112 MODEL AVIATION
WHEN YOU’RE OUT at the field flying, sometimes it’s nice to
know that you can find a fellow modeler who is knowledgeable and
willing to give you reliable advice. That’s why the people in the team
shirts are there. When you see other modelers wear team shirts, that’s
your invitation to ask them questions and discuss the products they
support. They are sponsored because of their ability and willingness to
help, along with a desire to promote the products they believe in.
There is big news in the Team Futaba camp. Mike Stokes has
stepped aside as the team manager and Frank Noll Jr. has been named
the new Futaba team leader. Since the team members, and especially
the team managers, are there to be the eyes and ears on the ground
level and to help all of us, I thought it would be a good idea to hear
from Frank about his background, his new position, and how it will
affect Scale Aerobatics.
Frank Noll Jr. grew up in a family that was very much aviation-
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Frank Noll Jr.—Futaba’s new proprietary lines field communication
manager (aka team manager)—in his Hobbico office.
Frank is a longtime SA enthusiast and advocate. The SA
community looks forward to having representation at Futaba.
Frank originated and CDs the invitation-only Extreme Flight
Championships (XFC) contest which highlights Freestyle and 3-D
Aerobatics.
oriented. His father was a model-aircraft builder for the Air Force
wind-tunnel operations. Frank’s brother was not a modeler, but he was
extremely interested in aviation and now works in a significant branch
of the Federal Aviation Administration. Frank started building models
and flying at the age of 7. His first airplane was a Woody pusher. The
Woody was controlled with a single-channel transmitter operated by a
single button.
Frank was one of the earliest modelers to begin to increase the size
of our models, and he got into Giant Scale in 1979. He loved Giant
Scale, but at that time he wasn’t flying in competitions. He grew up
idolizing Leo Loudenschlager, so it was just a matter of time before he
caught the aerobatic bug. Frank started competing in Pattern in the late
1980s. His last Pattern contest was in 1993.
“It was my first year in flying FAI, and you get to a point when you
achieve your goal and for some reason I never had any desire to go any
further in Pattern,” Frank told me.
He started competing in Scale Aerobatics (SA) in 1992. At that
time there wasn’t much International Miniature Aerobatic Club
(IMAC) presence on the East Coast. It was primarily a West Coastdominated
sport.
“Tom Kroger got the first IMAC chapter started in the Midwest,”
said Frank. “There were just about a half dozen guys at the first
contests.”
For a brief period, Frank also got into the kit-manufacturing
business. Between 1990 and 1994, he produced three kits: a One
Design, a Christen Eagle, and a Pitts biplane. These were designed to
be reliable and fly well, but not to be competitive.
Frank first became widely known for his demonstration flights.
Because of the novelty of the large airplanes and his unique ability to
mesmerize an audience with his flying, he was asked to put on shows
nationally and even internationally. Frank has flown demos and shows
in 48 states, Canada, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Japan.
His competition credits include four years at the Tournament of
Champions (TOC) and six times flying in the Don Lowe Masters,
finishing in the top four every year until 1999, when he won it.
Following are some of his reflections on flying and plans for his new
role at Futaba.
MH: You’ve done so many demo flights all over the world. Is there
any particular flight that sticks out in your mind?
FN: I had been asked to do an air-show demonstration in Puerto Rico.
We got there, and there was grandstand seating for 5,000 people at this
model field. They were doing a one-day show and the stadium was
filled. After the show they would move the crowd out and fill the
stadium again. They filled the stands 21⁄2 times—and they were
charging $5 per person! So we did three shows.
They had traffic backed up for three or four miles down the
freeway. The guy who did all the promotion had a really good system
for moving the crowd. He was a banker, and to get everybody out so
they could bring in the next crowd he told them, “On your way out,
stop by the gate here and pick up some gifts from our bank.” So he was
giving away stuff to promote the bank and lure the crowds out of the
gate and out of the stands so he could get the next crowd in the seats.
The announcer arranged this “event” called an egg drop. They
offered $100 to anybody who could catch an egg dropped from the
airplane in their hand without breaking it. Imagine 5,000 people and this
announcer running around with the mike in his hand like he’s Monty
Hall, speaking in Spanish as fast as he can, and
he would point at somebody, and they’d jump
up and come running down the stands.
