146 MODEL AVIATION
An overview of the great 2006 FF Indoor event season
Also included in this column:
• US Indoor Championships
• Lakehurst events
• Kibbie Dome contest
• Does your contest have mojo?
• A new balsa stripper
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Chris Doughty shows off his art deco
MiniStick. Steve Brown photo.
The Buffalo Bills football team’s training facility in Orchard Park, New York, also serves
as an Indoor FF venue. Photo by Bob Clemens.
The Category II field house in Kent, Ohio. Jim Buxton photo. Jim Buxton adjusts his Category II record-setting Glider.
SOME OF THE biggest Indoor FF events
of the 2006 season are now in the history
books. If you enjoy any part of this hobby,
hopefully you had a chance to attend some
of them.
There is nothing quite like flying in
these great, and often historic, sites
surrounded by other enthusiasts. Whether
you are into competition, personal bests, or
just flying for fun, these large meets are a
fantastic way to spend a few days—not to
mention all the fun getting prepared.
USIC: The 2006 US Indoor Championships
(USIC), combined with the AMA Indoor FF
Nats, was another resounding success. More
than 90 people traveled to Johnson City,
Tennessee, May 31-June 4 to enjoy the 116-
foot site, renowned for great flying
conditions that are impervious to the
weather outside.
The floor layout was rearranged this
year to further minimize the impact of the
new scoreboard, providing a large amount
of airspace under one of the main beams.
A variety of models were flown, ranging
from opening-day Gliders to the morning
Scale events to the late-evening superlightweight
duration classes. There were
also quite a few Science Olympiad kids
who got to wring out their aircraft in the
expansive dome. Various Flying Aces Club
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:22 PM Page 146(FAC) activities rounded out the experience.
Running five days from 7:30 a.m. until the last flights come
down at roughly 11 p.m., the USIC provides a fix big enough to
satisfy the cravings of any model-airplane junkie. Add in a few
great meals with flying buddies you only see once a year (make
sure you hit the Firehouse restaurant), and you’ve got some great
vacation material. It doesn’t get much better than this.
For a complete rundown of each day’s happenings, complete
with results and great photos, check out NatsNews on the AMA
Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/events/natsnews.asp. If you are
even remotely interested in Indoor FF and live anywhere within
range, consider coming to the 2007 USIC. It will be in the same
place at approximately the same time.
Lakehurst: Next on the agenda was the July 4 contest at legendary
Lakehurst, New Jersey. For those who aren’t used to it, the
Lakehurst experience is quite a bit different from the other big
once-a-year contests.
There are so many days of access to this site (essentially every
weekend of the year) that Indoor FF attendance tends to be spread
out. A regular indoor RC crowd meets every Saturday morning (the
incompatibilities that exist in smaller sites
are nonexistent in the cavernous hangar),
but getting more than 20 FFers in on any
given day is a big deal. The July 4 and
Labor Day contests are your best bets for
finding a decent-sized group.
The smaller daily numbers and frequent
flying dates require more organizational
involvement from participants. Many
members are also AMA CDs so that the
management duties can be shared. Indoor
FF master Larry Coslick took on contestmanagement
duties this time. (Thanks,
Larry!)
Small details—such as keeping a full
tank of helium—are pretty much “handson.”
If the tank is empty, someone on-site
has to load it into his or her car and take it
to the local party-supply store to have it
swapped out on the East Coast Indoor
Modelers (ECIM) account.
Lakehurst is an active military base, so
there are a number of complexities involved
with access. Membership in the ECIM is
required since that is the official
organization in contact with the Navy
previously and now the Air Force.
The good news is that membership
requires little more than an E-mail to the
club president (Rob Romash at cgrain1@
yahoo.com), along with a membership form
and club dues. Access is currently limited to
US citizens—unfortunately excluding some
participants.
The hangar floor space is often crowded
with an ever-changing array of
paraphernalia: assembled tents, a huge tent
drying rack, and even a 1/3-scale carrier
deck. Getting your model back to a clear
space requires steering most of the time
(this is where I learned the art), although on
the best days flights land mere feet from
where they were launched.
And this place is dirty! A street sweeper
is sent through every few years, but most of
the dust surely dates back to the days of the
Hindenburg. This airdock isn’t a cozy
sports dome.
However, even with all these hurdles,
Lakehurst is still most assuredly worth the
effort. Hangar 1 is an amazing place, and
148 MODEL AVIATION
The Moscow, Idaho, Kibbie Dome’s signature white-tile ceiling.
Photo by Tim Goldstein.
Inside of East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome—site of the USIC/AMA Nats. You
can see the notorious scoreboard. Jane Schurr photo.
The hangar at Lakehurst, New Jersey, is immense! Photo by Brett Sanborn.
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:24 PM Page 148there are many who treasure it enough to
travel enormous distances to take part. The
ECIM roster is a veritable who’s who of the
Indoor world, with many top names making
sure they have access when they need it.
A model up near the center catwalk in
calm summer-evening air is pure magic.
You owe it to yourself to experience that at
least once. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!
Kibbie Dome: July brought the annual
Kibbie Dome contest in Moscow, Idaho—
another truly great summer event, offering
five days in a huge site with stable air.
The dome’s location may seem remote,
but it’s beautiful and an easy ride from the
airport in Spokane (if you don’t actually
live within driving distance to the site).
Add that the dome’s layout supports flying
heavy and light models concurrently—thus
allowing competitors to fly whatever they
want, for as long as they want—and you
can see why this contest is an absolute
favorite of those who attend.
