There are many kinds of model airplane flying that you may have heard about: Radio control, free-flight, even rocketry. The Flying Lines website is dedicated to the exciting, close-to-the-ground form of miniature aviation, control-line flying.
Control-line is the type of model airplane flying that directly links the pilot with the airplane via steel wires. The airplanes are fully aerobatic, and come in many sizes and types.
Most CL fliers build their own airplanes, either from scratch or from commercially available kits. There are, however, some almost-ready-to fly control-line model airplanes that will help you get started right away.
There also are fascinating competitions for the exciting, close-to-the-ground sport of control-line model aviation.
Such competitions, in the United States, are governed and sanctioned by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which publishes the fine magazine, Model Aviation. Competitive model airplane fliers -- as well as the casual "sport" fliers - are members of the AMA. AMA runs the annual National Model Airplane Championships at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Ind., which is also the location of the National Model Airplane Museum. For a look at model aviation in general, check out the AMA's web page.
Control-line model airplane pilots engage in Precision Aerobatics, Combat (dogfighting), Racing, Navy Carrier, Speed and Scale competition. There are special interest groups for each type of CL competition, which work with the AMA to organize national contests and oversee the rules.
In the Pacific Northwest, the control-line fliers and clubs are linked by Flying Lines, an independent website that covers all facets of control-line model aviation. There's a calendar of events, contest results, technical articles, Northwest standings and records, club news, and more. If you live in AMA Dist. XI (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska), or British Columbia, you're part of the Flying Lines CL family. Feel free to browse the website, and send your comments and contributions to the editor, John Thompson.
More general information about control-line flying in the Pacific Northwest is available on the control-line links page.
For a good overview of the sport of control-line model aviation, see the Wikipedia article.
This page was upated Aug. 5, 2019