KRCA POKER FUNFLY

A week ago, I volunteered to our club president (Keizer Radio Control Association) to run the Fall funfly event if nobody else stepped forward. Of course nobody did, so I got the task a couple days later. I had some ideas, so I ran with them over the next several days, and it all turned out well yesterday, Sat, Sept 24, 2011. The following is a flyer of task descriptions which I handed out as each competitor paid his entry fee of $5.


KRCA POKER FUNFLY

Scoring: A playing card is awarded for each completed task. There are 5 tasks. The best draw poker hand wins 1st place. 2nd place goes to the next highest hand, and 3rd to the 3rd highest hand. Someone with only 3 or 4 cards could beat someone with 5 cards. Anybody can win!

Flight 1: Take off and land . Wheels up to wheels down must be between 70 and 90 seconds. You will be asked 3 simple questions sometime during the flight. You MUST answer.

Flight 2: Take off and get to your own comfortable altitude. Fly inverted for 8 seconds. You tell timer when to start, and he will tell you when 8 seconds are done. Land at anytime after that task, but kill your engine completely before flying over any part of the runway. Prop must NOT be turning when you enter the runway threshhold. Only landings completed on the runway will count.

Flight 3: Take off and clear the runway. Do a touch and go on ANY part of the runway. To count, the plane must then fly clear of the runway after the touch and go. Land at any time after that task, but touch down between the designated lines (spray painted yellow about 30 feet apart). Full width of the runway will be used. Plane may roll to stop outside of the touch down area. Only landings completed on the runway will count. If you kill your engine on the touch and go, it counts, but then the landing task is not successfully completed.

Only one attempt per task. Make sure your engine runs well. Flameout or crash ends the flight with remaining tasks on that flight counting as unsuccessful.


The funfly is all over, and I had FUN running it. I kinda liked being the dictator, haha. I think I was blessed with very perfect weather, lots of amiable competitors (12), and very little interruption by workers who were on the sod field at times.

Everyone seemed to like the poker card format. Our winner had 2 Aces in his 5 cards (one card for each successfully completed task). Next best was a pair of kings in 5 cards. Then a fellow took third with a pair of queens in just 3 cards. There were five other pilots with more cards them him, but he got lucky and they did not.

I must be efficient because we were done in two hours flat! I did not hear any flak, so I think it was fun, fair, and not stressful at all. There were hints that I should do this again, and I said nope! Actually I would but I did not admit that to anyone, and it would have to be after a rest of a year or two...we have two funfly events each year.