I have watched the racing go down hill as far as attendence since my days as event director at the NATS.  Years ago we were put down when someone proposed 21 size engines for Rat Racing.  Mouse Racing I has a few one off reed valve engines that no one can afford  except the builder of the engine.  I see B Team Race is showing some interest, but, special engines are now coming into play.  The so called beginners events in my opinion were beginners events when they were kept on a local level and the experts took time to help the new person get better.  As with almost any events now a days it is almost impossible to buy an engine to be competitive with out a big pocket book.  I think the NCLRA has done a good job with Texas Quickie Rat, but, if you don't know someone with a lathe you can't get venturis.   Clown Racing is holding its own in some areas when they tell you what engine can be used.  I miss the days when I could go to my local hobby shop and pick an engine for an event an be competitive with a little practice.  Too bad we can't put restrictions back on most of the racing events so we can get back to three up racing like TQR.  I am going to leave out F2C racing as that is one event that almost takes 100% dedication if not more to compete.  I am also getting to the age and physical shape that the one  event that requires the entrant to fly the plane is almost out.  I am a pit man, maybe not the best, but, have always been lucky enough that we had great pilots to fly peoples planes.  If we could slow things down a little we might get more people into competition.  Maybe imposing max speed limit on most events or have requirement of how many engines need to be produced to be allowed in competition.  But, then again some manufacturers can't keep a good supply coming as a reasonable price.  Anyway I will need to get back to building again.    DOC Holliday

The consistant ongoing problem with ALL forms of racing, there are those because of their aproach to an event will always dominate. This gets discouraging to those trying to break in. you can limit engines, again the gifted will dominate, you can put in a claim rule, those with money will still spenwhat they will because they can afford it. You can limit airframes, again the gifted will dominate. The only way to help build entry is to take steps to prevent the experienced fliers from getting into the finals. You can let them fly heats to build the feild, and to help train the incoming pilots. but you need some way to prevent them from winning, perhaps a handicap.
Bottom line, there is no garaunteed way to insure entry pilots from beign blasted. there are always guys that will find a way to enhance their position to earn 3% plastic trophys. I know here in my area, Todd and Mac Ryan have really shared their knowledge and actually helped me get set up. There comment was that in sport race and clown, that they would pull from the final to let the newbies have a shot,, that is a commendable approach and that kind of long sighted view of the sport should be looked at as a honorable way to approach growth if you really love the event.

The NCLRA racing rules are a little easier to change, requiring only an agreement of the powers that be that a change is necessary.

There has been an ongoing discussion of NCLRA SSR (FOX race with .25 plain bearing engines) on the YAHOO CL RACING FORUM, but though there seems to be some who want to change it, I for one want to leave it the way it is.  I was pro single engine spec when the event was established as an NCLRA event, but since it is what I think is one of the more successful currently flown events it should be left alone.  It ain't broke, no need to fix it.

Qur, SCAR's, problem is not the events but inexperienced or re-tread pilots  who won't take advice or accept criticism of their flying.  From what I understand the NATS this year had the same problem.  The potential loss of equipment will make some, my self included, reluctant to risk that possiblity.

I wish there was a way to separate the entrants into skill categories but with the level of particpation we in SCAR are experiencing there's just not enough there.

A lot of the problem here, way-out-West, is the travel cost.  Events are just too far apart mileage wise to attract anyone but the diehards.

Doc,
tweren't this don about the paragraphs.english n grammar were my least favorite subjects in skool.as long as the idea gets across i don't care if the grammar,format n speling ain't exacly rite.

Seriously, the lack of newbies is a big problem.  I think there are too many other things to attract those unfamiliar with our sport.  Just look at the participation numbers in R/C combat and pylon racing at the NATS!
I think both those events individually had more entrants that ALL the CL racing events combined, or darn close to it, and pylon racing is VERY expensive, makes F2C look reasonable.

To really compete in anything Cl racing except F2C you pretty much have to build your own, for most that just takes too much commitment.  With the proliferation of ARFs in R/C it's just too easy for someone to buy their way into competition, no work required.  There is also a resultant large turnover in who is participating.  I'm membership chairman for the R/C club I belong to.  A majority of the members have less than 2 years experience in the hobby or with the club.

All the new flyers SCAR has had over the past 6 or 7 years have started with Mouse I.  They either quit or progressed to other less frustrating classes, but still compete in Mouse.  Mouse is a good place to start, it's very unintimidating for a new pilot.

We can all probably remember a time when we went out flying almost every weekend.  Weekends were for practice and trying new things.  Contests were for competing.  Now it seems we are lucky to make it out for a contest and often we need a lot of practice.  What changed?  I'm not trying to open the sport vs hobby discussion.  Control line model airplanes is one of my hobbies.  I enjoy the time in the shop.  I enjoy the time at the flying field.  I quit going to the local flying field when I was the last one with my interests there.  I've gone through two CL event categories.  Navy Carrier and Racing.  I found the same thing happened in both categories.  When I (or my pilot and I) started getting the hang of the event, the folks that were already flying the event when I began started dropping out.  I don't know why, I'm not that good.

Paul is right about the engines, especially the 1/2A engines.  I've race against Wayne Trivin's homemade special.  It was a really good little engine.  I still think that if he had gone for a slightly looser crank fit and anodized the crank bore it would have been a reliable engine.  We beat the model with that engine several times using a Black Widow-TD-Venom mix of parts.  It also beat us several times.  Same with the Cyclon reed-valve conversions.  I hope everyone that races Class 1 Mouse understands that there only about six of these high performance conversions (Cyclon, CS, and GZ based) in the country.  Unfortunately I know that hope is false because I've talked to several folks that quit Mouse because those engines exist.  Not because they needed one to compete at the contests they fly in.

The complaints about not being able to buy and engine and model from the hobby shop and come race makes about as much sense as complaining that you can't go buy a Chevy at the dealer and go race the low end NASCAR circuit.  It wouldn't even be legal to put it on the track without modifications!  No one is making race ready engines for us except Henry and Dubb (but not 1/2As).  Everything else we have to adapt.  Other than Clowns, Sig Goodyears, and Goldberg F-1 knock-offs, no one is making applicable kits.  So what?  How is that different than 20 years ago?

It isn't just the engines.  It isn't just the kits.  It isn't just the rules.  It isn't just the performance levels.  I don't even think it is the computer games.  Just look at the woodworking hobby.  Granted, it isn't 20-somethings but there are a lot of folks hitting the Rockler and WoodCraft stores, paying lots of money for equipment that makes little pieces of wood from large pieces of wood or large pieces of wood from little pieces of wood.  They like to work with their hands.  I contend that most of the problem is with us.  We don't go out every or even every other weekend and fly.  We seem to only gather for something special called a "contest".  When was the last time you invited someone that isn't a modeler to go out with you?  I know it has been a long time for me.

There is another problem for kids.  It isn't because they can't afford it.  We have to make it enjoyable for them.  Which means they aren't going out to fly in preparation for a contest.  Lets just go fly.  And if they are done for the day and ready to go home after 30 minutes, so what?  It doesn't have to have a purpose or be an all day outing.  After all, the purpose of a hobby is to fill your idle time with something you enjoy.  And that last sentence may contain the real issue.  Folks don't seem to have idle time and they don't seem to have activities they enjoy.

What's the problem with racing?  Personally I think one of the core problems is we only get together at a contest.  SCAR has enough contests that there is almost one a month.  Wish I could get enough interest in Denver to have one a year.

later,

Dave