Approximately a week before the 2012 Clover Creek Invitational in Toone, Tennessee, pilots began arriving,
and the weather, with clear skies and light winds, couldn’t have been better. Judges and pilots hailed from the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Puerto Rico, Australia, and across the US.
The pilots were excited to compete for the $20,000 first-place prize; however, with Hurricane Isaac moving onto the Gulf Coast and predicted to head straight toward Tennessee, holding the Labor Day weekend invitational did not look promising.
By Wednesday afternoon, the weather forecasters had predicted a 40% chance of rain on the opening day of the contest, and then a washout for the remainder of the event. With only a few hours remaining until the pilots’ meeting, the event staff had a brief chat and decided to change Thursday’s schedule of events.
David Moser, backed by his caller, Tony Russo, flew some nice Freestyle routines throughout the event with his Hanger 9 100cc Extra 300.
Pilots gathered around the
scores when they were posted.
Photo provided by Higher Plane
Productions.
Third-place nisher Kurt
Koelling walks to the pilot
station to begin his Known
sequence on Friday. Kurt’s
aircra of choice is the
Carden 124 Pro powered by a
DA 200 with KS canisters.
Nicolas Detry, from France, prepares for his Unknown sequence.
Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
Photos by the author except as noted.
The changes were announced and the 16 pilots were
receptive, receiving instructions to be at the fl ying fi eld and
ready to fl y at 7 a.m. The meeting concluded with drawing
for the fl ight order, and the Unknown A maneuvers were
handed out.
Thursday morning arrived and the invitational started
on time. The fi rst pilot took to the air and the event was
underway. A few times the weather forced the fl ying to
stop to allow mild showers to pass, but 96 fl ights were still
logged and the fl ying fi nished at 7:05 p.m.
The fl ights included four single-sequence Known A
rounds, an Unknown A sequence, and even a Freestyle
round. The pilots worked tirelessly and poured every ounce
of energy into their fl ying, because it could have been the
only day they could fl y. Friday’s weather forecast predicted
a 70% chance of rain.
The rest of the weekend remained scheduled as it was
originally planned. Friday consisted of fl ying Unknown
B, Known B single sequence, Freestyle number two, and
another round of Known B single sequence. The pilots were
able to get all scheduled fl ying
in on Friday and Saturday!
Saturday’s fl ying ended
with a fantastic sunset and
people left to get ready for the
6:30 p.m. banquet. The food,
prepared by Tina Schroder,
Pam Moser, and Cheryl
Jorgenson, was delicious. These women provided food for
the volunteers, event staff, and judges every day and night
throughout the week!
During the banquet, the attendees were treated to a
25-minute video of fantastic footage compiled by a family
friend of French pilot Nicolas Detry. He had taken video
clips throughout the fi rst three days of competition and the
video was enjoyable to watch.
24 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 24 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Nicolas Pinzon, from Canada, placed fourth. Nick laid it on the line on the final day of competition!
Filippo Materazzi,
from Italy, goes
through the motions
moments before his
Freestyle routine.
Filippo flew some
beautiful routines
that were well
choreographed to his
music.
John Schroder,
event host, posed
with the Fly Low Girl
from Higher Plane
Productions. Photo
provided by Higher
Plane Productions.
CD Joe Cutright acknowledged the volunteers during the
banquet by calling them up individually and allowing them
to choose prizes that were graciously donated by some of the
sponsors. He thanked the event staff and judges as well.
The primary purpose of the banquet, however, was to
announce the top 10 finalists who would compete on Sunday,
the final day of competition.
With such talented pilots, it was hard to announce the
standings of those who placed 11th through 16th. All of the
competitors are accomplished and deserved to make the cut,
but only the top 10 finalists would compete on Sunday.
Gernot Bruckmann was announced as the first-place
qualifier after three days of competition. He finished with a
perfect raw score and was more than 500 points in front of
second place! It was safe to say that Gernot had come well
prepared for the invitational.
The top 10 pilots to move forward were Gernot, Jason
Shulman, David Moser, Nicolas Pinzon, Kurt Koelling, Frank
Noll Jr., Nicolas Detry, Gabriel Altuz Jr., Matthew Stringer,
and Will Berninger.
