What are your goals for Control Line in 2017?

[Brent Williams]

2016 worked out to be a very successful year for me.  I had a goal of being able to fly a pretty recognizable full pattern by the time the snow flies.  At the start of the season, I was basically able to fly wingovers, inside/outside loops, inverted and lazy eights.  I started the year all set with plenty of desire and enthusiasm.

To accomplish this goal of a decent full pattern, I built a nice 500" flapless plane with Gordan Delaney based around the wing of his Challenger fast combat plane and an easy running OS LA46.  I named the plane the Trailblazer as an ode to Gordan's Pathfinder.  Well...I promptly crashed it and in doing so, I wrecked the nice built-up wing.  Undaunted by the crash, I carved a big hole in the intact fuselage, glued in a 1/32ply wing saddle and installed a 54" foam Gotcha wing from Phil Cartier.  It is a great flying plane and has been a very durable

Fast forward to the end of the season.  2.5 gallons of fuel and a plenty of thin CA and Gorilla glue later, I am pretty pleased to say that I have reached my goal of a recognizable full pattern.  I flew almost every weekend with Gordy all season and was coached by him very well.  At the end of the season, I was flattered to be invited to fly his PA51 Pathfinder L.E. and his profile LA46 Pathfinder.  I flew my best pattern of the year on that flight with the profile Pathfinder and was very pleased with myself.  (although...In my excitement to fly a really great, perfectly trimmed ship....I should have asked Gordy if he was OK with me attacking the pattern straight away.  I am sure his stomach dropped when I snapped the corner for the reverse wingover! LOL!)  

I have made contact with so many nice folks in the hobby this year including Bob Hunt, Howard Rush, Ted Fancher, Phil Cartier, and Bart Klapinski.  Bart even took several flights on my plane and reported that it flew really well.  With Ted Fancher's encouragement, I am also in the process of bringing the much beloved "Ted Fancher Handle" back onto the market in 2017.  

For 2017, I would like to be able to fly 500 point patterns by the end of the season.  Yes, it is a big goal, but I think I am up to the challenge.  I am building and fixing some planes to help make that goal reachable.  I have good coaches.  Gordan Delaney and Jim Rhoades are both gifted, experienced, expert fliers and are certainly free with their advice!  

So, what are your model airplane related goals for 2017?

[James Holford]

My goal?

 Successfully learn the beginners pattern for the 2017 Charlie Melancon event down here in LA.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[JoeJust]

My goal for 2017 is the same goal I have lived through for years without success. Here it is.  I want to place at least 3rd in an event at the annual Brodak Fly-In. Besides that, I want to fly several of the in- flown Carrier planes that hang in my shop.
Joe

[Tim Wescott]

My body having thrown me for a loop early this year, I would like to be physically able to do the pattern by the end of 2017 -- but that was my goal for this year, and I can't even do it with an imaginary plane without injuring my shoulder.

If you're just at the point of a recognizable pattern now, getting 400-point patterns by the end of 2017 may be more realistic -- I'm not saying that so you won't try, I'm saying that so that if you get to the end of the year and aren't there yet you don't throw all your toys away and take up golf or something.  Looking back over my scoring history, my first Intermediate flight (and first full pattern in competition) was in April of 2012, with around 350 points; my first flight to break 500 was in April of 2014 -- and I worked hard, and I progressed faster than a lot of other people.

[Jim Oliver]

To demonstrate that "there is control line after age 70"..........

[Don Curry AMA 267060]

To put up a few flights enjoy my friends and have fun.
Don

[Ed Carlaw]

My goal for this year is much more handle time. I've flown very intermittently the last couple of years, so I hope for more air time this year . Ed.

[Motorman]

My goal is to crash a few of my beater planes practicing low pull outs to clear out some space for a full size stunter I want to design and build.

MM

[Mark Scarborough]

To finish my current stunter at under 65 ounces, and to build another right behind it as well.

also to get up to the head of the JV Expert here in the NW...... and, well there are other things, but yall dont want to know about them,, no really you dont

[Russell Shaffer]

To get a 500 point pattern from BOTH judges.  To get my Northwest Proto speed plane over 90 MPH.  To make some 100 point carrier landings in 15 and Sport 40.  It ain't going to happen, unfortunately.  One or maybe, two of them.  If I could concentrate on one of these I might make it. But I sure have fun trying.

