Remember the old advertising slogan, “We’ve come a long way, baby?” This has never been truer than a recent photo taken at the Club Fair. Modeling has developed from using balsa wood to plastic filament to create our models. Compare Ray Ihlenburg’s balsa-framed Tri-Pacer with the 3D-printed A-10 Warthog by Don Wright. The detail Don has captured is incredible. No word about how it flies yet.
The Fall Fly-In needs further reporting because it was such a success, and there were so many volunteers and moving parts. The winds were not totally favorable, but the stalwart pilots braved the wind and made a successful event. There was always something in the air throughout the day despite the windy conditions. We entertained a huge crowd partly because On Top of the World had advertised our event on local radio stations. Cooperation between the club and On Top of the World’s new home sales department brought in several pilots and spectators who seemed to be considering moving to our wonderful community. Thirty-three pilots registered at the event.
The spectators enjoyed a competitive glider demonstration where points were added and subtracted according to motor run time, altitude below 200 feet at the end of the motor run, landing closest to the 10-minute flight limit, and finishing closest to the landing target. This type of flying relies so much on wind and thermal conditions, piloting skills, and lots of practice. Once again, several turbine-powered jets broke the silence and grace of the gliders as they demonstrated their own style of grace and speed.
The success of any event depends on the direction of the contest director (CD) and the volunteers who handle the many aspects. Twenty-six club members and some spouses stepped up to assist CD Jack Kezelian with mowing and manicuring the site, table, and tent setup and take down, continuous parking duties, pilot registration, food orders, and cooking for two and a half hours, control of the flight line, commentary over the PA, club raffle, coffee and doughnut sales, and many other tasks.
Only one crash occurred when a beautiful F4U Corsaire crashed while doing a fly-by. Later, it was determined that a faulty transmitter battery was to blame.
There are great collections of still photos by Don Fields and a drone video by Doug Nasto at otowflyers.com.
The weather is cooling, so flying is more enjoyable. In many places north, this is the start of the building season, but lucky for us, we can build and fly all winter long. There is also the chance of something wrapped under the Christmas tree. So, no matter where December takes our pilots and readers, have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Author: Ray Ihlenburg
