of achievements and kept the Rushbrooke
Individual World Champion trophy on US
soil. (It hasn’t left since 1992!) The US team
finished second behind the hard-charging
Romanian squad.
American Justin Young kept the US
Juniors’ winning streak going for the third
consecutive cycle, with a Gold-medal
performance. His teammate Ethan Aaron
took Silver. The US Junior team avenged
the Seniors, securing first place with the
Romanians close behind.
Larry Cailliau did things right, putting up
two flights exceeding 35 minutes in the first
rounds. He wasn’t a shoo-in, though;
Romanian Aurel Popa pulled to within 10
seconds by the third round.
A nail-biter until the end, several flights
on both sides looked as though they might
turn even bigger times, but neither ended up
topping their early posts. Popa’s final flight
was threatening but contacted the wall
during the descent. The Romanians aren’t
traditionally steering fans, but I have the
feeling that is going to change soon.
Returning Junior World Champion Doug
Schaefer, who competed with the Seniors
this time, overcame a model lost to the
catwalk and showed his prowess with two
34-plus rounds that had him in podium
position until one of the last flights of the
contest.
On his final attempt German Lutz
Schramm edged into third place and
bumped Doug to fourth place. Doug had an
exemplary showing, especially for his first
Senior World Championships.
Brett Sanborn—last cycle’s Junior Silver
medalist who earned a place with the Senior
squad on his first try—was determined not
to be the weak link on the team. That kind
of attitude is motivating, but in the end he
had nothing to worry about.
Brett posted a 34 and high 33 for a solid
seventh place and a great team time. He was
remarkably consistent, with all six official
flights between 32 and 34 minutes. Young
Doug and Brett definitely have more F1D
greatness to come, which is good news for
F1D World Championship funding policy explanation
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Indoor World Championships
report
• News from Glastonbury,
Connecticut
• USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome
annual reminder
F1D World Champion Larry Cailliau of the
US (center); Aurel Popa of Romania,
second (left); Lutz Schramm of Germany,
third (right). Ing/Shaw photo.
Larry Cailliau’s winning F1D model looks
deceptively simple. Peter Ing/John Shaw
photo.
Junior F1D World Champion Justin Young
of the US (center), second-place finisher
Ethan Aaron of the US (left), and thirdplace
finisher Zoltan Somodi of Romania
(right). Slobodan Midic photo.
THE AMA FAI team-funding policy has
changed recently. (Refer to the publication
World Championship Teams—Procedures
Governing the Academy’s Sponsorship of FAI
Teams.) A team must now earn funding and
support through participation levels or
performance at the World Championships.
Participation is measured by the number of
program members and Team Selection Finals
entrants. Performance is judged by team or
individual placings.
Teams at the highest level will receive
100% of the newly adjusted funds. Lowerlevel
teams will receive partial funding, and
those at the lowest level will be pulled from
the World Champs until their participation
levels increase.
I am happy to say that the US Indoor FF
program is, at least for now, doing great. We
are just under the top level for participation,
so it would be great to boost those numbers a
bit.
But judging by the latest World
Championships, our team’s performance level
secures us top funding! Read on for the great
news.
Americans Win 2006 F1D World
Championships: The FAI FF Indoor World
Championships for Juniors and Seniors
(which is the FAI equivalent of the AMA
Open category) was held, once again, in the
majestic salt mines in Slanic Prahova,
Romania.
After four long days in the legendarily
trying conditions, American Larry Cailliau
emerged victorious. He added a long-soughtafter
World Champion title to his extended list
150 MODEL AVIATION
our program and bad news for anyone vying for a spot on the team!
My experience was at least good for some entertainment value. The
airline was kind enough to ship me all the way through to Romania,
but they left my luggage (including all my tools and equipment) in
Amsterdam!
It took several days and a missed practice to collect them all, but
no real harm was done. The bad karma carried into the competition,
though.
Two flights cooked to the ceiling in record time, bumped around
for a while, and hung on the catwalk. The others didn’t get up quite
high enough. With time running out I shifted my focus to putting in
safe team flights, but even then only managed two 32s that left us in
second place. It turns out I was the weakest link!
Justin Young started his week with similar tribulations. He
sprained his ankle badly on arrival day and wasn’t positive he was
going to be able to compete. However, a few Ace bandages, ice
packs, and a dose of youthful vigor later, he was mobile enough to
fly.