Steve Brown graciously provided a few
contest insights since I was unable to attend
this year (I’m going to make airline
reservations further in advance next time!),
and Mark Bennett posted a list of results
that I’ve used for reference. (Thanks,
guys!) There were several noteworthy
highlights.
• Andy Tagliafico, mastermind behind this
meet, found time to win EZB and the
grown-up Science Olympiad event.
• Rebekah Altig won the regular Science
Olympiad with a time that was only
approximately a minute off of Andy’s.
• Wally Miller, founder of the EZB, handily
won the 1.2-gram EZB event and AROG.
• Mark Bennett shined with wins in
MiniStick, Open Pennyplane, F1D, and the
F1D regional.
Tim Chang missed making the Junior
F1D team in the last cycle, but he took the
setback in good form and returned this year
with a new fleet of immaculate models and
a bunch more flying experience. Still a
Junior, Tim posted excellent times of 32:09
and 31:17 to take third place in the F1D
regional behind Mark Bennett and F1D
great Cezar Banks.
Another new face that stood out was
Chris Doughty. Hailing from Vancouver,
British Columbia, Chris developed his
Indoor FF skills in relative isolation and
has a decidedly unique style to show for it.
“I prefer designing my own models to
building from plans, and try to make them
look good as well as perform,” he said.
He’s not kidding! Chris showed off a
strange but true built-up-fuselage MiniStick
and a pair of unbelievably tiny
Ornithopters. To top it off, he brought all
his models and equipment eight hours by
motorcycle!
You can find more detailed reports
online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
indoor_construction or in Indoor News and
Views at www.f1d.biz.
Make plans now to join these fliers at
next year’s meet. Andy Tagliafico has
already set the dates of July 6-10, 2007.
Contest Mojo: I took a business trip to
Florida last spring and looked forward to
going to my favorite restaurant/night club
on South Beach. I made reservations in
advance and everything. When I got there I
was highly disappointed to find that the
place had completely lost its mojo. Gone
was energy it used to carry and, along with
it, all the people who used to go.
That got me thinking about how some
Indoor FF contests have a “vibe” (that
nebulous combination of good air, nice
organization, publicity, and who knows
what else that makes people feel like they
just have to go) and some don’t. Further,
how does one go about making a contest
popular? It ought to be as simple as getting
a site and letting people know about it, but,
as any restaurateur knows, that isn’t
enough.
This year’s Kent, Ohio, meet was an
example of what can happen when “mojo
goes right.” The site is a nice Category II
field house with a peaked roof that rises to
56 feet in the center, but it is not a wide
enough area to make it Category III. It is a
great venue for Rubber duration and
happens to be perfect for Gliders.
Discussion of the site’s Glider benefits
spread among the likes of Jim Buxton, Kurt
Krempetz, Bill Gowen, Chris Goins, and
others, and before long a notable collection
of Glider experts made plans to battle it out
at Kent. People who previously didn’t
know about the contest or lived too far
away were signing up to attend.
As proof of the site’s quality, two new
Category II Glider records were set. Kurt
Krempetz flopped a Stan Buddenbohm
Slow Poker, modified into an Unlimited
Catapult Glider, into the roof’s peak to set a
new mark with two flights near 60 seconds.
Jim Buxton broke the 24-year-old Hand
Launched Glider record with a large-span
model that was actually a little too heavy
for the site. (Jim put it into the ceiling a few
times, with some unfortunate results.)
Rubber duration records have also been set
at this site.
Attendance was up, the flying was great,
and people even began calling for a twoday
contest in the future to help justify the
travel expense for out-of-towners. Kent has
mojo. This contest is traditionally held in
April and is hosted by the Cleveland Free
Flight Society. For more information
contact Michael Zand at imzand@hotmail
.com.
The Western New York Free Flight
Society (WNYFFS) and FAC contest at the
Buffalo Bills’ training facility in Orchard
Park, New York, is currently, and
unfortunately, on the other end of the
spectrum.
It is easy to see why this site should begreat; it’s Category IV, artificial turf,
brightly lit, clean, and nice. Figuring out
why there were only 18 contestants at this
spring’s meet is tougher.
Is it the date? The WNYFFS has moved
the contest around trying to find a popular
time but is restricted by when the facility
is available. This past meet was two weeks
before the USIC, which may have had a
negative impact.
Is it the air? Hot lights at
approximately 60% height used to cause a
great deal of turbulence for the lighter
models. However, this year the contest
management turned off two-thirds of the
lights, producing much better air quality. It
is now possible to fly up at the top without
being swept to the sides. The site is
suddenly a great place for duration
models.
It’s a puzzle, but I think the WNYFFS
is doing the right kind of things to try to
solve it. Hopefully word of the improved
air will spread, and this contest will find
its mojo too. For more information about
next year’s contest, contact Vet Thomas at
[email protected].
A New Balsa Stripper: Part of the fun of
Indoor FF is collecting the gadgets and tools
that make building and flying even more
enjoyable. These extra purchases aren’t a
requirement—it’s easy to find some top-level
competitors who use manual, old-fashioned
techniques—but they certainly make life
simpler. And since most of these tools will
last a lifetime, they really aren’t too expensive
in the long run.
One new device is Jim Jones’ popular but
out-of-production balsa stripper that Tim
Goldstein has resurrected with Jim’s support
and blessing. It is possible to build recordsetting
models with a straightedge and razor
blade, but this tool makes the process much
easier and more repeatable.
Tim’s version retains the original’s
functionality but adds futuristic aluminum
with aircraft cutout styling. Check it out,
along with a long list of other Indoor FF musthaves,
on Tim’s Web site: www.f1d.biz. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 146,148,149,151
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 146,148,149,151
146 MODEL AVIATION
An overview of the great 2006 FF Indoor event season
Also included in this column:
• US Indoor Championships
• Lakehurst events
• Kibbie Dome contest
• Does your contest have mojo?
