Flying and Beer?
 

Thought that I'd crank up the folks that like to find fault with everything having to do with AMA. Take a look at the picture in the upper right hand corner of page 72 of the December MA. Looks like a bottle of beer in the hands of one of the flyers, doesn't it? Those wild and crazy free flighters!

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

but they are FF guys, they have to watch the AllUp weight.... so it is a lite beer

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

What makes you think the individual with the beer is "...OPERATING..." a model? He has what appears to be a stopwatch around his neck, and in the shirt pocket. A FF "timer". Lee Hines is on the left holding that Sweepette. I won a number of trophies using that design back in the '60s.

AMA Safety Code, General, #9 states, "I will not OPERATE my model ... under influence of alcohol....eight(8) hours....consumed alcohol."

Nothing against drunk judges and/or timers. ;)

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Well, it shows that he had safety in mind by hanging on to a beer.... Imagine if it were a mixed drink in a glass.... flying ice cubes are dangerous....

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

And don't forget that there are still some soft drinks that come in a dark brown glass bottle.

But one thought, can you really say that you "operate" a Free Flight Model. Basically you either throw it or let it go. Even an RC car takes more eye hand coordination.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

that is a Bud Lite
not IBC rootbeer/creamsoda

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

If it is, maybe it is NA beer.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Now there above is a quoted statement displaying a total lack of knowledge concerning model aviation's Free Flight Discipline that I have ever heard. If one ASKS, "What is free flight" then that denotes an interest and some form of wanting to know something about stated subject. Nothing wrong there. OTOH, such demeaning of any form of model aviation with snide remarks, IMO, simply voids all credibility for any degree of gentlemanly conduct.
Had such remark been made with some label indicating jest, then it could be considered amusing. With no such label it simply denotes snobish bigotry.
What has hand-eye coordination have to do with things? The RC 3D flier may be top-notch in that area, yet not for 'shoot' when in a pylon race against a top notch engine tuner / mechanic. Is the IMAC pattern RCer some level above the CL speed flier that can determine temp., humidity, & pressure altitude just before mixing fuel for a flight, then look into his self-made charts and determine within 200 RPM what the engine will turn for that flight, using that specific tank of fuel? So very many have so many different skills. If you cannot apprecitae these differences, you might be a better person if you stuck to drinking Colorado Cool-aid.

OPERATE:
1 : to perform a function : exert power or influence 2 : to produce an appropriate effect transitive senses

1 : BRING ABOUT , EFFECT

2 a : to cause to function : WORK b : to put or keep in operation

The above definitions of "operate", especially the highlighted ones, all define the the many skills required of a successful FF modeler. Until you have done it, don't knock it. Just because I have no personal interest in electrics, 3D, cars or boats, doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate those skills and efforts of those that do including, at times, wishing, "I could do that!"

Free Flight today is a most demanding skill that one could think of, especially in blending power, structure, aerodynamics, technical understanding, thermal weather, plus a number of other areas, all needed to be successful.

Almost 40 years ago, this launch involved much more than "throwing or letting go" and it was the final flight of a series of flights which won the 1967 USAF World Wide Class C Free flight Event. That model won other contests including the Mid Western AAA Class C event in Sep. '68, just before it finally went to the great Thermal God in the sky. Not much in the technical set-ups back then but building, testing, aerodynamic trims, and transitional effects from a fast 80* right climb to a slow left glide at engine cut required mastering some skills. "perform a function : exert power or influence 2 : to produce an appropriate effect" "to cause to function : WORK b : to put in operation YEP, THAT MODEL WAS OPERATED.

Now I am ready for a beer!!

edit: more beer!

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

yep thats a beer, bud light. busted im calling the ama.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Good thing they didn't take a pic at a warbird meet.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Oh get over yourself Horace. It's a joke. Perhaps too subtle for you to grasp, or maybe not funny.

But either way it hardly warrants your overblown discourse to educate those that you perceive as not having your keen intellectual grasp of whatever the topic at hand is.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Oh get over yourself ___________. It's a joke. Perhaps too subtle for you to grasp, or maybe not funny.

But either way it hardly warrants your overblown discourse to educate those that you perceive as not having your keen intellectual grasp of whatever the topic at hand is.

Should be a "sticky" here.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

I gotta take up for Hossfly here. He is perfectly correct. However, the "first impression" of a spectator will be that drinking and flying models is ok. That's why all the clubs I've been in started their field rules with "no drinking and flying" and ended up altering them to "no alcohol at the field". People don't believe what they hear, they believe what they THINK they see..

Dr.1

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

The ignorant statement about free flight was not appreciated. Thanks for hossflys' remarks. Mine would have been similar.

I wouldn't have thought this 30 years ago, but now I think there should be no alcohol at flying fields. Many years ago I belonged to a club of notorious drinkers. After losing a prime flying site because someone saw a beer can, we became a bunch of blue-nosed flying teetotalers. ;)

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

ok, I'll play too


I feel there was a level of reaction that would have been apropriate, and Hoss went past it.... but just 20-30% OVER reaction vs what I feel would be just right reaction.

I can see where Operate might be replaced with Initiate Flight for a FF. Consider having a Sober launch, then chugging 3 beers while it FreeFlew- is that dangerous/wrong? Yes & No... Yes it is wrong, but no, not dangerous: it was a sober launch & no further input from the flyer that the beer could make dangerous.

On the otherhand, we all know just starting a motor can reduce your Digit Count, so I am against beer at AMA fields... just too uncontrolable/unidentifiable to track everyones BAC% to cross the flightline or not. But at a FlyIn & BBQ off club property, pass me a Sierra Nevada or LiennieRed(up north)

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Your against beer, but not against paintball guns and even shotguns at AMA fields. Interesting ....

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

For the love of God, did you actually take it seriously??? Oh well. [&:]

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

"Your against beer, but not against paintball guns and even shotguns at AMA fields. Interesting .... "

I can see who is holding a Shotgun.
I can see if someone has a PB MARKER (what the PB manufacturers say they are, not gun)

Can I see what the BAC% of that guy over there is? No, we have MysteryDrunks.
I also know what the AMA (medical guys) & CHP really know about the accuracy of static BAC% # relationship to Level of Impairedness: I wont trust my safety to a breathalyzer to say who is safe or not based on BAC% #.

I called it a problem with control & identification of BAC%s at the field
I have no problem with a PB Marker used at an AMA field within the recent (meaning past & current explicitly stated) policy & safety requirements.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

And I the same for consuming alcohol under the same exact policy and safety requirements.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Maybe those of us who aren't physically up to flying free flight any more are a little touchy; and perhaps overreact by even more than 20-30%. [&o]

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Horace!!! You silver tounged devil.....do you talk the way you write? ...... Lite beer ISN"T BEER!!!!!!!! Fosters is BEER, Guiness is (Stout) BEER Lite anything is NOT BEER....... I try not to clutter my fun by being too serious so....[&o] bburp.....

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

I am not sure that a single living Australian male would agree with this statement. :D

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

If thats not an oxymoron, I don't know what is.

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Isnt NA Beer - Not-Anygood Beer?

RE: Flying and Beer?
 

Does swallowing a mouthfull of ethenol count due to trying to prime a pump?[:'(]