He had his share of challenges in the competition too. His model
climbed out beautifully, with none of the high-torque shenanigans that
afflicted so many competitors’ airplanes. But then, just when it looked
like things were perfect, it began stalling two-thirds of the way up and
lost most of its altitude.
Justin spent a bunch of time in the difficult practice area, sorting
things out with valuable input from Junior Team Manager Tom Sova
and eventual World Champ Larry Cailliau. On his last official
attempt, Justin put up a 30-minute backup flight to his earlier 31 that
secured the win.
Ethan Aaron’s mentor is renowned Indoorist Ray Harlan, and he
certainly picked up some solid skills. Ethan tested the waters on the
first day of competition with a couple safe flights and then put in a
few rounds of approximately 28 minutes.
With solid times on the board Ethan searched for a way to pick up
a couple extra minutes, but he eventually had to “settle” for second.
He has that quiet F1D determination, and I’m sure he’ll be back to try
for the top spot in future meets.
Nick Ray jumped off to a great start, topping the leader board with
a 27-minute flight in the first round. Early fame can be fleeting,
Brett Sanborn’s and John Kagan’s backup
models are ready at the F1D World
Championships. Geoffrey Lefever photo.
Columnist John Kagan cheeses for the
camera. Midic photo.
Glastonbury CT Indoor FF is back in business! Max Zaluska photo.
The Slanic Prahova flying site is stunning. Note how tiny people look by the lights at the
bottom! Mark Schaefer photo.
though; a series of component failures derailed his efforts to produce
a matching backup time. With few parts remaining Nick hobbled
together a 25-minute flight on the last day that, at the very least,
secured the all-important team win.
Ray Harlan did another great job as team manager. A great deal of
work goes on behind the scenes (down to making sure everyone gets
on the bus to the airport), but it is almost invisible when everything
works right. Thanks for making the trip fun, Ray!
Former team member Tom Sova kept the kids in line as the Junior
team manager. His previous experience in the mine was invaluable,
and the team’s results speak for themselves. Great work, Tom!
So ends another World Championships in the challenging salt
mine of Slanic Prahova. Start tuning your variable-geometry
propellers; 2008 is going to find the F1D World Championships at a
new 90-foot site in Serbia.
This is a welcome change (even to the Romanians, who have
graciously hosted so many events) and the first time variable-
geometry propellers will be a factor with the
new-rules models at a World Championships.
The next US Team Selection will likely be
held in a site close to the size of the Serbian
venue to help choose a team that is best suited
for this new challenge.
If you know any local Science Olympiad
(SO) stars (or are one), get them into this
year’s Team Selection Program quickly! SO
graduates have produced full three-person
Junior F1D teams, individual Junior World
Champs, team World Champs, and even
Silver medalists for the last three consecutive
cycles.
SO fliers have then gone on to other great
accomplishments in the Indoor FF world and
beyond. Keep the streak alive!
Glastonbury Is Back: It can be depressing
when news rolls around of yet another lost
Indoor FF flying site. If one didn’t know
better, he or she would get the impression that
our distinctive corner of the model-airplane
hobby were withering away.
An example of this was when I heard that
the Glastonbury, Connecticut, Indoor FF
activities were on indefinite hold. It was at
this site where I first witnessed the late Jim
Grant’s miraculous EZB floating around.
These people were founders of the Flying
Aces Club movement, for heaven’s sake.
George Armstead tirelessly kept the show
running for many years, and Tony Lincoln
took over when George passed away. But
flying was put on hold because of
construction at the high school gym and some
very burnt-out volunteers.
That’s why I was so thrilled when I
recently received a flyer announcing that the
Indoor FF sessions are back after a year’s
hiatus. Things are right with the universe
once again.
John Koptonak—a previous longtime
leader of the Norwich Flying Aces—has
returned to Connecticut and graciously taken
the reins. He is one of those high-voltage,
positive-energy people who keep our activity
afloat.
John’s time was recently consumed by
full-scale sailplane racing and outdoor FF out
West, among other things, but he’s back
energizing the Glastonbury activities. That
kind of thing is good for all of us. As long as
we have people such as John to keep things
hopping, Indoor FF will be fine.
USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome 2007: Since
this column is published just four times a
year, it seems as though almost every other
installment refers to the two biggest US
Indoor FF events: the Kibbie Dome Annual
and US Indoor Championships (USIC)/AMA
Nats.
Well, it’s already time again to make your
annual plans to enjoy and support Indoor FF
at its best. And if you are new to this part of
the hobby, you owe it to yourself to see how
much fun it is to fly at one or both of these
sites.
The 2007 USIC/AMA Nats is being held
at the usual spot—the East Tennessee State
University Mini-Dome in Johnson City,
Tennessee—May 30-June 3. You can find all
the info and registration material on the AMA
Web site. Come share a great week of flying
in a spacious, weather-immune 115-foot site.
You can test your mettle against the
country’s best, but don’t let the competition
scare you off; there is plenty of room and
support for beginners too. This is one of the
largest annual gatherings of Indoor FFers,
flying the complete gamut of events.
The Kibbie Dome Annual runs July 6-10.
It is held at an expansive 145-foot sports
facility in Moscow, Idaho. The dome’s layout
allows heavy and light Indoor FF models to
fly concurrently, providing a relaxed contest
atmosphere where you can fly whatever you
like, whenever you want.
You’ll find a great group of people, a
world-class site, and more airtime than at
anywhere else in the world. For registration,
or more information, contact Andrew
Tagliafico at [email protected] or (503)
452-0546.
And don’t forget the other great contests
scattered throughout the country! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 149,150,151
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 149,150,151
of achievements and kept the Rushbrooke
Individual World Champion trophy on US
soil. (It hasn’t left since 1992!) The US team
finished second behind the hard-charging
Romanian squad.
American Justin Young kept the US
Juniors’ winning streak going for the third
consecutive cycle, with a Gold-medal
performance. His teammate Ethan Aaron
took Silver. The US Junior team avenged
the Seniors, securing first place with the
Romanians close behind.
Larry Cailliau did things right, putting up
two flights exceeding 35 minutes in the first
rounds. He wasn’t a shoo-in, though;
Romanian Aurel Popa pulled to within 10
seconds by the third round.
A nail-biter until the end, several flights
on both sides looked as though they might
turn even bigger times, but neither ended up
topping their early posts. Popa’s final flight
was threatening but contacted the wall
during the descent. The Romanians aren’t
traditionally steering fans, but I have the
feeling that is going to change soon.
Returning Junior World Champion Doug
Schaefer, who competed with the Seniors
this time, overcame a model lost to the
catwalk and showed his prowess with two
34-plus rounds that had him in podium
position until one of the last flights of the
contest.
On his final attempt German Lutz
Schramm edged into third place and
bumped Doug to fourth place. Doug had an
exemplary showing, especially for his first
Senior World Championships.
Brett Sanborn—last cycle’s Junior Silver
medalist who earned a place with the Senior
squad on his first try—was determined not
to be the weak link on the team. That kind
of attitude is motivating, but in the end he
had nothing to worry about.
Brett posted a 34 and high 33 for a solid
seventh place and a great team time. He was
remarkably consistent, with all six official
flights between 32 and 34 minutes. Young
Doug and Brett definitely have more F1D
greatness to come, which is good news for
F1D World Championship funding policy explanation
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Indoor World Championships
report
• News from Glastonbury,
Connecticut
• USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome
annual reminder
F1D World Champion Larry Cailliau of the
US (center); Aurel Popa of Romania,
second (left); Lutz Schramm of Germany,
third (right). Ing/Shaw photo.
Larry Cailliau’s winning F1D model looks
deceptively simple. Peter Ing/John Shaw
photo.
Junior F1D World Champion Justin Young
of the US (center), second-place finisher
Ethan Aaron of the US (left), and thirdplace
finisher Zoltan Somodi of Romania
(right). Slobodan Midic photo.
THE AMA FAI team-funding policy has
changed recently. (Refer to the publication
World Championship Teams—Procedures
Governing the Academy’s Sponsorship of FAI
Teams.) A team must now earn funding and
support through participation levels or
performance at the World Championships.
Participation is measured by the number of
program members and Team Selection Finals
entrants. Performance is judged by team or
individual placings.
Teams at the highest level will receive
100% of the newly adjusted funds. Lowerlevel
teams will receive partial funding, and
those at the lowest level will be pulled from
the World Champs until their participation
levels increase.