• A new balsa stripper
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Chris Doughty shows off his art deco
MiniStick. Steve Brown photo.
The Buffalo Bills football team’s training facility in Orchard Park, New York, also serves
as an Indoor FF venue. Photo by Bob Clemens.
The Category II field house in Kent, Ohio. Jim Buxton photo. Jim Buxton adjusts his Category II record-setting Glider.
SOME OF THE biggest Indoor FF events
of the 2006 season are now in the history
books. If you enjoy any part of this hobby,
hopefully you had a chance to attend some
of them.
There is nothing quite like flying in
these great, and often historic, sites
surrounded by other enthusiasts. Whether
you are into competition, personal bests, or
just flying for fun, these large meets are a
fantastic way to spend a few days—not to
mention all the fun getting prepared.
USIC: The 2006 US Indoor Championships
(USIC), combined with the AMA Indoor FF
Nats, was another resounding success. More
than 90 people traveled to Johnson City,
Tennessee, May 31-June 4 to enjoy the 116-
foot site, renowned for great flying
conditions that are impervious to the
weather outside.
The floor layout was rearranged this
year to further minimize the impact of the
new scoreboard, providing a large amount
of airspace under one of the main beams.
A variety of models were flown, ranging
from opening-day Gliders to the morning
Scale events to the late-evening superlightweight
duration classes. There were
also quite a few Science Olympiad kids
who got to wring out their aircraft in the
expansive dome. Various Flying Aces Club
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:22 PM Page 146(FAC) activities rounded out the experience.
Running five days from 7:30 a.m. until the last flights come
down at roughly 11 p.m., the USIC provides a fix big enough to
satisfy the cravings of any model-airplane junkie. Add in a few
great meals with flying buddies you only see once a year (make
sure you hit the Firehouse restaurant), and you’ve got some great
vacation material. It doesn’t get much better than this.
For a complete rundown of each day’s happenings, complete
with results and great photos, check out NatsNews on the AMA
Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/events/natsnews.asp. If you are
even remotely interested in Indoor FF and live anywhere within
range, consider coming to the 2007 USIC. It will be in the same
place at approximately the same time.
Lakehurst: Next on the agenda was the July 4 contest at legendary
Lakehurst, New Jersey. For those who aren’t used to it, the
Lakehurst experience is quite a bit different from the other big
once-a-year contests.
There are so many days of access to this site (essentially every
weekend of the year) that Indoor FF attendance tends to be spread
out. A regular indoor RC crowd meets every Saturday morning (the
incompatibilities that exist in smaller sites
are nonexistent in the cavernous hangar),
but getting more than 20 FFers in on any
given day is a big deal. The July 4 and
Labor Day contests are your best bets for
finding a decent-sized group.
The smaller daily numbers and frequent
flying dates require more organizational
involvement from participants. Many
members are also AMA CDs so that the
management duties can be shared. Indoor
FF master Larry Coslick took on contestmanagement
duties this time. (Thanks,
Larry!)
Small details—such as keeping a full
tank of helium—are pretty much “handson.”
If the tank is empty, someone on-site
has to load it into his or her car and take it
to the local party-supply store to have it
swapped out on the East Coast Indoor
Modelers (ECIM) account.
Lakehurst is an active military base, so
there are a number of complexities involved
with access. Membership in the ECIM is
required since that is the official
organization in contact with the Navy
previously and now the Air Force.
The good news is that membership
requires little more than an E-mail to the
club president (Rob Romash at cgrain1@
yahoo.com), along with a membership form
and club dues. Access is currently limited to
US citizens—unfortunately excluding some
participants.
The hangar floor space is often crowded
with an ever-changing array of
paraphernalia: assembled tents, a huge tent
drying rack, and even a 1/3-scale carrier
deck. Getting your model back to a clear
space requires steering most of the time
(this is where I learned the art), although on
the best days flights land mere feet from
where they were launched.
And this place is dirty! A street sweeper
is sent through every few years, but most of
the dust surely dates back to the days of the
Hindenburg. This airdock isn’t a cozy
sports dome.
However, even with all these hurdles,
Lakehurst is still most assuredly worth the
effort. Hangar 1 is an amazing place, and
148 MODEL AVIATION
The Moscow, Idaho, Kibbie Dome’s signature white-tile ceiling.
Photo by Tim Goldstein.
Inside of East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome—site of the USIC/AMA Nats. You
can see the notorious scoreboard. Jane Schurr photo.
The hangar at Lakehurst, New Jersey, is immense! Photo by Brett Sanborn.
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:24 PM Page 148there are many who treasure it enough to
travel enormous distances to take part. The
ECIM roster is a veritable who’s who of the
Indoor world, with many top names making
sure they have access when they need it.
A model up near the center catwalk in
calm summer-evening air is pure magic.
You owe it to yourself to experience that at
least once. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!
Kibbie Dome: July brought the annual
Kibbie Dome contest in Moscow, Idaho—
another truly great summer event, offering
five days in a huge site with stable air.
The dome’s location may seem remote,
but it’s beautiful and an easy ride from the
airport in Spokane (if you don’t actually
live within driving distance to the site).
Add that the dome’s layout supports flying
heavy and light models concurrently—thus
allowing competitors to fly whatever they
want, for as long as they want—and you
can see why this contest is an absolute
favorite of those who attend.
