Duration
Louis Joyner, 6 Saturday Rd., Mount Pleasant SC 29464
FOR 22 JUNIORS the Free Flight Nationals (Nats) started a day early. The special Juniors-only contest was held the Sunday before the official start of the Free Flight Nats, which ran July 28–August 1. This seven-round contest, along with performances at two America’s Cup contests and at the Nats itself, would determine the United States team members to compete at the Junior World Championships next summer in France.
With a team place in the balance, each Junior gave it his or her all. Despite windy, turbulent weather, the young fliers put in flight after flight, often repairing models between—and sometimes during—the rounds.
In F1A the wind made circle-towing difficult, and most of the 11 fliers chose to wait on the ground for signs of lift, then tow up and off rather than risk circle-towing. Most competitors used models with carbon-fiber wing spars to withstand the high stresses of the tow. Many got good height on the bunt, which was important in the nonthermal conditions when a few extra feet of launch height could make the difference between a max and a drop.
Top F1A finishers:
- 1st: Brian Bauer
- 2nd: Tyler Secor
- 3rd: Michael Avallone (2002 Junior team member)
In F1B the wind took its toll on models. Sarah Radziunas used four airplanes to make her seven flights; at one point she was flying a model pieced together from parts of three damaged aircraft. She finished third behind Taylor Gunder and Ryan Jones, both members of the 2002 team.
In Power the Juniors could fly the familiar F1J models or the new F1P airplanes. The F1P class was created to offer a lower-tech alternative to F1J designs. In F1P the maximum wingspan is 1½ meters (approximately 59 inches), and the minimum wing area is 26 square decimeters (roughly 402 square inches). The limited span allows conventional stick-and-tissue construction, and the large wing area slows the climb. Unlike F1J models, which often feature auto-rudder, auto-stabilizer, and bunt functions, F1P models are limited to one change in wing or tail incidence prior to dethermalizing (DT).
Top Power finishers:
- 1st: John Lorbiecki
- 2nd: Austin Gunder (reigning Junior World Champion)
- 3rd: Jonathon Schelp
Only Juniors and timers were allowed on the flightline for the Juniors contest. Contest Director Chuck Markos and event organizer Art Ellis kept parents and other spectators well back, as they would be at the Junior World Champs. Since it was too windy for test flying, the Junior contest drew a large number of Open spectators. Thanks to the Juniors' hard work, the audience was treated to a good contest.
After Sunday's wind, the gentler breezes the rest of the week were a relief. Intermittent rain on Monday helped cool things down without stopping flying. High temperatures were in the mid-80s most days; nights were cool. The only weather-related problem was early-morning fog that limited visibility somewhat during the Dawn Unlimited event Thursday and the F1J flyoff Friday morning. News of approaching bad weather on Friday encouraged most fliers to get their attempts in early, but the bad weather stayed away until late in the day.
With an average of 10 events each day for five days, it's impossible to see everything that goes on during the Free Flight Nats. Following are a few observations.
Mulvihill still draws one of the biggest crowds
The Mulvihill Trophy, dating back to the days of the twin pusher, is one of modeling's most beautiful and most sought-after awards. The aircraft are relatively simple rubber models with big wings and lots of rubber.
Recent rules changes require a two-minute max on the first flight, three minutes on the second, and four on the third; then the real contest begins. Flyoff flights increase by a minute each time. With wind and thermals, that usually puts you off the field.
Lone female Open contestant Connie Perry had three flights into the corn, as did many other contestants. She dropped 12 seconds on her eight-minute round to place second behind John Kamla, who finished with a total of 2,100 seconds (35 minutes).
Junior flier Alexandra Proffitt's score of 702 seconds would have placed her fifth in Open F1G Coupe d'Hiver.
Juniors and Seniors did well in a number of combined-age events. In F1A Towline Glider, Senior Peter Barron finished second behind Open flier Jim Parker. Ben Coussens came in fourth—13 seconds behind longtime Nats flier Robert Stifleet. Seniors picked up seven of the top 20 places in the event. Junior winner Tyler Secor's score of 1,180 would have put him in the Senior Open top 20.
In F1J, reigning Junior World Champion Austin Gunder topped the four Open fliers in the early-morning flyoff with just over six minutes. Jim Haught was the top Open flier with 344 seconds in the flyoff.