So they’d get someone out there and we
did this launch with the egg. We’d pull the
airplane straight up, and the egg would come
away from the airplane and drop straight down
on top of him. Whenever the egg would
appear, it was like somebody just scored a
soccer goal. As the egg would appear out of
the airplane, there was an instant roar from the
crowd. As it dropped closer to the ground, the
roar got louder, and when it would splatter on
top of the guy, the crowd would yell “Olé!” It
was fun. It was one of the best moments I’ve
ever had flying in front of a crowd.
MH: Wow, Frank! That sounds like a pretty
exciting show! Let’s switch gears and talk a
little about your new job with Futaba. What is
your official title and duties?
FN: My official title with Futaba is proprietary
lines field communication manager. Basically,
I give them feedback from the field as to what
people are saying about the products.
Proprietary lines are those lines that Hobbico
is the sole distributor of. In addition to that,
I’m also the manager of Team Futaba and
November 2004 113
Frank Noll Jr. and Matt Steklachick perform a demo together at the XFC.
manager of Kyosho and O.S. engine lines.
MH: How many different disciplines does Futaba support as far as
team members?
FN: Well, we have Pattern, Pylon, helicopters, IMAC, and sailplanes.
So there are five, but there are offshoots of those that we have interest
in also.
MH: How many members does Futaba have on the IMAC team?
FN: It varies from month to month, depending on who we bring on
and whether people are kind of dormant. Obviously, as a business we
want to always be looking out for people who are going to get out there
and promote the product and talk about it, be personable, easy to talk
to, and most importantly, informative.
MH: Who are the IMAC Team Futaba members?
FN: About half of the IMAC Team Futaba
members are also Pattern fliers. There’s a
pretty good crossover in the two disciplines.
Chip Hyde, Jason Shulman, Sean
McMurtry—all the guys that have been at the
TOC usually are pretty well involved in
IMAC also because they have the airplanes.
We also have some guys on the team who
may never even have won a contest or won
their class, but if they’re knowledgeable and
easy to talk to and want to promote the
product in a positive way, they’re just as
valuable as the guy that’s out there winning
contests.
Just recently we’ve been adding more
Scale Aerobatics guys to the roster. Some of
them have deservedly needed to be sponsored
for sometime, and now that I’m able to do it,
I’m going to take advantage of it.
MH: What changes do you see happening at
Futaba that may relate to SA?
FN: As far as Futaba systems themselves,
there are always new products in the works.
There are some new products on the horizon
that will ultimately make some noise in the
modeling community, not only in SA, but in
the other disciplines also. But a lot of the
stuff that is coming in the way of radios and
servos is going to better the ability for the
pilots out there to better themselves.
Obviously I can’t go into detail, but there
are some items coming that will
revolutionize Aerobatics as we know it.
MH: It doesn’t seem that Futaba has been as
visible in SA as they could be. Are you
working on any ways to change that?
FN: I think the Futaba line, not necessarily
in SA, but overall, has been kind of asleep
for the last few years, and there’s been
some changes within Hobbico that will
allow me to help bolster the Futaba image.
Part of that was me coming onboard.
One of the things foremost on my
agenda is to turn around our image in the
field. That’s part of the program I’m
working on now, and it should be very
evident within the next six months or so.
Futaba, from day one, has always been
very professional. Everything they’ve done
from the very first radio they ever made has
always been the best that they could do,
and now that I’m working closer with
Futaba the company—not so much
Hobbico as a distributor, but working with
the company themselves—it’s very
apparent that they take this pretty seriously.
Contrary to what people may think,
they actually do listen to what everybody
has to say. Product development takes a
substantial amount of time to get in place,
and by the time the general public sees it,
it may not seem like the comments that
people are making are taking effect, but
they do eventually.