Steve Brown graciously provided a few
contest insights since I was unable to attend
this year (I’m going to make airline
reservations further in advance next time!),
and Mark Bennett posted a list of results
that I’ve used for reference. (Thanks,
guys!) There were several noteworthy
highlights.
• Andy Tagliafico, mastermind behind this
meet, found time to win EZB and the
grown-up Science Olympiad event.
• Rebekah Altig won the regular Science
Olympiad with a time that was only
approximately a minute off of Andy’s.
• Wally Miller, founder of the EZB, handily
won the 1.2-gram EZB event and AROG.
• Mark Bennett shined with wins in
MiniStick, Open Pennyplane, F1D, and the
F1D regional.
Tim Chang missed making the Junior
F1D team in the last cycle, but he took the
setback in good form and returned this year
with a new fleet of immaculate models and
a bunch more flying experience. Still a
Junior, Tim posted excellent times of 32:09
and 31:17 to take third place in the F1D
regional behind Mark Bennett and F1D
great Cezar Banks.
Another new face that stood out was
Chris Doughty. Hailing from Vancouver,
British Columbia, Chris developed his
Indoor FF skills in relative isolation and
has a decidedly unique style to show for it.
“I prefer designing my own models to
building from plans, and try to make them
look good as well as perform,” he said.
He’s not kidding! Chris showed off a
strange but true built-up-fuselage MiniStick
and a pair of unbelievably tiny
Ornithopters. To top it off, he brought all
his models and equipment eight hours by
motorcycle!
You can find more detailed reports
online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
indoor_construction or in Indoor News and
Views at www.f1d.biz.
Make plans now to join these fliers at
next year’s meet. Andy Tagliafico has
already set the dates of July 6-10, 2007.
Contest Mojo: I took a business trip to
Florida last spring and looked forward to
going to my favorite restaurant/night club
on South Beach. I made reservations in
advance and everything. When I got there I
was highly disappointed to find that the
place had completely lost its mojo. Gone
was energy it used to carry and, along with
it, all the people who used to go.
That got me thinking about how some
Indoor FF contests have a “vibe” (that
nebulous combination of good air, nice
organization, publicity, and who knows
what else that makes people feel like they
just have to go) and some don’t. Further,
how does one go about making a contest
popular? It ought to be as simple as getting
a site and letting people know about it, but,
as any restaurateur knows, that isn’t
enough.
This year’s Kent, Ohio, meet was an
example of what can happen when “mojo
goes right.” The site is a nice Category II
field house with a peaked roof that rises to
56 feet in the center, but it is not a wide
enough area to make it Category III. It is a
great venue for Rubber duration and
happens to be perfect for Gliders.
Discussion of the site’s Glider benefits
spread among the likes of Jim Buxton, Kurt
Krempetz, Bill Gowen, Chris Goins, and
others, and before long a notable collection
of Glider experts made plans to battle it out
at Kent. People who previously didn’t
know about the contest or lived too far
away were signing up to attend.
As proof of the site’s quality, two new
Category II Glider records were set. Kurt
Krempetz flopped a Stan Buddenbohm
Slow Poker, modified into an Unlimited
Catapult Glider, into the roof’s peak to set a
new mark with two flights near 60 seconds.
Jim Buxton broke the 24-year-old Hand
Launched Glider record with a large-span
model that was actually a little too heavy
for the site. (Jim put it into the ceiling a few
times, with some unfortunate results.)
Rubber duration records have also been set
at this site.
Attendance was up, the flying was great,
and people even began calling for a twoday
contest in the future to help justify the
travel expense for out-of-towners. Kent has
mojo. This contest is traditionally held in
April and is hosted by the Cleveland Free
Flight Society. For more information
contact Michael Zand at imzand@hotmail
.com.
The Western New York Free Flight
Society (WNYFFS) and FAC contest at the
Buffalo Bills’ training facility in Orchard
Park, New York, is currently, and
unfortunately, on the other end of the
spectrum.
It is easy to see why this site should begreat; it’s Category IV, artificial turf,
brightly lit, clean, and nice. Figuring out
why there were only 18 contestants at this
spring’s meet is tougher.
Is it the date? The WNYFFS has moved
the contest around trying to find a popular
time but is restricted by when the facility
is available. This past meet was two weeks
before the USIC, which may have had a
negative impact.
Is it the air? Hot lights at
approximately 60% height used to cause a
great deal of turbulence for the lighter
models. However, this year the contest
management turned off two-thirds of the
lights, producing much better air quality. It
is now possible to fly up at the top without
being swept to the sides. The site is
suddenly a great place for duration
models.
It’s a puzzle, but I think the WNYFFS
is doing the right kind of things to try to
solve it. Hopefully word of the improved
air will spread, and this contest will find
its mojo too. For more information about
next year’s contest, contact Vet Thomas at
[email protected].
A New Balsa Stripper: Part of the fun of
Indoor FF is collecting the gadgets and tools
that make building and flying even more
enjoyable. These extra purchases aren’t a
requirement—it’s easy to find some top-level
competitors who use manual, old-fashioned
techniques—but they certainly make life
simpler. And since most of these tools will
last a lifetime, they really aren’t too expensive
in the long run.
One new device is Jim Jones’ popular but
out-of-production balsa stripper that Tim
Goldstein has resurrected with Jim’s support
and blessing. It is possible to build recordsetting
models with a straightedge and razor
blade, but this tool makes the process much
easier and more repeatable.
Tim’s version retains the original’s
functionality but adds futuristic aluminum
with aircraft cutout styling. Check it out,
along with a long list of other Indoor FF musthaves,
on Tim’s Web site: www.f1d.biz. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 146,148,149,151
146 MODEL AVIATION
An overview of the great 2006 FF Indoor event season
Also included in this column:
• US Indoor Championships
• Lakehurst events
• Kibbie Dome contest
• Does your contest have mojo?
