Ron Wittman (L) stands in
front of the Tustin Blimp
Hangar with the author,
who holds the model he
used to break Ron’s 35-
year-old Indoor Glider
record in the fall of 2009.
42 MODEL AVIATION
RW: I went to a contest at Wilmington to
fly Microfilm and saw Cat. I Gliders, and
just had to fly them.
JB: Was there a specific motivating factor
that led to your quest for the 90-second
Indoor Glider flight?
RW: After flying in a contest and not
doing well, I had a conversation with Dick
Peterson. We decided that higher-aspectratio
Gliders would be the future, and that
is when the Supersweeps got their start.
JB: How many models did you build
specifically for the blimp hangar in
Tustin?
RW: All told, about 12 Supersweeps were
built in the quest for the record.
JB: How much of your daily life was
consumed by preparing for the record, and
during what period of time?
RW: My son, Steve, and I spent 45
minutes every day possible throwing a
baseball, and I also practiced throwing a
partial fuselage with a finger grip on it, to
gain more power and control. We also did
weights and aerobics three to four times a
week.
JB: Can you describe your specific
thoughts and emotions at the moment you
first broke the 90-second barrier.
RW: It felt great. The impact doesn’t sink
Ron Wittman is an FF Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider legend. He set the highceiling
record at the Tustin Blimp Hangar
in California on February 18, 1973. In so
doing, he accomplished what many claimed
to be an impossible feat: he threw a
Category III (now Category IV, for
unlimited ceiling height) flight of 90
seconds.
That record, achieved with an all-balsa
javelin-launch glider, was a target for all to
throw at for the next 36 years. Stan
Buddenbohm finally broke it with a tip (or
discus)-launch glider in the same venue in
late 2009.
The evolution of tip launching as the
superior method in the late 2000s led to
Ron’s legendary record being broken three
times in the Tustin hangar between October
2009 and April 2010—twice by Stan and,
most recently, by me on April 10, 2010,
with a flight of nearly 106 seconds.
i met Ron on the day I broke that record,
in the same hangar in which he set it in the
early 1970s. After the dust settled and the
adrenaline faded, I talked with him about
his path to setting the record and related it
to my 23-year quest to break it.
Following is a transcript of our
conversation.
JB: What drew you to Indoor Hand-Launched
Glider?
Merely having fun
can make one
a legend
Wittman’s
Pursuit
by Jim Buxton
in right away but eventually does—a
feeling I hope you will enjoy as I did for a
long time to come, because that first time
really does only come once.
JB: How long did you think the record
would hold up after you set it?
RW: Since they were having record trials
every month and they would continue,
there was no way to tell, but I hoped for a
few months at least. No one ever thought
it would take almost 37 years and a
completely new type of Glider and a new
style of flying to break the record.
JB: What impact has the record had on
your life?
RW: It definitely makes you feel good
that you accomplished a goal that took
over a year of really hard work, resulting
in a record time that no one had done
before. To be the best at something,
anything, is pretty awesome.
JB: Did you have any idea what longterm
impact the Supersweep design and
article would have on Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider?
RW: I remember that after the 1-minute,
30-second flights, which they said
couldn’t be done, my friend, Larry
Cailliau, who helped in my record
attempts, and I felt that there would be
other modelers who would build
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:46 PM Page 42
January 2011 43
Ron enjoys all aspects of aeromodeling, including FF and RC. He has said that his physical condition, as well as his aircraft being in
top condition, is important.
Ron is an Indoor legend who set the highceiling
Indoor record at the Tustin Blimp
Hangar in California on February 18,
1973. The record stood until 2009.
Photos courtesy Wittman friends
Ron studies the recordbreaking
Category IV
Indoor record holder—the
Amalgam—that features
an all-composite wing. It is
a tip- launch model , as
opposed to Ron’s javelin
launch style.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:47 PM Page 43
Supersweeps and compete with them for
sometime to come.
JB: How do you feel about the evolution
of launch style from javelin to tip?
RW: The new style and designs brought
about by tip launching are a good thing.
The times are really high, and I think 2
minutes might even be possible someday.
There are still some improvements to be
made, and I don’t think you are done yet.
JB: You seemingly left Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider after you set the record.
44 MODEL AVIATION
- SECURE SHOPPING WITH OUR ONLINE CATALOG -
www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com
[email protected]
Phone (479) 359-2429 Fax (479) 359-2259
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 to 5 CST
15715 Ashmore Dr., Garfield, Arkansas 72732
LARGEST
COLLECTION OF
EPOXY GLASS
COWLS & WHEEL
PANTS IN THE WORLD!
SINCE
1977!
Why, and what have you been up to in the
37 years since?