On Sunday, the finalists started a new contest with a clean
slate. They flew two single-sequence rounds of Known C,
Unknown D and E, as well as two Freestyle rounds. Each pilot
kept his best score in each category.
Had there been a tie on the final day,
the judges would have gone back to
Saturday’s final standings to determine
the winner.
The Sunday weather forecast was for
no chance of rain—wrong again! There
were some light sprinkles in the morning
and the wind picked up for a while,
but by the end of the day, the sun was shining. The flying was
spectacular.
Nicolas Detry’s aircraft received some structural damage
that prevented him from finishing the contest. David Moser’s
aircraft also sustained some damage early in the flight of his
last Known sequence, yet he continued to fly his aircraft to
finish the contest.
Kurt Koelling pushed the envelope as well, crashing his
Freestyle airplane
in an adjacent
bean field during
his last flight. His
aircraft received
www.ModelAviation.com April 2013 Model Aviation 25
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 25 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Dalton Aviation
Budweiser
Monster Energy
Drink
Desert Aircraft
AeroWorks
Higher Plane
Productions
Sew Busy Custom
Embroidery
RC Sport Flyer
Classic Awards and
Engraving
Horizon Hobby
PowerBox Systems
Aircraft
International
JTEC
Radiowave
Hobbico
Smart-Fly
Chili’s
Outback
Steakhouse
Performance
Aircraft Unlimited
Handibond USA
Tru-Turn Precision
Model Products
Krill Models
JR Propo
Mejzlik
Modellbau
Emcotec
Sponsors The top three winners were Gernot Bruckmann, rst place; David Moser,
second place; and Kurt Koelling, third place. Only 29 points separated
rst place and second place. Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
AMA works for you to protect your right to fly. The paid advertisement opposite this page references
First Person View (FPV) flying equipment. Please note FPV equipment should only be used in
accordance with AMA guidelines. Contact AMA at www.modelaircra .org for more information.
minor damage and will be able to fl y again.
Gernot Bruckmann fl ew some well-choreographed Freestyle
routines and was on the mark as usual. Gabriel Altuz was the
last pilot to fl y Freestyle and he put on a memorable show,
allowing him to win that round.
The pilots gave everything they had and were mentally
exhausted by the end of the competition. They fl ew like the
true champions they are and all should be proud of how they
fi nished. The competitors were some of the best pilots in the
world!
With all of the scores tallied, Gernot Bruckmann pulled off
the win, only 29 points in front of second-place fi nisher David
Moser. Kurt Koelling was third, followed in order by Nicolas
Pinzon, Jason Shulman, Gabriel Altuz, Matthew Stringer, Will
Berninger, Nicolas Detry, and Frank Noll.
The 2012 Clover Creek Invitational was a success! Debuting
in 2008, the Clover Creek event is known worldwide.
Thank you to all who attended and made this event what it
was!
—Joe Cutright
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Clover Creek Aerodrome Higher Plane Productions
www.clovercreekaerodrome.net http://higherplaneproductions.com
26 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 26 2/19/13 2:02 PM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 23,24,25,26
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 23,24,25,26
Approximately a week before the 2012 Clover Creek Invitational in Toone, Tennessee, pilots began arriving,
and the weather, with clear skies and light winds, couldn’t have been better. Judges and pilots hailed from the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Puerto Rico, Australia, and across the US.
The pilots were excited to compete for the $20,000 first-place prize; however, with Hurricane Isaac moving onto the Gulf Coast and predicted to head straight toward Tennessee, holding the Labor Day weekend invitational did not look promising.
By Wednesday afternoon, the weather forecasters had predicted a 40% chance of rain on the opening day of the contest, and then a washout for the remainder of the event. With only a few hours remaining until the pilots’ meeting, the event staff had a brief chat and decided to change Thursday’s schedule of events.
David Moser, backed by his caller, Tony Russo, flew some nice Freestyle routines throughout the event with his Hanger 9 100cc Extra 300.
Pilots gathered around the
scores when they were posted.
Photo provided by Higher Plane
Productions.
Third-place nisher Kurt
Koelling walks to the pilot
station to begin his Known
sequence on Friday. Kurt’s
aircra of choice is the
Carden 124 Pro powered by a
DA 200 with KS canisters.