To that end, if anybody has any input or
changes they would like to see with Futaba
equipment or built into Futaba radios, check
with some of our reps or sponsored pilots and
give them some input, because that’s what
they’re there for: to listen to the public. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 112,113,114
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 112,113,114
112 MODEL AVIATION
WHEN YOU’RE OUT at the field flying, sometimes it’s nice to
know that you can find a fellow modeler who is knowledgeable and
willing to give you reliable advice. That’s why the people in the team
shirts are there. When you see other modelers wear team shirts, that’s
your invitation to ask them questions and discuss the products they
support. They are sponsored because of their ability and willingness to
help, along with a desire to promote the products they believe in.
There is big news in the Team Futaba camp. Mike Stokes has
stepped aside as the team manager and Frank Noll Jr. has been named
the new Futaba team leader. Since the team members, and especially
the team managers, are there to be the eyes and ears on the ground
level and to help all of us, I thought it would be a good idea to hear
from Frank about his background, his new position, and how it will
affect Scale Aerobatics.
Frank Noll Jr. grew up in a family that was very much aviation-
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Frank Noll Jr.—Futaba’s new proprietary lines field communication
manager (aka team manager)—in his Hobbico office.
Frank is a longtime SA enthusiast and advocate. The SA
community looks forward to having representation at Futaba.
Frank originated and CDs the invitation-only Extreme Flight
Championships (XFC) contest which highlights Freestyle and 3-D
Aerobatics.
oriented. His father was a model-aircraft builder for the Air Force
wind-tunnel operations. Frank’s brother was not a modeler, but he was
extremely interested in aviation and now works in a significant branch
of the Federal Aviation Administration. Frank started building models
and flying at the age of 7. His first airplane was a Woody pusher. The
Woody was controlled with a single-channel transmitter operated by a
single button.
Frank was one of the earliest modelers to begin to increase the size
of our models, and he got into Giant Scale in 1979. He loved Giant
Scale, but at that time he wasn’t flying in competitions. He grew up
idolizing Leo Loudenschlager, so it was just a matter of time before he
caught the aerobatic bug. Frank started competing in Pattern in the late
1980s. His last Pattern contest was in 1993.
“It was my first year in flying FAI, and you get to a point when you
achieve your goal and for some reason I never had any desire to go any
further in Pattern,” Frank told me.
He started competing in Scale Aerobatics (SA) in 1992. At that
time there wasn’t much International Miniature Aerobatic Club
(IMAC) presence on the East Coast. It was primarily a West Coastdominated
sport.
“Tom Kroger got the first IMAC chapter started in the Midwest,”
said Frank. “There were just about a half dozen guys at the first
contests.”
For a brief period, Frank also got into the kit-manufacturing
business. Between 1990 and 1994, he produced three kits: a One
Design, a Christen Eagle, and a Pitts biplane. These were designed to
be reliable and fly well, but not to be competitive.
Frank first became widely known for his demonstration flights.
Because of the novelty of the large airplanes and his unique ability to
mesmerize an audience with his flying, he was asked to put on shows
nationally and even internationally. Frank has flown demos and shows
in 48 states, Canada, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Japan.
His competition credits include four years at the Tournament of
Champions (TOC) and six times flying in the Don Lowe Masters,
finishing in the top four every year until 1999, when he won it.
Following are some of his reflections on flying and plans for his new
role at Futaba.
MH: You’ve done so many demo flights all over the world. Is there
any particular flight that sticks out in your mind?
FN: I had been asked to do an air-show demonstration in Puerto Rico.
We got there, and there was grandstand seating for 5,000 people at this
model field. They were doing a one-day show and the stadium was
filled. After the show they would move the crowd out and fill the
stadium again. They filled the stands 21⁄2 times—and they were
charging $5 per person! So we did three shows.
They had traffic backed up for three or four miles down the
freeway. The guy who did all the promotion had a really good system
for moving the crowd. He was a banker, and to get everybody out so
they could bring in the next crowd he told them, “On your way out,
stop by the gate here and pick up some gifts from our bank.” So he was
giving away stuff to promote the bank and lure the crowds out of the
gate and out of the stands so he could get the next crowd in the seats.
The announcer arranged this “event” called an egg drop. They
offered $100 to anybody who could catch an egg dropped from the
airplane in their hand without breaking it. Imagine 5,000 people and this
announcer running around with the mike in his hand like he’s Monty
Hall, speaking in Spanish as fast as he can, and
he would point at somebody, and they’d jump
up and come running down the stands.