[john e. holliday]

Myself I just want to keep building and flying, but most of all keep having fun.

[Chuck_Smith]

I'd like to get back to the NATs. 

[Chancey Chorney]

1. To get out flying more
2. To learn how to do a loop

[Randy Cuberly]

To finish some of the eight airplanes I have ready for painting!  Need to get the weather to cooperate also.  Pretty wet and cold lately!

Maybe Climate Change but sure as hell not "Global Warming".

Also to finally make the Nationals again this year after more than a twenty year dry spell!

Randy Cuberly

[Mike Scholtes]

(1) Live to see January 2018;

(2) fly a 500 point pattern not counting appearance points;

(3) Finish and fly the Oriental Plus I started in 2007 (getting REAL close)

[Shug Emery]

To do more hand starting of my engines. Use the starter less.
Feels studly.
Shug

[RknRusty]

I want to fly and concentrate on improving my Intermediate consistency, or at least fly and try until my body says I can't; not wreck due to blatant pilot error; do some fun-building and flying rather than urgent repairs; and if I'm still flying at the end of 2017, I would really like to Belong anywhere in the ranks of Advanced and fly at that level in a couple of contests. If I can no longer fly, I'd like to learn to judge, and so I have already been studying it and learning to observe.
Rusty

[Skip Chernoff]

First and foremost is to have fun building and flying.Secondly, I'd like to get 1st place in Intermediate PA at Brodaks or 1st place in Classic Intermediate as well.If I do this (wishful thinking LOL) I'll move up to Advanced. I'm working very hard on building competitive stunters and practice as much as I can. Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2017 to all!....PhillySkip

[Warren Walker]

I have a very simple plan, FLY MORE! and as at turns out, I'm off to a great start.
 I put up five flights today.

W.W.

[wwwarbird]

My goal for this year is much more handle time. I've flown very intermittently the last couple of years, so I hope for more air time this year . Ed.

 Same here. I've been very distracted from C/L while being preoccupied with a '60 El Camino project and all the car shows swap meets etc. that go along with it . The motorcycles have pretty much been sitting still as well. Seems like I could use two of me during the summer months.
 The 'ol Chevy is pretty much done now though so I hope to squeeze in some more flying in '17. Trying to keep the nose to the grindstone on the Hutchinson P-38 these days, hoping to have it all ready to go when the snow disappears.

[Carl Cisneros]

For myself, LEARN to fly inverted. If I have trouble doing that, then it is the Beginners Pattern again
this year at Brodaks.

Getting ready to build a large profile for the profile catagory at Brodaks this year.

[FLOYD CARTER]

I can reliably fly a 500 point pattern.  But not here.  I would have to move and change my name.

Floyd

[Mark Mc]

To compete in my first contest.  If the Beginner category has the same participants as last year (only 1 entrant), then I have at least a chance of placing Third...

Mark

[Avaiojet]

I won't be setting any goals, I have a lifetime of not achieving any.

[Terry Caron]

This year I hope to complete my first c/l model in nearly 50 years (Sig Banshee) and, under Ty's tutelage, learn to fly at least the Beginner's Pattern without destroying anything beyond repair. 
Lots of (read: too many!) other models on my wish-to-build list too - just hafta see how that goes.

[mike londke]

My goal is to have a decent showing at Brodak's and the Nats in Intermediate and move to Advanced this year. My goal for Samuel is lazy 8's and inverted flight.

[Andre Ming]

Given my time constraints, motivation, et al, my goals are quite meager:

* To fly more often.

* To build something.

* Have more fun with C/L.

[Fredvon4]

As I read this and look around the shop/hanger

1. Spend less on the hobby this year
2. Fly more often
3. Actually build the down draft sanding table I have procrastinated about for 3 years
4. Liquidate a bit more of the stuff I know I will never actually need or use
5. Start a disciplined weekly schedule of balancing my supply of spare propellers until they are all ready to go
6. Continue the cataloging and notes about of all this stuff so my family has an easier time of liquidating it should I pass
7. Hire 2 teenage boys to help move everything out of this 16x24 building for a much needed repaint and floor re-do
8. Put it all back in, hopefully with a more efficient layout for the actual work areas
9. Pray the passing of friends and mentors is not as frequent as it was in 2016
10. Actually make that my # 1 item

[fred cesquim]

improve finishing methods with less weight
learn the intermediate pattern
finish my scale c/l model