4th Annual Ringmaster Fly-A-Thon October 1 & 2, 2011

[John Cralley]

This post is to alert you about the upcoming 4rd Annual Ringmaster Worldwide Fly-A-Thon sponsored by the Brotherhood of the Ring.

The Fly-A-Thon is a non-competitive event to honor the plane that many of us older modelers flew back in the 50s, 60s 70s and 80s.

Any of the Ringmaster varieties can be flown for this event (S-1, S-1A, RM Junior, RM Baby, RM Sportster, etc.)!!

Simply stated, we want to see how many Ringmaster flights can be recorded over a single weekend, the first weekend in October (10/1-2/2011). Our goal is to have 1500 flights over that weekend. Last year we recorded 826 flights in half a dozen different countries worldwide so we have a long way to go! The simple rules are stated below.

If you are also a RC club member, you are no doubt aware that many younger RC pilots have never seen control line models fly nor have they attempted to fly a control line model. It would be educational fun for the uninitiated, if your RC club would set aside a circle in a corner of your field and you could use a Ringmaster to put up some flights. More fun yet if some of your members have a try at flying a Ringmaster for an initial control line solo. It doesn’t have to be for a FULL tank of fuel – most new pilots will get dizzy after a minute or two. Give this some thought. It could make for an interesting event at your club. Poll your members at the next meeting or flying session and find out what they think about this event.

Control line clubs can hold a special “Fun-fly” that weekend to participate in the Fly-A-Thon!  Your control line club should be able to put up a large number of flights. Even if you are at a contest that weekend bring a Ringmaster and put up some flights in the practice circle or at the end of the day.

Individual fliers get together with friends and record some Ringmaster flights!!

 

There are no prizes only bragging rights!!

The Word and PDF files attached below are for a Ringmaster Fly-A-Thon flier/poster which you can download and print. Feel free to distribute the flier to your local hobby shop, fellow control line fliers and anyone else that you think would be interested. It can easily be attached to an email.

Here are the rules:

On October 1 & 2, 2011 we challenge you to fly any one or more of the many Ringmasters, old or new, and report your flights to:
    
ringmasterflyathon-2011@yahoo.com

Deadline for reporting is 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight time (USA) Tuesday October 4, 2011

Location: Wherever you are!

Please report how many different Ringmasters flew, how many total Ringmaster flights were made and the location of these flights. You may also report how many different pilots flew, how many Ringmasters were flown at the same time and what type of Ringmasters were flown.

Also, if you get someone new to solo on a Ringmaster, that flight will count as 2 flights! The more, the merrier! Let us know how many new solo flights you have too!

If this will help promote new fliers by flying the same plane so many of us started with, this would be a bonus!

[John Cralley]

The attached file is an excerpt from my article about Ringmasters that was published in Control Line World last winter. It is the portion concerning the Ringmaster Fly-A-Thon and may be good reading if you do not get CLW magazine. 

[John Cralley]

I posted this under another thread but it may get more attention here because that thread concerned just one area (Florida) and there are RC clubs all over the country/World.

Here is what Rick Bollinger is planning to do in Burlington, Iowa for the Fly-A-Thon (after I challenged his club to put up 50 flights):

"John, I can't guarantee the weather. But could try to round up some guys for a c/l day. Talked to the club, could shut down the field on Sat to r/c and run 3 rings. I've got my S1, 'jr', baby and 2 1/2 a "combat' from plans I got here before the crash of the Brotherhood site."

Here is what I told Rick my flying buddy and I plan to do:

"OK Rick,

My flying buddy, Jim Swearingen, says, "lets go to Burlington!!!!" (it is a 2 hour 30 minute drive from here)

I have 3 full sized and a couple of pint sized (Baby and a 150 sq inch) electric Ringmasters. I also have an S-1 with a Fox 35 and a Junior that I may have flyable by October 1st. Jim has even more but I don't know how many we can fit in to my Trail Blazer."

We are looking forward to a BIG Fly-A-Thon and plan to do our part to get you over that 50 flight challenge!!!

I wonder how many other RC clubs would delicate a day and try to put up 50 Ringmaster control line flights (or more) for the Fly-A-Thon??? 

[John Cralley]

The UK is joining us this year. There are at least two electric Ringmasters as well as others to fly. Go here to see their thread:

http://controlline.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8269

You can also download, from that thread, a set of S-1 plans as well as a crudely drawn (traced from parts from a kit??) set of plans for a 1/2A slab wing Ringmaster. If you use those 1/2A plans, be sure to cut the wing slot with zero incidence -- the plans look to be off a bit in that regard. The 1/2A could easily be built in an evening or two. If your club members built a fleet of those 1/2A Ringmasters, you could hold a 1/2A combat session as part of the Fly-A-Thon!!! Sounds like fun.

