I Am The AMA - 2012/05

172 Model Aviation May 2012 www.ModelAviation.com
I AM THE AMA Dave Villwock Unlimited Hydroplane boat racer
JS: How did you get involved with model aviation?
DV: When I was in the second grade, I started building and
flying Control Line models with my Uncle, Al Villwock. When
the first RC systems became available, we started building a Tri
Squire model that we installed a Controlaire reed system in.
Nobody knew how to fly RC in our area, so we went to a big
open field at Fort Lewis military base and gave it a try.
It took three of us working the toggle switches to keep it
in the air. It usually ended up in some sort of controlled crash
landing with some sort of repair required. We got better and
better. We bought better and better radios and ended up
building Kaos and Kwik Fly Pattern planes.
JS: How has model aviation impacted your life and/or career?
DV: Model aviation taught me patience, discipline, and that I
needed to earn money to pay for my toys. It also taught me
how having very intelligent people around you is always a
good thing.
One of my mentors once told me “you don’t have to be
the smartest guy in the world, but it helps to have his or her
number.” I remember reading articles about the Space Shuttle
Model Lifting Body Program in the third grade, some really
smart guys telling us about it in
a way that we could
understand.
I don’t know how
many times these
articles helped me
overcome problems
in the wind tunnel
designing Unlimited
Hydroplanes. It was
model airplanes that
got me involved in
professional racing through
Mr. Bill Bennett and
Circus Circus, Inc.
JS: What disciplines of modeling do you currently participate in?
DV: I fly Scale, IMAC [International Miniature Aerobatic
Club], and Pattern events.
JS: What are your other hobbies?
DV: I enjoy skiing, golfing, recreational boating, and hiking.
JS: Who (or what) has influenced you most?
DV: My Uncle Al got me started in modeling and race boats.
Bill Bennett was a great friend and mentor. Donny Weitz and
Chip and Merle Hyde helped in models in many ways. I could
not have been as successful in national competitions without
them.
JS: How did you get started racing Unlimited Hydros?
DV: I received a call from Bill Bennett one evening asking me to
get involved in Unlimited Hydroplane Racing. I told him thank
you for the offer, but I said unlimited boat racing is an over
expected and underfunded endeavor. He said he understood
my point, but then asked if I would do him one favor.
After about 30 seconds of silence, I figured out that I needed
to say yes to whatever he wanted, so I met with Bill in his
office one Saturday morning to discuss his proposition. I told
him what I thought he should do. He then said he understood
I was a modeler and ask me to come fly with him and a guy by
the name of Donny Weitz who worked for him at his private
airstrip at his ranch.
We flew some great models built by many-time TOC
competitor, Donny Weitz, until late in the afternoon. When
Mr. Bennett was leaving the ranch, he drove by in his car, rolled
down the window, and said that he kind of liked me and hoped
that I would reconsider working for him.
While riding in his private jet back to Seattle, I thought to
myself that I would be a coward if I didn’t work up a complete
three-year budget to try and win him his first championship.
So I called him the next day. He said “I have been trying to get
someone to put a budget together for two years.” He also said
to include in the budget whatever I needed to work for him
full time.
I took a couple of weeks to think about what it would
take to get his team from one broken boat, one boat that was
competitive, and a bunch of broken engines and gear boxes
to winning a championship against the top teams like Miss
Budweiser and Winston Eagle.
Two years later, we won the first championship for Miss
Circus Circus in 1990.
I worked for Mr. Bennett in Las Vegas for a few more years
before returning to racing Unlimited Hydroplanes.
—Jay Smith
MA Editor