Ray Labonte approached me in late 2011 and shared his vision to have an event that would showcase RC aircraft, CL flying, helicopters, and RC cars. The event would be held in Maine at the Sanford Regional Airport and the community would be invited to attend. The gathering would be as much for the spectators as it would be for the pilots. Ray understood that spectators are a key component in the future of our hobby. Although not all of the audience would become involved, having the community understand and appreciate what we do could go a long way toward ensuring that flying sites will continue to remain ours to enjoy. There was much work to be done, and the event was still in the planning stages, but I committed to attend. The Sanford Regional Airport had already supported a jet rally and was onboard with a bigger, bolder event in 2012. Knowing he needed the assistance of a major player in the industry, Ray approached Horizon Hobby with his idea of an all-encompassing event, while still keeping a jet focus. Horizon Hobby saw this as an opportunity to bring its successful Air Meet concept from Europe to the US. Ray’s bold vision now had a name: Horizon Air Meet 2012.
The Event I arrived at the venue on Thursday, September 6. Although I’m an airplane person, I was immediately drawn to the unbelievably awesome off-road car track! Having raced RC cars for several years, this was the biggest and best track I had ever seen! My attention was diverted by the sound of a glow engine, not far from the car track. I saw a profi le CL model in the air. No sooner had the fl ight fi nished, when I was offered the opportunity to pilot the profi le P-51. I gladly accepted. Following that, my focus was skyward, thanks to the unmistakable sound of jet engines that were powering an intimidating-looking A-10 Thunderbolt II. As I made my way to the fl ightline, I had no idea who was fl ying the model, but it was clearly a high-caliber RC jet jockey. Ali Machinchy turned out to be the pilot in command, and he made several excellent fl ights throughout the weekend. At the fl ightline, I ran into my friend, Peter Goldsmith, who works for Horizon Hobby and was a key player in the Horizon Air Meet. Whenever I see Peter, he always has a nice aircraft with him, and today was no different. He had his T-33, which has competed at Top Gun. Thursday was only a partial day and it provided a good opportunity to talk with some of the pilots and get the lay of the land, which also included a helicopter fl ightline. On Friday, the event hosted 500 school kids who were brought in by bus to see a special performance by Matt Chapman in his full-scale Eagle 580. Matt put on a great show and it was nice to see the enthusiasm by everyone in the audience. Matt also took time to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. The youngsters spent some time watching the other modeling disciplines represented, then each received his or her own model airplane glider at the AMA booth before being loaded on the bus and returning to school. While the car track mentioned earlier was being used by some of the top drivers in the sport and the runway was being used to launch and Matt Chapman and his full-scale Eagle 580 put on a good show. Being an RC pilot as well, Matt enjoys flying at RC events.Quique Somenzini and Seth Arnold fly in unison during the noontime air show. Seth has flown his way to rst place with the Extra 300 at the last two Extreme Flight Championships.Quique Somenzini used his JetCat-powered J-10 to show the crowd that he can hover nearly anything that flies.20Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Peter Goldsmith’s Skymaster T-33, powered by a JetCat P-120, has competed in Top Gun and made several flights throughout the event.With the support of Brodak Manufacturing, Sandy Schmidt (R) and Ara Dedekian (launching the airplane) provided the opportunity for attendees to fly Control Line. CD Ray Labonte (L) and Peter Goldsmith of Horizon Hobby discuss the noontime air show. David Skillings spent a year building this detailed A-10 Thunderbolt that represents one flown by the Connecticut Air National Guard.Two CARF Models Corsairs were flown at the event by the Malchione family. They garnered much attention thanks to their beautiful nish, folding wings, and the purr of the radial engines.Photos by the author21Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