I am happy to say that the US Indoor FF
program is, at least for now, doing great. We
are just under the top level for participation,
so it would be great to boost those numbers a
bit.
But judging by the latest World
Championships, our team’s performance level
secures us top funding! Read on for the great
news.
Americans Win 2006 F1D World
Championships: The FAI FF Indoor World
Championships for Juniors and Seniors
(which is the FAI equivalent of the AMA
Open category) was held, once again, in the
majestic salt mines in Slanic Prahova,
Romania.
After four long days in the legendarily
trying conditions, American Larry Cailliau
emerged victorious. He added a long-soughtafter
World Champion title to his extended list
150 MODEL AVIATION
our program and bad news for anyone vying for a spot on the team!
My experience was at least good for some entertainment value. The
airline was kind enough to ship me all the way through to Romania,
but they left my luggage (including all my tools and equipment) in
Amsterdam!
It took several days and a missed practice to collect them all, but
no real harm was done. The bad karma carried into the competition,
though.
Two flights cooked to the ceiling in record time, bumped around
for a while, and hung on the catwalk. The others didn’t get up quite
high enough. With time running out I shifted my focus to putting in
safe team flights, but even then only managed two 32s that left us in
second place. It turns out I was the weakest link!
Justin Young started his week with similar tribulations. He
sprained his ankle badly on arrival day and wasn’t positive he was
going to be able to compete. However, a few Ace bandages, ice
packs, and a dose of youthful vigor later, he was mobile enough to
fly.
He had his share of challenges in the competition too. His model
climbed out beautifully, with none of the high-torque shenanigans that
afflicted so many competitors’ airplanes. But then, just when it looked
like things were perfect, it began stalling two-thirds of the way up and
lost most of its altitude.
Justin spent a bunch of time in the difficult practice area, sorting
things out with valuable input from Junior Team Manager Tom Sova
and eventual World Champ Larry Cailliau. On his last official
attempt, Justin put up a 30-minute backup flight to his earlier 31 that
secured the win.
Ethan Aaron’s mentor is renowned Indoorist Ray Harlan, and he
certainly picked up some solid skills. Ethan tested the waters on the
first day of competition with a couple safe flights and then put in a
few rounds of approximately 28 minutes.
With solid times on the board Ethan searched for a way to pick up
a couple extra minutes, but he eventually had to “settle” for second.
He has that quiet F1D determination, and I’m sure he’ll be back to try
for the top spot in future meets.
Nick Ray jumped off to a great start, topping the leader board with
a 27-minute flight in the first round. Early fame can be fleeting,
Brett Sanborn’s and John Kagan’s backup
models are ready at the F1D World
Championships. Geoffrey Lefever photo.
Columnist John Kagan cheeses for the
camera. Midic photo.
Glastonbury CT Indoor FF is back in business! Max Zaluska photo.
The Slanic Prahova flying site is stunning. Note how tiny people look by the lights at the
bottom! Mark Schaefer photo.
though; a series of component failures derailed his efforts to produce
a matching backup time. With few parts remaining Nick hobbled
together a 25-minute flight on the last day that, at the very least,
secured the all-important team win.
Ray Harlan did another great job as team manager. A great deal of
work goes on behind the scenes (down to making sure everyone gets
on the bus to the airport), but it is almost invisible when everything
works right. Thanks for making the trip fun, Ray!
Former team member Tom Sova kept the kids in line as the Junior
team manager. His previous experience in the mine was invaluable,
and the team’s results speak for themselves. Great work, Tom!
So ends another World Championships in the challenging salt
mine of Slanic Prahova. Start tuning your variable-geometry
propellers; 2008 is going to find the F1D World Championships at a
new 90-foot site in Serbia.
This is a welcome change (even to the Romanians, who have
graciously hosted so many events) and the first time variable-
geometry propellers will be a factor with the
new-rules models at a World Championships.
The next US Team Selection will likely be
held in a site close to the size of the Serbian
venue to help choose a team that is best suited
for this new challenge.
If you know any local Science Olympiad
(SO) stars (or are one), get them into this
year’s Team Selection Program quickly! SO
graduates have produced full three-person
Junior F1D teams, individual Junior World
Champs, team World Champs, and even
Silver medalists for the last three consecutive
cycles.
SO fliers have then gone on to other great
accomplishments in the Indoor FF world and
beyond. Keep the streak alive!
