http://nationalmodelaviationday.org/...ll-shoot-down/
Going by the damage and the type of airplane it appears that they were using higher powered paint ball guns. Our back ground and what we have seen often change our perception of things. The only paint ball gun that I have seen belonged to my next door neighbors kid. He wore padded clothing when he went to the paint ball park along with a hard helmet with substantial eye protection. Without protection that thing would bruise you at 30 feet.
There is a utube video that shows a real machine gun shoot down of model airplanes. It is fun to watch. They use all tracers. It is not promoted by AMA. That does not make it any less fun or any less valuable as a recreational activity to those that participate.
Years ago when I was in Vietnam I offered to pay 50 cents to any one that could hit my ucontrol model and I would collect 5 cents for each shoot fired. Would you believe that the very first shoot sheared the needle valve off of the engine without damaging anything else. The local Vietnamese machine shop made a needle valve assembly for that engine. The next time we tried this I did a series of square loops and random figure eights. Several of the guys were yelling "that's not fair". Safety is relative. Toward the end of my tour there the captain ordered all of the weapons checked back into the armory.
So much for my reminiscing. The question still stands unanswered.
Should AMA be promoting this type of activity?
Hossfly, you and Top_Gunn have a well controlled environment and if I were there No doubt I would be anxious to participate.
Thanks for your input.
Jerry