District I - 2011/04
I am happy to say that more district club members have been sending me reports of their club’s aeromodeling events for publication in this column. The following report comes from the Green Mountain State of Vermont and was sent to me by Dave Dress, the secretary and treasurer of his club.
Rutland Fun Fly and Air Show — July 24, 2010
On Saturday, July 24, 2010, the Rutland County RC Flyers (RCRCF) held its 4th Annual Rutland Fun Fly and Air Show. The club’s flying site is located in southwestern Vermont on the Fair Haven Airport abutting New York. Each year this event just keeps getting bigger and better. The hospitality of the club members, the exceptional unobstructed flying site with a hard surface and grass runway, and the beautiful surroundings contribute to the attendance.
Sunday turned out to be a nice, warm, calm day and attracted pilots and spectators from Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Nearly every type and size of model aircraft was flown, including:
- electric-powered models
- nitro- and gas-powered sport and scale warbirds
- giant 3‑D aerobatic planes
Each flight drew applause from the spectators.
Adding to the excitement was press coverage from the Rutland Herald by reporter Gordon Dritschilo, who was on hand to take pictures and interview many of the pilots in attendance. The article, titled "Model Planes Show Their Right Stuff," was a feature story in the Sunday paper.
Included in the interview was David Dress, who told the reporter of his prowess with RC airplanes and that his favorite stunt maneuver was landing. Thirteen-year-old Mathew Becker, the youngest pilot at the event, told how he learned to fly with the help of club instructors when he was 8. Becker said he loves the camaraderie among pilots and the excitement of doing stunts.
Club President Brian Reed talked about his scale Weeks Solution and how he built the plane from scratch. Roger Smith explained the origin of his giant scale World War II P-47 and demonstrated its flight realism.
Phil Camp told the reporter that when he was a kid he built plastic models and thought it would be cool if he could fly them; that’s why later in life he got into RC building and flying. The article concluded by directing the reader to the club Web site at www.rcflyers.org.
Dave told me that the upshot of this event was an invitation from the West Rutland town manager to host a club event on town property. This year you might want to take your partner for a weekend vacation to attend this great event, enjoy the magnificent scenery, and view some of the marble-sheathed Victorian mansions in Vermont.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