retrieve all types of jet aircraft, the spectators who wanted to participate were not left out. A small car track, complete with jumps, was available for anyone to try, and a separate fl ightline was set up to allow for the opportunity to fl y the HobbyZone Stratos. Realizing that once you have your fi rst fl ight or get to drive an RC car for the fi rst time that you might want one of your own, Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center had a tent fi lled with all of the Horizon Hobby products any beginner or intermediate hobbyist could want. If that wasn’t enough to entice the crowd, they were even offering discounts! As is common at RC events, the Horizon Air Meet held a noontime show where the top pilots in attendance laid down some impressive fl ights on jets, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, and even a turbine sailplane. Emcee John Redman kept everyone informed about the details of the aircraft they were watching perform. Matt Chapman and Rob Holland also participated with their full-scale aerial ballet. Saturday also drew a large number of pilots and spectators. Although the wind was challenging, the fl ying and demonstrations went on as planned except for the Saturday night fi reworks. The off-road car track hosted actual races and several different classes were run. Saturday night was a banquet for the pilots and sponsors. It was held in the airport hangar, which was home to Air Force One on several occasions when former President George Bush visited his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Horizon Air Meet was a huge success and provided an immersive experience for the entire family. It drew the most spectators I have ever seen at an RC event—an estimated 15,000—during the three days! Visitors had the opportunity to try driving or fl ying models and were able to purchase one to take home. The pilots and drivers with whom I spoke also enjoyed the amenities that the facility offered, such as fl ying from an actual runway and driving on a large track, as well as sharing their passion with a large contingent of the community. I haven’t heard if there are plans for a 2013 event, but with the success this one garnered in Maine, I certainly hope it becomes an annual tradition!—Jay [email protected]:Horizon Air Meet www.usairmeet.comBetween flights, aircra were parked so that spectators could get a good look at the different models present.Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center was set up on-site to ensure that attendees didn’t go home empty handed. The tent was regularly lled with shoppers.The off -road car track drew some of the top names on the racing circuit and was used for actual races on Saturday and Sunday. The raised driver’s stand ensured that the vehicles could be seen anywhere on the track.22Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/02
Page Numbers: 19,20,21,22
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/02
Page Numbers: 19,20,21,22
Ray Labonte approached me in late 2011 and shared his vision to have an event that would showcase RC aircraft, CL flying, helicopters, and RC cars. The event would be held in Maine at the Sanford Regional Airport and the community would be invited to attend. The gathering would be as much for the spectators as it would be for the pilots. Ray understood that spectators are a key component in the future of our hobby. Although not all of the audience would become involved, having the community understand and appreciate what we do could go a long way toward ensuring that flying sites will continue to remain ours to enjoy. There was much work to be done, and the event was still in the planning stages, but I committed to attend. The Sanford Regional Airport had already supported a jet rally and was onboard with a bigger, bolder event in 2012. Knowing he needed the assistance of a major player in the industry, Ray approached Horizon Hobby with his idea of an all-encompassing event, while still keeping a jet focus. Horizon Hobby saw this as an opportunity to bring its successful Air Meet concept from Europe to the US. Ray’s bold vision now had a name: Horizon Air Meet 2012.
