134 MODEL AVIATION
John Pond remembered
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Engine collecting
• A plug for Taft
• Upcoming OT events
Above: Jim Hainen fires up the Brown
Junior in his Dallaire at the 2010 Muncie
SAM Champs. Photo by Mike and Rosa
Salvador.
Right: Chuck Hutton flies his O&Rpowered
Trenton Terror at the 2009
SAM Champs. The 2011 Champs will
return to this Nevada dry lake in
October. Author photo.
Below: Dave Warner launches his Airborn
into the teeth of the storm at Taft. The
weather was actually quite mild! Ned
Nevels photo.
John Pond (1917-2001) was instrumental in forming much of what we
recognize today as the Old-Timer (OT) movement. He was either the
founder or a founding member of several organizations, which together
contribute to the preservation and reenactment of the early history of
model aviation.
A partial list of those organizations include the Northern California
Free Flight Council, the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), the
Model Engine Collectors Association (MECA), and the San Francisco
chapter of the Junior Birdmen, which morphed into the San Francisco
Vultures, a club that has been active since 1939.
At one time or another, John held nearly every office in those
organizations up to and including president. He was also the AMA
District X vice president for three terms. Some of his honors include
08sig5.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:59 PM Page 134
the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, SAM Hall
of Fame, National Free Flight Society Hall of
Fame, and an AMA Fellow.
John became inspired by Charles
Lindbergh’s famous flight, which helped
spark a lifelong interest in model aviation. He
became a skilled modeler, winning many
contests in a variety of FF categories and later
OT RC events. He built and flew a wide
variety of models, including twin pusher and
other rubber-powered aircraft, gas powered,
gliders, compressed air, Rise Off Water
(ROW), and Scale airplanes.
John was a tireless ambassador, recruiter,
spokesman, writer, and mentor to modelers.
He was known for assisting other modelers,
even in contests where they were competing
against him. He was a CD for many events
sponsored by a variety of organizations.
John also sponsored events, trophies, and
prizes. His prolific writings drew many into
the OT movement. He was a columnist for
modeling affairs for the San Francisco
Examiner.
He wrote regular OT-oriented columns for
Model Builder magazine for more than 20
years, as well as a similar long-running series
for the Model Engine Collectors Journal. He
also wrote articles for Air Trails, Model
Airplane News, and other publications.
John started an OT plans service which
grew to approximately 12,000 individual
plans. He sold these to modelers at barely
above print costs to foster interest in the
hobby. Those plans are still available today
through the AMA Plans Service.
John was affectionately known as “Daddy
Warbucks” to friends, because of a slight
resemblance to the tall comic strip gentleman
who adopted Little Orphan Annie. Each year
in California there is a John Pond
Commemorative OTRC contest held in his
honor. This fall will mark the 36th running of
that event. I gathered much of the above
information from the AMA website’s
biographical section.
Engine collecting and OT flying activities go
hand in hand. Many OT fliers belong to both
the SAM and MECA organizations even if
they aren’t engine collectors. They know they
can usually pick up flying engines at better
prices than on eBay.
They can also be more confident about the
seller’s reliability since MECA is a tightly
knit organization that polices itself, and has a
return policy in the event an engine is not as
advertised. Members can also place want ads
in the bimonthly swap sheet which usually
get results, especially for common flying
engines.
Collectors come with a variety of
attitudes, as do OT fliers. At collectos (swap
meets) I’ve heard guys refuse to sell an
engine to someone who was just going to put
it on the shelf with no intention of flying it.
Others won’t sell to someone who planned to
fly, or even just run an engine that has been
carefully preserved for many years.
Fortunately that problem usually resolves
itself, as most of the good-running flying
engines were made in larger numbers, while
many of the rarer collectibles weren’t often
great runners.
Many fliers have a fairly nice “group” of
engines, but refuse to recognize it as a
collection or identify themselves as
collectors—although they know most of them
will never be flown. I’ve never figured out
that mindset, and don’t mind identifying
myself as a collector who flies them while
having others that I’ll never get around to
running.
Taft is a favorite OT contest flying site for
many Californians, including myself. It’s
centrally located in the state and also happens
to be a mere 100 miles from my door, passing
through some scenic rural countryside.
But the main attraction is the dependable
weather. There are far more flying days per
year than any other site with which I’m
familiar. I’ve attended probably 60 or more
contests there without ever losing more than
half of a day’s flying because of weather.
Last March, the SAM 26 spring opener
proved once again that weather-wise the site
is sort of a reverse-Bermuda Triangle. A
series of storms was hitting California on all
sides of the flying site, as close as 20 miles
away, but the “regulars” knew the unusual
nature of the microclimate at the field, and
the turnout of fliers was excellent. The large
flat field sits in a depression, ringed by hills
and mountains on all sides.
A few miles north sits the Lost Hills flying
site, which is more expansive and dedicated to
FF only. But when the winds sweep across
that wide-open space, the fliers often pack up
and come down to Taft where the weather
will likely be flyable.
But the Taft site has a problem. A private
investor group bought several sections of
land from Standard of California a few years
ago. Last year “for sale” signs went up, and
the future is uncertain. The owners are
willing to sell the flying field itself as a
separate block of 400-plus acres.
The best possible use of that land would
be as a model airplane flying site. Several
SAM Championships have been held there
in the past, and the city had annexed the
land before the last SAM Champs. The city
is small enough that its chamber of
commerce recognizes and encourages model
contests as a boost to the local economy.
The city even provided water, trash
dumpsters, portable toilets, and an
emergency telephone at that last SAM
Champs.
The site could gradually be developed
into a Western hub for all AMA-type events.
The only drawback is a common one:
money. The asking price is high, but the
owners are getting eager to sell because
they’ve been paying loan interest on several
sections of land for a few years.
We need a wealthy benefactor who is
willing to buy the land in a manner similar
to that by which Lost Hills was purchased.
But Lost Hills is for FF-only use. It would
be great if the AMA could find a way to
fund the Taft flying site.
The Dallaire Sportster is a competitive
design that isn’t flown as often as it once
was, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s
because the rounded fuselage requires a
little more work than average to complete.
It’s a large, antique (1936), scalelooking
design by Frank Dallaire. In its
standard size, the 108-inch wing has 1,482
sq. in. of area, giving it a nice, high-aspect
ratio needed for good glide. And that wing
area is just big enough to fit perfectly into
the SAM RC formula allowing a .65 glow
engine to be used.
As an unscaled Antique aircraft, it’s
eligible to be flown in several RC events,
using either a spark ignition or glow
engine. It fits into either of the two
Antique events, either of the two Texaco
events, and either of the Class C Limited
Engine Run events, as well as some
special events. And for SAM FF it can be
flown in Texaco or Class C Fuselage.
Upcoming Events: September 10-12 will
be the third biannual OT Midwest
Championships at the AMA flying site in
Muncie, Indiana. Sponsored by the Model
Engine Collectors Association, this event
is held in the alternate years when the
annual SAM Champs is held in the West
instead of in Muncie, Indiana.
Before the MECA event, the Flying
Aces Club will hold a meet at the AMA
site on September 8-9.
The annual SAM Champs will be held
this year in Henderson, Nevada, during
the week of October 3-7.
This year’s John Pond
Commemorative OTRC is scheduled for
October 29 and 30, hopefully in Taft,
California.
Check “Sources” or the AMA contest
schedule for event details. MA
Sources:
Society of Antique Modelers
www.antiquemodeler.org
Model Engine Collectors Association
www.modelenginecollectors.org
Taft Land Sale Information:
Westside Economic Development Co., LLC
400 Kern Street
Taft CA 93268
(661) 765-2140
Flying Aces Club (FAC)
www.flyingacesclub.com
Bob Angel
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 134,136,137
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 134,136,137
134 MODEL AVIATION
John Pond remembered
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Engine collecting
• A plug for Taft
• Upcoming OT events
Above: Jim Hainen fires up the Brown
Junior in his Dallaire at the 2010 Muncie
SAM Champs. Photo by Mike and Rosa
Salvador.
Right: Chuck Hutton flies his O&Rpowered
Trenton Terror at the 2009
SAM Champs. The 2011 Champs will
return to this Nevada dry lake in
October. Author photo.
Below: Dave Warner launches his Airborn
into the teeth of the storm at Taft. The
weather was actually quite mild! Ned
Nevels photo.
John Pond (1917-2001) was instrumental in forming much of what we
recognize today as the Old-Timer (OT) movement. He was either the
founder or a founding member of several organizations, which together
contribute to the preservation and reenactment of the early history of
model aviation.
A partial list of those organizations include the Northern California
Free Flight Council, the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), the
Model Engine Collectors Association (MECA), and the San Francisco
chapter of the Junior Birdmen, which morphed into the San Francisco
Vultures, a club that has been active since 1939.
At one time or another, John held nearly every office in those
organizations up to and including president. He was also the AMA
District X vice president for three terms. Some of his honors include
08sig5.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:59 PM Page 134
the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, SAM Hall
of Fame, National Free Flight Society Hall of
Fame, and an AMA Fellow.
John became inspired by Charles
Lindbergh’s famous flight, which helped
spark a lifelong interest in model aviation. He
became a skilled modeler, winning many
contests in a variety of FF categories and later
OT RC events. He built and flew a wide
variety of models, including twin pusher and
other rubber-powered aircraft, gas powered,
gliders, compressed air, Rise Off Water
(ROW), and Scale airplanes.
John was a tireless ambassador, recruiter,
spokesman, writer, and mentor to modelers.
He was known for assisting other modelers,
even in contests where they were competing
against him. He was a CD for many events
sponsored by a variety of organizations.
John also sponsored events, trophies, and
prizes. His prolific writings drew many into
the OT movement. He was a columnist for
modeling affairs for the San Francisco
Examiner.
He wrote regular OT-oriented columns for
Model Builder magazine for more than 20
years, as well as a similar long-running series
for the Model Engine Collectors Journal. He
also wrote articles for Air Trails, Model
Airplane News, and other publications.
John started an OT plans service which
grew to approximately 12,000 individual
plans. He sold these to modelers at barely
above print costs to foster interest in the
hobby. Those plans are still available today
through the AMA Plans Service.
John was affectionately known as “Daddy
Warbucks” to friends, because of a slight
resemblance to the tall comic strip gentleman
who adopted Little Orphan Annie. Each year
in California there is a John Pond
Commemorative OTRC contest held in his
honor. This fall will mark the 36th running of
that event. I gathered much of the above
information from the AMA website’s
biographical section.
Engine collecting and OT flying activities go
hand in hand. Many OT fliers belong to both
the SAM and MECA organizations even if
they aren’t engine collectors. They know they
can usually pick up flying engines at better
prices than on eBay.
They can also be more confident about the
seller’s reliability since MECA is a tightly
knit organization that polices itself, and has a
return policy in the event an engine is not as
advertised. Members can also place want ads
in the bimonthly swap sheet which usually
get results, especially for common flying
engines.
Collectors come with a variety of
attitudes, as do OT fliers. At collectos (swap
meets) I’ve heard guys refuse to sell an
engine to someone who was just going to put
it on the shelf with no intention of flying it.
Others won’t sell to someone who planned to
fly, or even just run an engine that has been
carefully preserved for many years.
Fortunately that problem usually resolves
itself, as most of the good-running flying
engines were made in larger numbers, while
many of the rarer collectibles weren’t often
great runners.
Many fliers have a fairly nice “group” of
engines, but refuse to recognize it as a
collection or identify themselves as
collectors—although they know most of them
will never be flown. I’ve never figured out
that mindset, and don’t mind identifying
myself as a collector who flies them while
having others that I’ll never get around to
running.
Taft is a favorite OT contest flying site for
many Californians, including myself. It’s
centrally located in the state and also happens
to be a mere 100 miles from my door, passing
through some scenic rural countryside.
But the main attraction is the dependable
weather. There are far more flying days per
year than any other site with which I’m
familiar. I’ve attended probably 60 or more
contests there without ever losing more than
half of a day’s flying because of weather.
Last March, the SAM 26 spring opener
proved once again that weather-wise the site
is sort of a reverse-Bermuda Triangle. A
series of storms was hitting California on all
sides of the flying site, as close as 20 miles
away, but the “regulars” knew the unusual
nature of the microclimate at the field, and
the turnout of fliers was excellent. The large
flat field sits in a depression, ringed by hills
and mountains on all sides.
A few miles north sits the Lost Hills flying
site, which is more expansive and dedicated to
FF only. But when the winds sweep across
that wide-open space, the fliers often pack up
and come down to Taft where the weather
will likely be flyable.
But the Taft site has a problem. A private
investor group bought several sections of
land from Standard of California a few years
ago. Last year “for sale” signs went up, and
the future is uncertain. The owners are
willing to sell the flying field itself as a
separate block of 400-plus acres.
The best possible use of that land would
be as a model airplane flying site. Several
SAM Championships have been held there
in the past, and the city had annexed the
land before the last SAM Champs. The city
is small enough that its chamber of
commerce recognizes and encourages model
contests as a boost to the local economy.
The city even provided water, trash
dumpsters, portable toilets, and an
emergency telephone at that last SAM
Champs.
The site could gradually be developed
into a Western hub for all AMA-type events.
The only drawback is a common one:
money. The asking price is high, but the
owners are getting eager to sell because
they’ve been paying loan interest on several
sections of land for a few years.
We need a wealthy benefactor who is
willing to buy the land in a manner similar
to that by which Lost Hills was purchased.
But Lost Hills is for FF-only use. It would
be great if the AMA could find a way to
fund the Taft flying site.
The Dallaire Sportster is a competitive
design that isn’t flown as often as it once
was, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s
because the rounded fuselage requires a
little more work than average to complete.
It’s a large, antique (1936), scalelooking
design by Frank Dallaire. In its
standard size, the 108-inch wing has 1,482
sq. in. of area, giving it a nice, high-aspect
ratio needed for good glide. And that wing
area is just big enough to fit perfectly into
the SAM RC formula allowing a .65 glow
engine to be used.
As an unscaled Antique aircraft, it’s
eligible to be flown in several RC events,
using either a spark ignition or glow
engine. It fits into either of the two
Antique events, either of the two Texaco
events, and either of the Class C Limited
Engine Run events, as well as some
special events. And for SAM FF it can be
flown in Texaco or Class C Fuselage.
Upcoming Events: September 10-12 will
be the third biannual OT Midwest
Championships at the AMA flying site in
Muncie, Indiana. Sponsored by the Model
Engine Collectors Association, this event
is held in the alternate years when the
annual SAM Champs is held in the West
instead of in Muncie, Indiana.
Before the MECA event, the Flying
Aces Club will hold a meet at the AMA
site on September 8-9.
The annual SAM Champs will be held
this year in Henderson, Nevada, during
the week of October 3-7.
This year’s John Pond
Commemorative OTRC is scheduled for
October 29 and 30, hopefully in Taft,
California.
Check “Sources” or the AMA contest
schedule for event details. MA
Sources:
Society of Antique Modelers
www.antiquemodeler.org
Model Engine Collectors Association
www.modelenginecollectors.org
Taft Land Sale Information:
Westside Economic Development Co., LLC
400 Kern Street
Taft CA 93268
(661) 765-2140
Flying Aces Club (FAC)
www.flyingacesclub.com
Bob Angel
[email protected]
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 134,136,137
134 MODEL AVIATION
John Pond remembered
Old-Timers Bob Angel | [email protected]
Also included in this column:
• Engine collecting
• A plug for Taft
• Upcoming OT events
Above: Jim Hainen fires up the Brown
Junior in his Dallaire at the 2010 Muncie
SAM Champs. Photo by Mike and Rosa
Salvador.
Right: Chuck Hutton flies his O&Rpowered
Trenton Terror at the 2009
SAM Champs. The 2011 Champs will
return to this Nevada dry lake in
October. Author photo.
Below: Dave Warner launches his Airborn
into the teeth of the storm at Taft. The
weather was actually quite mild! Ned
Nevels photo.
John Pond (1917-2001) was instrumental in forming much of what we
recognize today as the Old-Timer (OT) movement. He was either the
founder or a founding member of several organizations, which together
contribute to the preservation and reenactment of the early history of
model aviation.
A partial list of those organizations include the Northern California
Free Flight Council, the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM), the
Model Engine Collectors Association (MECA), and the San Francisco
chapter of the Junior Birdmen, which morphed into the San Francisco
Vultures, a club that has been active since 1939.
At one time or another, John held nearly every office in those
organizations up to and including president. He was also the AMA
District X vice president for three terms. Some of his honors include
08sig5.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 6/23/11 12:59 PM Page 134
the Model Aviation Hall of Fame, SAM Hall
of Fame, National Free Flight Society Hall of
Fame, and an AMA Fellow.
John became inspired by Charles
Lindbergh’s famous flight, which helped
spark a lifelong interest in model aviation. He
became a skilled modeler, winning many
contests in a variety of FF categories and later
OT RC events. He built and flew a wide
variety of models, including twin pusher and
other rubber-powered aircraft, gas powered,
gliders, compressed air, Rise Off Water
(ROW), and Scale airplanes.
John was a tireless ambassador, recruiter,
spokesman, writer, and mentor to modelers.
He was known for assisting other modelers,
even in contests where they were competing
against him. He was a CD for many events
sponsored by a variety of organizations.
John also sponsored events, trophies, and
prizes. His prolific writings drew many into
the OT movement. He was a columnist for
modeling affairs for the San Francisco
Examiner.
He wrote regular OT-oriented columns for
Model Builder magazine for more than 20
years, as well as a similar long-running series
for the Model Engine Collectors Journal. He
also wrote articles for Air Trails, Model
Airplane News, and other publications.
John started an OT plans service which
grew to approximately 12,000 individual
plans. He sold these to modelers at barely
above print costs to foster interest in the
hobby. Those plans are still available today
through the AMA Plans Service.
John was affectionately known as “Daddy
Warbucks” to friends, because of a slight
resemblance to the tall comic strip gentleman
who adopted Little Orphan Annie. Each year
in California there is a John Pond
Commemorative OTRC contest held in his
honor. This fall will mark the 36th running of
that event. I gathered much of the above
information from the AMA website’s
biographical section.
Engine collecting and OT flying activities go
hand in hand. Many OT fliers belong to both
the SAM and MECA organizations even if
they aren’t engine collectors. They know they
can usually pick up flying engines at better
prices than on eBay.
They can also be more confident about the
seller’s reliability since MECA is a tightly
knit organization that polices itself, and has a
return policy in the event an engine is not as
advertised. Members can also place want ads
in the bimonthly swap sheet which usually
get results, especially for common flying
engines.
Collectors come with a variety of
attitudes, as do OT fliers. At collectos (swap
meets) I’ve heard guys refuse to sell an
engine to someone who was just going to put
it on the shelf with no intention of flying it.
Others won’t sell to someone who planned to
fly, or even just run an engine that has been
carefully preserved for many years.
Fortunately that problem usually resolves
itself, as most of the good-running flying
engines were made in larger numbers, while
many of the rarer collectibles weren’t often
great runners.
