Trans-America: RC Relay Race
IT IS now history, model aviation history. The first Trans-Am RC Relay Race takes its rightful place among the milestones of modeling. The greatest fun-fly event ever attempted was successfully completed as planned at Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2, 1979. All five teams completed the last flight from Barstow, California to Las Vegas. September 4 was the great day for the beginning of the Trans-Am RC Relay Race. This day was the culmination of over 19 months of planning and preparation. The first five teams were ready, airplanes and equipment checked and rechecked. At exactly 9:00.00 the "go" signal was given and Team 5 started their engine and took off into the overcast sky. After circling a couple of times they were on their way to Kings Dominion Recreation Park, at Richmond, VA.
Trans-Am Rally
"AT THE `GO' SIGNAL you will start your engine, take off, and be on your way." Those instructions were given to the teams on a cool October morning at Baltimore's Glenn L. Martin State Airport and on each of the other 10 legs of the Trans-Am Rally. It was an odyssey covering almost a month and 13 states. To have a better understanding of the magnitude of this event, it is necessary to know a few of the statistics. Just image a local fun fly with 256 contestants, and 46 CDs to enforce the rules and see that all safety regulations are met. An event taking 26 days, covering almost 2,970 actual flying miles. That is really some contest! Top it all off as a fund-raising event for something as worthwhile as the National Easter Seal Society, and you really have a colossal fun fly.
