What are ceilings like at the different state competitions?

[alakaboem]

I'm in NJ, and I want to know if anyone remembers what the ceilings are like. Thanks! (eg: I-beams, cracks, lights, basketball nets, the like)

[sj]

28 ft ceiling, bball nets and many girders and i beams

Im in NJ too what kind of times have you been getting?

GL see you on tuesday!

[alakaboem]

THANKS! Still testing, and I'm not gonna say specifically, but I'm well over 1:30. Have fun over the next couple days!

[alakaboem]

Also, nearly 6 minutes on AA batteries, but thinking of going to C-cells.

[sj]

LOL niceeeeee

[kjhsscioly]

something from a while ago:

" When completed the Armory was the largest free-span, no center support system, structure in the world. The “drill hall” now referred to as the main floor, measures 200 feet by 400 feet with a ceiling height of 98 feet."

[aubrey048]

Wow. You guys were lucky. My competition (though not state; regionals) was held in an exhibit hall that only had about a 28 foot ceiling. Everyone's helicopters reached the ceiling really fast. The downside to this location was that there was a lot of irregularity to the ceiling surface. If you hit the projector, you were dead. And there were these indentations on the ceiling for lights. The winning guy got stuck in one of those, which actually seemed to help his flight time. Other than that, it was nice because there were no ceiling beams to run into.

This is where ours were held. I couldn't find any inside pictures. The ceiling is a lot lower than it looks.

http://testing.uah.edu/

[kjhsscioly]

Hmm, that is low. Even our regionals testing site has a 40 or 50 ft ceiling, with a more or less even ceiling. With helicopter, the situation isn't too bead if it goes straight up and back down, as is would be less likely to get stuck, but the srmory had big issues with planes because people trimmed to go really high. It is easy to overestimate a ceiling, especially one with that king of rafters.

[Lily Essence]

Our regional site was a normal gym but it's ceilings slanted up toward the middle. There were a gazillion girders and obstacles. I planned out my heli's course and it flew straight and stayed in a relatively flat area of the ceiling and did well. Another team was unfortunate and theirs got stuck in a girder and when they got it out, it snapped and broke. I estimate the ceiling to be 25-30 feet (kinda forgot but around there).

It's mostly just luck what kind of ceiling you get, but it's definitely up to you to make the most of it. If your heli can do it, fly it in teh highest part of the room that you feel safe to. If there are many obstacles, and the heli likes to move a lot, try a safer, lower place first flight, and then go all out on the second flight...

[illusionist]

The ceiling at Michigan states (MSU) is 21 feet tall, and exceptionally flat. It has the tiled ceiling. Looks pretty promising.