Many fliers have a fairly nice “group” of
engines, but refuse to recognize it as a
collection or identify themselves as
collectors—although they know most of them
will never be flown. I’ve never figured out
that mindset, and don’t mind identifying
myself as a collector who flies them while
having others that I’ll never get around to
running.
Taft is a favorite OT contest flying site for
many Californians, including myself. It’s
centrally located in the state and also happens
to be a mere 100 miles from my door, passing
through some scenic rural countryside.
But the main attraction is the dependable
weather. There are far more flying days per
year than any other site with which I’m
familiar. I’ve attended probably 60 or more
contests there without ever losing more than
half of a day’s flying because of weather.
Last March, the SAM 26 spring opener
proved once again that weather-wise the site
is sort of a reverse-Bermuda Triangle. A
series of storms was hitting California on all
sides of the flying site, as close as 20 miles
away, but the “regulars” knew the unusual
nature of the microclimate at the field, and
the turnout of fliers was excellent. The large
flat field sits in a depression, ringed by hills
and mountains on all sides.
A few miles north sits the Lost Hills flying
site, which is more expansive and dedicated to
FF only. But when the winds sweep across
that wide-open space, the fliers often pack up
and come down to Taft where the weather
will likely be flyable.
But the Taft site has a problem. A private
investor group bought several sections of
land from Standard of California a few years
ago. Last year “for sale” signs went up, and
the future is uncertain. The owners are
willing to sell the flying field itself as a
separate block of 400-plus acres.
The best possible use of that land would
be as a model airplane flying site. Several
SAM Championships have been held there
in the past, and the city had annexed the
land before the last SAM Champs. The city
is small enough that its chamber of
commerce recognizes and encourages model
contests as a boost to the local economy.
The city even provided water, trash
dumpsters, portable toilets, and an
emergency telephone at that last SAM
Champs.
The site could gradually be developed
into a Western hub for all AMA-type events.
The only drawback is a common one:
money. The asking price is high, but the
owners are getting eager to sell because
they’ve been paying loan interest on several
sections of land for a few years.
We need a wealthy benefactor who is
willing to buy the land in a manner similar
to that by which Lost Hills was purchased.
But Lost Hills is for FF-only use. It would
be great if the AMA could find a way to
fund the Taft flying site.
The Dallaire Sportster is a competitive
design that isn’t flown as often as it once
was, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s
because the rounded fuselage requires a
little more work than average to complete.
It’s a large, antique (1936), scalelooking
design by Frank Dallaire. In its
standard size, the 108-inch wing has 1,482
sq. in. of area, giving it a nice, high-aspect
ratio needed for good glide. And that wing
area is just big enough to fit perfectly into
the SAM RC formula allowing a .65 glow
engine to be used.
As an unscaled Antique aircraft, it’s
eligible to be flown in several RC events,
using either a spark ignition or glow
engine. It fits into either of the two
Antique events, either of the two Texaco
events, and either of the Class C Limited
Engine Run events, as well as some
special events. And for SAM FF it can be
flown in Texaco or Class C Fuselage.
Upcoming Events: September 10-12 will
be the third biannual OT Midwest
Championships at the AMA flying site in
Muncie, Indiana. Sponsored by the Model
Engine Collectors Association, this event
is held in the alternate years when the
annual SAM Champs is held in the West
instead of in Muncie, Indiana.
Before the MECA event, the Flying
Aces Club will hold a meet at the AMA
site on September 8-9.
The annual SAM Champs will be held
this year in Henderson, Nevada, during
the week of October 3-7.
This year’s John Pond
Commemorative OTRC is scheduled for
October 29 and 30, hopefully in Taft,
California.
Check “Sources” or the AMA contest
schedule for event details. MA
Sources:
Society of Antique Modelers
www.antiquemodeler.org
Model Engine Collectors Association
www.modelenginecollectors.org
Taft Land Sale Information:
Westside Economic Development Co., LLC
400 Kern Street
Taft CA 93268
(661) 765-2140
Flying Aces Club (FAC)
www.flyingacesclub.com
Bob Angel
[email protected]
