What does “I dont’t fly stunt” mean?

[Marty Hammersmith]

     If a person says they don’t fly stunt, does that mean there is a percentage of people who fly control line basically just turning laps? I understand there are other things like speed, scale and carrier for example, but when someone goes to the trouble of saying they don’t fly stunt, are they generally just flying laps?

[kenneth cook]

             They fly combat

[Jim Svitko]

It could mean that they fly speed, racing, scale, combat.  Or, they might mean that they do some basic maneuvers but do not enter control line aerobatics competitions.

[944_Jim]

I'll say it.
I fly laps...I enjoy flying a plane for a while.
I crash stunt...I enjoy building a plane for a while.
Wash, rinse, repeat.

I'm fine with the "nap of the earth stuff"...you know, starting the plane, launching the plane, landing the plane...

It is all that crazy over the head stuff that gets me trouble.

Merry Christmas!

[Paul Taylor]

I would say they are a sport flyer. They just like punching holes in the sky.

I use to be one. Now I attempt to fly stunt. 🤣

And as Joe Gilbert says “ Flying Stunt is hard!”

[wwwarbird]

 It means they don't fly stunt. 

[Marty Hammersmith]

I would say they are a sport flyer. They just like punching holes in the sky.

I use to be one. Now I attempt to fly stunt. 🤣

And as Joe Gilbert says “ Flying Stunt is hard!”

See, I didn't know if that was a thing in C/L. I suppose that was what I was trying to ask. Nice.

[Andre Ming]

Speaking for myself, when I say "I don't fly stunt": 

It's a way for me to say that I'm a sport flier. I enjoy doing stunts, but without regard to them being precise, or in the correct sequence, etc. Just the fun of flying for the sake of flying. I enjoy free styling and stringing together non-pattern maneuvers and just having fun flying a model airplane. (WHEN I finally get back into the air come spring!!)

I think what Joe Gilbert said is 100% on target: Flying pattern stunt for competition purposes (or practicing for same) looks very HARD. In competition, the precision required is incredible. This fact was driven home again to me this past September when I watched Dave Trible performing some actual stunt flying in KC with Doc and I. I was in awe at the precision in which he was performing those maneuvers, but at the same time I once again knew " no way!" for me.

SO, pursuing serious stunt flying is way too intense and exacting for me to enjoy it.

Thus, should I say "I don't fly stunt", it means I am not willing (or capable) of expending the effort and dedication to get reasonably good at the precision required to competently "fly stunt".

Andre

[Rusty]

Andre took the words out of my mouth.  I don't fly stunt because the supposed definition is doing the whole pattern correctly.  I can't do it, but can do most of the maneuvers.   I never really wanted to be locked into this regimen every time I fly.  I do see people that every plane, and every flight must be to fly the pattern.  Its just not me.  To me it would make it more like work, than enjoyable. 

 

[Wayne Collier]

Andre took the words out of my mouth.  I don't fly stunt because the supposed definition is doing the whole pattern correctly.  I can't do it, but can do most of the maneuvers.   I never really wanted to be locked into this regimen every time I fly.  I do see people that every plane, and every flight must be to fly the pattern.  Its just not me.  To me it would make it more like work, than enjoyable.

I absolutely enjoy flying control line. I hate being trapped in a pattern. I agree that takes it from fun to work. I’ve burned a lot of fuel doing lazy eights along with random loops and outside loops and some inverted laps. Not so much anymore because of heath challenges.

When I say I don’t fly stunt I mean I do stunts for fun but I don’t focus on “the pattern” or enter stunt contests.

[Ken Culbertson]

This is a very interesting thread.  I liken flying PA vs Stunt to playing golf.  Some just want the exercise and comradery, others record their score and try and better it each time they play.  BOTH are right.  Personally, I am in the second group.  I think Joe understates it - Stunt is Impossible.   I find it difficult to just punch holes in the sky, but I have no loss of respect for those that do and as I get older, I find it more and more difficult to distinguish my patterns from punching holes!  What I do not find diminished is the thrill of friendly competition and perhaps that is why I always fly the pattern.  I like getting pumped up to win and fly for the judges, or be one, but I am just as pumped up at the end of the day with my low placement because I know I flew with the best.  Now that is just me.  I don't expect anyone to understand or even approve of what I get out of flying PA or my love for trying new things just because I want to.

So, I tip my hat to those who simply want to punch holes in the sky and to those that want those holes to look the same each time.

