Best in the West Jet Rally 2009 - 2009/08

THE WEEKEND OF January 16-18,
2009, the Coachella Valley Radio Control
Club (CVRC Club) hosted this event for
the fourth time at the Coachella Valley
Model Air Park, which is near Palm
Springs, California.
Lowell Wexler invented this rally 20
years ago. It originally took place at
Based on its 8-foot wingspan, this A-10 is roughly 2 feet off the deck and cruising at faster than 100 mph. One tiny
mistake, and more than $15,000 (not to mention countless hours of labor) goes home in trash bags. Rockwell photo.
Edwards Air Force Base, in the Mojave
Desert, and was moved several times before
landing at its current location.
“This field has unlimited visual and
unlimited height,” said Lowell. “I’m glad it is
now here—at its home.”
One Week Before the Event: What do you do
when a contractor comes by and offers your
club 220 cubic yards of hot asphalt—for a
bargain price? The board huddled, but only
briefly, and 65 feet was added to the runway
in the middle of the night (although it still
wasn’t long enough for a few of the jet pilots).
At this point, the club had to hustle. There
was much to be done before the pilots began
to arrive for the Best in the West Jet Rally.
The members gave up their flying
privileges on Sunday and assembled at the
field. Armed with garden blowers and
brooms, they cleared the runway of Foreign
Object Debris. For the next three days, crews
put up orange fencing for the pilots’ stations
and cordoned off the spectator areas.
Thursday, January 15: CVRC Club
members arrived at the field early,
only to find that three pilots from Maine
already had their jets in the air. Richard
Lugg, Jim Baker, and Ray Labonte had
shipped a Composite-ARF Lightning and a
Bob Violett Models (BVM) Bandit ahead to
CD Murray Ross’s home and arrived in
California on Wednesday to unpack the
crates.
“We came out here at 6:15 this morning
and it was still dark, but we managed to get
in 10 flights by 8:30,” said Richard Lugg
with a big grin. “It is so special for us to be
here and away from the miserable cold at
home.”
Approximately 25 more pilots arrived
throughout the day in RVs and trucks,
pulling cargo vans loaded to the max. They
unpacked and flew while the work crews
continued stringing the yellow caution tape
and installing the sound system.
Those who arrived on Thursday were
delighted about the extra airtime that they
could put toward their waivers, maiden
flights, or practice. They knew that the
feared gong would be arriving soon.
That day was also a time to enjoy the 76°
temperatures, views of snow-topped Mount
San Jacinto, and winds gauged at 4 knots.
The flying conditions were perfect at the
newly elongated 665 x 70-foot runway.
Friday and Saturday: It was just after 6
a.m.—and still dark—but action at the field
was picking up, as the pilots assembled their
models and sent them skyward. The large
apron between the preparation tables and
flightline soon resembled rush hour on a Los
Angeles freeway, as 47 jet pilots jockeyed
for space with more than 75 aircraft.
Many colorful F-16s and BVM Bandits
sat ready for flight. Pilots who were
crouched around an F-4J and a Super Bandit
were deep in conversation about merits and
fix-it solutions. Farther down the apron were
three A-10 Warthogs belonging to Joe
McBride, Billy Edwards, and David Searles,
who were waiting to get into the sky to
perform scale maneuvers and knife-edge
passes. The crowd roared with excitement
when the trio finally flew in unison.
Camaraderie at the field was evident as
fliers eagerly greeted one another. They were
also ready with long faces and caring
remarks when a jet crashed or sustained
damage. There were several mishaps, caused
by landing gear collapses or models running
off the edge of the runway.
The pilots care about each other, but
they also enjoy playful insults via loud
instruments. Ron Long, a pilot from
Arizona, brought a gong with huge
hammers, which was sounded every time
an imperfect landing was performed. Soon
a jet wasn’t greased in.
“Doug Anderson has a smaller gong, but
the Arizona men needed a more manly
one,” said Ron with a laugh. “The gong
makes you a better flier. It makes the pilots
get out there and practice. Fear the gong!”
Sam Wright, an announcer from the Top
Gun and Florida Jets contests, was on hand
to describe the action. He moved about the
apron, calling the shots on a wireless
microphone.