The Event I arrived at the venue on Thursday, September 6. Although I’m an airplane person, I was immediately drawn to the unbelievably awesome off-road car track! Having raced RC cars for several years, this was the biggest and best track I had ever seen! My attention was diverted by the sound of a glow engine, not far from the car track. I saw a profi le CL model in the air. No sooner had the fl ight fi nished, when I was offered the opportunity to pilot the profi le P-51. I gladly accepted. Following that, my focus was skyward, thanks to the unmistakable sound of jet engines that were powering an intimidating-looking A-10 Thunderbolt II. As I made my way to the fl ightline, I had no idea who was fl ying the model, but it was clearly a high-caliber RC jet jockey. Ali Machinchy turned out to be the pilot in command, and he made several excellent fl ights throughout the weekend. At the fl ightline, I ran into my friend, Peter Goldsmith, who works for Horizon Hobby and was a key player in the Horizon Air Meet. Whenever I see Peter, he always has a nice aircraft with him, and today was no different. He had his T-33, which has competed at Top Gun. Thursday was only a partial day and it provided a good opportunity to talk with some of the pilots and get the lay of the land, which also included a helicopter fl ightline. On Friday, the event hosted 500 school kids who were brought in by bus to see a special performance by Matt Chapman in his full-scale Eagle 580. Matt put on a great show and it was nice to see the enthusiasm by everyone in the audience. Matt also took time to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. The youngsters spent some time watching the other modeling disciplines represented, then each received his or her own model airplane glider at the AMA booth before being loaded on the bus and returning to school. While the car track mentioned earlier was being used by some of the top drivers in the sport and the runway was being used to launch and Matt Chapman and his full-scale Eagle 580 put on a good show. Being an RC pilot as well, Matt enjoys flying at RC events.Quique Somenzini and Seth Arnold fly in unison during the noontime air show. Seth has flown his way to rst place with the Extra 300 at the last two Extreme Flight Championships.Quique Somenzini used his JetCat-powered J-10 to show the crowd that he can hover nearly anything that flies.20Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Peter Goldsmith’s Skymaster T-33, powered by a JetCat P-120, has competed in Top Gun and made several flights throughout the event.With the support of Brodak Manufacturing, Sandy Schmidt (R) and Ara Dedekian (launching the airplane) provided the opportunity for attendees to fly Control Line. CD Ray Labonte (L) and Peter Goldsmith of Horizon Hobby discuss the noontime air show. David Skillings spent a year building this detailed A-10 Thunderbolt that represents one flown by the Connecticut Air National Guard.Two CARF Models Corsairs were flown at the event by the Malchione family. They garnered much attention thanks to their beautiful nish, folding wings, and the purr of the radial engines.Photos by the author21Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