Merry Christmas - Ken

ps - punching holes is easier and more fun with a properly trimmed hole punch!

[Jim Hoffman]

There’s no wrong way to enjoy a hobby

[John Carrodus]

Beautifully put Ken. Sums it up well. I would also STRONGLY urge older fliers to continue doing what they can by flying from a modified bar stool. ( most of us have a mate with some light welding gear) You may even not bother to modify the chair. I have a removable foot rest and a T bar to steady me for stunt stuff. When you develop balance issues or other health related factors, you don't need to throw the handle down and walk away. You can still do some ( and some can do most ) of the pattern and gain heaps of pleasure from doing as much as you can. It is still rewarding and as challenging as you want it to be. If you fly a chair, make sure it is level, and any 20 or above motor is enough to haul you round without anything but adjustment input by you by putting out your foot to stop, slow down or kick off after performing a loop, eight or whatever. I take three wooden wedges with me to level up the stool with a small bubble level glued on the side. ( The one on the chair in the photo was used by me in the beginning- I now have a small plastic level glued on the edge of the chair ) This is easily done by setting up the chair on a perfectly level garage floor first.( If the chair is not level you will speed up and slow down as you rotate.) Like anything new , there is some messing about required - but it is well worth it.

[Brent Williams]

Well, I sometimes wonder if I fly stunt after some of my patterns, aka "5 minute collection of boo-boos strung together..."  Sheesh!

[Mike Griffin]

I am really enjoying this thread.  It just reiterates what I have always thought, that there is something for everyone in this hobby.  It is about having fun.

Mike

[Istvan Travnik]

I totally agreed with Ken.
Furthermore, it is very healthy both physiologically (motoric abilites) and psychologically (mental abilities) keeping the fitness of mine.
The feedback is instantly present: was my pattern* better than before, or worse, and what to correct by next flight?  Basically all PA pilots compete with theirself first:  the eventually good scores/high ranking is just a "bonus".
*R/C fliers often ask: how you are'nt bored to fly the same during half a century?? My opinion is that: PA is not some roaming in the air, as R/C people do, but playing some written musicscores, as faithfully,  as possible.
Everybody can feel the difference between Ychak Perlman and some redneck country violinist of the corner pub...
Istvan

[John Carrodus]

Ty- It has air bags Or in your case you could perhaps use use - Ty- downs Cheers.

[dave siegler]

I don't fly stunt. 

I like airplanes that are a bit faster than a good stunt airplane and don't have to worry about high-gloss finishes.  I do the patterns sometimes.  sometimes just whatever I want.  Our field is rough, and I don't worry about long rolling takeoffs and level laps between maneuvers.   I don't worry if my flite-steak is classic legal or not.  I don't care what my lap time is.  Of if my flapless airplane doesn't corner like a pro stunt airplane.  I'll run engines and configurations that a stunt guy would never use.  OI don't cry when I crash.  Fly in high wind for the fun of it.  and bi-slob and hover some of them.

So not everyone comes to the field and does pattern after pattern.  My airplanes are more combat-ish, they are light straight, kind of simple, and fly well, not stunt airplanes by a long shot. 

Do what you feel you should and enjoy yourself. 

[Donald R Olson]

I try hard to fly stunt, BUT, I don't fly stunt. I've started flying CL again a couple years ago after many years away. I've always loved building and flying CL. I'm working on my first build in a long time, that I feel will be able to fly a competitive pattern. The pilot is another story. I really enjoy practice and trying to fly better. Tracing the pattern in my mind. Going to the field working on the pattern. To me it's not work, it's a dream that with time and enjoyable practice I hope to get to fly with some truly great builders/flyers. Once I have regained my skills to a point that I feel I can compete. I will really enjoy joining in. Stunt as some call it encompasses designing, building, finishing, tuning, flying, competing and more. It's a lot. Something I love to do even if now I'm not even close to the level I aspire to be. If I never win a contest "so what," I've spent time in a sport I love to do. Also, the people in this sport are the best I've encountered in my life. Everyone I've met has been at least supportive and at best amazing. I joined the Piston Popper and the whole club wants to see me reach my goals. I met Bob Hunt at the NATS and he graciously took a lot of time after going through my design and teaching me so much to improve my aircraft. Doc Holiday invited to come to his home, and he gave me some of his planes to be able to practice and share with my club. There have been many on this forum that have helped me out. You don't have to jump into stunt to have fun. CL can be as much or as little as you want. It will fit the flier whatever way that person wants it to be. But for me I can't thank those who I have met enough for making "stunt" what it is for me.