“If you feel a need for speed, then this is
the place to be,” he told the crowd.
When it was time for Dave Presta to fly
his Skymaster MB-339, Sam was there.
“That gets all the dust off of the
runway,” he exclaimed as Dave sent his
aircraft in front of the pit area with a low
pass.
“To your left, three down and locked,”
was how Sam described Ken McSpadden’s
preparation to land his Skymaster F-18.
“And here it comes right down the
centerline.”
Sam kept things moving with remarks to
waiting pilots such as, “Kick the tires and
light the fire.”
The smell of jet fuel and the whine of
engines continued into late each afternoon,
until the sun angle blocked the fliers’ vision.
But once the sun dipped behind the
mountains, the pilots squeezed in another
half hour of flight time before dark.
The spectators and pilots not only
enjoyed the sights and sounds of the event,
but they also gave their palates a good
experience. The Rios family catered the
event, offering homemade Mexican food.
Saturday night and Sunday morning: Most
pilots headed for home Saturday night after
three days of flying. However, Vince
Tolomeo stayed on and flew his Elan and an
electric-ducted-fan-powered jet, while
George Manning fired up his Boomerang.
Jeremy Billeaudeaux, who had brought a
BVM BobCat to fly, entertained the crowd
with his T-Rex 700’s extreme helicopter
and tail slides he performed elicited many
oohs and aahs from the crowd.
Marty Caraway, who watched Jeremy’s
routine, said that the helicopter demonstration
took his breath away.
“I thought I was going to have a heart
attack as he finally recovered the ’copter
about 6 inches above the ground,” said Marty.
Chris Ritter and Ken Merenda, CVRC
Club members, also wowed the crowd with 3-
D aerobatics, flying two Yaks. The spectators
cheered and clapped as the duet executed
waterfalls, low hovers, and harriers.
Many jet pilots and other RC enthusiasts
attended the event only to watch the action.
Vick Sebring, who has built custom, high-end
airplanes for 40 years, arrived with 91-yearold
Robert Thacker, who was a colonel in
World War II.
“This is a great field,” said Vick.
Don Gulihur, a former vice president of
AMA District X, talked about how
aeromodeling is different now from how it
was two decades ago.
“The biggest change is the birth of battery
powered planes,” he said. “They were dinky
little things, and now, for example, there is
Larry Wolfe’s EDF: the F-9F. Five years from
now, who knows where the hobby will be.”
Mike Stone, CD and Scale judge for the
Gilman Springs RC Flyers, was also present.
“I have been in model aviation for 58
years and there are now so many different
aspects to this hobby,” he said. However, we
need younger kids to keep it going.”
CVRC Club members feel the same way.
Introducing aviation to young people
continues to be their priority. Dick Knapp, the
club’s secretary/treasurer, and crew offer
model airplane building for youngsters at the
Indio Senior Center.
Joe Scuro teaches students at Cathedral
City High School to fly via simulators and
trainers. The local TV stations interviewed
one of Joe’s students, 10-year-old Alfredo
Sanchez, during the jet rally.
In addition, Ron Vincent spends four days
a week at La Quinta High School, providing
RC flying lessons to the Air Force Junior
ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
students.
“They will be able to use these skills as a
profession in addition to a hobby,” he
explained. “This is a good experience for
them and by getting into this hobby, it may
head off joining gangs.”
CD Murray Ross was thankful for the help
he received in putting on the event. He said:
“Without the cooperative help of CVRC
Club members and the information
exchanges with other experienced CDs and
AMA contest coordinators, events such as
Best in the West would not be possible. I
also wish to recognize the efforts of George
Muir, our videographer, for his skills and
generosity in displaying his stills and video
on RCUniverse.com and his Web site.”
Photos: Several photographers contributed
to this article. Each caption gives credit to
the person who took the picture. MA
Shirley Brenon
Murray Ross
[email protected]
Sources:
Best in the West Jet Rally
www.bestinthewestjets.org
CVRC Club
www.coachellarc.com
Alan Rockwell (photographer)
www.allenrockwell.com
George Muir (photographer)
www.cvrcclubvideos.com

THE WEEKEND OF January 16-18,
2009, the Coachella Valley Radio Control
Club (CVRC Club) hosted this event for
the fourth time at the Coachella Valley
Model Air Park, which is near Palm
Springs, California.