Glastonbury Is Back: It can be depressing
when news rolls around of yet another lost
Indoor FF flying site. If one didn’t know
better, he or she would get the impression that
our distinctive corner of the model-airplane
hobby were withering away.
An example of this was when I heard that
the Glastonbury, Connecticut, Indoor FF
activities were on indefinite hold. It was at
this site where I first witnessed the late Jim
Grant’s miraculous EZB floating around.
These people were founders of the Flying
Aces Club movement, for heaven’s sake.
George Armstead tirelessly kept the show
running for many years, and Tony Lincoln
took over when George passed away. But
flying was put on hold because of
construction at the high school gym and some
very burnt-out volunteers.
That’s why I was so thrilled when I
recently received a flyer announcing that the
Indoor FF sessions are back after a year’s
hiatus. Things are right with the universe
once again.
John Koptonak—a previous longtime
leader of the Norwich Flying Aces—has
returned to Connecticut and graciously taken
the reins. He is one of those high-voltage,
positive-energy people who keep our activity
afloat.
John’s time was recently consumed by
full-scale sailplane racing and outdoor FF out
West, among other things, but he’s back
energizing the Glastonbury activities. That
kind of thing is good for all of us. As long as
we have people such as John to keep things
hopping, Indoor FF will be fine.
USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome 2007: Since
this column is published just four times a
year, it seems as though almost every other
installment refers to the two biggest US
Indoor FF events: the Kibbie Dome Annual
and US Indoor Championships (USIC)/AMA
Nats.
Well, it’s already time again to make your
annual plans to enjoy and support Indoor FF
at its best. And if you are new to this part of
the hobby, you owe it to yourself to see how
much fun it is to fly at one or both of these
sites.
The 2007 USIC/AMA Nats is being held
at the usual spot—the East Tennessee State
University Mini-Dome in Johnson City,
Tennessee—May 30-June 3. You can find all
the info and registration material on the AMA
Web site. Come share a great week of flying
in a spacious, weather-immune 115-foot site.
You can test your mettle against the
country’s best, but don’t let the competition
scare you off; there is plenty of room and
support for beginners too. This is one of the
largest annual gatherings of Indoor FFers,
flying the complete gamut of events.
The Kibbie Dome Annual runs July 6-10.
It is held at an expansive 145-foot sports
facility in Moscow, Idaho. The dome’s layout
allows heavy and light Indoor FF models to
fly concurrently, providing a relaxed contest
atmosphere where you can fly whatever you
like, whenever you want.
You’ll find a great group of people, a
world-class site, and more airtime than at
anywhere else in the world. For registration,
or more information, contact Andrew
Tagliafico at [email protected] or (503)
452-0546.
And don’t forget the other great contests
scattered throughout the country! MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2007/04
Page Numbers: 149,150,151
of achievements and kept the Rushbrooke
Individual World Champion trophy on US
soil. (It hasn’t left since 1992!) The US team
finished second behind the hard-charging
Romanian squad.
American Justin Young kept the US
Juniors’ winning streak going for the third
consecutive cycle, with a Gold-medal
performance. His teammate Ethan Aaron
took Silver. The US Junior team avenged
the Seniors, securing first place with the
Romanians close behind.
Larry Cailliau did things right, putting up
two flights exceeding 35 minutes in the first
rounds. He wasn’t a shoo-in, though;
Romanian Aurel Popa pulled to within 10
seconds by the third round.
A nail-biter until the end, several flights
on both sides looked as though they might
turn even bigger times, but neither ended up
topping their early posts. Popa’s final flight
was threatening but contacted the wall
during the descent. The Romanians aren’t
traditionally steering fans, but I have the
feeling that is going to change soon.
Returning Junior World Champion Doug
Schaefer, who competed with the Seniors
this time, overcame a model lost to the
catwalk and showed his prowess with two
34-plus rounds that had him in podium
position until one of the last flights of the
contest.
On his final attempt German Lutz
Schramm edged into third place and
bumped Doug to fourth place. Doug had an
exemplary showing, especially for his first
Senior World Championships.
Brett Sanborn—last cycle’s Junior Silver
medalist who earned a place with the Senior
squad on his first try—was determined not
to be the weak link on the team. That kind
of attitude is motivating, but in the end he
had nothing to worry about.
