[Guest]

Guys and Bros,

Last nite I had a meeting with the St. Louis Radio Controlled Flying Association, SLRCFA. We talked about going over the rules for the Pro Bro event that they were gracious enough too allow us to have at their field. For some reason they wanted to have us fly past the center line for both hovering and passes. This distance is equal to or greater then 42' from the pilots station. I told them that this was unacceptable and discriminatory against 3D pilots as they currently do not even have this rule imposed for their own club. They went on about the 25' rule #8 which clearly states is with the exception to pilots and their helpers. They believe that the 25' rule is for everyone including pilots. Now I know at some events there are safety lines drawn, and they can be in great distance, however there is no way we will fly at a field that we must draw a 42' line in front of us for reasons that we already know that 3D is safe, they feel 3D is unsafe. Their club, their rules, so be it. I debated the #8 rule for 15 minutes, told them how I felt then I left, no hard feelings.

Secondly the other field where we were going to have the Pro-Bro, Buder Park, we have issues there as well. For one thing this is a public field. However, we have been threatened to have the police be called if anyone is flying within 25' of themselves or another pilot. Apparently there are MANY people in the St. Louis area who feel the same way that SLRCFA does, many of them are discriminatory against 3D pilots and I am doing my part to fight it. However after the meeting I had last nite and the threats that I have received, I do not want to hold this event anywhere near the City of St. Louis. Guys I have been fighting with people for months about this now. I have done all that I can but I cannot debate with ignorance, especially when the ratio is 25:1 against when we are all in the same room together.

In lieu of this I now vow to hold a new event along with Team OMP somewhere, someplace very soon. It will be the event of all events and we already have the field picked out. If you made arrangements with a hotel, airline or anything let me know. I will assist you in cancelation.

All of this to me was an education process and something that eveyone needs to help fight against. I hope I3D makes a big turnaround, we really do need this and I want to play my part and fight. I feel more like a Pro-Bro today then I have ever have. Long live the Pro-Bro's, long live 3D.

Sincerely,
Dion Cini

 

[ChuckAuger]

That's crazy. I wish some of these self-appointed safety gurus could see stuff like the mass hover at Houston. Somewhere between 16 and 19 planes hovering close in, in the air at once, no crashes. I think I can count the total number of crashes at the whole event on one hand.

Hate to hear it, Dion. A lot of planning and work goes into these things, and to have it all scrapped because of a few lard heads just sucks.

Good luck in getting it re-scheduled in a different venue.

And after it's said and done, make a presentation to the anti club and show them the economic impact a large gathering could make. And I'll bet as few accidents as the ProBro events I have been to.

 

[wgeffon]

I honestly am glad you cancelled the event if there were going to be ridiculous restrictions imposed on us.
The Bro's dont like restrictions and more importantly, they dont like restrictions when it comes to 3D.

The saftey issue is bullshit as far as I am concerned. You wont find a better qualified group of individuals. Even the guys who are learning 3D know their own limits and tend not to push the issue. Nobody will ever convince me that 3D is more dangerous than any other aspect of the hobby.

Good job Dion for holding your ground on this.

 

[TailTwister]

"Even the guys who are learning 3D know their own limits and tend not to push the issue."

BINGO!

Wayne, you hit it right on the head. Yes, accidents will always happen, but most pilots actually like their planes and the people they are standing beside, and would not do something outside of reasonable risk. Hence I hover quite high unless I'm alone, and sure that I can bail... 3D pilots are not the blood thirsty hateful group we are made out to be. Except maybe that Gordo guy... (I'm kidding of course)

Secondly, I'd like to see the pilot who can get the plane in a hover a foot off of the ground, but couldn't bail out of it if necessary.

Dion, let'em go. You will find your event a home, and when it makes money, hit'em up for next year. Group stupidity may overwhelm individual reason, but not forever...

I3D will soon be back on it's feet, and we will begin to be heard. The list is somewhere in the range of 400 names now. Can you imagine a post on RCU or RCG about an upcomming event and 400 replies saying, "There is no way I would ever attend your poorly run event."? Wouldn't that be classic?

 

[ChuckAuger]

There was such a thread. The Huntsville AL club (one club, I'm sure they have more than one..) decided to ban 3D at their large yearly fly-in. There was quite an uproar, boycotting, separate event planned for the same day, etc. Not sure what became of it.

The root of the problem was...the circle flyers didn't want to share the air time/air space with 3D'ers, so they played the safety card.