Lowell Wexler invented this rally 20
years ago. It originally took place at
Based on its 8-foot wingspan, this A-10 is roughly 2 feet off the deck and cruising at faster than 100 mph. One tiny
mistake, and more than $15,000 (not to mention countless hours of labor) goes home in trash bags. Rockwell photo.
Edwards Air Force Base, in the Mojave
Desert, and was moved several times before
landing at its current location.
“This field has unlimited visual and
unlimited height,” said Lowell. “I’m glad it is
now here—at its home.”
One Week Before the Event: What do you do
when a contractor comes by and offers your
club 220 cubic yards of hot asphalt—for a
bargain price? The board huddled, but only
briefly, and 65 feet was added to the runway
in the middle of the night (although it still
wasn’t long enough for a few of the jet pilots).
At this point, the club had to hustle. There
was much to be done before the pilots began
to arrive for the Best in the West Jet Rally.
The members gave up their flying
privileges on Sunday and assembled at the
field. Armed with garden blowers and
brooms, they cleared the runway of Foreign
Object Debris. For the next three days, crews
put up orange fencing for the pilots’ stations
and cordoned off the spectator areas.
Thursday, January 15: CVRC Club
members arrived at the field early,
only to find that three pilots from Maine
already had their jets in the air. Richard
Lugg, Jim Baker, and Ray Labonte had
shipped a Composite-ARF Lightning and a
Bob Violett Models (BVM) Bandit ahead to
CD Murray Ross’s home and arrived in
California on Wednesday to unpack the
crates.
“We came out here at 6:15 this morning
and it was still dark, but we managed to get
in 10 flights by 8:30,” said Richard Lugg
with a big grin. “It is so special for us to be
here and away from the miserable cold at
home.”
Approximately 25 more pilots arrived
throughout the day in RVs and trucks,
pulling cargo vans loaded to the max. They
unpacked and flew while the work crews
continued stringing the yellow caution tape
and installing the sound system.
Those who arrived on Thursday were
delighted about the extra airtime that they
could put toward their waivers, maiden
flights, or practice. They knew that the
feared gong would be arriving soon.
That day was also a time to enjoy the 76°
temperatures, views of snow-topped Mount
San Jacinto, and winds gauged at 4 knots.
The flying conditions were perfect at the
newly elongated 665 x 70-foot runway.
Friday and Saturday: It was just after 6
a.m.—and still dark—but action at the field
was picking up, as the pilots assembled their
models and sent them skyward. The large
apron between the preparation tables and
flightline soon resembled rush hour on a Los
Angeles freeway, as 47 jet pilots jockeyed
for space with more than 75 aircraft.
Many colorful F-16s and BVM Bandits
sat ready for flight. Pilots who were
crouched around an F-4J and a Super Bandit
were deep in conversation about merits and
fix-it solutions. Farther down the apron were
three A-10 Warthogs belonging to Joe
McBride, Billy Edwards, and David Searles,
who were waiting to get into the sky to
perform scale maneuvers and knife-edge
passes. The crowd roared with excitement
when the trio finally flew in unison.
Camaraderie at the field was evident as
fliers eagerly greeted one another. They were
also ready with long faces and caring
remarks when a jet crashed or sustained
damage. There were several mishaps, caused
by landing gear collapses or models running
off the edge of the runway.
The pilots care about each other, but
they also enjoy playful insults via loud
instruments. Ron Long, a pilot from
Arizona, brought a gong with huge
hammers, which was sounded every time
an imperfect landing was performed. Soon
a jet wasn’t greased in.
“Doug Anderson has a smaller gong, but
the Arizona men needed a more manly
one,” said Ron with a laugh. “The gong
makes you a better flier. It makes the pilots
get out there and practice. Fear the gong!”
Sam Wright, an announcer from the Top
Gun and Florida Jets contests, was on hand
to describe the action. He moved about the
apron, calling the shots on a wireless
microphone.