Nicolas Detry, from France, prepares for his Unknown sequence.
Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
Photos by the author except as noted.
The changes were announced and the 16 pilots were
receptive, receiving instructions to be at the fl ying fi eld and
ready to fl y at 7 a.m. The meeting concluded with drawing
for the fl ight order, and the Unknown A maneuvers were
handed out.
Thursday morning arrived and the invitational started
on time. The fi rst pilot took to the air and the event was
underway. A few times the weather forced the fl ying to
stop to allow mild showers to pass, but 96 fl ights were still
logged and the fl ying fi nished at 7:05 p.m.
The fl ights included four single-sequence Known A
rounds, an Unknown A sequence, and even a Freestyle
round. The pilots worked tirelessly and poured every ounce
of energy into their fl ying, because it could have been the
only day they could fl y. Friday’s weather forecast predicted
a 70% chance of rain.
The rest of the weekend remained scheduled as it was
originally planned. Friday consisted of fl ying Unknown
B, Known B single sequence, Freestyle number two, and
another round of Known B single sequence. The pilots were
able to get all scheduled fl ying
in on Friday and Saturday!
Saturday’s fl ying ended
with a fantastic sunset and
people left to get ready for the
6:30 p.m. banquet. The food,
prepared by Tina Schroder,
Pam Moser, and Cheryl
Jorgenson, was delicious. These women provided food for
the volunteers, event staff, and judges every day and night
throughout the week!
During the banquet, the attendees were treated to a
25-minute video of fantastic footage compiled by a family
friend of French pilot Nicolas Detry. He had taken video
clips throughout the fi rst three days of competition and the
video was enjoyable to watch.
24 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 24 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Nicolas Pinzon, from Canada, placed fourth. Nick laid it on the line on the final day of competition!
Filippo Materazzi,
from Italy, goes
through the motions
moments before his
Freestyle routine.
Filippo flew some
beautiful routines
that were well
choreographed to his
music.
John Schroder,
event host, posed
with the Fly Low Girl
from Higher Plane
Productions. Photo
provided by Higher
Plane Productions.
CD Joe Cutright acknowledged the volunteers during the
banquet by calling them up individually and allowing them
to choose prizes that were graciously donated by some of the
sponsors. He thanked the event staff and judges as well.
The primary purpose of the banquet, however, was to
announce the top 10 finalists who would compete on Sunday,
the final day of competition.
With such talented pilots, it was hard to announce the
standings of those who placed 11th through 16th. All of the
competitors are accomplished and deserved to make the cut,
but only the top 10 finalists would compete on Sunday.
Gernot Bruckmann was announced as the first-place
qualifier after three days of competition. He finished with a
perfect raw score and was more than 500 points in front of
second place! It was safe to say that Gernot had come well
prepared for the invitational.
The top 10 pilots to move forward were Gernot, Jason
Shulman, David Moser, Nicolas Pinzon, Kurt Koelling, Frank
Noll Jr., Nicolas Detry, Gabriel Altuz Jr., Matthew Stringer,
and Will Berninger.
On Sunday, the finalists started a new contest with a clean
slate. They flew two single-sequence rounds of Known C,
Unknown D and E, as well as two Freestyle rounds. Each pilot
kept his best score in each category.
Had there been a tie on the final day,
the judges would have gone back to
Saturday’s final standings to determine
the winner.
The Sunday weather forecast was for
no chance of rain—wrong again! There
were some light sprinkles in the morning
and the wind picked up for a while,
but by the end of the day, the sun was shining. The flying was
spectacular.
Nicolas Detry’s aircraft received some structural damage
that prevented him from finishing the contest. David Moser’s
aircraft also sustained some damage early in the flight of his
last Known sequence, yet he continued to fly his aircraft to
finish the contest.
