Once again I've had a really busy month, helping to organise a funfly in the South Island of New Zealand where most of the pilots are spread out and most fly by themselves. The event was very well run thanks to a great effort by the local fliers. Everyone that I talked to found the whole event invaluable in terms of learning new skills and knowledge and ofcourse meeting fellow pilots putting names to the faces. I always find it hugely satisfying helping guys with new maneuvers and such. It's great fun. I'll be there again next year!
After that I took a week off work and visited my parents on the farm where I ended up doing a lot of night flying for people who hadn't seen a heli before.

Now I'm back at home (and at work :() and I'm helping to organise a new event that a group of us here have created. We've called it the JR Challenge.

JR Challenge 2003
The JR Challenge has come about as the result of us trying to create an event that would encourage people to participate no matter what their skill level, develop their skills by encouraging people to have a crack at new maneuvers and above all have fun.
We developed it in such a way that even a beginner or moderate flier had as much chance at winning the event as the top F3C or 3D fliers. This is done by using a 'weighted scoring system' which takes into account the skill level of the pilot.
A competitor enters into a class that reflects their current skill. They then complete four compulsory maneuvers which they are judged on. They then complete three 'K Factor' maneuvers to get a multiplying factor which multiplied by the results from the compulsory round, produces a score.
For example, if a beginner did a rolling stall turn, then they would get a score of 5, an intermediate flier would get 2 and an advanced flier would get 0 because they're expected to be able to do that. There is a range of 'K-Factor' maneuvers, each with different ratings.

For more information, visit www.galtechmodels.com/jrchallenge/

The first round of this competition will be held in March at our local flying field. I'll let you know how it works out.

The Dark Side
Just lately I've had a hankering to try my hand at planks. I know, there must be something in the water or hell must have frozen over, but watching top Tournament of Champions pilot Frazer Briggs in action has added a new element to a side of the hobby that I thought would never really interest me.
As a result I've been reading a number of Mike McConville's articles on the Horizon Hobby site about different plank 3D maneuvers and it all started getting interesting.
I've not flown a plank before, but Darryll has offered to teach me on his little Sig Fazer. I'm pretty sure I'll pick it up ok. I better, my first plank is a 72 inch Edge 540 :). CSM sim, here I come!
This whole plank thing is just a side line from the helicopter part though, helis are my primary toys, as a new C Spec powered CS is on it's way to replace the Standard Vigor.

Pilot Locator
The Pilot Locator has continued to grow in popularity since the last newsletter with it still rating second most popular section of littlerotors.com. Make sure your details are up-to-date! The pilot locator can be found at www.littlerotors.com/findapilot/

Market
The Buy/Sell Market has been growing also. It should be noted that this section will accept postings from all over the world, not just New Zealand. List your items free of charge! See the market at www.littlerotors.com/market/

Articles this issue are:

Pilot Profile: Len Sabato
USA F3C Team Member and Product Manager of JR Helis and Radios at Horizon Hobby takes time out to answer a few questions. Click here

Helicopter Resources
Another common question I'm asked is what are some useful videos, books, magazines and websites for learning more about our hobby. Here are some that I use. Click here

Feel free to contact me at simon@littlerotors.com at any time.

Si