Each yEar Aunt Buzz and Uncle John
Brodak (shown together in the photo)
invite a few hundred of their special
friends to come to Carmichaels,
Pennsylvania, to frolic and compete with
special model airplanes in their back yard
in the rolling hills of southwestern
Pennsylvania.
This year’s event, held June 13-16, saw
273 entrants put up just less than 700
flights in a bewildering array of events
including Old-Time Stunt, Classic Stunt,
Profile, and PAMPA [Precision Aerobatics
Model Pilots Association] Stunt (with four
skill classes in each!). There was also
Clown Racing, Foxberg Racing, Speed
Limit Combat, Navy Carrier Classes I and
II, Profile Carrier, and Sportsman Carrier.
On the wild and different side, two
new, unusual events were added this year:
Junkyard Wars and Ladies Only Basic
Flight. A mother-and-daughter duo of
Jeanna and Olivia Mills from North
Carolina bracketed the ladies-only event.
Olivia was the youngest contestant ever to
attend the fly-in.
William Davis traveled up from North
Carolina and brought his daughter so she
could see what her dad was, and has been,
up to all these years. He was delighted to
see her having a fine time hanging out
with all the fliers and competing in the
ladies-only event. Sarah’s happiness might
have been the best Father’s Day gift
William has ever received!
Not to be slighted in any way were our
friends at the Scale circles, where Fun,
Profile, and Sport were contested. There
were some beautiful airplanes.
George Marenka’s B-17 was
impressive as a competition model, but he
went a step further and presented a flying
Scale demonstration to the entire group.
George flew his big model off the grass
circle on the green to the delight of many
of us who were unable to go up on the hill
to see the Big Heavy fly from the tarmac.
A most unusual competitor from northcentral
Pennsylvania attended; we here in
the Keystone area have come to know him
as “That 1⁄2A Guy.” Bob Crusan of Clarion
competed with a Scale World War II
Japanese autogiro. This little thing actually
flew off a part of the circle and would have
done all required of the larger entries if the
circle had been solid and not a doughnut!
Brodak Fly-In
Phil Spillman
January 2003 33
Super-slow or Speed Limit Combat has become a popular feature of the fly-in. It’s an exciting event! Will Hubin photo.
Appearance points for this array of beautiful models in PAMPA Stunt classes were judged on John’s front lawn! Brodak photo.
Profile Navy Carrier is another popular
event at the fly-in. Winner Gary Hull
performs a slow-speed run. Hubin photo.
Dan Banjock designed a custom shaft
drive for his Fun Scale WW I F.E.8. He
enjoys all aspects of Control Line. Hubin
photo.
Jack Jackson’s Fun Scale Fw 190D-9 is a
great performer. It looks like it could also
be used in Profile Stunt! Hubin photo.
34 M ODEL AVIATION
Photos as noted Graphic Design by Carla Kunz
One of the fly-in’s popular features is the free buffet dinner. Brodak photo.
Left: Frank Beatty and his Sport Scale Howard Pete. It won the event! Brodak photo.
Tom Dixon signals for the release of his new version of Bob
Baron’s Avanti. Tom finished third in Expert. Hubin photo.
Ryan Nau (L), Alex Kopka grind it out in Clown Racing. It’s good
to see so many youngsters enjoy the sport! Hubin photo.
Kevin Stewart flew his Naake to a win in Expert Classic Stunt.
He’s also the 2002 Nationals Senior Stunt champ! Hubin photo.
George Marenka finished second in Fun Scale competition with
his fabulous B-17—a real crowd-pleaser! Brodak photo.
Ed Culver (L) and John Brodak review documentation as they
perform the Scale static-judging duties. Brodak photo.
January 2003 35
James Skinner brought this powerful-looking Grumman F7F Tigercat to the fly-in. He
competed with it in the Fun Scale competition. Hubin photo.
Chris Jackson flew this colorful version of the Spitfire in the Fun Scale
category. Notice the shark-teeth trim! Phil Spillman photo.
