MHester

My Feedback: (1)

Hi guys! been a LOOOOOOOOOOONG winter and spring here, but it's all coming to a nice end with time to spare (hopefully).

This year Custom Airframes of America (among others) is sponsoring the Concours de Elegance prize. This year there will be a few changes to the rules, and some clarifications. Let me see if I can explain fully:

This year the prize is broken into 2 seperate categories, with a champion and a runner up in each.

Category one: Best of Show.

This is the pilot's choice, voted on by the contestants at the Nationals. This is the prize for having the coolest plane. The criteria should be quality of finish, depth and execution of detail, inside and out, ingenuity in rigging/controls/etc, in short, who has the coolest plane. Raiko set the standard for detail last year, but this is attainable for anyone who has patience and imagination.

Category two: Craftsman's award.

This goes to the person who has built thier plane from a kit or scratch, designed something new, like Jeff Carder and I have done in the past. It can be wood, all composite, whatever, but preferrably not an intentionally commercial venture. The process of designing and or building a plane is very time consuming and intense, and it is many people's belief that this area should be seperate from the area above. Well, I agree, so....done!

New rules: These are simple but necessary.

The plane will have to pass tech inspection. Sound checks would be extremely inconvenient, but a size and weight check as well as the ID check are pretty straight forward.

The plane must be on display (put together on the ground at the pilot's meeting) for viewing. In the past many planes were voted on that some people never had the chance to see until after the award was given.

The winners will be announced at the banquet, so PLEASE take the time and vote before that time. the guys that enter this contest put a lot of time and effort into these projects and it doesn't take but a second to vote. I realize we're really focused on the competition, but I am positive we all have time to vote. Right?

The prizes this year will be somewhat different. I will provide more detail later, but I can tell you the runner up will recieve a very nice plaque, and the winner will recieve a real trophy...one worthy of this accomplishment. I'm paying for them out of my own pocket and I can tell you they aren't cheap But worth it!!!!!! And no before you ask I will not have a plane in the running this year. Next year....maybe.....we'll see.

And with all of that said....who's going to the Nats this year? I am curious to see if gas prices cut into attendance, but I can tell you there is no better event for pattern in the world...except possibly the Worlds themselves. I'll be there!!!!!

I will post more details as they become more finalized.

-Mike

Jetpilot12

My Feedback: (19)

Looking forward to the 08 NATS, myself and Jim Thompson from D6 will be there.
Jim will be there to compete and I will be there to secure last place in advance

Jon

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

Oh come now Jon, even with little practice you're a good pilot.

I won't have much practice myself (as usual) but I will have some....never enough, but better than last year where I test flew my plane on the road to Muncie and hit round one with 6 flights for the year! And I wasn't last....probably should have been but wasn't LOL

-Mike

flyncajun

Hey Jon
were gona whip you into shape this weekend at the feild
don`t worry you will be ready
Bryan

Jetpilot12

My Feedback: (19)

OK, with the quality help I am going to get my standings will improve [8D]
I am very lucky to have top notch pilots living so close to me.

grcourtney

My Feedback: (1)

I can call for you if you need!!!

gary

Jetpilot12

My Feedback: (19)

KeithB

My Feedback: (1)

Mike, I have a question for you. My latest plane was designed and kitted by Mark Hunt, built by Luis Rodriguez, and painted by me. Would it be eligible for the Craftsman's Award?

Thanks,
Keith Black

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

Good question Keith.

Using your plane as an example (haven't seen any close up stuff but what I've seen so far is VERY impressive) Luis would be eligible for the craftsman award, and you would be eligible for the best of show. So it's possible for the same plane to take both categories...but in your case 2 people would get the trophies. Make sense?

-Mike

KeithB

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks for clarifying. It would be awesome to see Luis rewarded for his craftsmanship given all the beauties he's built over the years! Barring any surprises the plane will be there!

Keith

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

That's the idea Keith...to reward the craftsmen AND the owners/pilots of these awesome machines. In the past 2 years they had to compete against each other, and the criteria was intentionally vague. Who is more deserving, the guy that puts in hundreds of hours of hard work and creativity, or the guy with a big imagination, good connections and a deep wallet? To me, and apparently a lot of others, it's 2 seperate things, equally deserving, but not the same.

So, in this case, the builder and the owner should be clearly listed. In fact some planes have more than two people involved. This needs to be listed so the correct person gets the credit. It isn't going to be an easy system to iron out, but we're going to try!

This is the first step....

-Mike

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Hey what about the guy who first sketched out the design on the napkin!


Should see some beauties (planes too) at the Nats this year.



-mark

David Bathe

You guy's have come a LONG way with that Pentathlon design. From your earlier (quirky) box construction PofC designs to this... Gotta tell you it's looking mighty fine.
I'd even stick my neck out and say that it certainly appears the most modern looking AM. F3A plane out there...by far! And I think it's great you're staying with this Voodoo type thinking.
It's GOOD stuff boys. Congratulations.

jrpav1

My Feedback: (17)

You can bet I'll be there this year Mike. And hopefully a few people will vote for my plane too. As I've said before, it's kind of a tribute to my dad, a great Engineer/ perfectionist/ modeler and most of all mentor to me and my 2 brothers. I'm sure he's looking down on us now with a big smile. Whenever we needed help he was always there, but he never did anything "for" us. He always did things "with" us. I guess that's why we learned so much from him. As you know, I did everything on my V2 (built it, covered it, painted it, assembled it, paid for it, cleaned up the mess it made in my shop...) except for the cores, composites and some of the formers and ribs (mine was a hand-cut short kit) so it's going to be in the "Craftsman's" category. Wish me luck.

John Pavlick
Team Black Magic