RW: For about 25 years or so, my sons
and I competed at the US Free Fight
Champs once a year and also RC Soaring.
I still compete in Old-Timer events. I also
fly some RC for fun in 3-D, Scale, and
glider.
Many kids who are involved in
competitive sports look up to a certain
athlete because of his or her record or
playing style on the field but never get to
meet that person. I became a fan of Ron’s
work in approximately 1990 and studied
every detail I could about his record and
his models. And not only did I get to meet
him, but he also ended up timing and
coaching me on the way to setting the
record.
It was a thrill to finally fly in the
Tustin hangar—a place that many
consider to be holy ground when it comes
to Indoor flying. Perhaps the most lasting
memories will be of standing in that
building with the man I was chasing for
more than 20 years but had met only
hours before.
The bond among modelers allows for
the formation of instant and meaningful
friendships unlike in any other activity I
can imagine. As I look back, I realize that
it has been one heck of a journey. Thanks
for the ride, Ron! MA
Jim Buxton
[email protected]
Often
Imitated.
Never
Equaled.
Chrono-stabilized for
extra-long shelf life.
Gasket-sealed
lids to prevent
leakage.
Unsurpassed
bond
strength.
Exclusive
formulations
developed to
withstand heat
and vibration
Specially treated,
clog-resistant tips
and attached caps.
Easy-to-squeeze
see-through
containers.
Jet Adhesives
PO Box 633, Deerfield, IL 60015
1-866-538-4583
www.jetglues.com
CA’s.
We set the standard.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:48 PM Page 44
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 42,43,44
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 42,43,44
Ron Wittman (L) stands in
front of the Tustin Blimp
Hangar with the author,
who holds the model he
used to break Ron’s 35-
year-old Indoor Glider
record in the fall of 2009.
42 MODEL AVIATION
RW: I went to a contest at Wilmington to
fly Microfilm and saw Cat. I Gliders, and
just had to fly them.
JB: Was there a specific motivating factor
that led to your quest for the 90-second
Indoor Glider flight?
RW: After flying in a contest and not
doing well, I had a conversation with Dick
Peterson. We decided that higher-aspectratio
Gliders would be the future, and that
is when the Supersweeps got their start.
JB: How many models did you build
specifically for the blimp hangar in
Tustin?
RW: All told, about 12 Supersweeps were
built in the quest for the record.
JB: How much of your daily life was
consumed by preparing for the record, and
during what period of time?
RW: My son, Steve, and I spent 45
minutes every day possible throwing a
baseball, and I also practiced throwing a
partial fuselage with a finger grip on it, to
gain more power and control. We also did
weights and aerobics three to four times a
week.
JB: Can you describe your specific
thoughts and emotions at the moment you
first broke the 90-second barrier.
RW: It felt great. The impact doesn’t sink
Ron Wittman is an FF Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider legend. He set the highceiling
record at the Tustin Blimp Hangar
in California on February 18, 1973. In so
doing, he accomplished what many claimed
to be an impossible feat: he threw a
Category III (now Category IV, for
unlimited ceiling height) flight of 90
seconds.
That record, achieved with an all-balsa
javelin-launch glider, was a target for all to
throw at for the next 36 years. Stan
Buddenbohm finally broke it with a tip (or
discus)-launch glider in the same venue in
late 2009.
The evolution of tip launching as the
superior method in the late 2000s led to
Ron’s legendary record being broken three
times in the Tustin hangar between October
2009 and April 2010—twice by Stan and,
most recently, by me on April 10, 2010,
with a flight of nearly 106 seconds.
i met Ron on the day I broke that record,
in the same hangar in which he set it in the
early 1970s. After the dust settled and the
adrenaline faded, I talked with him about
his path to setting the record and related it
to my 23-year quest to break it.
Following is a transcript of our
conversation.
JB: What drew you to Indoor Hand-Launched
Glider?
Merely having fun
can make one
a legend
Wittman’s
Pursuit
by Jim Buxton
in right away but eventually does—a
feeling I hope you will enjoy as I did for a
long time to come, because that first time
really does only come once.
JB: How long did you think the record
would hold up after you set it?
RW: Since they were having record trials
every month and they would continue,
there was no way to tell, but I hoped for a
few months at least. No one ever thought
it would take almost 37 years and a
completely new type of Glider and a new
style of flying to break the record.
JB: What impact has the record had on
your life?
RW: It definitely makes you feel good
that you accomplished a goal that took
over a year of really hard work, resulting
in a record time that no one had done
before. To be the best at something,
anything, is pretty awesome.
JB: Did you have any idea what longterm
impact the Supersweep design and
article would have on Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider?
