FUN FLY EVENT (games) THREAD

[Nitro Blast]

Do you have ideas for fun fly events? Ideas for 'games' or 'tasks' to do with general RC airplane types?

LIST THEM HERE! THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION THREAD, Please ony post about EVENTS, and DESCRIBE THEM.

This thread is to get as many different ideas for fun fly type events and create a nice 'database' for referrence.

Mild to Wild, share your own event, your favorite event, or even the ones you hate because you never win.... Those are all good too!


I'll start with one of my fav's:



SIMPLE BOMB DROP:
The simple bomb drop requires you to build some 'holders' in advance. I have a set I built some time ago that I still use. 2" square lite plywood, with a hole in the center, supporting a glue'd on dowell about 3" tall, with a slightly sharpened top (just a taper not a point). Using rubberbands (or tape), its simple to temporarily attach it to contestants planes. Mounting points are usually just before CG, in front of a canopy etc. Can be anywhere.

Bombs are large nuts (like used on Minute-to-Win-it.... 1/2"?) with small sections of streamer attached (makes it easier to find the nuts when they miss the runway).

Simply put the bolt onto the base that is attached to the plane and allow the to take off at will. The pilot is tasked to drop the bomb over a bulls-eye type target. You can assign scoring points as you please.

You can have as many drops as you want per pilot, my usual is 3 drops then off to the next pilot in line. Makes the event have a good 'pace', with three 'holders' the next pilots in line can get ready.

Scoring ties are resolved with a single, sudden death 'drop off' where they go again.


Dropping the bomb happens when the pilot approaches the target at a speed they want, then a short, quick dive of the plane causes the nut to 'rise off' the stand. The plane flys away before the nut falls, and it is fairly easy to predict the fall trajectory if the pilot is contstant in speed when making the drop.


A fun event that requires a little prep, by making the 'kit' of holders, nuts with streamers, you can have a fun game of "nuts away" on any runway.

[Nitro Blast]

The LIMBO:

Simple enough, go UNDER a ribbon.

Using crepe paper streamers, (because you want it to be able to be cut by a prop) create a span that the pilots must go under.

Scoring by the foot, with the lowest part high enough for ALL contestants to get the top score (meaning, dont make the lowest point 1 foot off the ground if there are models that sit higher than that entered!)

Pilots get three passes to get score, and they tell the judge what height they want to go under.

Works very well with two human assistants holding the ribbon at the edges of the runway instead of poles, allows for faster height adjustment. Poles do work however!

Scoring bonus: 2x the points for inverted passes.

Scoring Twist: Ribbon cuts cause -3 point decuction, -6 if inverted.

Scoring Foul: No points awarded if the plane touches the ground.

[Nitro Blast]

Loops Aloft


Another easy event. Take off, pilot has 1 minute to do as many loops as possible. 1 Point for each completed loop.

BE AS TOUGH AS YOU WANT on what a "loop" is. Tell pilots how 'strict' you are going to be with loops. If they start to get sloppy, (sideways, wings not flat etc) simply don't score them.

Scoring: 1 Point per loop, INSIDE OR OUTSIDE.

Scoring Twist: 2 points for outside loops.

Game Twist: Do not tell the pilot the time. Loops under a minute count, loops OVER a minute subtract from total.

[Nitro Blast]

100 Yard dash


This event is usually pretty darn fun.
How fast can you go without taking off?

With two marks (start line and finish line) all you need is a stop watch and someone to be the timer.

Pilot stands at the airplane, timer stands at the finish line with stopwatch. Timer gives the 'go' signal to pilot, who races down the line. Fastest time without taking off wins.

Scoring: Finish time determines place.

Note: Pilot is allowed to take off and circle the field for landing
Event Suggestion: Combine the 100 yard dash to a spot landing contest since pilots will most likely need to take off at the end of the dash (unless you have real long runways).

[simibill]

FUN FLY EVENTS

Spot landing - Try to touch wheels on a designated spot on the runway.

X# of Loops - over a 1 minute period.

Timed flight - Take off -start clock - land in 60 seconds without the pilot looking at his watch.

Bean Carry - A cup is attached to the plane and is filled with 15 beans. Most beans remaining after landing is the winner.

Egg Drop - A cup is attached to plane and a plastic egg filled with flour is put into cup. Pilot takes off and tries to drop egg closest to marked spot on runway.

Two Minute Touch & Go - Most T&G’s in 2 minutes wins.

Trifecta - Shortest time to perform one complete roll, inside loop and outside loop wins.




Here is a shot of the egg carry cup with egg attached to my SC.

Attachment 144406

[Nitro Blast]

Mystery Spot Landing:

Can be done for prizes, or score. 3 Prizes is great fun.

Get three (or more) paper plates, write the prize or put a score on it. Put plates at random, separated places on runway.

Contestants get a chance to do a 'spot landing' as near to, or on the available plates. Once a plate is scored, pilots choose to either better the score at that plate (getting nearer) or choosing another plate.

AFTER all the landings are done, the plates are revealed.
Multiple bulls-eye hits are done in a single landing shoot off.

Strategy is paying attention to what plate has already been landed to very close or on, and choosing a different plate.

[Nitro Blast]

Heres one I did for Spring Fling in 2009: Hover Challenge

Contestants must be able to 'hover' an airplane. Two classes, foamy's and other. Its not fair to hover a foamy against a larger model, they are different beasts.

Basically you get 5 or so contestants to the flight line. Each must have a 'spotter'. It helps to re-arrange the spotters, so friends are not spotting for friends.

Everyone gets airborne and the judge gives a 30 second 'begin to hover' command. Pilots get 30 seconds to set up for hover, or begin. Judge calls 15 seconds to hover, then 10, then count down from 5. Any pilot not in hover is out.

Hover consists of not exceeding 45 degrees from off vertical in any direction, and not climbing more than a plane length before stopping.

Depending on number of Pilots, & Planes, can be done in single or multiple rounds. Hover until last man, or until the number you want to move into a 'final'.

Keep event to 5 minutes or so, makes it exciting, and allows for battery changes if need be.

[stuart]

set up helium balloons at the far end of the field at different hieghts and see who can pop them ,use fine cotton thread to hold them in place.

i like the time fly ....we did 3mins...after 4 the guy timing me said i should land,,,lol.

i also loved watching the little delta foamies go at it trying to knock each other outa the air...the last one flying wins,so the better battery helps.

[Stevephoon]

All good ideas, but my club has started talking about having a set of "Competition" FunFly events with the next closest club. The club wining gets the crashed model trophy. (Just having an excuse to fly with more people sounds good to me!)

All the events listed are good single member events, but are there any two on two type events that people know of? The only one of this type I could think of was combat. Each side gets streamers of a specific color and the team with the most streamer left wins….

You have already hit on all of the events we use at our club. Well, instead of a 100 Yard dash we use an Obstacle Course. A set of cones to race around, there and back and the fastest time wins.

Steve

[lucas2696]

What about climb and glide? You're given a set time from take off to gain as much altitude as possible, then when time is up you cut your engine. Whoever has the LONGEST time wins.

[Elfwreck]

Sometimes we do a slalom course. Rows of vertical PVC pipes to fly around and crepe limbo bars to go over or under. Once in a while we end with a hoop shoot. Loads of fun with occasional bits of carnage ( to add that certain edge of potential disaster).

We also will do a shortest take off run, but not if the rocket man is there. He has a Tiny X that takes off in an inch and a half...
RobII

[tenacious101010]

We have taken empty fuel jugs and arranged them like bowling pins or put numbers on them to indicate how many points they are worth. We then tied a long string to the plane and a ball trailing behind. Fly by making the ball strike the jugs, a lot of fun to watch and try.

[Nitro Blast]

I just had the idea of a 'club challenge'... where we get the other local clubs to come over, play a few games for score against our club. Loser buys pizza or something like that.

What would be 5 good events that can be done with different airplanes, skills, and be fun and fast?

[gramps2161]

One could be a touch and go using a a circle on the runway. You have to touch down in the circle and take off. You miss it your out this would be a quick one to do.

I believe Firemanbill posted one where they drop a nut with a streamer on it same idea needs to land in or near the circle for points streamer I imagine is for visual. This one would be tough to get other club members to setup a servo dedicated to release a nut, but not hard to do.
I like Stu's one with the balloons seen that one done and it looks like a lot fun.

[tampaflyer]

BALLS OF STEAL:

pilot is given a set given time to climb and trim his aircraft.
Pilot then sets it on a table and a timer starts.
Pilot is not allowed to touch the transmitter
time ends when pilot touches TX.
asign points

[BBCorvette18]

Originally Posted by tampaflyer

BALLS OF STEAL:

pilot is given a set given time to climb and trim his aircraft.
Pilot then sets it on a table and a timer starts.
Pilot is not allowed to touch the transmitter
time ends when pilot touches TX.
asign points

My cousin did something like this and we never found that plane.

[xmech2k]

Hey Nitro! Here's a video I came across on YouTube. It shows several contest events which look interesting. Airplane bowling, target drop from a cup on top of the plane, balloon popping, etc. Although as you can see in the video, probably better to use paper streamers to secure the balloons.

A big bunch of RC airplane crashes

Balls of steel sounds funny, but I don't think will 'fly' in the city!