All,
One thing that is very apparent reading all the comments on the RCM&E forum about the Summer Fly-In is that we need some sort of better / fairer flying slot system.
On Friday I put all the little slot cards into the board ready for pilots to write their name on for flying slots.
Saturday the board had disappeared. Simply didn't get used.
I know I'm new but if I could offer some thoughts.
1) The main problem with a slot system is delays. Someone has an engine stop and they go back to the pits etc then the next slot is a minute late starting. By the end of the day we're two hours late finishing!
2) Mixtures. If we just have a totally open board, we'll get 3D mixed with large scale mixed with whizzas etc. This is another comment seen on the RCM&E forum.
If I could be so bold as to make my suggestions based on observation and the RCM&E comments, bearing in mind that I haven't actually done any marshaling yet, only observed....
Model Air Show Slot System1) 4 x 15 minute slots per hour - Saturday: 10:00 - 18:00 gives 8 hours of flying therefore 32 slots with 6 planes per slot equals 192 possible aircraft slots.
- Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00 gives 6 hours of flying therefore 24 slots with 6 planes per slot equals 144 possible aircraft slots.
2) Slot Categories- 3D & Acrobatic Aircraft
- Large Scale Aircraft
- Jet & Speed
- All Others and Solo Flights (on request, limited to one per day?)
3) Max 6 aircraft per slot (except for mass build flights)
4) Only two people per aircraft on the flightline.
- One pilot plus one helper (maybe two helpers in the case of very big aircraft like the HP42).
- In the case of mass build flight (lots of small aircraft) no helpers only pilots.
5) Aircraft must be running on the flightline 5 minutes before the slot starts. Only one engine failure allowed.
6) Marshals to call timings:- Slot start (take off)
- Five minutes to slot end (landings soon)
- One minute to slot end (start landing now)
- Slot end (clear the strip)
I will work on a ticketing system that will allow pilots to know when they need to go to the flightline etc and present their "flight ticket" to the marshal prior to take off.
- Pilots would obtain a ticket in the morning by registering their aircraft in an appropriate category slot. Just like they have to register their TX.
- We give them a ticket show their slot flightline time (5 minutes before takeoff), their slot start time (takeoff) and the slot category.
- They take their aircraft to the flightline before the slot starts and gives the ticket to the marshal. No ticket, no flight, sorry!
I don't know if this possible but I saw some unfortunate things on the flightline on Saturday and hope there is a way to keep everyone happy and safe.
Just my thoughts again, and obviously I'm no expert...
Jim