Kurt Koelling pushed the envelope as well, crashing his
Freestyle airplane
in an adjacent
bean field during
his last flight. His
aircraft received
www.ModelAviation.com April 2013 Model Aviation 25
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 25 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Dalton Aviation
Budweiser
Monster Energy
Drink
Desert Aircraft
AeroWorks
Higher Plane
Productions
Sew Busy Custom
Embroidery
RC Sport Flyer
Classic Awards and
Engraving
Horizon Hobby
PowerBox Systems
Aircraft
International
JTEC
Radiowave
Hobbico
Smart-Fly
Chili’s
Outback
Steakhouse
Performance
Aircraft Unlimited
Handibond USA
Tru-Turn Precision
Model Products
Krill Models
JR Propo
Mejzlik
Modellbau
Emcotec
Sponsors The top three winners were Gernot Bruckmann, rst place; David Moser,
second place; and Kurt Koelling, third place. Only 29 points separated
rst place and second place. Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
AMA works for you to protect your right to fly. The paid advertisement opposite this page references
First Person View (FPV) flying equipment. Please note FPV equipment should only be used in
accordance with AMA guidelines. Contact AMA at www.modelaircra .org for more information.
minor damage and will be able to fl y again.
Gernot Bruckmann fl ew some well-choreographed Freestyle
routines and was on the mark as usual. Gabriel Altuz was the
last pilot to fl y Freestyle and he put on a memorable show,
allowing him to win that round.
The pilots gave everything they had and were mentally
exhausted by the end of the competition. They fl ew like the
true champions they are and all should be proud of how they
fi nished. The competitors were some of the best pilots in the
world!
With all of the scores tallied, Gernot Bruckmann pulled off
the win, only 29 points in front of second-place fi nisher David
Moser. Kurt Koelling was third, followed in order by Nicolas
Pinzon, Jason Shulman, Gabriel Altuz, Matthew Stringer, Will
Berninger, Nicolas Detry, and Frank Noll.
The 2012 Clover Creek Invitational was a success! Debuting
in 2008, the Clover Creek event is known worldwide.
Thank you to all who attended and made this event what it
was!
—Joe Cutright
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Clover Creek Aerodrome Higher Plane Productions
www.clovercreekaerodrome.net http://higherplaneproductions.com
26 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 26 2/19/13 2:02 PM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 23,24,25,26
Approximately a week before the 2012 Clover Creek Invitational in Toone, Tennessee, pilots began arriving,
and the weather, with clear skies and light winds, couldn’t have been better. Judges and pilots hailed from the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Puerto Rico, Australia, and across the US.
The pilots were excited to compete for the $20,000 first-place prize; however, with Hurricane Isaac moving onto the Gulf Coast and predicted to head straight toward Tennessee, holding the Labor Day weekend invitational did not look promising.
By Wednesday afternoon, the weather forecasters had predicted a 40% chance of rain on the opening day of the contest, and then a washout for the remainder of the event. With only a few hours remaining until the pilots’ meeting, the event staff had a brief chat and decided to change Thursday’s schedule of events.
David Moser, backed by his caller, Tony Russo, flew some nice Freestyle routines throughout the event with his Hanger 9 100cc Extra 300.
Pilots gathered around the
scores when they were posted.
Photo provided by Higher Plane
Productions.
Third-place nisher Kurt
Koelling walks to the pilot
station to begin his Known
sequence on Friday. Kurt’s
aircra of choice is the
Carden 124 Pro powered by a
DA 200 with KS canisters.
Nicolas Detry, from France, prepares for his Unknown sequence.
Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
Photos by the author except as noted.
The changes were announced and the 16 pilots were
receptive, receiving instructions to be at the fl ying fi eld and
ready to fl y at 7 a.m. The meeting concluded with drawing
for the fl ight order, and the Unknown A maneuvers were
handed out.
Thursday morning arrived and the invitational started
on time. The fi rst pilot took to the air and the event was
underway. A few times the weather forced the fl ying to
stop to allow mild showers to pass, but 96 fl ights were still
logged and the fl ying fi nished at 7:05 p.m.
The fl ights included four single-sequence Known A
rounds, an Unknown A sequence, and even a Freestyle
round. The pilots worked tirelessly and poured every ounce
of energy into their fl ying, because it could have been the
only day they could fl y. Friday’s weather forecast predicted
a 70% chance of rain.
The rest of the weekend remained scheduled as it was
originally planned. Friday consisted of fl ying Unknown
B, Known B single sequence, Freestyle number two, and
another round of Known B single sequence. The pilots were
able to get all scheduled fl ying
in on Friday and Saturday!