• A new balsa stripper
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Chris Doughty shows off his art deco
MiniStick. Steve Brown photo.
The Buffalo Bills football team’s training facility in Orchard Park, New York, also serves
as an Indoor FF venue. Photo by Bob Clemens.
The Category II field house in Kent, Ohio. Jim Buxton photo. Jim Buxton adjusts his Category II record-setting Glider.
SOME OF THE biggest Indoor FF events
of the 2006 season are now in the history
books. If you enjoy any part of this hobby,
hopefully you had a chance to attend some
of them.
There is nothing quite like flying in
these great, and often historic, sites
surrounded by other enthusiasts. Whether
you are into competition, personal bests, or
just flying for fun, these large meets are a
fantastic way to spend a few days—not to
mention all the fun getting prepared.
USIC: The 2006 US Indoor Championships
(USIC), combined with the AMA Indoor FF
Nats, was another resounding success. More
than 90 people traveled to Johnson City,
Tennessee, May 31-June 4 to enjoy the 116-
foot site, renowned for great flying
conditions that are impervious to the
weather outside.
The floor layout was rearranged this
year to further minimize the impact of the
new scoreboard, providing a large amount
of airspace under one of the main beams.
A variety of models were flown, ranging
from opening-day Gliders to the morning
Scale events to the late-evening superlightweight
duration classes. There were
also quite a few Science Olympiad kids
who got to wring out their aircraft in the
expansive dome. Various Flying Aces Club
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:22 PM Page 146(FAC) activities rounded out the experience.
Running five days from 7:30 a.m. until the last flights come
down at roughly 11 p.m., the USIC provides a fix big enough to
satisfy the cravings of any model-airplane junkie. Add in a few
great meals with flying buddies you only see once a year (make
sure you hit the Firehouse restaurant), and you’ve got some great
vacation material. It doesn’t get much better than this.
For a complete rundown of each day’s happenings, complete
with results and great photos, check out NatsNews on the AMA
Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/events/natsnews.asp. If you are
even remotely interested in Indoor FF and live anywhere within
range, consider coming to the 2007 USIC. It will be in the same
place at approximately the same time.
Lakehurst: Next on the agenda was the July 4 contest at legendary
Lakehurst, New Jersey. For those who aren’t used to it, the
Lakehurst experience is quite a bit different from the other big
once-a-year contests.
There are so many days of access to this site (essentially every
weekend of the year) that Indoor FF attendance tends to be spread
out. A regular indoor RC crowd meets every Saturday morning (the
incompatibilities that exist in smaller sites
are nonexistent in the cavernous hangar),
but getting more than 20 FFers in on any
given day is a big deal. The July 4 and
Labor Day contests are your best bets for
finding a decent-sized group.
The smaller daily numbers and frequent
flying dates require more organizational
involvement from participants. Many
members are also AMA CDs so that the
management duties can be shared. Indoor
FF master Larry Coslick took on contestmanagement
duties this time. (Thanks,
Larry!)
Small details—such as keeping a full
tank of helium—are pretty much “handson.”
If the tank is empty, someone on-site
has to load it into his or her car and take it
to the local party-supply store to have it
swapped out on the East Coast Indoor
Modelers (ECIM) account.
Lakehurst is an active military base, so
there are a number of complexities involved
with access. Membership in the ECIM is
required since that is the official
organization in contact with the Navy
previously and now the Air Force.
The good news is that membership
requires little more than an E-mail to the
club president (Rob Romash at cgrain1@
yahoo.com), along with a membership form
and club dues. Access is currently limited to
US citizens—unfortunately excluding some
participants.
The hangar floor space is often crowded
with an ever-changing array of
paraphernalia: assembled tents, a huge tent
drying rack, and even a 1/3-scale carrier
deck. Getting your model back to a clear
space requires steering most of the time
(this is where I learned the art), although on
the best days flights land mere feet from
where they were launched.
And this place is dirty! A street sweeper
is sent through every few years, but most of
the dust surely dates back to the days of the
Hindenburg. This airdock isn’t a cozy
sports dome.
However, even with all these hurdles,
Lakehurst is still most assuredly worth the
effort. Hangar 1 is an amazing place, and
148 MODEL AVIATION
The Moscow, Idaho, Kibbie Dome’s signature white-tile ceiling.
Photo by Tim Goldstein.
Inside of East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome—site of the USIC/AMA Nats. You
can see the notorious scoreboard. Jane Schurr photo.
The hangar at Lakehurst, New Jersey, is immense! Photo by Brett Sanborn.
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:24 PM Page 148there are many who treasure it enough to
travel enormous distances to take part. The
ECIM roster is a veritable who’s who of the
Indoor world, with many top names making
sure they have access when they need it.
A model up near the center catwalk in
calm summer-evening air is pure magic.
You owe it to yourself to experience that at
least once. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!
Kibbie Dome: July brought the annual
Kibbie Dome contest in Moscow, Idaho—
another truly great summer event, offering
five days in a huge site with stable air.
The dome’s location may seem remote,
but it’s beautiful and an easy ride from the
airport in Spokane (if you don’t actually
live within driving distance to the site).
Add that the dome’s layout supports flying
heavy and light models concurrently—thus
allowing competitors to fly whatever they
want, for as long as they want—and you
can see why this contest is an absolute
favorite of those who attend.
Steve Brown graciously provided a few
contest insights since I was unable to attend
this year (I’m going to make airline
reservations further in advance next time!),
and Mark Bennett posted a list of results
that I’ve used for reference. (Thanks,
guys!) There were several noteworthy
highlights.