“If you feel a need for speed, then this is
the place to be,” he told the crowd.
When it was time for Dave Presta to fly
his Skymaster MB-339, Sam was there.
“That gets all the dust off of the
runway,” he exclaimed as Dave sent his
aircraft in front of the pit area with a low
pass.
“To your left, three down and locked,”
was how Sam described Ken McSpadden’s
preparation to land his Skymaster F-18.
“And here it comes right down the
centerline.”
Sam kept things moving with remarks to
waiting pilots such as, “Kick the tires and
light the fire.”
The smell of jet fuel and the whine of
engines continued into late each afternoon,
until the sun angle blocked the fliers’ vision.
But once the sun dipped behind the
mountains, the pilots squeezed in another
half hour of flight time before dark.
The spectators and pilots not only
enjoyed the sights and sounds of the event,
but they also gave their palates a good
experience. The Rios family catered the
event, offering homemade Mexican food.
Saturday night and Sunday morning: Most
pilots headed for home Saturday night after
three days of flying. However, Vince
Tolomeo stayed on and flew his Elan and an
electric-ducted-fan-powered jet, while
George Manning fired up his Boomerang.
Jeremy Billeaudeaux, who had brought a
BVM BobCat to fly, entertained the crowd
with his T-Rex 700’s extreme helicopter
and tail slides he performed elicited many
oohs and aahs from the crowd.
Marty Caraway, who watched Jeremy’s
routine, said that the helicopter demonstration
took his breath away.
“I thought I was going to have a heart
attack as he finally recovered the ’copter
about 6 inches above the ground,” said Marty.
Chris Ritter and Ken Merenda, CVRC
Club members, also wowed the crowd with 3-
D aerobatics, flying two Yaks. The spectators
cheered and clapped as the duet executed
waterfalls, low hovers, and harriers.
Many jet pilots and other RC enthusiasts
attended the event only to watch the action.
Vick Sebring, who has built custom, high-end
airplanes for 40 years, arrived with 91-yearold
Robert Thacker, who was a colonel in
World War II.
“This is a great field,” said Vick.
Don Gulihur, a former vice president of
AMA District X, talked about how
aeromodeling is different now from how it
was two decades ago.
“The biggest change is the birth of battery
powered planes,” he said. “They were dinky
little things, and now, for example, there is
Larry Wolfe’s EDF: the F-9F. Five years from
now, who knows where the hobby will be.”
Mike Stone, CD and Scale judge for the
Gilman Springs RC Flyers, was also present.
“I have been in model aviation for 58
years and there are now so many different
aspects to this hobby,” he said. However, we
need younger kids to keep it going.”
CVRC Club members feel the same way.
Introducing aviation to young people
continues to be their priority. Dick Knapp, the
club’s secretary/treasurer, and crew offer
model airplane building for youngsters at the
Indio Senior Center.
Joe Scuro teaches students at Cathedral
City High School to fly via simulators and
trainers. The local TV stations interviewed
one of Joe’s students, 10-year-old Alfredo
Sanchez, during the jet rally.
In addition, Ron Vincent spends four days
a week at La Quinta High School, providing
RC flying lessons to the Air Force Junior
ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
students.
“They will be able to use these skills as a
profession in addition to a hobby,” he
explained. “This is a good experience for
them and by getting into this hobby, it may
head off joining gangs.”
CD Murray Ross was thankful for the help
he received in putting on the event. He said:
“Without the cooperative help of CVRC
Club members and the information
exchanges with other experienced CDs and
AMA contest coordinators, events such as
Best in the West would not be possible. I
also wish to recognize the efforts of George
Muir, our videographer, for his skills and
generosity in displaying his stills and video
on RCUniverse.com and his Web site.”
Photos: Several photographers contributed
to this article. Each caption gives credit to
the person who took the picture. MA
Shirley Brenon
Murray Ross
[email protected]
Sources:
Best in the West Jet Rally
www.bestinthewestjets.org
CVRC Club
www.coachellarc.com
Alan Rockwell (photographer)
www.allenrockwell.com
George Muir (photographer)
www.cvrcclubvideos.com

THE WEEKEND OF January 16-18,
2009, the Coachella Valley Radio Control
Club (CVRC Club) hosted this event for
the fourth time at the Coachella Valley
Model Air Park, which is near Palm
Springs, California.