Saturday’s fl ying ended
with a fantastic sunset and
people left to get ready for the
6:30 p.m. banquet. The food,
prepared by Tina Schroder,
Pam Moser, and Cheryl
Jorgenson, was delicious. These women provided food for
the volunteers, event staff, and judges every day and night
throughout the week!
During the banquet, the attendees were treated to a
25-minute video of fantastic footage compiled by a family
friend of French pilot Nicolas Detry. He had taken video
clips throughout the fi rst three days of competition and the
video was enjoyable to watch.
24 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 24 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Nicolas Pinzon, from Canada, placed fourth. Nick laid it on the line on the final day of competition!
Filippo Materazzi,
from Italy, goes
through the motions
moments before his
Freestyle routine.
Filippo flew some
beautiful routines
that were well
choreographed to his
music.
John Schroder,
event host, posed
with the Fly Low Girl
from Higher Plane
Productions. Photo
provided by Higher
Plane Productions.
CD Joe Cutright acknowledged the volunteers during the
banquet by calling them up individually and allowing them
to choose prizes that were graciously donated by some of the
sponsors. He thanked the event staff and judges as well.
The primary purpose of the banquet, however, was to
announce the top 10 finalists who would compete on Sunday,
the final day of competition.
With such talented pilots, it was hard to announce the
standings of those who placed 11th through 16th. All of the
competitors are accomplished and deserved to make the cut,
but only the top 10 finalists would compete on Sunday.
Gernot Bruckmann was announced as the first-place
qualifier after three days of competition. He finished with a
perfect raw score and was more than 500 points in front of
second place! It was safe to say that Gernot had come well
prepared for the invitational.
The top 10 pilots to move forward were Gernot, Jason
Shulman, David Moser, Nicolas Pinzon, Kurt Koelling, Frank
Noll Jr., Nicolas Detry, Gabriel Altuz Jr., Matthew Stringer,
and Will Berninger.
On Sunday, the finalists started a new contest with a clean
slate. They flew two single-sequence rounds of Known C,
Unknown D and E, as well as two Freestyle rounds. Each pilot
kept his best score in each category.
Had there been a tie on the final day,
the judges would have gone back to
Saturday’s final standings to determine
the winner.
The Sunday weather forecast was for
no chance of rain—wrong again! There
were some light sprinkles in the morning
and the wind picked up for a while,
but by the end of the day, the sun was shining. The flying was
spectacular.
Nicolas Detry’s aircraft received some structural damage
that prevented him from finishing the contest. David Moser’s
aircraft also sustained some damage early in the flight of his
last Known sequence, yet he continued to fly his aircraft to
finish the contest.
Kurt Koelling pushed the envelope as well, crashing his
Freestyle airplane
in an adjacent
bean field during
his last flight. His
aircraft received
www.ModelAviation.com April 2013 Model Aviation 25
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 25 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Dalton Aviation
Budweiser
Monster Energy
Drink
Desert Aircraft
AeroWorks
Higher Plane
Productions
Sew Busy Custom
Embroidery
RC Sport Flyer
Classic Awards and
Engraving
Horizon Hobby
PowerBox Systems
Aircraft
International
JTEC
Radiowave
Hobbico
Smart-Fly
Chili’s
Outback
Steakhouse
Performance
Aircraft Unlimited
Handibond USA
Tru-Turn Precision
Model Products
Krill Models
JR Propo
Mejzlik
Modellbau
Emcotec
Sponsors The top three winners were Gernot Bruckmann, rst place; David Moser,
second place; and Kurt Koelling, third place. Only 29 points separated
rst place and second place. Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
AMA works for you to protect your right to fly. The paid advertisement opposite this page references
First Person View (FPV) flying equipment. Please note FPV equipment should only be used in
accordance with AMA guidelines. Contact AMA at www.modelaircra .org for more information.
minor damage and will be able to fl y again.
Gernot Bruckmann fl ew some well-choreographed Freestyle
routines and was on the mark as usual. Gabriel Altuz was the
last pilot to fl y Freestyle and he put on a memorable show,
allowing him to win that round.