• Andy Tagliafico, mastermind behind this
meet, found time to win EZB and the
grown-up Science Olympiad event.
• Rebekah Altig won the regular Science
Olympiad with a time that was only
approximately a minute off of Andy’s.
• Wally Miller, founder of the EZB, handily
won the 1.2-gram EZB event and AROG.
• Mark Bennett shined with wins in
MiniStick, Open Pennyplane, F1D, and the
F1D regional.
Tim Chang missed making the Junior
F1D team in the last cycle, but he took the
setback in good form and returned this year
with a new fleet of immaculate models and
a bunch more flying experience. Still a
Junior, Tim posted excellent times of 32:09
and 31:17 to take third place in the F1D
regional behind Mark Bennett and F1D
great Cezar Banks.
Another new face that stood out was
Chris Doughty. Hailing from Vancouver,
British Columbia, Chris developed his
Indoor FF skills in relative isolation and
has a decidedly unique style to show for it.
“I prefer designing my own models to
building from plans, and try to make them
look good as well as perform,” he said.
He’s not kidding! Chris showed off a
strange but true built-up-fuselage MiniStick
and a pair of unbelievably tiny
Ornithopters. To top it off, he brought all
his models and equipment eight hours by
motorcycle!
You can find more detailed reports
online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
indoor_construction or in Indoor News and
Views at www.f1d.biz.
Make plans now to join these fliers at
next year’s meet. Andy Tagliafico has
already set the dates of July 6-10, 2007.
Contest Mojo: I took a business trip to
Florida last spring and looked forward to
going to my favorite restaurant/night club
on South Beach. I made reservations in
advance and everything. When I got there I
was highly disappointed to find that the
place had completely lost its mojo. Gone
was energy it used to carry and, along with
it, all the people who used to go.
That got me thinking about how some
Indoor FF contests have a “vibe” (that
nebulous combination of good air, nice
organization, publicity, and who knows
what else that makes people feel like they
just have to go) and some don’t. Further,
how does one go about making a contest
popular? It ought to be as simple as getting
a site and letting people know about it, but,
as any restaurateur knows, that isn’t
enough.
This year’s Kent, Ohio, meet was an
example of what can happen when “mojo
goes right.” The site is a nice Category II
field house with a peaked roof that rises to
56 feet in the center, but it is not a wide
enough area to make it Category III. It is a
great venue for Rubber duration and
happens to be perfect for Gliders.
Discussion of the site’s Glider benefits
spread among the likes of Jim Buxton, Kurt
Krempetz, Bill Gowen, Chris Goins, and
others, and before long a notable collection
of Glider experts made plans to battle it out
at Kent. People who previously didn’t
know about the contest or lived too far
away were signing up to attend.
As proof of the site’s quality, two new
Category II Glider records were set. Kurt
Krempetz flopped a Stan Buddenbohm
Slow Poker, modified into an Unlimited
Catapult Glider, into the roof’s peak to set a
new mark with two flights near 60 seconds.
Jim Buxton broke the 24-year-old Hand
Launched Glider record with a large-span
model that was actually a little too heavy
for the site. (Jim put it into the ceiling a few
times, with some unfortunate results.)
Rubber duration records have also been set
at this site.
Attendance was up, the flying was great,
and people even began calling for a twoday
contest in the future to help justify the
travel expense for out-of-towners. Kent has
mojo. This contest is traditionally held in
April and is hosted by the Cleveland Free
Flight Society. For more information
contact Michael Zand at imzand@hotmail
.com.
The Western New York Free Flight
Society (WNYFFS) and FAC contest at the
Buffalo Bills’ training facility in Orchard
Park, New York, is currently, and
unfortunately, on the other end of the
spectrum.
It is easy to see why this site should begreat; it’s Category IV, artificial turf,
brightly lit, clean, and nice. Figuring out
why there were only 18 contestants at this
spring’s meet is tougher.
Is it the date? The WNYFFS has moved
the contest around trying to find a popular
time but is restricted by when the facility
is available. This past meet was two weeks
before the USIC, which may have had a
negative impact.
Is it the air? Hot lights at
approximately 60% height used to cause a
great deal of turbulence for the lighter
models. However, this year the contest
management turned off two-thirds of the
lights, producing much better air quality. It
is now possible to fly up at the top without
being swept to the sides. The site is
suddenly a great place for duration
models.
It’s a puzzle, but I think the WNYFFS
is doing the right kind of things to try to
solve it. Hopefully word of the improved
air will spread, and this contest will find
its mojo too. For more information about
next year’s contest, contact Vet Thomas at
[email protected].
A New Balsa Stripper: Part of the fun of
Indoor FF is collecting the gadgets and tools
that make building and flying even more
enjoyable. These extra purchases aren’t a
requirement—it’s easy to find some top-level
competitors who use manual, old-fashioned
techniques—but they certainly make life
simpler. And since most of these tools will
last a lifetime, they really aren’t too expensive
in the long run.
One new device is Jim Jones’ popular but
out-of-production balsa stripper that Tim
Goldstein has resurrected with Jim’s support
and blessing. It is possible to build recordsetting
models with a straightedge and razor
blade, but this tool makes the process much
easier and more repeatable.
Tim’s version retains the original’s
functionality but adds futuristic aluminum
with aircraft cutout styling. Check it out,
along with a long list of other Indoor FF musthaves,
on Tim’s Web site: www.f1d.biz. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2006/10
Page Numbers: 146,148,149,151
146 MODEL AVIATION
An overview of the great 2006 FF Indoor event season
Also included in this column:
• US Indoor Championships
• Lakehurst events
• Kibbie Dome contest
• Does your contest have mojo?