Lowell Wexler invented this rally 20
years ago. It originally took place at
Based on its 8-foot wingspan, this A-10 is roughly 2 feet off the deck and cruising at faster than 100 mph. One tiny
mistake, and more than $15,000 (not to mention countless hours of labor) goes home in trash bags. Rockwell photo.
Edwards Air Force Base, in the Mojave
Desert, and was moved several times before
landing at its current location.
“This field has unlimited visual and
unlimited height,” said Lowell. “I’m glad it is
now here—at its home.”
One Week Before the Event: What do you do
when a contractor comes by and offers your
club 220 cubic yards of hot asphalt—for a
bargain price? The board huddled, but only
briefly, and 65 feet was added to the runway
in the middle of the night (although it still
wasn’t long enough for a few of the jet pilots).
At this point, the club had to hustle. There
was much to be done before the pilots began
to arrive for the Best in the West Jet Rally.
The members gave up their flying
privileges on Sunday and assembled at the
field. Armed with garden blowers and
brooms, they cleared the runway of Foreign
Object Debris. For the next three days, crews
put up orange fencing for the pilots’ stations
and cordoned off the spectator areas.
Thursday, January 15: CVRC Club
members arrived at the field early,
only to find that three pilots from Maine
already had their jets in the air. Richard
Lugg, Jim Baker, and Ray Labonte had
shipped a Composite-ARF Lightning and a
Bob Violett Models (BVM) Bandit ahead to
CD Murray Ross’s home and arrived in
California on Wednesday to unpack the
crates.
“We came out here at 6:15 this morning
and it was still dark, but we managed to get
in 10 flights by 8:30,” said Richard Lugg
with a big grin. “It is so special for us to be
here and away from the miserable cold at
home.”
Approximately 25 more pilots arrived
throughout the day in RVs and trucks,
pulling cargo vans loaded to the max. They
unpacked and flew while the work crews
continued stringing the yellow caution tape
and installing the sound system.
Those who arrived on Thursday were
delighted about the extra airtime that they
could put toward their waivers, maiden
flights, or practice. They knew that the
feared gong would be arriving soon.
That day was also a time to enjoy the 76°
temperatures, views of snow-topped Mount
San Jacinto, and winds gauged at 4 knots.
The flying conditions were perfect at the
newly elongated 665 x 70-foot runway.
Friday and Saturday: It was just after 6
a.m.—and still dark—but action at the field
was picking up, as the pilots assembled their
models and sent them skyward. The large
apron between the preparation tables and
flightline soon resembled rush hour on a Los
Angeles freeway, as 47 jet pilots jockeyed
for space with more than 75 aircraft.
Many colorful F-16s and BVM Bandits
sat ready for flight. Pilots who were
crouched around an F-4J and a Super Bandit
were deep in conversation about merits and
fix-it solutions. Farther down the apron were
three A-10 Warthogs belonging to Joe
McBride, Billy Edwards, and David Searles,
who were waiting to get into the sky to
perform scale maneuvers and knife-edge
passes. The crowd roared with excitement
when the trio finally flew in unison.
Camaraderie at the field was evident as
fliers eagerly greeted one another. They were
also ready with long faces and caring
remarks when a jet crashed or sustained
damage. There were several mishaps, caused
by landing gear collapses or models running
off the edge of the runway.
The pilots care about each other, but
they also enjoy playful insults via loud
instruments. Ron Long, a pilot from
Arizona, brought a gong with huge
hammers, which was sounded every time
an imperfect landing was performed. Soon
a jet wasn’t greased in.
“Doug Anderson has a smaller gong, but
the Arizona men needed a more manly
one,” said Ron with a laugh. “The gong
makes you a better flier. It makes the pilots
get out there and practice. Fear the gong!”
Sam Wright, an announcer from the Top
Gun and Florida Jets contests, was on hand
to describe the action. He moved about the
apron, calling the shots on a wireless
microphone.