The pilots gave everything they had and were mentally
exhausted by the end of the competition. They fl ew like the
true champions they are and all should be proud of how they
fi nished. The competitors were some of the best pilots in the
world!
With all of the scores tallied, Gernot Bruckmann pulled off
the win, only 29 points in front of second-place fi nisher David
Moser. Kurt Koelling was third, followed in order by Nicolas
Pinzon, Jason Shulman, Gabriel Altuz, Matthew Stringer, Will
Berninger, Nicolas Detry, and Frank Noll.
The 2012 Clover Creek Invitational was a success! Debuting
in 2008, the Clover Creek event is known worldwide.
Thank you to all who attended and made this event what it
was!
—Joe Cutright
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Clover Creek Aerodrome Higher Plane Productions
www.clovercreekaerodrome.net http://higherplaneproductions.com
26 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 26 2/19/13 2:02 PM
Edition: Model Aviation - 2013/04
Page Numbers: 23,24,25,26
Approximately a week before the 2012 Clover Creek Invitational in Toone, Tennessee, pilots began arriving,
and the weather, with clear skies and light winds, couldn’t have been better. Judges and pilots hailed from the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, France, Italy, Austria, Puerto Rico, Australia, and across the US.
The pilots were excited to compete for the $20,000 first-place prize; however, with Hurricane Isaac moving onto the Gulf Coast and predicted to head straight toward Tennessee, holding the Labor Day weekend invitational did not look promising.
By Wednesday afternoon, the weather forecasters had predicted a 40% chance of rain on the opening day of the contest, and then a washout for the remainder of the event. With only a few hours remaining until the pilots’ meeting, the event staff had a brief chat and decided to change Thursday’s schedule of events.
David Moser, backed by his caller, Tony Russo, flew some nice Freestyle routines throughout the event with his Hanger 9 100cc Extra 300.
Pilots gathered around the
scores when they were posted.
Photo provided by Higher Plane
Productions.
Third-place nisher Kurt
Koelling walks to the pilot
station to begin his Known
sequence on Friday. Kurt’s
aircra of choice is the
Carden 124 Pro powered by a
DA 200 with KS canisters.
Nicolas Detry, from France, prepares for his Unknown sequence.
Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
Photos by the author except as noted.
The changes were announced and the 16 pilots were
receptive, receiving instructions to be at the fl ying fi eld and
ready to fl y at 7 a.m. The meeting concluded with drawing
for the fl ight order, and the Unknown A maneuvers were
handed out.
Thursday morning arrived and the invitational started
on time. The fi rst pilot took to the air and the event was
underway. A few times the weather forced the fl ying to
stop to allow mild showers to pass, but 96 fl ights were still
logged and the fl ying fi nished at 7:05 p.m.
The fl ights included four single-sequence Known A
rounds, an Unknown A sequence, and even a Freestyle
round. The pilots worked tirelessly and poured every ounce
of energy into their fl ying, because it could have been the
only day they could fl y. Friday’s weather forecast predicted
a 70% chance of rain.
The rest of the weekend remained scheduled as it was
originally planned. Friday consisted of fl ying Unknown
B, Known B single sequence, Freestyle number two, and
another round of Known B single sequence. The pilots were
able to get all scheduled fl ying
in on Friday and Saturday!
Saturday’s fl ying ended
with a fantastic sunset and
people left to get ready for the
6:30 p.m. banquet. The food,
prepared by Tina Schroder,
Pam Moser, and Cheryl
Jorgenson, was delicious. These women provided food for
the volunteers, event staff, and judges every day and night
throughout the week!
During the banquet, the attendees were treated to a
25-minute video of fantastic footage compiled by a family
friend of French pilot Nicolas Detry. He had taken video
clips throughout the fi rst three days of competition and the
video was enjoyable to watch.
24 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 24 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Nicolas Pinzon, from Canada, placed fourth. Nick laid it on the line on the final day of competition!
Filippo Materazzi,
from Italy, goes
through the motions
moments before his
Freestyle routine.
Filippo flew some
beautiful routines
that were well
choreographed to his
music.
John Schroder,
event host, posed
with the Fly Low Girl
from Higher Plane
Productions. Photo
provided by Higher
Plane Productions.