Brett posted a 34 and high 33 for a solid
seventh place and a great team time. He was
remarkably consistent, with all six official
flights between 32 and 34 minutes. Young
Doug and Brett definitely have more F1D
greatness to come, which is good news for
F1D World Championship funding policy explanation
Free Flight Indoor John Kagan
[[email protected]]
Also included in this column:
• Indoor World Championships
report
• News from Glastonbury,
Connecticut
• USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome
annual reminder
F1D World Champion Larry Cailliau of the
US (center); Aurel Popa of Romania,
second (left); Lutz Schramm of Germany,
third (right). Ing/Shaw photo.
Larry Cailliau’s winning F1D model looks
deceptively simple. Peter Ing/John Shaw
photo.
Junior F1D World Champion Justin Young
of the US (center), second-place finisher
Ethan Aaron of the US (left), and thirdplace
finisher Zoltan Somodi of Romania
(right). Slobodan Midic photo.
THE AMA FAI team-funding policy has
changed recently. (Refer to the publication
World Championship Teams—Procedures
Governing the Academy’s Sponsorship of FAI
Teams.) A team must now earn funding and
support through participation levels or
performance at the World Championships.
Participation is measured by the number of
program members and Team Selection Finals
entrants. Performance is judged by team or
individual placings.
Teams at the highest level will receive
100% of the newly adjusted funds. Lowerlevel
teams will receive partial funding, and
those at the lowest level will be pulled from
the World Champs until their participation
levels increase.
I am happy to say that the US Indoor FF
program is, at least for now, doing great. We
are just under the top level for participation,
so it would be great to boost those numbers a
bit.
But judging by the latest World
Championships, our team’s performance level
secures us top funding! Read on for the great
news.
Americans Win 2006 F1D World
Championships: The FAI FF Indoor World
Championships for Juniors and Seniors
(which is the FAI equivalent of the AMA
Open category) was held, once again, in the
majestic salt mines in Slanic Prahova,
Romania.
After four long days in the legendarily
trying conditions, American Larry Cailliau
emerged victorious. He added a long-soughtafter
World Champion title to his extended list
150 MODEL AVIATION
our program and bad news for anyone vying for a spot on the team!
My experience was at least good for some entertainment value. The
airline was kind enough to ship me all the way through to Romania,
but they left my luggage (including all my tools and equipment) in
Amsterdam!
It took several days and a missed practice to collect them all, but
no real harm was done. The bad karma carried into the competition,
though.
Two flights cooked to the ceiling in record time, bumped around
for a while, and hung on the catwalk. The others didn’t get up quite
high enough. With time running out I shifted my focus to putting in
safe team flights, but even then only managed two 32s that left us in
second place. It turns out I was the weakest link!
Justin Young started his week with similar tribulations. He
sprained his ankle badly on arrival day and wasn’t positive he was
going to be able to compete. However, a few Ace bandages, ice
packs, and a dose of youthful vigor later, he was mobile enough to
fly.
He had his share of challenges in the competition too. His model
climbed out beautifully, with none of the high-torque shenanigans that
afflicted so many competitors’ airplanes. But then, just when it looked
like things were perfect, it began stalling two-thirds of the way up and
lost most of its altitude.
Justin spent a bunch of time in the difficult practice area, sorting
things out with valuable input from Junior Team Manager Tom Sova
and eventual World Champ Larry Cailliau. On his last official
attempt, Justin put up a 30-minute backup flight to his earlier 31 that
secured the win.
Ethan Aaron’s mentor is renowned Indoorist Ray Harlan, and he
certainly picked up some solid skills. Ethan tested the waters on the
first day of competition with a couple safe flights and then put in a
few rounds of approximately 28 minutes.
With solid times on the board Ethan searched for a way to pick up
a couple extra minutes, but he eventually had to “settle” for second.
He has that quiet F1D determination, and I’m sure he’ll be back to try
for the top spot in future meets.
Nick Ray jumped off to a great start, topping the leader board with
a 27-minute flight in the first round. Early fame can be fleeting,
Brett Sanborn’s and John Kagan’s backup
models are ready at the F1D World
Championships. Geoffrey Lefever photo.
Columnist John Kagan cheeses for the
camera. Midic photo.
Glastonbury CT Indoor FF is back in business! Max Zaluska photo.