“If you feel a need for speed, then this is
the place to be,” he told the crowd.
When it was time for Dave Presta to fly
his Skymaster MB-339, Sam was there.
“That gets all the dust off of the
runway,” he exclaimed as Dave sent his
aircraft in front of the pit area with a low
pass.
“To your left, three down and locked,”
was how Sam described Ken McSpadden’s
preparation to land his Skymaster F-18.
“And here it comes right down the
centerline.”
Sam kept things moving with remarks to
waiting pilots such as, “Kick the tires and
light the fire.”
The smell of jet fuel and the whine of
engines continued into late each afternoon,
until the sun angle blocked the fliers’ vision.
But once the sun dipped behind the
mountains, the pilots squeezed in another
half hour of flight time before dark.
The spectators and pilots not only
enjoyed the sights and sounds of the event,
but they also gave their palates a good
experience. The Rios family catered the
event, offering homemade Mexican food.
Saturday night and Sunday morning: Most
pilots headed for home Saturday night after
three days of flying. However, Vince
Tolomeo stayed on and flew his Elan and an
electric-ducted-fan-powered jet, while
George Manning fired up his Boomerang.
Jeremy Billeaudeaux, who had brought a
BVM BobCat to fly, entertained the crowd
with his T-Rex 700’s extreme helicopter
and tail slides he performed elicited many
oohs and aahs from the crowd.
Marty Caraway, who watched Jeremy’s
routine, said that the helicopter demonstration
took his breath away.
“I thought I was going to have a heart
attack as he finally recovered the ’copter
about 6 inches above the ground,” said Marty.
Chris Ritter and Ken Merenda, CVRC
Club members, also wowed the crowd with 3-
D aerobatics, flying two Yaks. The spectators
cheered and clapped as the duet executed
waterfalls, low hovers, and harriers.
Many jet pilots and other RC enthusiasts
attended the event only to watch the action.
Vick Sebring, who has built custom, high-end
airplanes for 40 years, arrived with 91-yearold
Robert Thacker, who was a colonel in
World War II.
“This is a great field,” said Vick.
Don Gulihur, a former vice president of
AMA District X, talked about how
aeromodeling is different now from how it
was two decades ago.
“The biggest change is the birth of battery
powered planes,” he said. “They were dinky
little things, and now, for example, there is
Larry Wolfe’s EDF: the F-9F. Five years from
now, who knows where the hobby will be.”
Mike Stone, CD and Scale judge for the
Gilman Springs RC Flyers, was also present.
“I have been in model aviation for 58
years and there are now so many different
aspects to this hobby,” he said. However, we
need younger kids to keep it going.”
CVRC Club members feel the same way.
Introducing aviation to young people
continues to be their priority. Dick Knapp, the
club’s secretary/treasurer, and crew offer
model airplane building for youngsters at the
Indio Senior Center.
Joe Scuro teaches students at Cathedral
City High School to fly via simulators and
trainers. The local TV stations interviewed
one of Joe’s students, 10-year-old Alfredo
Sanchez, during the jet rally.
In addition, Ron Vincent spends four days
a week at La Quinta High School, providing
RC flying lessons to the Air Force Junior
ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps)
students.
“They will be able to use these skills as a
profession in addition to a hobby,” he
explained. “This is a good experience for
them and by getting into this hobby, it may
head off joining gangs.”
CD Murray Ross was thankful for the help
he received in putting on the event. He said:
“Without the cooperative help of CVRC
Club members and the information
exchanges with other experienced CDs and
AMA contest coordinators, events such as
Best in the West would not be possible. I
also wish to recognize the efforts of George
Muir, our videographer, for his skills and
generosity in displaying his stills and video
on RCUniverse.com and his Web site.”
Photos: Several photographers contributed
to this article. Each caption gives credit to
the person who took the picture. MA
Shirley Brenon
Murray Ross
[email protected]
Sources:
Best in the West Jet Rally
www.bestinthewestjets.org
CVRC Club
www.coachellarc.com
Alan Rockwell (photographer)
www.allenrockwell.com
George Muir (photographer)
www.cvrcclubvideos.com