CD Joe Cutright acknowledged the volunteers during the
banquet by calling them up individually and allowing them
to choose prizes that were graciously donated by some of the
sponsors. He thanked the event staff and judges as well.
The primary purpose of the banquet, however, was to
announce the top 10 finalists who would compete on Sunday,
the final day of competition.
With such talented pilots, it was hard to announce the
standings of those who placed 11th through 16th. All of the
competitors are accomplished and deserved to make the cut,
but only the top 10 finalists would compete on Sunday.
Gernot Bruckmann was announced as the first-place
qualifier after three days of competition. He finished with a
perfect raw score and was more than 500 points in front of
second place! It was safe to say that Gernot had come well
prepared for the invitational.
The top 10 pilots to move forward were Gernot, Jason
Shulman, David Moser, Nicolas Pinzon, Kurt Koelling, Frank
Noll Jr., Nicolas Detry, Gabriel Altuz Jr., Matthew Stringer,
and Will Berninger.
On Sunday, the finalists started a new contest with a clean
slate. They flew two single-sequence rounds of Known C,
Unknown D and E, as well as two Freestyle rounds. Each pilot
kept his best score in each category.
Had there been a tie on the final day,
the judges would have gone back to
Saturday’s final standings to determine
the winner.
The Sunday weather forecast was for
no chance of rain—wrong again! There
were some light sprinkles in the morning
and the wind picked up for a while,
but by the end of the day, the sun was shining. The flying was
spectacular.
Nicolas Detry’s aircraft received some structural damage
that prevented him from finishing the contest. David Moser’s
aircraft also sustained some damage early in the flight of his
last Known sequence, yet he continued to fly his aircraft to
finish the contest.
Kurt Koelling pushed the envelope as well, crashing his
Freestyle airplane
in an adjacent
bean field during
his last flight. His
aircraft received
www.ModelAviation.com April 2013 Model Aviation 25
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 25 2/19/13 2:01 PM
Dalton Aviation
Budweiser
Monster Energy
Drink
Desert Aircraft
AeroWorks
Higher Plane
Productions
Sew Busy Custom
Embroidery
RC Sport Flyer
Classic Awards and
Engraving
Horizon Hobby
PowerBox Systems
Aircraft
International
JTEC
Radiowave
Hobbico
Smart-Fly
Chili’s
Outback
Steakhouse
Performance
Aircraft Unlimited
Handibond USA
Tru-Turn Precision
Model Products
Krill Models
JR Propo
Mejzlik
Modellbau
Emcotec
Sponsors The top three winners were Gernot Bruckmann, rst place; David Moser,
second place; and Kurt Koelling, third place. Only 29 points separated
rst place and second place. Photo provided by Higher Plane Productions.
AMA works for you to protect your right to fly. The paid advertisement opposite this page references
First Person View (FPV) flying equipment. Please note FPV equipment should only be used in
accordance with AMA guidelines. Contact AMA at www.modelaircra .org for more information.
minor damage and will be able to fl y again.
Gernot Bruckmann fl ew some well-choreographed Freestyle
routines and was on the mark as usual. Gabriel Altuz was the
last pilot to fl y Freestyle and he put on a memorable show,
allowing him to win that round.
The pilots gave everything they had and were mentally
exhausted by the end of the competition. They fl ew like the
true champions they are and all should be proud of how they
fi nished. The competitors were some of the best pilots in the
world!
With all of the scores tallied, Gernot Bruckmann pulled off
the win, only 29 points in front of second-place fi nisher David
Moser. Kurt Koelling was third, followed in order by Nicolas
Pinzon, Jason Shulman, Gabriel Altuz, Matthew Stringer, Will
Berninger, Nicolas Detry, and Frank Noll.
The 2012 Clover Creek Invitational was a success! Debuting
in 2008, the Clover Creek event is known worldwide.
Thank you to all who attended and made this event what it
was!
—Joe Cutright
[email protected]
SOURCES:
Clover Creek Aerodrome Higher Plane Productions
www.clovercreekaerodrome.net http://higherplaneproductions.com
26 Model Aviation APRIL 2013 www.ModelAviation.com
023-026_CloverCreek.indd 26 2/19/13 2:02 PM