retrieve all types of jet aircraft, the spectators who wanted to participate were not left out. A small car track, complete with jumps, was available for anyone to try, and a separate fl ightline was set up to allow for the opportunity to fl y the HobbyZone Stratos. Realizing that once you have your fi rst fl ight or get to drive an RC car for the fi rst time that you might want one of your own, Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center had a tent fi lled with all of the Horizon Hobby products any beginner or intermediate hobbyist could want. If that wasn’t enough to entice the crowd, they were even offering discounts! As is common at RC events, the Horizon Air Meet held a noontime show where the top pilots in attendance laid down some impressive fl ights on jets, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, and even a turbine sailplane. Emcee John Redman kept everyone informed about the details of the aircraft they were watching perform. Matt Chapman and Rob Holland also participated with their full-scale aerial ballet. Saturday also drew a large number of pilots and spectators. Although the wind was challenging, the fl ying and demonstrations went on as planned except for the Saturday night fi reworks. The off-road car track hosted actual races and several different classes were run. Saturday night was a banquet for the pilots and sponsors. It was held in the airport hangar, which was home to Air Force One on several occasions when former President George Bush visited his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Horizon Air Meet was a huge success and provided an immersive experience for the entire family. It drew the most spectators I have ever seen at an RC event—an estimated 15,000—during the three days! Visitors had the opportunity to try driving or fl ying models and were able to purchase one to take home. The pilots and drivers with whom I spoke also enjoyed the amenities that the facility offered, such as fl ying from an actual runway and driving on a large track, as well as sharing their passion with a large contingent of the community. I haven’t heard if there are plans for a 2013 event, but with the success this one garnered in Maine, I certainly hope it becomes an annual tradition!—Jay [email protected]:Horizon Air Meet www.usairmeet.comBetween flights, aircra were parked so that spectators could get a good look at the different models present.Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center was set up on-site to ensure that attendees didn’t go home empty handed. The tent was regularly lled with shoppers.The off -road car track drew some of the top names on the racing circuit and was used for actual races on Saturday and Sunday. The raised driver’s stand ensured that the vehicles could be seen anywhere on the track.22Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/02
Page Numbers: 19,20,21,22
Ray Labonte approached me in late 2011 and shared his vision to have an event that would showcase RC aircraft, CL flying, helicopters, and RC cars. The event would be held in Maine at the Sanford Regional Airport and the community would be invited to attend. The gathering would be as much for the spectators as it would be for the pilots. Ray understood that spectators are a key component in the future of our hobby. Although not all of the audience would become involved, having the community understand and appreciate what we do could go a long way toward ensuring that flying sites will continue to remain ours to enjoy. There was much work to be done, and the event was still in the planning stages, but I committed to attend. The Sanford Regional Airport had already supported a jet rally and was onboard with a bigger, bolder event in 2012. Knowing he needed the assistance of a major player in the industry, Ray approached Horizon Hobby with his idea of an all-encompassing event, while still keeping a jet focus. Horizon Hobby saw this as an opportunity to bring its successful Air Meet concept from Europe to the US. Ray’s bold vision now had a name: Horizon Air Meet 2012.
