Hi Clancy,
Since we have last corresponded I have quit working my day job, so I am planning on coming to the Nats this summer. Probably will bring the Jenny and fly it in sport scale.

I see the schedule shows three days for CL scale, but there’s no break down of what goes on.  Could you give me an idea of how it all operates?  How you check-in, register, etc., then the judging, pull-test, flying etc.

I’ve never competed at the Nats so have no idea how it differs from the local meets.  BTW, your answers would make a good post to the forum.

Thanks,

John Witt

John
The normal schedule for the CL Scale NATS:

Friday - Registration, Weigh In and Static Judging.   Last year when you were ready to register your entry it was weighed and you were told what pull test your entry would require.   If enough judges are available then all classes are Static judged simultaneously.

Saturday - Pilots Meeting followed by the first two rounds of flying. The first round usually ends about noon.  After lunch the judges switch circles and the Contestants fly the second round on the same circle they flew on in the morning.
 
Sunday - Last two rounds of flying.  The Judges operate the same as they did on Saturday.  The Contestants fly on the opposite circle from the one they used on Saturday.
 
This way the Contestant sees both sets of judges twice, in the morning one day and in the afternoon the other day.
 
Pull testing must be done before you take your model to the flying circle.  The Pit Boss is BOSS!  Listen to what he says and you should have no problem. 
 
If you disconnect your flying lines from either the model or the handle you are required to again be pull tested!
 
The typical layout is with the pits between the circles and the models nose to tail in a row.  That way all of  the flying lines are laying parallel greatly reducing the chance of your lines being stepped on. 
Clancy

There's really not much difference between electronic controls through the lines or via airwaves: both methods send the pulse train of information to the model.  For competition models I plan on installing both my regular receiver and control it via DSC and the 2.4ghz receiver alongside it to be available if/when it becomes legal to use it for competition.  I'm currently flying all my sport models with 2.4ghz.

As for new blood coming into the hobby, it seems the only ones I've seen are older CL modelers getting back into what they already knew (and giving electronics a try) OR fathers teaching their boys CL and introducing them that way.