The Slanic Prahova flying site is stunning. Note how tiny people look by the lights at the
bottom! Mark Schaefer photo.
though; a series of component failures derailed his efforts to produce
a matching backup time. With few parts remaining Nick hobbled
together a 25-minute flight on the last day that, at the very least,
secured the all-important team win.
Ray Harlan did another great job as team manager. A great deal of
work goes on behind the scenes (down to making sure everyone gets
on the bus to the airport), but it is almost invisible when everything
works right. Thanks for making the trip fun, Ray!
Former team member Tom Sova kept the kids in line as the Junior
team manager. His previous experience in the mine was invaluable,
and the team’s results speak for themselves. Great work, Tom!
So ends another World Championships in the challenging salt
mine of Slanic Prahova. Start tuning your variable-geometry
propellers; 2008 is going to find the F1D World Championships at a
new 90-foot site in Serbia.
This is a welcome change (even to the Romanians, who have
graciously hosted so many events) and the first time variable-
geometry propellers will be a factor with the
new-rules models at a World Championships.
The next US Team Selection will likely be
held in a site close to the size of the Serbian
venue to help choose a team that is best suited
for this new challenge.
If you know any local Science Olympiad
(SO) stars (or are one), get them into this
year’s Team Selection Program quickly! SO
graduates have produced full three-person
Junior F1D teams, individual Junior World
Champs, team World Champs, and even
Silver medalists for the last three consecutive
cycles.
SO fliers have then gone on to other great
accomplishments in the Indoor FF world and
beyond. Keep the streak alive!
Glastonbury Is Back: It can be depressing
when news rolls around of yet another lost
Indoor FF flying site. If one didn’t know
better, he or she would get the impression that
our distinctive corner of the model-airplane
hobby were withering away.
An example of this was when I heard that
the Glastonbury, Connecticut, Indoor FF
activities were on indefinite hold. It was at
this site where I first witnessed the late Jim
Grant’s miraculous EZB floating around.
These people were founders of the Flying
Aces Club movement, for heaven’s sake.
George Armstead tirelessly kept the show
running for many years, and Tony Lincoln
took over when George passed away. But
flying was put on hold because of
construction at the high school gym and some
very burnt-out volunteers.
That’s why I was so thrilled when I
recently received a flyer announcing that the
Indoor FF sessions are back after a year’s
hiatus. Things are right with the universe
once again.
John Koptonak—a previous longtime
leader of the Norwich Flying Aces—has
returned to Connecticut and graciously taken
the reins. He is one of those high-voltage,
positive-energy people who keep our activity
afloat.
John’s time was recently consumed by
full-scale sailplane racing and outdoor FF out
West, among other things, but he’s back
energizing the Glastonbury activities. That
kind of thing is good for all of us. As long as
we have people such as John to keep things
hopping, Indoor FF will be fine.
USIC/Nats and Kibbie Dome 2007: Since
this column is published just four times a
year, it seems as though almost every other
installment refers to the two biggest US
Indoor FF events: the Kibbie Dome Annual
and US Indoor Championships (USIC)/AMA
Nats.
Well, it’s already time again to make your
annual plans to enjoy and support Indoor FF
at its best. And if you are new to this part of
the hobby, you owe it to yourself to see how
much fun it is to fly at one or both of these
sites.
The 2007 USIC/AMA Nats is being held
at the usual spot—the East Tennessee State
University Mini-Dome in Johnson City,
Tennessee—May 30-June 3. You can find all
the info and registration material on the AMA
Web site. Come share a great week of flying
in a spacious, weather-immune 115-foot site.
You can test your mettle against the
country’s best, but don’t let the competition
scare you off; there is plenty of room and
support for beginners too. This is one of the
largest annual gatherings of Indoor FFers,
flying the complete gamut of events.
The Kibbie Dome Annual runs July 6-10.
It is held at an expansive 145-foot sports
facility in Moscow, Idaho. The dome’s layout
allows heavy and light Indoor FF models to
fly concurrently, providing a relaxed contest
atmosphere where you can fly whatever you
like, whenever you want.
You’ll find a great group of people, a
world-class site, and more airtime than at
anywhere else in the world. For registration,
or more information, contact Andrew
Tagliafico at [email protected] or (503)
452-0546.
And don’t forget the other great contests
scattered throughout the country! MA