Author: Mark Radcliff
Edition: Model Aviation - 2012/11
Page Numbers: 138

District III — Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Mark Radcliff — Vice President

I received an email from a young modeler (age 14), Mitchell N. Wambach, inviting me to attend the Greater Cincinnati RC Club’s (GCRCC) Flying Circus. Mitchell noted that this was the club’s 52nd annual event and that it included reenactments of the Doolittle Raid, Pearl Harbor, and more.

In my younger years I lived and worked in the Cincinnati area and was a member of the GCRCC. I decided this would be a good time to see how the event had progressed since I last flew in the Circus in 1975. The Circus is held at the Butler County Airport and runs from noon to 4 p.m.

I attended the pilots’ briefing and was amazed at the attention to detail. Every act was organized down to the minute. Also, every pilot flying—even those who perform every year—had to audition weeks ahead to demonstrate proficiency.

Here are just a few of the acts the club performed:

  • Opening Overture
  • Parade Fly
  • Spin Down
  • Balloon Bust
  • Scale
  • Electrics
  • DC-10s
  • Turbines
  • WWI
  • Helicopters
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Doolittle Raid
  • Reno Racing

There was a break in the action at one point when the club presented a check of more than $5,000 to the Cincinnati Spina Bifida Association, the club’s charitable cause.

The grand finale was a B-29 dropping the “atomic bomb” complete with pyrotechnics, a veterans’ tribute, and the launching of a huge rocket-powered RC space shuttle.

I have attended many RC air shows over the years, and I must say this was the most organized event I have ever seen. Every minute was filled with flying that was not only entertaining but educational. After seeing the entire production I came away amazed and excited about our hobby.

Some say Barnum and Bailey had the greatest show on Earth. In my opinion, the GCRCC Flying Circus has to be the greatest RC model show on earth.

Congratulations to the GCRCC for hosting this outstanding event and thank you for promoting model aviation in such a positive manner. For additional information visit www.gcrcc.net and our District III website, www.amadistrict-iii.com. We have a link posted with the photos I took.

Until next month, go fly and have fun!

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.