District I - 2010/11

164 MODEL AVIATION
DISTRICT I’S Contest Board member,
Lloyd Burnham, sent us the following Pylon
Racing report:
“The Northern Connecticut Radio
Control Club (NCRCC) and the Northeast
Pylon Racing Organization (NEPRO) join
forces each August for their premier race
event of the year. The two-day race is
attended by 50-plus contestants racing AMA
424 Quickie 500 aircraft.
“Contest directors Dennis Thibodeau and
Kevin Cyr organize a first-class event each
year. This race is one of several activities
NCRCC does to raise money for the club and
to support modeling in general.
“NCRCC was chartered in 1962 and
immediately became known as an active
competition club, hosting many Pattern,
Racing, and Scale events each year. Along
with Dawn Patrols and Pylon Racing, the
club is now also noted for its mammoth
February auction each year, drawing
attendees from the entire Northeast.
“Under the leadership of President Bob
Laflamme and his executive board, NCRCC
purchased the 50-acre flying site in
Ellington, Connecticut in 2002 by selling
shares to its members and supporters and has
completely paid back all loans. The club
prides itself in being a responsible and
contributing organization to the town of
Ellington.
“NEPRO is a well-organized group,
bringing all its racing equipment to five
different clubs each year and has dedicated
programs to introduce Pylon Racing to
everyone. The Sportsman Program (firsttime
racers) is encouraged to fly any type
airplane, gas or electric, on the course with
the guidance of an experienced racer. The
winner receives a Thunder Tiger .40 engine
or a Viper ARF to further entice them into
racing.
“NEPRO’s racing format pits standard
and expert fliers together with the standards
flying only nine laps to the experts’ 10. The
one-lap handicap evens the field and many
standard fliers win their heats. When he or
she flies under 1:20 seconds, three times, (for
9 laps) they are moved to the expert ranks.
This format creates intense racing for all.
“Highlighting the weekend is a free-forall
cookout put on by NEPRO consisting of
150 ears of corn, pounds of sausages,
burgers, chicken, beans, etc. The field is
open for flying demos and general mayhem.
This is a big family affair attended by 100
friends, club members, and contestants.
“This year we honored Dave Doyle for
his many years of contributions and
dedication to NEPRO. Dave has retired and
is moving to Florida. He is well-known for
his involvement both locally and nationally.
Without him, racing would not have
flourished in the Northeast over the past 25
years.”
If this all sounds like something you
would like to do, please go to www.nepro
club.org and race with the greatest group of
people you’ll ever meet. Thank you,
NCRCC, NEPRO, and Lloyd Burnham for
this Pylon racing report.
AMA has more than 20 Special Interest
Groups (SIGs) engaged in many different
aspects of aeromodeling. If you belong to a
SIG and want to promote your area of the
sport, send me five or more digital photos
(750k up to 1mg in size) and a written
description of the event or activity (300-700
words) for publication in this column.
District I is all about friendship, flying, and
fun.
District I
Andy Argenio, District I Vice President; [email protected]
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Andy Argenio
3 Sheila Ln.,
Smithfield RI 02917;
Home: (401) 231-
6901; Work: (401)
231-5380
For a complete listing of district
officers and volunteers, please visit
the District 1 Web site at
www.amadistrict-i.org
D i s t r i c t I
Vinnie Langella’s prize for winning
Sportsman Class was a Thunder Tiger .40
engine.
(L-R) Race starters Guy Beaudoin and Patty
Thibodeau, CDs Dennis Thibodeau and Kevin
Cyr, with event winners Lloyd Burnham and
Ralph Rinaldi (AMA National Pylon
Champion).
CD Dennis Thibodeau congratulates Joe
Tropea, NEPRO president, for his third-place
finish.
Left: Dave Doyle and wife/caller Gloria show off their “Pylon Cake” and (right) the two
quarter-midget airplanes (R) they received as gifts for their many years of service to NEPRO.