District XI Report - 2009/11
Associate Vice President
I am pleased to announce that Bruce Harlow, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, has agreed to be an associate vice president for District XI. Bruce came highly recommended. Welcome to the team. Contact Bruce at [email protected].
Warbirds over Whatcom and Fun-Fly (August 1–2)
The Bell Air R/C Flyers Club of Bellingham, Washington, hosted its Fourth Annual Warbirds over Whatcom and Fun-Fly on August 1–2. This event is a fine example of what can be accomplished when many club members participate in the preparation and operation of an activity.
The efforts of the club members were greatly appreciated by all who attended. The club is fortunate to have an excellent professional photographer among its membership: John Vanderhage provided great photo coverage.
The weather was fantastic for the two-day event, which was attended by 30 pilots and 58 model aircraft.
Special Guest
On Saturday, the club was honored to have as a guest Joseph F. Moser, a local World War II P-38 pilot who survived being shot down on his 44th mission over France and subsequent internment in Buchenwald, a Nazi concentration camp. Mr. Moser recently published a book titled A Fighter Pilot in Buchenwald. During the halftime show he gave a brief talk and signed copies of his book. The club presented Mr. Moser with a club T-shirt and hat featuring P-38 graphics, and the club conducted a flying demonstration with a P-38.
Event Highlights
- The noon gaggle of WWI, WWII, and military trainers was a big hit. Each of the three categories was flown separately with several aircraft of the appropriate type in the air simultaneously.
- Pilot lunches were served; the people in Bellingham make excellent hot dogs.
- The Fun-Fly on Sunday for all types of aircraft was well attended and the great weather continued.
- At noon on Sunday, Ken Hubbar, a long-time Bell Air club member, put on a superb 3-D demonstration for the crowd and participating pilots.
- The Heritage Air Museum from the Bellingham Airport provided a full-scale flyover of an L-19 Bird Dog. One of our club members flew a 7/8-scale Tigermoth that he built in his garage.
- We appreciated the support of our Canadian friends, some of whom endured two-hour lines to cross the border to get to Bellingham. They are excellent pilots and modelers, and their presence greatly enhances the event.
Awards
At the conclusion of the day on Saturday, a few hand-crafted trophies were awarded:
- Pilots’ Choice / Best of Show: Sam Gaglio (Oak Harbor) — also received Best WWII for his P-47 styled in German colors as a captured aircraft.
- Best WWI Aircraft: Rick Allison — for his finely crafted Eindecker.
- Best Military Trainer: Jerry McLean and Jay Schoening — for their C-47; they also received a team award.
Acknowledgments
Gerry Becker served as contest director (CD) for this event once again and called it the best warbird event in this part of Washington State. He’ll get no argument from me.
— Mike Mosbrooker
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