RW: I remember that after the 1-minute,
30-second flights, which they said
couldn’t be done, my friend, Larry
Cailliau, who helped in my record
attempts, and I felt that there would be
other modelers who would build
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:46 PM Page 42
January 2011 43
Ron enjoys all aspects of aeromodeling, including FF and RC. He has said that his physical condition, as well as his aircraft being in
top condition, is important.
Ron is an Indoor legend who set the highceiling
Indoor record at the Tustin Blimp
Hangar in California on February 18,
1973. The record stood until 2009.
Photos courtesy Wittman friends
Ron studies the recordbreaking
Category IV
Indoor record holder—the
Amalgam—that features
an all-composite wing. It is
a tip- launch model , as
opposed to Ron’s javelin
launch style.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:47 PM Page 43
Supersweeps and compete with them for
sometime to come.
JB: How do you feel about the evolution
of launch style from javelin to tip?
RW: The new style and designs brought
about by tip launching are a good thing.
The times are really high, and I think 2
minutes might even be possible someday.
There are still some improvements to be
made, and I don’t think you are done yet.
JB: You seemingly left Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider after you set the record.
44 MODEL AVIATION
- SECURE SHOPPING WITH OUR ONLINE CATALOG -
www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com
[email protected]
Phone (479) 359-2429 Fax (479) 359-2259
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 to 5 CST
15715 Ashmore Dr., Garfield, Arkansas 72732
LARGEST
COLLECTION OF
EPOXY GLASS
COWLS & WHEEL
PANTS IN THE WORLD!
SINCE
1977!
Why, and what have you been up to in the
37 years since?
RW: For about 25 years or so, my sons
and I competed at the US Free Fight
Champs once a year and also RC Soaring.
I still compete in Old-Timer events. I also
fly some RC for fun in 3-D, Scale, and
glider.
Many kids who are involved in
competitive sports look up to a certain
athlete because of his or her record or
playing style on the field but never get to
meet that person. I became a fan of Ron’s
work in approximately 1990 and studied
every detail I could about his record and
his models. And not only did I get to meet
him, but he also ended up timing and
coaching me on the way to setting the
record.
It was a thrill to finally fly in the
Tustin hangar—a place that many
consider to be holy ground when it comes
to Indoor flying. Perhaps the most lasting
memories will be of standing in that
building with the man I was chasing for
more than 20 years but had met only
hours before.
The bond among modelers allows for
the formation of instant and meaningful
friendships unlike in any other activity I
can imagine. As I look back, I realize that
it has been one heck of a journey. Thanks
for the ride, Ron! MA
Jim Buxton
[email protected]
Often
Imitated.
Never
Equaled.
Chrono-stabilized for
extra-long shelf life.
Gasket-sealed
lids to prevent
leakage.
Unsurpassed
bond
strength.
Exclusive
formulations
developed to
withstand heat
and vibration
Specially treated,
clog-resistant tips
and attached caps.
Easy-to-squeeze
see-through
containers.
Jet Adhesives
PO Box 633, Deerfield, IL 60015
1-866-538-4583
www.jetglues.com
CA’s.
We set the standard.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:48 PM Page 44
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/01
Page Numbers: 42,43,44
Ron Wittman (L) stands in
front of the Tustin Blimp
Hangar with the author,
who holds the model he
used to break Ron’s 35-
year-old Indoor Glider
record in the fall of 2009.
42 MODEL AVIATION
RW: I went to a contest at Wilmington to
fly Microfilm and saw Cat. I Gliders, and
just had to fly them.
JB: Was there a specific motivating factor
that led to your quest for the 90-second
Indoor Glider flight?
RW: After flying in a contest and not
doing well, I had a conversation with Dick
Peterson. We decided that higher-aspectratio
Gliders would be the future, and that
is when the Supersweeps got their start.
JB: How many models did you build
specifically for the blimp hangar in
Tustin?
RW: All told, about 12 Supersweeps were
built in the quest for the record.
JB: How much of your daily life was
consumed by preparing for the record, and
during what period of time?
RW: My son, Steve, and I spent 45
minutes every day possible throwing a
baseball, and I also practiced throwing a
partial fuselage with a finger grip on it, to
gain more power and control. We also did
weights and aerobics three to four times a
week.
JB: Can you describe your specific
thoughts and emotions at the moment you
first broke the 90-second barrier.
RW: It felt great. The impact doesn’t sink
Ron Wittman is an FF Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider legend. He set the highceiling
record at the Tustin Blimp Hangar
in California on February 18, 1973. In so
doing, he accomplished what many claimed
to be an impossible feat: he threw a
Category III (now Category IV, for
unlimited ceiling height) flight of 90
seconds.
