PAMPA

By Matt Neumann

Again, that annoying rooster crowed, waking up the sun. Why does it always have to crow so early? So, now that the sun is starting to wake again, it is starting to illuminate the words on the history page for the August 8 Control Line (CL) Precision Aerobatics events.

I have heard that Control Line (CL) Precision Aerobatics is like a dance between the partners of pilot and airplane. When they are in sync, it can be a thing of beauty to see as an airplane is put through the pattern. I have to believe that that is quite true.

Thursday was the final practice day! Pilots could be found at numerous club fields during the day, dialing in their equipment and adding final touches to their known sequences.

Today is the day that we have been waiting for all week—we got to see who won the 2023 Nationals.

Today was the second day of qualifying. The best score today gets added to the best score of yesterday. Since the Open class is divided into four groups, the top five from each group get to move on to Thursday for top 20 day. The Advanced group is divided into three groups, and the top four from each group get to move on to Thursday. Those twelve get to have a flyoff to determine the winner in the Advanced class.

Today was the first day of qualifying. This is the day that we start to find out how everything is stacking up. We flew two flights today and the best score counts toward the best score tomorrow. The two are then added together to determine who moves on to Thursday’s qualifying.

Celebrate, celebrate, it is time to strike up the band and have a celebration!

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Nats, and the 50th anniversary of the special interest group (SIG) Precision Aerobatic Model Pilots Association (or PAMPA for short). These are two big milestones to be achieved.

By Matt Neumann

Ladies and gentlemen, we still have not left the Twilight Zone!

By Matt Neumann

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind.