54 M ODEL AVIATION
Contest celebrates its
silver anniversary
he weekend of September 23-24, 2000 marked the 25th
After launching his Lanzo Duplex, Jack
O’Leary watches the model intently as
it climbs out on another flight.
Don Spehn gives his Mini Pearl a mighty
heave, to help it on its way to a max attempt
in the not-so-good conditions Sunday.
Pat English, Contest Director of this
event for a quarter of a century, takes
time from his duties to test-glide a P-30.
This was six-year-old Jessica Mouzin’s
first contest. She had been flying
Catapult Glider for roughly two months.
Mid-America
Free Flight
anniversary of the Mid-America Free Flight Champs, as the
event has come to be known. Tri County Aero, which is
primarily a Radio Control (RC) club, has hosted this premier Free
Flight (FF) meet in the Midwest each year.
What was started in 1975, in response to Pat English’s (the
club’s lone FF member) suggestion that Tri County Aero sponsor an
FF meet, has continued uninterrupted.
Pat’s reasoning was that the club had access to an excellent site,
and FF events were scarce. He figured the contest would do well,
and it did. It did so well that in the ensuing quarter-century, it has
evolved from a one-day event with minimal attendance to an annual
two-day weekend that averages 80+ contestants and has
occasionally topped 100.
In all these years, the event has had four Contest Directors
(CDs). Pat English handles one day, but he insists that this year was
his swan song. The other day is normally CDed by Bud Brown—
now the club’s active FF competitor.
Don Satchjen (who flies Old-Time events) CDed a few years, and I
have acted as backup on occasions when the main honchos were
April 2001 55
n Frank Roales
Bud Brown releases his Mulvihill for its climb into the unstable air as wife and personal timer Ellen starts the watch.
Larry Willis’s super retrieval system: daughter Julie (front), wife
Judy would ride out to the landing and wait for the model.
This plaque at the entrance of
the field chronicles the
history of the Mid America Air
Center during World War II.
Photos courtesy the author Graphic Design by Jill Ann Cavanaugh
Champs
unable to run the show.
The event has been held each year at
what is now known as the Mid America Air
Center; it was known as George Field at the
time of the first contest.
The facility was a World War II Army
Air Force multiengine-aircraft training base,
where pilots and navigators were taught
their trade in Beech AT-10s, Consolidated
B-24s, and Curtiss AT-9s. The base was
used for glider-towing training after the last
class graduated in 1945.
The field sits just north of US 50 on
Allison Prairie, between Vincennes IN and
Lawrenceville IL.
The nine-square-mile site was the
location of the 1990, 1991, and 1993 AMA
Nationals and the 1988 SAM Champs
(Society of Antique Modelers
Championships), and it offers an excellent
FF venue in the fall.
Contests were originally held in the
spring, but they were moved to the fall after
a short time to avoid conflicts with growing
crops and make retrieval easier.
Throughout the illustrious history of this
event, the site has hosted many truly great
modelers and has seen its share of national
records set.
At the time of the first contests, Harry
Murphy was the Model Aviation FF
columnist. He touted the event, and flew in
several. He was also editor of the CIA
Informer—the newsletter of the Central
Indiana Aeromodelers.
Other celebrities include many-time world
Indoor champion Jim Richmond and the
Konefes brothers—Ed and Joe. Joe designed
one of the classic FF models, which is still
kitted: the Buzzard Bombshell. This model is
now flown primarily in old-time RC events.
Records established at this meet include
1⁄2A Gas and C Gas—both of which have
been broken. However, the ornithopter
record Roy White set in 1985 still stands.
Famous names and records aside, the Mid-
America Free Flight Champs has become a
kind of end-of-the-season gathering of the
clan. Free Flighters from across the Midwest
have a good time, fly at an excellent site,
and visit with others who have been making
the same pilgrimage for many years.
The latest edition of the contest had lowerthan-
normal attendance because of a gloomand-
doom weather forecast that was only partly
accurate, but fliers still came from all points on
the compass—from Minnesota to Alabama,
and from Pennsylvania to Nebraska.
Some of those who helped make the
event popular are no longer with us and
others don’t attend for one reason or
another, but they remain part of the
legacy of this event.
The husband-and-wife team of Lewis
and Dot Odem are such people. Lewis
passed away and Dottie doesn’t fly
anymore, but we remember them fondly.
Everyone liked Dottie, and she was the type
of person who never met a stranger.
There will always be those who don’t
return, but most come back year after year.
The Wicks, who first attended in 1980,
returned for their 20th contest.
Larry Willis, who won high-point
Rubber partly because of his efficient
retrieval system—his wife and his
daughter—is also a longtime attendee.
Others, such as Gary Oakins from
Minnesota, who flew 1⁄2A, A, B, and D Gas,
have made a contribution to the fun
atmosphere of the event.
Fliers of both sexes participate in the
contest, and ages range from six to older
than 70. First-timer Jessica Mouzin was six
years old, and she flew Catapult Glider.
This event has truly earned its heritage, and it
is an exceptional FF happening. The fact that
it continues to be run by a bunch of RCers
tells me that we are all modelers first; we just
enjoy different disciplines of modeling.
Come to the Mid America Air Center
this year at the end of September or the
first of October for the Mid-America
Free Flight Champs. I think you’ll be
glad you did. MA
Frank Roales
4585 E. St. Rd. 61
Vincennes IN 47591
56 M ODEL AVIATION