That record, achieved with an all-balsa
javelin-launch glider, was a target for all to
throw at for the next 36 years. Stan
Buddenbohm finally broke it with a tip (or
discus)-launch glider in the same venue in
late 2009.
The evolution of tip launching as the
superior method in the late 2000s led to
Ron’s legendary record being broken three
times in the Tustin hangar between October
2009 and April 2010—twice by Stan and,
most recently, by me on April 10, 2010,
with a flight of nearly 106 seconds.
i met Ron on the day I broke that record,
in the same hangar in which he set it in the
early 1970s. After the dust settled and the
adrenaline faded, I talked with him about
his path to setting the record and related it
to my 23-year quest to break it.
Following is a transcript of our
conversation.
JB: What drew you to Indoor Hand-Launched
Glider?
Merely having fun
can make one
a legend
Wittman’s
Pursuit
by Jim Buxton
in right away but eventually does—a
feeling I hope you will enjoy as I did for a
long time to come, because that first time
really does only come once.
JB: How long did you think the record
would hold up after you set it?
RW: Since they were having record trials
every month and they would continue,
there was no way to tell, but I hoped for a
few months at least. No one ever thought
it would take almost 37 years and a
completely new type of Glider and a new
style of flying to break the record.
JB: What impact has the record had on
your life?
RW: It definitely makes you feel good
that you accomplished a goal that took
over a year of really hard work, resulting
in a record time that no one had done
before. To be the best at something,
anything, is pretty awesome.
JB: Did you have any idea what longterm
impact the Supersweep design and
article would have on Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider?
RW: I remember that after the 1-minute,
30-second flights, which they said
couldn’t be done, my friend, Larry
Cailliau, who helped in my record
attempts, and I felt that there would be
other modelers who would build
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:46 PM Page 42
January 2011 43
Ron enjoys all aspects of aeromodeling, including FF and RC. He has said that his physical condition, as well as his aircraft being in
top condition, is important.
Ron is an Indoor legend who set the highceiling
Indoor record at the Tustin Blimp
Hangar in California on February 18,
1973. The record stood until 2009.
Photos courtesy Wittman friends
Ron studies the recordbreaking
Category IV
Indoor record holder—the
Amalgam—that features
an all-composite wing. It is
a tip- launch model , as
opposed to Ron’s javelin
launch style.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:47 PM Page 43
Supersweeps and compete with them for
sometime to come.
JB: How do you feel about the evolution
of launch style from javelin to tip?
RW: The new style and designs brought
about by tip launching are a good thing.
The times are really high, and I think 2
minutes might even be possible someday.
There are still some improvements to be
made, and I don’t think you are done yet.
JB: You seemingly left Indoor Hand-
Launched Glider after you set the record.
44 MODEL AVIATION
- SECURE SHOPPING WITH OUR ONLINE CATALOG -
www.fiberglassspecialtiesinc.com
[email protected]
Phone (479) 359-2429 Fax (479) 359-2259
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 to 5 CST
15715 Ashmore Dr., Garfield, Arkansas 72732
LARGEST
COLLECTION OF
EPOXY GLASS
COWLS & WHEEL
PANTS IN THE WORLD!
SINCE
1977!
Why, and what have you been up to in the
37 years since?
RW: For about 25 years or so, my sons
and I competed at the US Free Fight
Champs once a year and also RC Soaring.
I still compete in Old-Timer events. I also
fly some RC for fun in 3-D, Scale, and
glider.
Many kids who are involved in
competitive sports look up to a certain
athlete because of his or her record or
playing style on the field but never get to
meet that person. I became a fan of Ron’s
work in approximately 1990 and studied
every detail I could about his record and
his models. And not only did I get to meet
him, but he also ended up timing and
coaching me on the way to setting the
record.
It was a thrill to finally fly in the
Tustin hangar—a place that many
consider to be holy ground when it comes
to Indoor flying. Perhaps the most lasting
memories will be of standing in that
building with the man I was chasing for
more than 20 years but had met only
hours before.
The bond among modelers allows for
the formation of instant and meaningful
friendships unlike in any other activity I
can imagine. As I look back, I realize that
it has been one heck of a journey. Thanks
for the ride, Ron! MA
Jim Buxton
[email protected]
Often
Imitated.
Never
Equaled.
Chrono-stabilized for
extra-long shelf life.
Gasket-sealed
lids to prevent
leakage.
Unsurpassed
bond
strength.
Exclusive
formulations
developed to
withstand heat
and vibration
Specially treated,
clog-resistant tips
and attached caps.
Easy-to-squeeze
see-through
containers.
Jet Adhesives
PO Box 633, Deerfield, IL 60015
1-866-538-4583
www.jetglues.com
CA’s.
We set the standard.
01sig2.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 11/19/10 4:48 PM Page 44
