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……In the midst of something different, I found we really are all the same.

I am a cyclist, not an RC (Radio or Remote Control) pilot.  So I’ll admit it, when I showed up at last Friday night’s indoor flying event at the Sunnyvale Indoor Sports Center, hosted by Don Cohn of BayRC.com, I didn’t “get” it.  To think that people would come out on a Friday night at 8:30, and pay to fly their RC toys indoors was a bit of a foreign concept to me.  See…my brother invited me to write a story for his website.  And, while I went in to it with the idea that I would report out on the evening’s events, what happened while I was there left me feeling humbled and excited.  See, I learned that no matter what the hobby, sport or craze, we really are all the same.

Camaraderie
I arrived 10 minutes early to tailgaters. While it’s true you could find me in the parking lot hanging out with other riders before or after a ride, I wouldn’t have considered RC flying a tailgating sport.  There they were–a handful or so of pilots, hanging out, chatting over hot cocoa and pastries.  I was instantly struck by the camaraderie they shared for flying and I thought to myself, “These guys are serious.”  Once the doors were open, more than a dozen or so pilots were huddled about the pay table to get their “pilot’s license” (i.e., name badge) and get to flying their aircraft in this premier venue.

See…this was a premier venue.  This is what I would call their “Tour de France” of indoor flying.  If you’re not familiar with the Tour, it is undoubtedly “the” premier cycling event of the year (made famous by Lance Armstrong).  And, while these pilots had experienced indoor flying before, nothing compared to the ideal conditions they saw at the Sunnyvale Indoor Sports Center.  It was ten thousand square feet, the volume of air space to match it and hardwood floors.  (I would later learn the smooth surface of the hardwood floors was ideal, because the pilots could practice their taking off and landing skills.

More pilots arrived, as did many spectators.  It was cool to see such a great turnout on this, the first indoor flying event hosted by Don and BayRC.com.  It was still a bit puzzling to me, but I could clearly see that this was a group that shared the passion and excitement for RC flying.  I asked one of the pilots (in my somewhat surprised tone of voice), “What (in the world) brings you out here at 8:30 on a Friday night?”  I loved his response.  Because…it is something I would say if someone asked me why I rode 100 miles in the Livestrong Challenge and raised over $3,000 for the opportunity to participate.  He said, “What else is there?”  His response helped to set the direction for how I would observe the rest of the evening.

Pride & Passion

Photo courtesy of Mike Bowns

Like cyclists, RC pilots like to show off their ride.  And, like the name of the bicycle means something, the name of the RC aircraft means something too.

Imagine…the bleachers in the gym are closed and stacked up along both sides of the gym, with one row of seating available at the bottom.  Each of the pilots prominently displayed their RC aircraft boxes along the top of the bleachers—there were Blades, Mustangs, Vapors and Sukhois, just to name a few.  Proper gear is also important.  And, while I bring along an extra inner tube, patch kit and pump on a bike ride, these guys brought out all the necessary equipment to support an evening of flying–table, tool kits, battery packs, and other things I wouldn’t even begin to name.  One of the pilots brought in 7 or 8 aircraft to fly and I thought how cool it would be to have 7 or 8 bikes that I could ride in any given period.  I quickly realized that the price points of a bicycle and an RC aircraft may be different, but the pride and passion one has around the investment is not.

Photo courtesy of Mike Bowns

Community
Don held a quick pilots’ meeting to discuss flying direction and safety.

I wondered how this was going to work.  How were 17 or so pilots going to fly their aircraft without crashing into the other?  I asked my brother if there were “rules” for flying, and he said, “No, not really.”  And, like cyclists know how to navigate their way through the organized chaos of the peloton (a large body of riders in a bicycle race), these RC pilots knew the unwritten rules for how to navigate within their airspace.  And, yes, there were a few collisions and a few aircraft that were temporarily lost in the bleachers.  But, there was no shortage of camaraderie and community to help a fellow RC pilot.

Cycling is both an individual and a team sport and the strength of any given rider is considered strength for the team.  This is true in RC flying as well.  While I wouldn’t say there is an actual “team” in RC flying, there is something greater and far more valuable—a community.

In talking with the spouse of one of the pilots, I learned that each of these pilots has his/her own unique skills they bring to the field.  What is more, is that each of these individuals is willing and ready to share what they know with their fellow pilots and spectators.  Most of these folks know each other through their flying time at Baylands Park.  I was told that everyone that flies at the field is really helpful–willing to help repair aircraft, teach newcomers to fly, or just talk tools and tricks of the trade.  I felt as though any one of them would have been willing to take me under their wing (ha, ha, no pun intended) and teach me a thing or two about their aircraft and how to fly it.

Common Welfare/Unity
However, unlike cycling and the Tour de France, there is no single winner in the world of RC flying. Everyone is a winner and everyone is welcome to fly.  I saw fathers and sons, a husband and wife, teenaged boys and friends.  They came not only to fly, but to be a part of something bigger—the RC community.  See, even though each of these pilots is independent–their common welfare and unity come first.

Photo courtesy of Mike Bowns

I was pleasantly surprised that I had such a good time at the Friday Night Indoor flying event and I stayed much longer than I had originally planned.  I enjoyed being a part of their community and learned that it is really no different than the community of cyclists of which I am a part.  RC pilots—you’ve got a good thing going here!  Keep it up and maybe I’ll see you out at Baylands.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 9:59 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.