had two streamers betweeen poles and flew between them, it would be a bit more survivable than using the ground as the lower limit.

Brian and ED, The single channel spot landing event sounds good.  I saw the one for single channel designs at Old Warden in September and it inspired me.  Definitely one for the list.

Ron, I look forward to hearing how your comps go, and will share any ideas that come along.

Keep the ideas and experiences coming please!

[Cuban8]

2 hours ago, Brian Cooper said:

I too have organised club competitions in the past. 

From experience, the mention of the word "competition" makes people stay away in droves. 

 

However, keep it light-hearted and make it fun, and people will be more willing to have a go. 

Organise a barbecue for the event too and it will be a lot more popular. 

 

The classic club comp is a spot landing. 

This can be elaborated by introducing a timed element to it. 

These are not too stressful and pilots of all abilities can have a go. 

We ran a very successful 'ladder league, of various events ranging from thermal soaring, aerobatics, scale and a pylon race etc - probably about six or seven different events over the year. The more you entered, the better you did as points were also awarded for simply turning up (you had to fly though - even a quick hop and land).

You didn't have to win all the events, but just enter them all and do reasonably well in all the disciplines throughout the year to get in the top three or even win outright. The height of popularity was during the eighties and early nineties when we could easily get twenty+ members to compete throughout the year, but its popularity began to decline after the millenium and in fact we began to question whether to carry on this year as numbers taking part were little more than a handful.

We are continuing but with a much simplified system without trophies which are expensive to maintain (we have some lovely silver cups that go back with the names of past winners way back into the 1970s IIRC). We'll see how it goes - it's really up to the members to vote with their feet as to whether they turn up and support the events or if we scrub then altogether.

Tastes change, and although comps have fallen out of favour recently, we always get an excellent turn out for summer BBQs and  family days where a bit of informal flying and maybe a demonstration of  particularly impressive club models will be put on.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Cuban8

[Robin Colbourne]

Jon, the 'Ode to the Tail Dragger' could have been written for the Precedent Flyboy!  Do you remember it?  It should have been called the Oozlum Bird. 😀

Edited December 9, 2022 by Robin Colbourne

[Andy Stephenson]

Try some toe-in on the wheels it can really help keeping a taildragger straight on the ground.

[Andy Gates]

We acquired one of those Robin, that someone had already made a start on.

Came with veneer covered foam wings with ailerons and I am not sure to this day if both halves were both from the same model.

 

Boy was it heavy and fast, not what I would call a trainer at all.

We had quite a big strip and at times we struggled to keep landing runs on the field.

 

It did fly of a fashion and got passed on.

 

Spot landings with that - now there is a competition / challenge!

[Brian Cooper]

Not a competition but good fun nevertheless is this: 

 

Set up the controls on the buddy box for the club trainer (or any trainer) ....... with EVERY  channel reversed and then invite the guys to fly a circuit.  

Obviously the master Tx still has everything round the right way. 

 

A great game - and lots of laughs - for those days when the club barbecue is in full swing. 

[Andy Gates]

I like that Brian, furthest around the circuit!

[David Davis 2]

One of the rounds of La Coupe Des Barons involves a tug towing a line with a crepe paper streamer attached. Models simply have to touch or cut the streamer and each group has five minutes to achieve this. You have a second trainer and streamer on the ground in case the streamer was gobbled up completely. Good fun but potentially very destructive. We lost three tugs this year in collisions. I was not involved, I crashed out in the first round! 😊

[Cuban8]

10 minutes ago, David Davis 2 said:

One of the rounds of La Coupe Des Barons involves a tug towing a line with a crepe paper streamer attached. Models simply have to touch or cut the streamer and each group has five minutes to achieve this. You have a second trainer and streamer on the ground in case the streamer was gobbled up completely. Good fun but potentially very destructive. We lost three tugs this year in collisions. I was not involved, I crashed out in the first round! 😊

Blimey! I bet the fun police and rule book thumpers would have a field day with that one in some clubs..................

[Geoff S]

1 hour ago, Brian Cooper said:

Not a competition but good fun nevertheless is this: 

 

Set up the controls on the buddy box for the club trainer (or any trainer) ....... with EVERY  channel reversed and then invite the guys to fly a circuit.  

Obviously the master Tx still has everything round the right way. 

 

A great game - and lots of laughs - for those days when the club barbecue is in full swing. 

 

Sounds tricky but perhaps one way to overcome the reversals might be to roll inverted then the rudder and elevator are 'right' - just got to forget the ailerons or disaster strikes.

[Trevor]

2 hours ago, Geoff S said:

 

Sounds tricky but perhaps one way to overcome the reversals might be to roll inverted then the rudder and elevator are 'right' - just got to forget the ailerons or disaster strikes.

Or turn the transmitter upside down!

[Bruce Collinson]

Max no of spins from a 10 second motor run, from standstill, caused a lot of cojones to be exercised at our fun fly last autumn. Only one crash.

Already plotting Mayday repeat.   We had c. 25 out from memory and with a free bbq in the middle, we were running out of time after Spot the Landing, simulated bomb dropping, aforesaid Spin of Death and the highly competitive limbo. I shall be watching this thread for new courses of fire.

 

BTC

[Nigel Sharp]

You can even watch the aforementioned fun here...

North Leeds MFC fun fly 2022

[Robin Colbourne]

On 09/12/2022 at 11:34, Cuban8 said:

Blimey! I bet the fun police and rule book thumpers would have a field day with that one in some clubs..................

I'm really appreciating and enjoying all your responses. 

Cuban8 has raised a good point, particularly as one of our club sites is quite sensistive, with a couple of outside bodies taking an interest in what we get up to.  I'm thinking that the best approach to this is to put a written plan of the proposed events before the committee and our own site representatives in particular, to make sure we can run these events both safely and without upsetting the outside bodies.  The last thing we would want is to organise the event and get it vetoed on the competition day.  With planning, imagination and a bit of lateral thinking, I'm sure most objections could be worked around.