District I
The International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) Mini-Fest is one great event. I haven’t been able to attend for the past four years because each year I am in New Hampshire at a family reunion.
The event was covered this year by our new District I Associate Vice President Andrew Figlar. The following is his report.
Report by Andrew Figlar
The Wintonbury Flying Club, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was the hosting club for the Central Connecticut Scale Squadron (IMAA Chapter 392) Giant Scale Mini-Festival. It was the seventh time that this club’s spacious flying site, with both a paved and a grass runway, hosted this popular Labor Day weekend event. It was a beautiful but windy weekend as Hurricane Earl was passing out to sea.
Bill Unghire, who replaced Tim Adams as the IMAA director for District I, said this Mini-Festival has become one of the premier flying events, attracting 70 pilots and more than 100 giant-scale aircraft from AMA members of Districts I and II. The diversity of model aircraft types included scale warbirds from all eras, sport planes, and aerobatic models.
I was impressed by the flying skills of the pilots and their air-show performances, especially the World War I warbirds, a trio of World War II Mustangs, and the P-61 Black Widow with two screaming Magnum .52s shown in the photo.
Event manager Joan Liska coordinated the flying, organized the flight line, and provided the spectators with very colorful and knowledgeable commentary as the stunt and giant-scale warbirds took to the windy skies.
Joan’s husband, Ron — builder, pilot, and co-owner of the Curtis Jenny and of a 102-inch-wingspan P-51D Mustang decked out in an uncommon blue Royal Canadian Air Force World War II scheme — also doubled as event contest director.
The highlight of Sunday’s flying was the trio of Mustangs flying in combat formation across the windswept field. They roared on the deck, one inverted and the third trailing, turning in formation several times to the delight of the crowd of spectators.
Thanks, Andrew.
More information
- Website: www.fly-imaa.org
- Contact: Bill Unghire — [email protected]
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