[John Cralley]

Here is an update on what is going to happen in the IL/IA/MO junction area!! Rick Bollinger talked his club into joining the fun!! They are holding a Fly-A-Thon session Saturday October 1, 2011. Here is a quote from him posted on the Brotherhood of the Ring Forum (sponsor of the Fly-A-Thon) http://www.brotherhoodofthering.info/ :

"Getting excited about the Fly-A-Thon. Anyone who wants to come and fly with us is welcome. We are planning on at least 3 rings and R/C flying is shut down that day. Food and drinks are available. West Central IL, South East Iowa and North East Missouri. Here is a link to the club website. R/C fun fly the Sun before 9/25/11:"

http://sites.google.com/site/burlingtonmodelairplaneclub/Home

My flying friend Jim Swearingen and I will be there. I plan to bring my 5 electric Ringmasters and maybe a couple of wet ones and Jim has a bunch of Ringmasters (all wet LOL). We will fill my Trail Blazer and put up as many flights as we can!!!

If you are anywhere within driving distance of Burlington, IA, come on over. Even if you don't have a Ringmaster, we will have some that you can fly!!

Pray for good weather!!!!

John Cralley (AKA ElectroBro on the BOTR forum)

[Allan Perret]

Expect to be flying my Ringmaster Delux at a contest on Oct 1.
Would that count for the Fly-A-Thon ?

[John Cralley]

Expect to be flying my Ringmaster Delux at a contest on Oct 1.
Would that count for the Fly-A-Thon ?

Yes, it absolutely will count!! Allan, put in a few extra flights (practice??) and they will count too. Some contests are setting aside a circle for Fly-A-Thon flights.

Don't forget to report your flights whether they be one or a hundred!!    They all add up and we need all of them.   

[john e. holliday]

Well it is on for Topeka KANSAS also at the new site.  SW of 21st and Urish.  Melvin put it in the TOPCLASS Newsletter.  Now I have to set my alarm for both days.

[John Cralley]

"Well it is on for Topeka KANSAS also at the new site.  SW of 21st and Urish".

Doc, That is great!! Are they going to put more than 50 flight like the Burlington Iowa club??? 

I believe that the Pacific Aeromodellers Club in Abbotsford, British Columbia are going to be joining in the fun too!! 

[Geoff Goodworth]

Must the models be classic Ringmasters or do the Pat Johnston/Dee Rice models qualify?

[John McFayden]

In Toronto Ontario the Balsa Beavers MFC plan to put in some Ringmaster flights again this year. Last year we shared one plane among 5 pilots but this year we have at least 5 Ringmasters and hopefully will post a lot more flights. Last year rain, wind and cold temperatures were an issue over the weekend. We are hoping for much better weather and that will generate many more flights.

John McFayden

[pat king]

Any Ringmaster or Ringmaster varient qualifies. Anything from a Baby Ringmaster to a Ringmaster 1000 is in.

Pat

[John Cralley]

Well, Australia, Brazil, Canada and the UK are all promising to fly in the Fly-A-Thon. The one Ringmaster owner/flier that I know in France is off to the seashore celebrating his wife's retirement and will not be flying. No word from New Zealand but I know that there are Ringmasters there. Also no word from Italy (they flew a bunch of flights last year).

If anyone on this forum has contacts in other countries that can be persuaded to participate, feel free to try to encourage them to join the fun. A PDF file of the flier which spells out the rules etc. is attached to this post. You can easily attach it to an email but sadly it is only in English. If anyone wishes to translate it to another language, I can email you an MS Word .doc file version that can be easily edited.

On another note, Dee Rice of Houston TX, designer of the Oriental and an expert pilot, has a birthday on Oct. 1st. He has vowed to put up a flight for each of his 71 years!!   I wish him luck and will wish him a Happy Birthday. For myself, I don't plan on trying for my birthday years but if you belong to a younger generation, that one flight per year sounds like a good goal!!   

[John Cralley]

Cheers!!   

We can now add Italy and South Africa to the participating country list!! 

This is shaping up to be the best Fly-A-Thon yet!!!   

[John Cralley]

Just ONE week!!

Get your Ringmasters ready to fly in the:

4th Annual Worldwide Ringmaster Fly-A-Thon

October 1st and 2nd!!!!

Sponsored by the Brotherhood of the Ring

Report to: ringmasterflyathon_2011@yahoo.com

 Deadline Noon EDT Oct. 4th
   

[Michael Alurac]

Check out this RSM Ringmaster up for raffle by the KOTRC at the AMA Expo jan. 6-8, 2012. Please see the flyer for details.