In Mulvihill, Junior John Shailor's total time of 1,855 seconds would have given him third place in Open. John teamed up with fellow Junior Evan Simon and Evan's grandfather Paul Simon to win the team Mulvihill title. The total for the three was almost 82 minutes of air time—and probably much more time in the corn.
(Note: AMA and Fédération Aéronautique Internationale [FAI] age classifications differ. For AMA events, Juniors are younger than 16 and Seniors are younger than 21. In FAI events, Juniors are 18 and younger; there is no Senior classification.)
For many, the Nats is a time to combine a family vacation with competition. Traditionally this has been a father-son thing, but lately there seems to be more female involvement, both as fliers and as supporters.
In Junior F1H Towline Glider, Amanda Watson and her sister Katelyn placed second and third respectively behind Kyle Jones, who maxed out. Their brother Jonathan Watson placed fifth.
There is often a skip in generations, with a father or grandfather missing in action for a while, then suddenly returning when a son or grandson appears on the field. For example, Henry Spence and his grandson Jonathon Schelp flew Power events at the Nats while Henry's son (Jonathon's dad) Steve Spence was in Hungary representing the United States at the World Championships.
Sometimes the grandson or granddaughter does the helping. In the Dawn Unlimited event, 2-year-old Larson Ringlien assisted his grandfather Warren Ringlien in hooking up the propeller. Meanwhile, Larson's father Andy won the event with a single-flight score of 440 seconds (well more than seven minutes).
Thanks in large part to the FAI Junior team and to modeling programs such as Art Ellis's Wilbur & Orville Society, there's been a big increase in Juniors who come from nonmodeling families. It’s great to see them on the flightline and to see the enthusiasm and support their parents bring to Free Flight. These parents often provide a different perspective: for many of them, the competition and camaraderie of flying far outweigh the hobby aspects of building.
The elimination of the Builder-of-the-Model Rule in the FAI events has allowed these Juniors to fly first-class equipment. This reduces the impact of construction inaccuracies and structural weaknesses inherent in beginning builders and allows Juniors from nonmodeling families to compete on a more even footing with those who have family support.
One nonmodeling parent is Aimee Raymond (her father Joel Raymond is a longtime modeler). She helps her 17-year-old son Philip Scheiman, who flies F1B Wakefield Rubber and F1G Coupe d’Hiver. Both are involved with their club: she edits the Oakland Cloud Dusters newsletter while Philip serves as treasurer.
An engineer by training, Aimee developed a detailed log system to record each of Philip’s flights in practice and competition. The exact timing for each auto function on each model is recorded, along with motor turns and torque. More subjective flight parameters such as launch, burst, cruise, and glide are evaluated. Adjustments are made precisely, in one-quarter-turn increments. Combined with the stability and rigidity of modern carbon-fiber construction, this record-keeping system allows them to make a series of adjustments, try them in the air, then revert to original settings if necessary.
The ability to quantify adjustments and obtain repeatable results not only speeds the learning process, but also helps demystify the trimming of a model. When you can put numbers to it, it becomes less art and more science.
The kids often helped each other. In the F1G flyoff Ben Thompson’s Coupe experienced a front-end malfunction. With only a 10-minute window to get the flight off, he handed the model to a group of Juniors and Seniors, including Lee Wang, Philip Scheiman, and Sarah Radziunas, to sort things out. Meanwhile Ben wound his backup and launched. Seeing that the backup airplane was not in good air, approximately a dozen youngsters ran underneath the model and waved T-shirts in an effort to break loose a thermal. Called "flapping," this technique is often seen in Europe.
The Nats is a time to renew old friendships and make new ones. The National Free Flight Society (NFFS) banquet and the Texas Timers/NFFS cookout provided time to relax after the day’s flying. The banquet also offered the opportunity to thank outgoing NFFS President Bob Stalick for seven years of service. Thanks are also due to longtime NFFS membership chairman and cookout sponsor Hank Nystrom.
A Nats doesn’t happen by itself. Months of preparation by the Nationals Planning Committee, the NFFS, and the AMA are required. Contest Director Bob Perkins led a crew of volunteer officials and event directors who worked long hours to make sure that each day’s events ran smoothly. Thanks for all the hard work.
MA
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