[Ken Culbertson]

I hope to get to fly with some truly great builders/flyers. Once I have regained my skills to a point that I feel I can compete.

The best way to do that is to compete.  With all of the classes available, if you can land after the tank runs out there is a class you can compete in.  That will put you in the company of the "truly great builders/fliers" who will pull you as close to their level as you can get.  If you flew in the past, it is still in there and all you have to do is pull it out. I have been back 5 years now and I am still "pulling" but it is getting better.  There is nothing that can compete with competition for pure fun.

Ken

[Jim Kraft]

  That is why I loved Old Time stunt so much. And ignition added to the fun. Nothing like a growling Super Cyclone or Anderson Spitfire to add to the fun. I also like to just fly for fun. The Bi Slob is fun. I may have to try that swivel stool idea. My back will not let me fly for over 2 or three minutes without pain. But sitting I have no pain.

Designing you own planes can be very rewarding also. As has been said, there are many ways to enjoy the hobby. Most people build a plane and then choose an engine. I choose the engine I want to fly and build a plane to use it. Been a motor head all my life.

Years back in the late 50's early 60's, 5 or 6 of us would meet in the evening or Saturday or Sunday afternoon and fly for fun. Either in the city park, or a ball diamond, or the school yard.

I do not live near any other control line flyers so entered contests as we are the only ones who actually understand why we do this in the first place. And I loved talking to others that have the same love for what we do. Birds of a feather stick together. I never understood cow pasture pool otherwise known as golf. But give me a nice day and a model airplane or my Harley and I am in my element.

[jerry v]

     If a person says they don’t fly stunt, does that mean there is a percentage of people who fly control line basically just turning laps? I understand there are other things like speed, scale and carrier for example, but when someone goes to the trouble of saying they don’t fly stunt, are they generally just flying laps?

If person says they don’t fly stunt  - it means person doesn’t have a flight plan. If there is no flight plan, there is a room for mistake. Some mistakes are fixable - like a good save with model almost touching the ground with the landing gear or cut tall grass with the prop. This flying style is called the fun fly - applicable in RC and CL. The costly mistake is exit from wingover when pilot without flight plan thinks for a moment which way to turn and model gets planted. Stunt routine disciplines the pilot to automatically react in the proper corners. For spectators stunt routine is predictable and somewhat annoying. But for pilot every flight is a practice into perfection, which will never end.

Jerry

[Ken Culbertson]

I Stunt routine disciplines the pilot to automatically react in the proper corners. For spectators stunt routine is predictable and somewhat annoying. But for pilot every flight is a practice into perfection, which will never end.

Jerry

  Well put!

Ken

[944_Jim]

Ty- It has air bags Or in your case you could perhaps use use - Ty- downs Cheers.

That was funny!

[Miotch]

For me, it means I don't compete and really have never tried a complete pattern (or any that I know of).  I do fly stunts, just not all of them and in no discernible order to anyone but me.  I often have a particular goal in mind when I launch; for instance: three inside, three outside loops, or something like that.  A satisfying flight, for me, might be several level laps, a few wing overs, couple of loops, couple more wing overs, an inverted lap or two and then some more laps, just going up and down.  I've always found it fun in flying really really low laps, just off the ground.  If you watched me for long, you'd think that I basically enjoy crashing.  When we were kids, we like to strafe kids who laid in a ditch with BB guns.  While no plane was ever brought down by the BBs, it was just a whole lot of fun because everyone was involved in every flight, even if they weren't the pilot.  Today, I'd just use a shotgun.

[bill bischoff]

When someone says " I don't fly stunt", I interpret it as "I don't compete in stunt".  It may or may not mean they don't compete in any of the CL events, but most likely does not mean they refrain from all aerobatic flying.

The notion that not being a stunt competitor means you just aimlessly fly around level, gives second-class status to both non-competitors and those who compete in other CL events. I don't know Marty Hammersmith, and I am not saying that this is necessarily his opinion, but this attitude exists. I'm sure that's why some people don't fly stunt.

[Steve Helmick]

We had a club member (who also flew R/C sport) ask why we keep flying "The Pattern" every flight. Well, we're doing a couple of things. We're practicing. We're constantly trying to improve our model and/or our flying ability. And one of the most undervalued things, we're much less likely to be doing some trick and running out of fuel or brainspeed. Brainspeed is when you can't decide whether to pull out upright or inverted, and you just make it do a little wiggle before the splat.