Left: Bob Crusan—“That 1⁄2A Guy”—entered this unusual World War II
Japanese autogiro in Fun Scale. Spillman photo.
Al Knight of the famed New Jersey
Garden State Circle Burners club
launches a Clown Racer back into action.
Each Brodak Fly-In ends with multiple-airplane fun-fly. Philly
Flyers started this at first Brodak meet. Brodak photo.
Gary Lutz brought this spectacular Stuntress, which features a
sleek elliptical wing design. It’s nice! Brodak photo.
36 M ODEL AVIATION
January 2003 37
PaMPa
Beginner (14 entries)
1. Ryan Nau
2. Dick Hodge
3. Roger Johnson
4. John Jordan
5. David Courtney
Intermediate (27 entries)
1. Gil Reedy
2. Steven Mac Bride
3. Nick Erbs
4. Wes Eakin
5. Jim Brooks
Advanced (24 entries)
1. Andy Patterson
2. Clayton Berry
3. Al Knight
4. Garry Lutz
5. William Davis
Expert (20 entries)
1. Windy Urtnowski
2. Dan Banjock
3. Tom Dixon
4. Kent Tysor
5. Gerald Phelps
Profile Precision aerobatics
Beginner (12 entries)
1. Ryan Nau
2. David Courtney
3. Dick Hodge
4. David Reyes
5. Alex Courtney
Intermediate (20 entries)
1. Nick Erbs
2. Gil Reedy
3. Bob Reeves
4. Steven Mac Bride
5. John
Advanced (15 entries)
1. Terry McDowell
2. Clayton Berry
3. Price Reese
4. Chris Jackson
5. John Paris
Expert (8 entries)
1. Dale Berry
2. Dan Banjock
3. Mike Alimov
4. Jim Damerell
5. John Saunders
classic Stunt
Beginner (10 entries)
1. Dick Hodge
2. Roger Johnson
3. David Courtney
4. Alex Courtney
5. Ken LeLacheur
Intermediate (13 entries)
1. Eric Taylor
2. Bill Mitchell
3. Ron Lutz
4. Warren Wagner
5. Patrick Rowan
Advanced (18 entries)
1. Roy Trantham
2. Terry McDowell
3. Bob Zambelli
4. Tom McClain
5. Jim Svitko
Expert (10 entries)
1. Kevin Stewart
2. Tom Dixon
3. Gerald Phelps
4. Allen Goff
5. Robert Lampione
Old-Time Stunt
Beginner (5 entries)
1. Ryan Nau
2. Ken LeLacheur
3. Alex Courtney
4. David Courtney
5. Chris Saunders
Intermediate (8 entries)
1. Wes Eakin
2. Watt Moore
3. Clyde Ritchey
4. Bill Hubbard
5. Jim Brooks
Advanced (10 entries)
1. Andy Patterson
2. Phil Spillman
3. Roy Trantham
4. Bob Zambelli
5. Owen Richards
Expert (10 entries)
1. Terry McDowell
2. John Saunders
3. Jim Damerell
4. Dale Berry
5. John Paris
Ladies Only Basic Flight (5 entries)
1. Jeanna Mills
2. Susan Tarnofsky
3. Mary Phelps
4. Sarah Davis
5. Olivia Mills
Fun Scale (9 entries)
1. Chris Jackson
2. George Marenka
3. Dan Banjock
4. Jack Jackson
5. Robert Crusan
Profile Scale
1. Al Knight
2. Mary Knight
Sport Scale
1. Frank Beatty
2. Reuben Mac Bride
Foxberg racing
1. John Tate/Willis Swindell
2. Phil Spillman/Patrick Rowan
3. Ron Lutz/David Heinzman
4. Ryan Nau/friend
clown racing (11 entries)
1. Christina Saunders
2. Mary Knight
3. Dave Edwards
4. Ted Heinritz
5. Neal Beekman
carrier class I and II
1. Gary Hull
2. Arthur Johnson
carrier Profile
1. Gary Hull
2. Rich Essex
3. Price Reese
4. Arthur Johnson
carrier Sportsman
George Marenka
Speed Limit combat (10 entries)
1. Roy Glenn
2. Louis Lopez
3. Phil Cartier
4. Gil Reedy
5. Andy Patterson
Junkyard Wars T (team) (18 people)
1. Team Absurd: Dan Banjock and Ted
Heinritz
2. Cheat Like Crazy: Ward Van Duzer and
Tom Hampshire
3. B&B Stunt Team: Neal Beckman Bob
Brookins, and Bob Zambelli
4. Team Long Island: Mike Chiodo, John
Passalaqua and Duain Rothman
5. Team M&M Stunt: Sarah Davis, Jeanna
Mills, Olivia Mills, and Watt Moore.
