NEAT Fair 2005 anyone?

[Tom Hastie]

Has anyone on here been, or is planning to go to NEAT Fair?
www.neatfair.org
It’s a 3-day electric fun-fly event that’s held in southern NY state (looks to be roughly a ~6 hour drive from Ottawa). Sounds similar to SEFF, but doesn’t require 26 hours of driving. :D My one tip from Ron Daniels at the small event was to get used to crowded airspace: 9 models in the air at once.

Anyways, I’m toying with the idea of going this year and am wondering if there’s anyone else who’s been who can give tips on making the trip as enjoyable as possible. Camping vs. Cabin vs. Motel? Food preparation? etc.

Cheers,

Tom

[Dave Rees]

AWESOME!!!!:p

Had too much fun for words even though I didn't (officially) bring an airplane to fly.

Night flying OPP (other peoples planes) until the wee hours.:D :D

Much more to come, I think I need a nap.

Dave

ps: Tom fell down first :eek:

(sorry Tom)

[Dave Rees]

Oops, forgot this..............

Tom having some fun!

[Tom Hastie]

Heh heh... Thanks Dave ;) ;)

BTW. We *NEED* a larger contingent of ORCC guys next year.

You'll hear the stories from me and Dave in the coming days (maybe a slideshow the next ORCC meeting???), but suffice it to say, anyone that wasn't their missed a HUGE party. Apparently there were over 300 registered pilots. Everything from indoor micro flyers to giant scale warbirds. If it flies, it was there.

So... beg borrow and steal an electric plane for this time next year. Scratch that... even if you don't fly electric, you'll enjoy yourself. (You'll come home with an electric plane though...it's a slippery slope... be warned).

Tom

[Tom Hastie]

ps: Tom fell down first :eek:
Let it be known that a GWS tiger moth can be flown at any state of inebriation... provided, of course, that said pilot is not challenged to fly said tiger moth upside down.

Tom

[John Weekes]

Tom and Dave:

What toys did you guys bring home with you?

John

[Dave Rees]

For fear of Canada Customs monitoring this thread............ or Gayle ..............

umm............nothing!!:D

Dave

[Tom Hastie]

Lots of odds and ends... (note, these are US prices)... but still some good deals.
Servo extensions, any length, $1 each.
HS-55 Servos, $15 each (Between the two of us, Dave and I bought 10 servos)
Solite covering $10/roll
Got lots of AXI/Hacker/Castle Creations Stickers to go on our gear.
I got a himaxx motor/gearbox for my Extra foamy.
Dave and I each got the Hacker A30-16M - 350W outrunner along with Pheonix 35s... hmmm... I wonder what we'll put this motor in :rolleyes:

I picked up one of the new Pro-Lite Thunderpower 3S1P batteries. The new higher capacity batteries added roughly 50Watts to my Groove over the Apogee/Kokams I have been flying. It's actually amazing the difference a new set of higher discharge batteries can make... like going from 10% to 20% nitro fuel.

Dave bought one plane that he was able to actually maiden at the fair... I think he'll be flying it wednesday night at ORCC. I won't give it away though.

I also doubled the size of my Stevens Aero fleet. That model will be debuted (sans covering) at the next club meeting...

Probably some other stuff... (it's a dangerous place for a credit card)... but I can't think of it at the moment.

Tom

[VanSheppard]

Obviously you two didn't get your story straight on the drive back. Dave has now been fully comprimised! :D

[Tom Hastie]

Doh! He and I posted at the same time…

We spent the drive back discussing covering schemes… not our stories… whoopsie.

Tom

[Dave Rees]

I have no recollection of said purchases.:cool:

Dave

[John Weekes]

Sounds great...I thought you'd come back with more models though...

Did you bring me a present???

BTW, I usually daydream about colour schemes during boring business meetings. ...That, and practice imaginary 3-point landings on the conference table...:)

John

[Tom Hastie]

Speaking of returning with models….

I regret to say that my Jitterbug met its untimely end at NEAT. Actually it didn’t even make it to the opening day of the fair. On Thursday night during the “casual” flying (i.e. before the radio impound had been set up) I was tooling around with it when I had a mid-air with a NES Samba (patternish sport airplane)… He lost the balance tab on his rudder, but his propeller did a number on the 1/32nd balsa in the Jitterbug.

Dave has a good picture of the carnage, that I’m sure he’ll post.

Now I need to build something to put my AXI 2808/24 into. I’m thinking I’ll build a mini-typhoon 2+2… all I need is someone to take the 3-view pictures for me.

Tom

[Dave Rees]

Wasn't sure if you'd want me to do this or not but seeing as you brought it up........here you go.

:eek: :eek: :mad:

It was tough at times to spot because there was such a variety of planes in the air and unlike the local field I had no idea what the other folks were about to do. At the local field you sort of get an idea of how others fly and get into a routine but, at NEAT with 6 other aircraft in the air it gets a little nerve-wracking. Regardless in this instance Tom was heading up-wind at 100' + and the Samba was heading down-wind at about 50', didn't think there was a problem until the Samba pulled up right into the Jitterbug. The Samba landed safely before all the bits of the Jitterbug hit the ground. That's MY story and yes I am sticking to it:cool:

Cheers,
Dave

[John Weekes]

Bummer, I liked that airplane. :( Maybe the other pilot (American) noticed your maple leaf emblem and decided to fly through it...

John