So they’d get someone out there and we
did this launch with the egg. We’d pull the
airplane straight up, and the egg would come
away from the airplane and drop straight down
on top of him. Whenever the egg would
appear, it was like somebody just scored a
soccer goal. As the egg would appear out of
the airplane, there was an instant roar from the
crowd. As it dropped closer to the ground, the
roar got louder, and when it would splatter on
top of the guy, the crowd would yell “Olé!” It
was fun. It was one of the best moments I’ve
ever had flying in front of a crowd.
MH: Wow, Frank! That sounds like a pretty
exciting show! Let’s switch gears and talk a
little about your new job with Futaba. What is
your official title and duties?
FN: My official title with Futaba is proprietary
lines field communication manager. Basically,
I give them feedback from the field as to what
people are saying about the products.
Proprietary lines are those lines that Hobbico
is the sole distributor of. In addition to that,
I’m also the manager of Team Futaba and
November 2004 113
Frank Noll Jr. and Matt Steklachick perform a demo together at the XFC.
manager of Kyosho and O.S. engine lines.
MH: How many different disciplines does Futaba support as far as
team members?
FN: Well, we have Pattern, Pylon, helicopters, IMAC, and sailplanes.
So there are five, but there are offshoots of those that we have interest
in also.
MH: How many members does Futaba have on the IMAC team?
FN: It varies from month to month, depending on who we bring on
and whether people are kind of dormant. Obviously, as a business we
want to always be looking out for people who are going to get out there
and promote the product and talk about it, be personable, easy to talk
to, and most importantly, informative.
MH: Who are the IMAC Team Futaba members?
FN: About half of the IMAC Team Futaba
members are also Pattern fliers. There’s a
pretty good crossover in the two disciplines.
Chip Hyde, Jason Shulman, Sean
McMurtry—all the guys that have been at the
TOC usually are pretty well involved in
IMAC also because they have the airplanes.
We also have some guys on the team who
may never even have won a contest or won
their class, but if they’re knowledgeable and
easy to talk to and want to promote the
product in a positive way, they’re just as
valuable as the guy that’s out there winning
contests.
Just recently we’ve been adding more
Scale Aerobatics guys to the roster. Some of
them have deservedly needed to be sponsored
for sometime, and now that I’m able to do it,
I’m going to take advantage of it.
MH: What changes do you see happening at
Futaba that may relate to SA?
FN: As far as Futaba systems themselves,
there are always new products in the works.
There are some new products on the horizon
that will ultimately make some noise in the
modeling community, not only in SA, but in
the other disciplines also. But a lot of the
stuff that is coming in the way of radios and
servos is going to better the ability for the
pilots out there to better themselves.
Obviously I can’t go into detail, but there
are some items coming that will
revolutionize Aerobatics as we know it.
MH: It doesn’t seem that Futaba has been as
visible in SA as they could be. Are you
working on any ways to change that?
FN: I think the Futaba line, not necessarily
in SA, but overall, has been kind of asleep
for the last few years, and there’s been
some changes within Hobbico that will
allow me to help bolster the Futaba image.
Part of that was me coming onboard.
One of the things foremost on my
agenda is to turn around our image in the
field. That’s part of the program I’m
working on now, and it should be very
evident within the next six months or so.
Futaba, from day one, has always been
very professional. Everything they’ve done
from the very first radio they ever made has
always been the best that they could do,
and now that I’m working closer with
Futaba the company—not so much
Hobbico as a distributor, but working with
the company themselves—it’s very
apparent that they take this pretty seriously.
Contrary to what people may think,
they actually do listen to what everybody
has to say. Product development takes a
substantial amount of time to get in place,
and by the time the general public sees it,
it may not seem like the comments that
people are making are taking effect, but
they do eventually.