• A new balsa stripper
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Chris Doughty shows off his art deco
MiniStick. Steve Brown photo.
The Buffalo Bills football team’s training facility in Orchard Park, New York, also serves
as an Indoor FF venue. Photo by Bob Clemens.
The Category II field house in Kent, Ohio. Jim Buxton photo. Jim Buxton adjusts his Category II record-setting Glider.
SOME OF THE biggest Indoor FF events
of the 2006 season are now in the history
books. If you enjoy any part of this hobby,
hopefully you had a chance to attend some
of them.
There is nothing quite like flying in
these great, and often historic, sites
surrounded by other enthusiasts. Whether
you are into competition, personal bests, or
just flying for fun, these large meets are a
fantastic way to spend a few days—not to
mention all the fun getting prepared.
USIC: The 2006 US Indoor Championships
(USIC), combined with the AMA Indoor FF
Nats, was another resounding success. More
than 90 people traveled to Johnson City,
Tennessee, May 31-June 4 to enjoy the 116-
foot site, renowned for great flying
conditions that are impervious to the
weather outside.
The floor layout was rearranged this
year to further minimize the impact of the
new scoreboard, providing a large amount
of airspace under one of the main beams.
A variety of models were flown, ranging
from opening-day Gliders to the morning
Scale events to the late-evening superlightweight
duration classes. There were
also quite a few Science Olympiad kids
who got to wring out their aircraft in the
expansive dome. Various Flying Aces Club
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:22 PM Page 146(FAC) activities rounded out the experience.
Running five days from 7:30 a.m. until the last flights come
down at roughly 11 p.m., the USIC provides a fix big enough to
satisfy the cravings of any model-airplane junkie. Add in a few
great meals with flying buddies you only see once a year (make
sure you hit the Firehouse restaurant), and you’ve got some great
vacation material. It doesn’t get much better than this.
For a complete rundown of each day’s happenings, complete
with results and great photos, check out NatsNews on the AMA
Web site at www.modelaircraft.org/events/natsnews.asp. If you are
even remotely interested in Indoor FF and live anywhere within
range, consider coming to the 2007 USIC. It will be in the same
place at approximately the same time.
Lakehurst: Next on the agenda was the July 4 contest at legendary
Lakehurst, New Jersey. For those who aren’t used to it, the
Lakehurst experience is quite a bit different from the other big
once-a-year contests.
There are so many days of access to this site (essentially every
weekend of the year) that Indoor FF attendance tends to be spread
out. A regular indoor RC crowd meets every Saturday morning (the
incompatibilities that exist in smaller sites
are nonexistent in the cavernous hangar),
but getting more than 20 FFers in on any
given day is a big deal. The July 4 and
Labor Day contests are your best bets for
finding a decent-sized group.
The smaller daily numbers and frequent
flying dates require more organizational
involvement from participants. Many
members are also AMA CDs so that the
management duties can be shared. Indoor
FF master Larry Coslick took on contestmanagement
duties this time. (Thanks,
Larry!)
Small details—such as keeping a full
tank of helium—are pretty much “handson.”
If the tank is empty, someone on-site
has to load it into his or her car and take it
to the local party-supply store to have it
swapped out on the East Coast Indoor
Modelers (ECIM) account.
Lakehurst is an active military base, so
there are a number of complexities involved
with access. Membership in the ECIM is
required since that is the official
organization in contact with the Navy
previously and now the Air Force.
The good news is that membership
requires little more than an E-mail to the
club president (Rob Romash at cgrain1@
yahoo.com), along with a membership form
and club dues. Access is currently limited to
US citizens—unfortunately excluding some
participants.
The hangar floor space is often crowded
with an ever-changing array of
paraphernalia: assembled tents, a huge tent
drying rack, and even a 1/3-scale carrier
deck. Getting your model back to a clear
space requires steering most of the time
(this is where I learned the art), although on
the best days flights land mere feet from
where they were launched.
And this place is dirty! A street sweeper
is sent through every few years, but most of
the dust surely dates back to the days of the
Hindenburg. This airdock isn’t a cozy
sports dome.
However, even with all these hurdles,
Lakehurst is still most assuredly worth the
effort. Hangar 1 is an amazing place, and
148 MODEL AVIATION
The Moscow, Idaho, Kibbie Dome’s signature white-tile ceiling.
Photo by Tim Goldstein.
Inside of East Tennessee State University’s Mini-Dome—site of the USIC/AMA Nats. You
can see the notorious scoreboard. Jane Schurr photo.
The hangar at Lakehurst, New Jersey, is immense! Photo by Brett Sanborn.
10sig5.QXD 8/24/06 1:24 PM Page 148there are many who treasure it enough to
travel enormous distances to take part. The
ECIM roster is a veritable who’s who of the
Indoor world, with many top names making
sure they have access when they need it.
A model up near the center catwalk in
calm summer-evening air is pure magic.
You owe it to yourself to experience that at
least once. I guarantee you’ll be hooked!
Kibbie Dome: July brought the annual
Kibbie Dome contest in Moscow, Idaho—
another truly great summer event, offering
five days in a huge site with stable air.
The dome’s location may seem remote,
but it’s beautiful and an easy ride from the
airport in Spokane (if you don’t actually
live within driving distance to the site).
Add that the dome’s layout supports flying
heavy and light models concurrently—thus
allowing competitors to fly whatever they
want, for as long as they want—and you
can see why this contest is an absolute
favorite of those who attend.
