For a quick introduction about racing, please visit this link: http://www.justflyit.org/team_racing.html
A snippet of the World Championship 2010 finals:
Its name suggests the importance of teamwork in this sport. Perfect coordination between the mechanic and the pilot is needed to have the shortest pit stop (refueling and restarting of the engine) and a perfect catch. It involves practice, practice and more practice. Fuel mixtures, engine tuning, propeller selection play important roles in achieving greater speed too. Each will be elaborated in detail soon.
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In team racing, there has always been two school of thoughts - (1) Speed being the most important factor, (2) Composure, though losing a little in speed, can still win the race. (as illustrated in the video below)
GoAnimate.com: Team racing by wormygal
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!
Well, both may be right, when applied to different situations and different people. Equipment is very critical in team racing, involving engines, filler valves, tanks, planes, fuel and propellers. All these complexities add to the challenge and the excitement of team racing because it leaves much room for research and development in the different aspects. In the local context, Mr Chris Wee is one of the veterans in this category who has spent a lot of time and effort in R&D.
As for composure with some speed loss, for people like me who are not of comparable height, perhaps there would be less stress allowing the other pilots to overtake, instead of attempting to "climb the mountains". The only chance to bet on is to train for minimal pit-stop timings and consistency in the equipment used. These require a lot of practice and team coordination to perfect the flight and compensate for the speed loss.
So, which view do you prefer sticking to? Which do you subscribe? Regardless the thoughts, this is a team sport that requires strong understanding between the pilot and the mechanic. Choose your team wisely! And have fun!