 

[edge540flyer]

I hate to hear the event was cancelled i was looking forward to meeting some more bro's. But if they where wanting restrictions on on distance I prefer to not have it so. The field I fly at in Ozark is 3D friendly so if you can find no where els I could try and work one out here.
Brandon

 

[Quicker]

I've started talking with my club in Omaha to see if we can take the St. Louis spot. I don't know if I can pull it off for this year, but since it's in the middle of the country, how would Omaha be?

Here's my club website for you guys to check out:

http://www.omahawks.org/

We do have a paved runway, but we also have LOTS of grass around the field. Hotels are nearby and we have grills and electricity onsite, so BBQ is in. It's a city park, so no alcohol onsite.

 

[Gordo]

Damn Tailtwister, listen to you. I only tried to run ONE guy over and it was an accident man. Come on, are you guys gonna harrass me forever over it? Not like I laned the plane in the pilot station fence or anything!! (But then I didn't have a midair for an excuse eaither!! :lol: )

Dion, it's probably better for now. All the changes and confusion would have severly limited the attandence. Plan long term, get the rules up front before we get excited!! And don't sweat the "Biggest, baddest ProBro ever"stuff. There's no competition to see who can get the most pilots together, it's all about FUN!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GATOR]

Hey
that wasnt no landing in the pilot station :lol:

 

[Guest]

I didn't mean to confuse anyone it's just I have been battling this event over the last 3 months now for the field. The main issue has always been whether or not that hovering is safe. I pretty much had Buder Park all lined up but some of the messages I got on the Buder Park forum was that the police are going to be involved if flying within 25' occurs.

Now I know this may not mean much, and I take those messages with a grain of salt, however there are a few people that are stirring up trouble in my area. I just don't want to deal with it and I don't want the Bro's to travel all this distance and have a riot break out.

This is really starting to drive me crazy. I just can't believe some of the things I hear and see in this hobby. I have been involved in many hobbies in my life, I have never heard so much crap and crying in my life. All everyone wants to do is enforce rules and nobody wants to take the time to educate. Totally sucks.

 

[Gordo]

Hey
that wasnt no landing in the pilot station :lol:

No, no............I said "...pilot station fence...." And I meant to indicate that there was a legitimate excuse for that, whereas my screwup was dumbthumbs connected to a dumber brain.

 

[GATOR]

I know Gordo....I was just lightly tap yer balls

 

[Guest]

........

 

[Gordo]

All snakes aren't bad, just the kind that bite, the kind that squeeze, and the kind that don't do either!

There's still places that wouldn't ever allow a combat frenzy either. But then who wants to go to those type of places?

I'd love to see a few ProBros show up at one of our local Flyins here (Not at our club, we don't care) some of the guys would have a heart attack!!!

 

[Mike18]

I pretty much had Buder Park all lined up but some of the messages I got on the Buder Park forum was that the police are going to be involved if flying within 25' occurs.

Please clarify something for me. I thought this (as rule #9) was against the RULES not against the LAW. How can the police be involved?
I'm not just asking this about this event, I was asking about every day flying also.

 

[Guest]

The problem is that this is a public flying field and some of the ol timers have been known to call the police for some of the stupidest crap like trailers taking up spaces, dangerous manuevers and all kinds of ridiculous stuff. Most of these guys have nothing better to do. If there is a safety concern at a public park the rangers are going to show up if they think peoples lives are in danger. Some of these men will convince them so. The rangers might not do anything, but hey, i don't even want to find out if they will personally.

The problem is that Rule #8 is confusing to a lot of people and it's more of a threat to 3D then Rule #9. Nobody really understands. Some people think that you can't fly within 25' of any living creature including yourself. Some people think that it's 25' to you, but not another pilot. Some people think it's within 25' of only the spectators. It's causing problems.

Rule #8.
With the exception of events flown under AMA competition rules, after launch, except for pilots or helpers being used, no powered may be flown closer then 25 feet to any person.

 

[Gordo]

Isn't it obvious? When they started telling the bros how to fly at a ProBro event, they would need to call the cops to keep us from KICKING THEIR ASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ChuckAuger]

I haven't seen the cops at any ProBro events since..Houston!

 

[Jim D]

In reference to the Huntsville meet metioned earlier, I have been to that meet and was planning to go again until they played the 'no 3D' card. They can stuff it. Another club run by an old guard of circle jerks and pivot men.

 

[Gordo]

I haven't seen the cops at any ProBro events since..Houston!

Chuck, from some of the pics I saw, we're lucky you've seen ANYTHING since Houston!!!