Steve Brown graciously provided a few
contest insights since I was unable to attend
this year (I’m going to make airline
reservations further in advance next time!),
and Mark Bennett posted a list of results
that I’ve used for reference. (Thanks,
guys!) There were several noteworthy
highlights.
• Andy Tagliafico, mastermind behind this
meet, found time to win EZB and the
grown-up Science Olympiad event.
• Rebekah Altig won the regular Science
Olympiad with a time that was only
approximately a minute off of Andy’s.
• Wally Miller, founder of the EZB, handily
won the 1.2-gram EZB event and AROG.
• Mark Bennett shined with wins in
MiniStick, Open Pennyplane, F1D, and the
F1D regional.
Tim Chang missed making the Junior
F1D team in the last cycle, but he took the
setback in good form and returned this year
with a new fleet of immaculate models and
a bunch more flying experience. Still a
Junior, Tim posted excellent times of 32:09
and 31:17 to take third place in the F1D
regional behind Mark Bennett and F1D
great Cezar Banks.
Another new face that stood out was
Chris Doughty. Hailing from Vancouver,
British Columbia, Chris developed his
Indoor FF skills in relative isolation and
has a decidedly unique style to show for it.
“I prefer designing my own models to
building from plans, and try to make them
look good as well as perform,” he said.
He’s not kidding! Chris showed off a
strange but true built-up-fuselage MiniStick
and a pair of unbelievably tiny
Ornithopters. To top it off, he brought all
his models and equipment eight hours by
motorcycle!
You can find more detailed reports
online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
indoor_construction or in Indoor News and
Views at www.f1d.biz.
Make plans now to join these fliers at
next year’s meet. Andy Tagliafico has
already set the dates of July 6-10, 2007.
Contest Mojo: I took a business trip to
Florida last spring and looked forward to
going to my favorite restaurant/night club
on South Beach. I made reservations in
advance and everything. When I got there I
was highly disappointed to find that the
place had completely lost its mojo. Gone
was energy it used to carry and, along with
it, all the people who used to go.
That got me thinking about how some
Indoor FF contests have a “vibe” (that
nebulous combination of good air, nice
organization, publicity, and who knows
what else that makes people feel like they
just have to go) and some don’t. Further,
how does one go about making a contest
popular? It ought to be as simple as getting
a site and letting people know about it, but,
as any restaurateur knows, that isn’t
enough.
This year’s Kent, Ohio, meet was an
example of what can happen when “mojo
goes right.” The site is a nice Category II
field house with a peaked roof that rises to
56 feet in the center, but it is not a wide
enough area to make it Category III. It is a
great venue for Rubber duration and
happens to be perfect for Gliders.
Discussion of the site’s Glider benefits
spread among the likes of Jim Buxton, Kurt
Krempetz, Bill Gowen, Chris Goins, and
others, and before long a notable collection
of Glider experts made plans to battle it out
at Kent. People who previously didn’t
know about the contest or lived too far
away were signing up to attend.
As proof of the site’s quality, two new
Category II Glider records were set. Kurt
Krempetz flopped a Stan Buddenbohm
Slow Poker, modified into an Unlimited
Catapult Glider, into the roof’s peak to set a
new mark with two flights near 60 seconds.
Jim Buxton broke the 24-year-old Hand
Launched Glider record with a large-span
model that was actually a little too heavy
for the site. (Jim put it into the ceiling a few
times, with some unfortunate results.)
Rubber duration records have also been set
at this site.
Attendance was up, the flying was great,
and people even began calling for a twoday
contest in the future to help justify the
travel expense for out-of-towners. Kent has
mojo. This contest is traditionally held in
April and is hosted by the Cleveland Free
Flight Society. For more information
contact Michael Zand at imzand@hotmail
.com.
The Western New York Free Flight
Society (WNYFFS) and FAC contest at the
Buffalo Bills’ training facility in Orchard
Park, New York, is currently, and
unfortunately, on the other end of the
spectrum.
It is easy to see why this site should begreat; it’s Category IV, artificial turf,
brightly lit, clean, and nice. Figuring out
why there were only 18 contestants at this
spring’s meet is tougher.
Is it the date? The WNYFFS has moved
the contest around trying to find a popular
time but is restricted by when the facility
is available. This past meet was two weeks
before the USIC, which may have had a
negative impact.
Is it the air? Hot lights at
approximately 60% height used to cause a
great deal of turbulence for the lighter
models. However, this year the contest
management turned off two-thirds of the
lights, producing much better air quality. It
is now possible to fly up at the top without
being swept to the sides. The site is
suddenly a great place for duration
models.
It’s a puzzle, but I think the WNYFFS
is doing the right kind of things to try to
solve it. Hopefully word of the improved
air will spread, and this contest will find
its mojo too. For more information about
next year’s contest, contact Vet Thomas at
[email protected].
A New Balsa Stripper: Part of the fun of
Indoor FF is collecting the gadgets and tools
that make building and flying even more
enjoyable. These extra purchases aren’t a
requirement—it’s easy to find some top-level
competitors who use manual, old-fashioned
techniques—but they certainly make life
simpler. And since most of these tools will
last a lifetime, they really aren’t too expensive
in the long run.
One new device is Jim Jones’ popular but
out-of-production balsa stripper that Tim
Goldstein has resurrected with Jim’s support
and blessing. It is possible to build recordsetting
models with a straightedge and razor
blade, but this tool makes the process much
easier and more repeatable.
Tim’s version retains the original’s
functionality but adds futuristic aluminum
with aircraft cutout styling. Check it out,
along with a long list of other Indoor FF musthaves,
on Tim’s Web site: www.f1d.biz. MA