To that end, if anybody has any input or
changes they would like to see with Futaba
equipment or built into Futaba radios, check
with some of our reps or sponsored pilots and
give them some input, because that’s what
they’re there for: to listen to the public. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2004/11
Page Numbers: 112,113,114
112 MODEL AVIATION
WHEN YOU’RE OUT at the field flying, sometimes it’s nice to
know that you can find a fellow modeler who is knowledgeable and
willing to give you reliable advice. That’s why the people in the team
shirts are there. When you see other modelers wear team shirts, that’s
your invitation to ask them questions and discuss the products they
support. They are sponsored because of their ability and willingness to
help, along with a desire to promote the products they believe in.
There is big news in the Team Futaba camp. Mike Stokes has
stepped aside as the team manager and Frank Noll Jr. has been named
the new Futaba team leader. Since the team members, and especially
the team managers, are there to be the eyes and ears on the ground
level and to help all of us, I thought it would be a good idea to hear
from Frank about his background, his new position, and how it will
affect Scale Aerobatics.
Frank Noll Jr. grew up in a family that was very much aviation-
Mike Hurley, 11542 Decatur Ct., Westminster CO 80234; E-mail: [email protected]
RADIO CONTROL SCALE AEROBATICS
Frank Noll Jr.—Futaba’s new proprietary lines field communication
manager (aka team manager)—in his Hobbico office.
Frank is a longtime SA enthusiast and advocate. The SA
community looks forward to having representation at Futaba.
Frank originated and CDs the invitation-only Extreme Flight
Championships (XFC) contest which highlights Freestyle and 3-D
Aerobatics.
oriented. His father was a model-aircraft builder for the Air Force
wind-tunnel operations. Frank’s brother was not a modeler, but he was
extremely interested in aviation and now works in a significant branch
of the Federal Aviation Administration. Frank started building models
and flying at the age of 7. His first airplane was a Woody pusher. The
Woody was controlled with a single-channel transmitter operated by a
single button.
Frank was one of the earliest modelers to begin to increase the size
of our models, and he got into Giant Scale in 1979. He loved Giant
Scale, but at that time he wasn’t flying in competitions. He grew up
idolizing Leo Loudenschlager, so it was just a matter of time before he
caught the aerobatic bug. Frank started competing in Pattern in the late
1980s. His last Pattern contest was in 1993.
“It was my first year in flying FAI, and you get to a point when you
achieve your goal and for some reason I never had any desire to go any
further in Pattern,” Frank told me.
He started competing in Scale Aerobatics (SA) in 1992. At that
time there wasn’t much International Miniature Aerobatic Club
(IMAC) presence on the East Coast. It was primarily a West Coastdominated
sport.
“Tom Kroger got the first IMAC chapter started in the Midwest,”
said Frank. “There were just about a half dozen guys at the first
contests.”
For a brief period, Frank also got into the kit-manufacturing
business. Between 1990 and 1994, he produced three kits: a One
Design, a Christen Eagle, and a Pitts biplane. These were designed to
be reliable and fly well, but not to be competitive.
Frank first became widely known for his demonstration flights.
Because of the novelty of the large airplanes and his unique ability to
mesmerize an audience with his flying, he was asked to put on shows
nationally and even internationally. Frank has flown demos and shows
in 48 states, Canada, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Japan.
His competition credits include four years at the Tournament of
Champions (TOC) and six times flying in the Don Lowe Masters,
finishing in the top four every year until 1999, when he won it.
Following are some of his reflections on flying and plans for his new
role at Futaba.
MH: You’ve done so many demo flights all over the world. Is there
any particular flight that sticks out in your mind?
FN: I had been asked to do an air-show demonstration in Puerto Rico.
We got there, and there was grandstand seating for 5,000 people at this
model field. They were doing a one-day show and the stadium was
filled. After the show they would move the crowd out and fill the
stadium again. They filled the stands 21⁄2 times—and they were
charging $5 per person! So we did three shows.
They had traffic backed up for three or four miles down the
freeway. The guy who did all the promotion had a really good system
for moving the crowd. He was a banker, and to get everybody out so
they could bring in the next crowd he told them, “On your way out,
stop by the gate here and pick up some gifts from our bank.” So he was
giving away stuff to promote the bank and lure the crowds out of the
gate and out of the stands so he could get the next crowd in the seats.