HNY to all y'all!  Steve

[Ken Culbertson]

 quote author=Steve Helmick link=topic=64824.msg668046#msg668046 date=1704073223]
 Brainspeed is when you can't decide whether to pull out upright or inverted, and you just make it do a little wiggle before the splat.
[/quote]
And it is so much cheaper after the splat to throw down your handle that it is his transmitter!   It is funny to watch them try and land.   

HYN to Everybody, especially those who don't fly stunt!  They can always learn!

Ken

[Fred Cronenwett]

I do not fly Stunt - There is a reason that I enojoy building and flying models that look and fly like the full size aircraft. Flying a CL model with throttle control and making it look like the real thing is nothing like CL stunt model. I don't perform loops or inverted flight with my scale models. Yes I just go round and round and I am ok with that. I personally I am ok not flying loops and aerobatic manuevers.

You can not compare the CL stunt, scale, speed, carrier (I have flown that event also), combat or racing CL models to each other. While they all have a bellcrank and fly in a circle with the elevator control the overall goal is completely different from one event to another. I have a couple models that does not have throttle control, the majority of the models I fly have throttle control which is different from the typical CL model. The models I fly tend to be larger and heavier than the typical CL model. For me a heavy model is something over 10 lbs, and a wingspan over 72 inches. flying the double size ringmaster with an .90 four stroke does not scare me at all.

The Cl speed model is to fly as fast as possible. Carrrier is to fly fast as possible, then slow as possible then land on the deck with the hook. CL Stunt has a completely different end goal in that you want to perform the items as close as possible to the rule book.

In the end if you enjoy the event you fly then fantastic.

[BillLee]

I do not fly Stunt - There is a reason that I enojoy building and flying models that look and fly like the full size aircraft. Flying a CL model with throttle control and making it look like the real thing is nothing like CL stunt model. I don't perform loops or inverted flight with my scale models. Yes I just go round and round and I am ok with that. I personally I am ok not flying loops and aerobatic manuevers.

You can not compare the CL stunt, scale, speed, carrier (I have flown that event also), combat or racing CL models to each other. While they all have a bellcrank and fly in a circle with the elevator control the overall goal is completely different from one event to another. I have a couple models that does not have throttle control, the majority of the models I fly have throttle control which is different from the typical CL model. The models I fly tend to be larger and heavier than the typical CL model. For me a heavy model is something over 10 lbs, and a wingspan over 72 inches. flying the double size ringmaster with an .90 four stroke does not scare me at all.

The Cl speed model is to fly as fast as possible. Carrrier is to fly fast as possible, then slow as possible then land on the deck with the hook. CL Stunt has a completely different end goal in that you want to perform the items as close as possible to the rule book.

In the end if you enjoy the event you fly then fantastic.

Well said, Fed.

Stunt is the competition event for the CL sport flyer.

[Steve Dwyer]

My father used to say, "what kind of a stunt was that?" but he wasn't referring to model flying and then generally all hell would break loose. Actually, he was a great guy and never once struck me, my mother...well we won't go there, good ole Ma.

I enjoy flying stunt if one would be so kind to call it that. I can fly reasonably well most (actually some) of the pattern maneuvers; I am probably worthy of the "most improved" in the last few years if there was a category. I returned to begin serious building and flying 8 years ago after having had only minimal exposure to CL as a kid in the late 50's early 60's. My brief experience as a youngster, however, did solidify my passion for CL that I never lost in the 50 years away.

Will I ever become a polished competitive stunter, it's unlikely, but I plan to keep trying especially while I'm having more fun than an old guy should have, ha ha. I have drawn one conclusion after my reentry, and meeting many "good flyers" and that is (most) of the top gunners out there had their father or a mentor involved, or they were fortunate to have been located near a flying club. And many of these guys for a variety of reasons (not all of course) stayed active during the past 50 years perfecting their skills. Do I wish I'd been as fortunate, sure, but it wasn't to be. It's no big deal! 

So, I once said to Bob Hunt after watching him fly the precision pattern, Bob, I enjoy the hell out of control line and will probably always remain a (fart around flyer) Bob responded to say, "he knows a lot of FAF's, but as long as you are having fun that's all that matters".

Onward...

Steve