The Event I arrived at the venue on Thursday, September 6. Although I’m an airplane person, I was immediately drawn to the unbelievably awesome off-road car track! Having raced RC cars for several years, this was the biggest and best track I had ever seen! My attention was diverted by the sound of a glow engine, not far from the car track. I saw a profi le CL model in the air. No sooner had the fl ight fi nished, when I was offered the opportunity to pilot the profi le P-51. I gladly accepted. Following that, my focus was skyward, thanks to the unmistakable sound of jet engines that were powering an intimidating-looking A-10 Thunderbolt II. As I made my way to the fl ightline, I had no idea who was fl ying the model, but it was clearly a high-caliber RC jet jockey. Ali Machinchy turned out to be the pilot in command, and he made several excellent fl ights throughout the weekend. At the fl ightline, I ran into my friend, Peter Goldsmith, who works for Horizon Hobby and was a key player in the Horizon Air Meet. Whenever I see Peter, he always has a nice aircraft with him, and today was no different. He had his T-33, which has competed at Top Gun. Thursday was only a partial day and it provided a good opportunity to talk with some of the pilots and get the lay of the land, which also included a helicopter fl ightline. On Friday, the event hosted 500 school kids who were brought in by bus to see a special performance by Matt Chapman in his full-scale Eagle 580. Matt put on a great show and it was nice to see the enthusiasm by everyone in the audience. Matt also took time to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. The youngsters spent some time watching the other modeling disciplines represented, then each received his or her own model airplane glider at the AMA booth before being loaded on the bus and returning to school. While the car track mentioned earlier was being used by some of the top drivers in the sport and the runway was being used to launch and Matt Chapman and his full-scale Eagle 580 put on a good show. Being an RC pilot as well, Matt enjoys flying at RC events.Quique Somenzini and Seth Arnold fly in unison during the noontime air show. Seth has flown his way to rst place with the Extra 300 at the last two Extreme Flight Championships.Quique Somenzini used his JetCat-powered J-10 to show the crowd that he can hover nearly anything that flies.20Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Peter Goldsmith’s Skymaster T-33, powered by a JetCat P-120, has competed in Top Gun and made several flights throughout the event.With the support of Brodak Manufacturing, Sandy Schmidt (R) and Ara Dedekian (launching the airplane) provided the opportunity for attendees to fly Control Line. CD Ray Labonte (L) and Peter Goldsmith of Horizon Hobby discuss the noontime air show. David Skillings spent a year building this detailed A-10 Thunderbolt that represents one flown by the Connecticut Air National Guard.Two CARF Models Corsairs were flown at the event by the Malchione family. They garnered much attention thanks to their beautiful nish, folding wings, and the purr of the radial engines.Photos by the author21Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
retrieve all types of jet aircraft, the spectators who wanted to participate were not left out. A small car track, complete with jumps, was available for anyone to try, and a separate fl ightline was set up to allow for the opportunity to fl y the HobbyZone Stratos. Realizing that once you have your fi rst fl ight or get to drive an RC car for the fi rst time that you might want one of your own, Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center had a tent fi lled with all of the Horizon Hobby products any beginner or intermediate hobbyist could want. If that wasn’t enough to entice the crowd, they were even offering discounts! As is common at RC events, the Horizon Air Meet held a noontime show where the top pilots in attendance laid down some impressive fl ights on jets, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, and even a turbine sailplane. Emcee John Redman kept everyone informed about the details of the aircraft they were watching perform. Matt Chapman and Rob Holland also participated with their full-scale aerial ballet. Saturday also drew a large number of pilots and spectators. Although the wind was challenging, the fl ying and demonstrations went on as planned except for the Saturday night fi reworks. The off-road car track hosted actual races and several different classes were run. Saturday night was a banquet for the pilots and sponsors. It was held in the airport hangar, which was home to Air Force One on several occasions when former President George Bush visited his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Horizon Air Meet was a huge success and provided an immersive experience for the entire family. It drew the most spectators I have ever seen at an RC event—an estimated 15,000—during the three days! Visitors had the opportunity to try driving or fl ying models and were able to purchase one to take home. The pilots and drivers with whom I spoke also enjoyed the amenities that the facility offered, such as fl ying from an actual runway and driving on a large track, as well as sharing their passion with a large contingent of the community. I haven’t heard if there are plans for a 2013 event, but with the success this one garnered in Maine, I certainly hope it becomes an annual tradition!—Jay [email protected]:Horizon Air Meet www.usairmeet.comBetween flights, aircra were parked so that spectators could get a good look at the different models present.Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center was set up on-site to ensure that attendees didn’t go home empty handed. The tent was regularly lled with shoppers.The off -road car track drew some of the top names on the racing circuit and was used for actual races on Saturday and Sunday. The raised driver’s stand ensured that the vehicles could be seen anywhere on the track.22Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/02
Page Numbers: 19,20,21,22
Ray Labonte approached me in late 2011 and shared his vision to have an event that would showcase RC aircraft, CL flying, helicopters, and RC cars. The event would be held in Maine at the Sanford Regional Airport and the community would be invited to attend. The gathering would be as much for the spectators as it would be for the pilots. Ray understood that spectators are a key component in the future of our hobby. Although not all of the audience would become involved, having the community understand and appreciate what we do could go a long way toward ensuring that flying sites will continue to remain ours to enjoy. There was much work to be done, and the event was still in the planning stages, but I committed to attend. The Sanford Regional Airport had already supported a jet rally and was onboard with a bigger, bolder event in 2012. Knowing he needed the assistance of a major player in the industry, Ray approached Horizon Hobby with his idea of an all-encompassing event, while still keeping a jet focus. Horizon Hobby saw this as an opportunity to bring its successful Air Meet concept from Europe to the US. Ray’s bold vision now had a name: Horizon Air Meet 2012.