The announcer arranged this “event” called an egg drop. They
offered $100 to anybody who could catch an egg dropped from the
airplane in their hand without breaking it. Imagine 5,000 people and this
announcer running around with the mike in his hand like he’s Monty
Hall, speaking in Spanish as fast as he can, and
he would point at somebody, and they’d jump
up and come running down the stands.
So they’d get someone out there and we
did this launch with the egg. We’d pull the
airplane straight up, and the egg would come
away from the airplane and drop straight down
on top of him. Whenever the egg would
appear, it was like somebody just scored a
soccer goal. As the egg would appear out of
the airplane, there was an instant roar from the
crowd. As it dropped closer to the ground, the
roar got louder, and when it would splatter on
top of the guy, the crowd would yell “Olé!” It
was fun. It was one of the best moments I’ve
ever had flying in front of a crowd.
MH: Wow, Frank! That sounds like a pretty
exciting show! Let’s switch gears and talk a
little about your new job with Futaba. What is
your official title and duties?
FN: My official title with Futaba is proprietary
lines field communication manager. Basically,
I give them feedback from the field as to what
people are saying about the products.
Proprietary lines are those lines that Hobbico
is the sole distributor of. In addition to that,
I’m also the manager of Team Futaba and
November 2004 113
Frank Noll Jr. and Matt Steklachick perform a demo together at the XFC.
manager of Kyosho and O.S. engine lines.
MH: How many different disciplines does Futaba support as far as
team members?
FN: Well, we have Pattern, Pylon, helicopters, IMAC, and sailplanes.
So there are five, but there are offshoots of those that we have interest
in also.
MH: How many members does Futaba have on the IMAC team?
FN: It varies from month to month, depending on who we bring on
and whether people are kind of dormant. Obviously, as a business we
want to always be looking out for people who are going to get out there
and promote the product and talk about it, be personable, easy to talk
to, and most importantly, informative.
MH: Who are the IMAC Team Futaba members?
FN: About half of the IMAC Team Futaba
members are also Pattern fliers. There’s a
pretty good crossover in the two disciplines.
Chip Hyde, Jason Shulman, Sean
McMurtry—all the guys that have been at the
TOC usually are pretty well involved in
IMAC also because they have the airplanes.
We also have some guys on the team who
may never even have won a contest or won
their class, but if they’re knowledgeable and
easy to talk to and want to promote the
product in a positive way, they’re just as
valuable as the guy that’s out there winning
contests.
Just recently we’ve been adding more
Scale Aerobatics guys to the roster. Some of
them have deservedly needed to be sponsored
for sometime, and now that I’m able to do it,
I’m going to take advantage of it.
MH: What changes do you see happening at
Futaba that may relate to SA?
FN: As far as Futaba systems themselves,
there are always new products in the works.
There are some new products on the horizon
that will ultimately make some noise in the
modeling community, not only in SA, but in
the other disciplines also. But a lot of the
stuff that is coming in the way of radios and
servos is going to better the ability for the
pilots out there to better themselves.
Obviously I can’t go into detail, but there
are some items coming that will
revolutionize Aerobatics as we know it.
MH: It doesn’t seem that Futaba has been as
visible in SA as they could be. Are you
working on any ways to change that?
FN: I think the Futaba line, not necessarily
in SA, but overall, has been kind of asleep
for the last few years, and there’s been
some changes within Hobbico that will
allow me to help bolster the Futaba image.
Part of that was me coming onboard.
One of the things foremost on my
agenda is to turn around our image in the
field. That’s part of the program I’m
working on now, and it should be very
evident within the next six months or so.
Futaba, from day one, has always been
very professional. Everything they’ve done
from the very first radio they ever made has
always been the best that they could do,
and now that I’m working closer with
Futaba the company—not so much
Hobbico as a distributor, but working with
the company themselves—it’s very
apparent that they take this pretty seriously.
Contrary to what people may think,
they actually do listen to what everybody
has to say. Product development takes a
substantial amount of time to get in place,
and by the time the general public sees it,
it may not seem like the comments that
people are making are taking effect, but
they do eventually.
To that end, if anybody has any input or
changes they would like to see with Futaba
equipment or built into Futaba radios, check
with some of our reps or sponsored pilots and
give them some input, because that’s what
they’re there for: to listen to the public. MA