District IV Report - 2012/05

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140 Model Aviation MAY 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
Vic Welland reported on the 2011
Carolina Speed Rally:
The Carolina Speed Rally, held June
29 at the Caldwell Aeromodelers’ field
in Hudson, North Carolina, was as
amazing as previous gatherings. The
field is located on a former landfill
provided by Caldwell County officials.
It is a great location. This year, the
registration fees were donated to the
Hickory Air Museum.
Pilots came from the Carolinas, and
one made the trip from Vermont! We
had 12 pilots, with 24 airplanes making
passes throughout the day.
The Carolina Speed Rally is a unique
RC event where—other than safety
checks, no turbines, and safe flying
practice—there are no rules regarding
what and who can participate. We
have timed everything from 30 mph
park flyers to helicopters. All variations
of Pylon Racing classes are common
entries, as well as some impressive
hotliners. Overpowered sport airplanes
are common, too.
The rally’s goal is to mimic the
Bonneville Salt Flats events from the
1950s and ’60s, where anyone with a
hopped-up vehicle could bring it out
and wring it out. Most of the pilots
in this crowd only know two throttle
settings: wide-open and off. One pilot
pushed his throttle stick so hard, trying
to get the most out of his airplane, that
he broke it!
The rally brings out the best in pilots
and models. Mike Rutchka, who has
attended every rally held, broke the
165 mph barrier. Chris Mays, from
Vermont, was eager to break his 149.9
speed. The smile on his face when
he walked back from the line was
priceless!
Seth Nagy’s fastest pass was 166.8;
Vic Welland set his personal best at
184.4 and hopes to break 200 at the
next rally.
We issue a Certificate of Speed for
each model making passes, listing the
runs and the average top speed. We
awarded stickers for achieving speeds
of more than 125 mph in 25 mph
increments. Two-hundred miles per
hour appeared to be the limit and Bill
Johansen was the only pilot to clear
that impressive hurdle in previous
years. Because 225 mph seemed far out
of reach, we didn’t make a sticker, but
Eric Meyers lit up the gun with 225.5.
We owe him a sticker!
The club does a great job supporting
this annual event. Lee Parker handles
the radar gun and participants and
spectators alike enjoy the smirk on
Don Bourdon’s face as he quietly
calls out the fastest speeds, getting
everyone’s attention.
Dave Groom handled public
relations and attracted a large crowd.
The local newspaper published articles
two days in a row with a front-page
picture in the Sunday edition.
Families came out with lawn chairs
and coolers; many of them had never
seen model airplanes fly. They were
treated to some of the fastest models
around and Mike McGarvey put on
a cooking demonstration that would
make an Iron Chef hungry.
A huge thank-you goes to Dalton
Sportswear for the hats, shirts, towels,
coffee cups, etc. Every pilot went
home with something to remember the
rally by. Thanks, John! Eddie Kaiser
also did a great job with pilot gifts.
The club website, www.caldwell
aeromodelers.com, has a full list of the
pilots and their aircraft. If you want to
know which types of engines/motors/
propellers/batteries/airframes go the
fastest, th is is a great resource.
We hope to see you this year!
Associate Vice Presidents: Josh Bunn, Zebulon NC; (919) 291-6374; [email protected]; Randy Elliot, Radford VA; (504) 239-0645; [email protected]; Ron
King, Gainesville VA; (703) 765-1608; [email protected]; John Kirchstein, Newark DE; (302) 731-2831; [email protected]; Jay Marsh, High Point NC; (336) 869-4844; jaymarsh@
ama-d4.org; Richard “Rick” Moreland, Edgewater MD; (301) 261-7366; [email protected]. RC Contest Coordinator: Andy Kane, 305 Natick Ct., Silver Spring MD 20905;
(301) 785-3022; [email protected]. FF and CL Contest Coordinator: John Tate, 10 Hanbury Ave., Portsmouth VA 23702; (757) 399-5376; [email protected]. Frequency/Safety
Coordinator: Bradford Booth Jr., Pleasant Garden NC; (336) 685-4064; [email protected]. Webmaster: Steve Moulton, Chesapeake VA; (757) 421-4545.
Bliss Teague
Vice President
District IV—Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia
[email protected]
625 5th Ave. S.W., Hickory NC 28602
Tel.: (828) 324-2164; www.amadistrict-iv.org
Bill Johanson smiles as he gets ready to fly his POGO EF-1 racer.
Chris Mays on his 149.9 pass getting some pointers on how to get the
fastest pass.