Author: Bob Angel
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/08
Page Numbers: 134,136,137
,
,

Old-Timers

John Pond remembered

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 that together contribute to the preservation and reenactment of the early history of model aviation.

A partial list of those organizations includes:

  • Northern California Free Flight Council
  • Society of Antique Modelers (SAM)
  • Model Engine Collectors Association (MECA)
  • San Francisco chapter of the Junior Birdmen, which morphed into the San Francisco Vultures (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:

  • Model Aviation Hall of Fame
  • SAM Hall of Fame
  • National Free Flight Society Hall of Fame
  • 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 free-flight 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 models, gliders, compressed-air models, Rise Off Water (ROW) craft, 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 contest director (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 that grew to approximately 12,000 individual plans. He sold these to modelers at barely above print cost 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

Engine collecting and OT flying activities go hand in hand. Many OT fliers belong to both SAM and MECA 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 collectors’ events (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 this 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 some engines while having others that I’ll never get around to running.

Taft and flying sites

Taft is a favorite OT contest flying site for many Californians, including myself. It’s centrally located in the state and is 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 free flight only. But when the winds sweep across that wide-open space, 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 free-flight–only use. It would be great if the AMA could find a way to fund the Taft flying site.

The Dallaire Sportster

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), scale-looking 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. 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 free flight it can be flown in Texaco or Class C Fuselage.

Upcoming Events

  • September 8–9: Flying Aces Club meet at the AMA flying site in Muncie, Indiana.
  • September 10–12: 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 alternate years when the annual SAM Champs is held in the West instead of in Muncie.
  • October 3–7: Annual SAM Champs in Henderson, Nevada.
  • October 29–30: John Pond Commemorative OTRC (hopefully in Taft, California).

Check "Sources" or the AMA contest schedule for event details. — MA

Sources

Westside Economic Development Co., LLC 400 Kern Street Taft, CA 93268 (661) 765-2140

Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.