2002
RESULTS
Brodak Fly-In
38 M ODEL AVIATION
It was amazing! Last year Bob competed
with a 1⁄2A Gee Bee with a working
throttle!
You have to get to the next edition of
this fly-in to see the many different models
in action! This is the largest Control Line
contest in the world!
Who did what in which event is quite a
list. It’s just as revealing to read who
finished out of the top three in each event
as it is to see who was included in the top
three. I’ve given you the results for the first
five spots in each category; please see the
sidebar.
The judges were as follows: Old-Time
Stunt Beginner, Bob Brookins and Wayne
Buran; Intermediate, Dan Banjock and Carl
Lovins; Advanced, Ted Heinritz and Terry
McDowell; Expert, Williams Davis and
Bob Zambelli; Profile Stunt Beginner, Dale
Barry and Watt Moore; Intermediate, Mike
Alimov and Kevin Stewart; Advanced,
Kenneth Dawson and Allen Goff; Expert,
Ed Culver and Kent Tysor; Classic Stunt
Beginner, Wes Eakin and Reuben Mac
Bride; Intermediate, me and Clayton Berry;
Advanced, Jim Damerell and Andy
Patterson; Expert, Kent Tysor and Jim
Renkar; PAMPA Beginner, Bob Brookins
and Lynn Stewart; Intermediate, Tom
McClain and Scott Richlen; Advanced,
Richard Houser and David Midgley;
Expert, Doug Taffinder and Woody
Midgley; Junkyard Wars, Kevin Stewart.
as I age, I am grateful to be able to return
to events such as this. However, each year
a few more of our number pass away. At
this event a sober moment was marked by
the prayers and eulogy by Father Regis
Roda, a fellow modeler, who eloquently
made note of our departed. Al Knight
played a stylized version of the national
anthem while Dan Banjock flew his
double-sized Flight Streak draped in red,
white, and blue. Many of us shared happy
afternoons flying and enjoying the designs
of those remembered.
In light of this, it is clearly in the
interest of the survival of our sport that we
recruit and nurture newcomers to our ranks.
We need to accentuate the positive and
make it easier for new people to join us to
promote our sport.
An excellent example of who we are
was reflected in Neal Beekman: this year’s
Keeper of the Sport Award winner. Neal is
a retired New York Fire Department
member who came out of retirement to
help with the search-and-rescue work after
the events of 9/11/01 at Ground Zero. Neal
has been a loyal supporter of the fly-in
since its inception six years ago. It was
clear by his reaction that he felt truly
moved by winning this award. He earned it,
and we are proud of him and his efforts.
Family reunions in general have never
been too high on my list of things to
attend. The Brodak Fly-In mimics a
family reunion and is a must-attend thing
for me! Our activity is a sport, but it is
also a social, therapeutic thing. We owe it
to ourselves to continue to attract new
members to our group, this family of ours,
by attending this event and others like it.
Please join the family and come to next
year’s reunion on Father’s Day weekend
in Carmichaels. Uncle John and Aunt
Buzz Brodak would love to see you! MA
Phil Spillman
350 Butterfly Ln.
Hermitage PA 16148