The Event I arrived at the venue on Thursday, September 6. Although I’m an airplane person, I was immediately drawn to the unbelievably awesome off-road car track! Having raced RC cars for several years, this was the biggest and best track I had ever seen! My attention was diverted by the sound of a glow engine, not far from the car track. I saw a profi le CL model in the air. No sooner had the fl ight fi nished, when I was offered the opportunity to pilot the profi le P-51. I gladly accepted. Following that, my focus was skyward, thanks to the unmistakable sound of jet engines that were powering an intimidating-looking A-10 Thunderbolt II. As I made my way to the fl ightline, I had no idea who was fl ying the model, but it was clearly a high-caliber RC jet jockey. Ali Machinchy turned out to be the pilot in command, and he made several excellent fl ights throughout the weekend. At the fl ightline, I ran into my friend, Peter Goldsmith, who works for Horizon Hobby and was a key player in the Horizon Air Meet. Whenever I see Peter, he always has a nice aircraft with him, and today was no different. He had his T-33, which has competed at Top Gun. Thursday was only a partial day and it provided a good opportunity to talk with some of the pilots and get the lay of the land, which also included a helicopter fl ightline. On Friday, the event hosted 500 school kids who were brought in by bus to see a special performance by Matt Chapman in his full-scale Eagle 580. Matt put on a great show and it was nice to see the enthusiasm by everyone in the audience. Matt also took time to sign autographs and take pictures with the kids. The youngsters spent some time watching the other modeling disciplines represented, then each received his or her own model airplane glider at the AMA booth before being loaded on the bus and returning to school. While the car track mentioned earlier was being used by some of the top drivers in the sport and the runway was being used to launch and Matt Chapman and his full-scale Eagle 580 put on a good show. Being an RC pilot as well, Matt enjoys flying at RC events.Quique Somenzini and Seth Arnold fly in unison during the noontime air show. Seth has flown his way to rst place with the Extra 300 at the last two Extreme Flight Championships.Quique Somenzini used his JetCat-powered J-10 to show the crowd that he can hover nearly anything that flies.20Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
Peter Goldsmith’s Skymaster T-33, powered by a JetCat P-120, has competed in Top Gun and made several flights throughout the event.With the support of Brodak Manufacturing, Sandy Schmidt (R) and Ara Dedekian (launching the airplane) provided the opportunity for attendees to fly Control Line. CD Ray Labonte (L) and Peter Goldsmith of Horizon Hobby discuss the noontime air show. David Skillings spent a year building this detailed A-10 Thunderbolt that represents one flown by the Connecticut Air National Guard.Two CARF Models Corsairs were flown at the event by the Malchione family. They garnered much attention thanks to their beautiful nish, folding wings, and the purr of the radial engines.Photos by the author21Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
retrieve all types of jet aircraft, the spectators who wanted to participate were not left out. A small car track, complete with jumps, was available for anyone to try, and a separate fl ightline was set up to allow for the opportunity to fl y the HobbyZone Stratos. Realizing that once you have your fi rst fl ight or get to drive an RC car for the fi rst time that you might want one of your own, Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center had a tent fi lled with all of the Horizon Hobby products any beginner or intermediate hobbyist could want. If that wasn’t enough to entice the crowd, they were even offering discounts! As is common at RC events, the Horizon Air Meet held a noontime show where the top pilots in attendance laid down some impressive fl ights on jets, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, and even a turbine sailplane. Emcee John Redman kept everyone informed about the details of the aircraft they were watching perform. Matt Chapman and Rob Holland also participated with their full-scale aerial ballet. Saturday also drew a large number of pilots and spectators. Although the wind was challenging, the fl ying and demonstrations went on as planned except for the Saturday night fi reworks. The off-road car track hosted actual races and several different classes were run. Saturday night was a banquet for the pilots and sponsors. It was held in the airport hangar, which was home to Air Force One on several occasions when former President George Bush visited his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Horizon Air Meet was a huge success and provided an immersive experience for the entire family. It drew the most spectators I have ever seen at an RC event—an estimated 15,000—during the three days! Visitors had the opportunity to try driving or fl ying models and were able to purchase one to take home. The pilots and drivers with whom I spoke also enjoyed the amenities that the facility offered, such as fl ying from an actual runway and driving on a large track, as well as sharing their passion with a large contingent of the community. I haven’t heard if there are plans for a 2013 event, but with the success this one garnered in Maine, I certainly hope it becomes an annual tradition!—Jay [email protected]:Horizon Air Meet www.usairmeet.comBetween flights, aircra were parked so that spectators could get a good look at the different models present.Ray and Robin’s Hobby Center was set up on-site to ensure that attendees didn’t go home empty handed. The tent was regularly lled with shoppers.The off -road car track drew some of the top names on the racing circuit and was used for actual races on Saturday and Sunday. The raised driver’s stand ensured that the vehicles could be seen anywhere on the track.22Model Aviation FEBRUARY 2013www.ModelAviation.com019
