Free Flight World Championships
YUGOSLAVIA had offered to host the 1979 World Free Flight World Championships, and its offer had been accepted by the FAI, the organization governing international aero-sport activities. The offer was later made contingent on the exclusion of South Africa, which made the offer unacceptable. With little time for the necessary homework, the U.S. offered to host the Champs as a backup to any other country's offer. But no other offer was made, and the U.S. offer was accepted. The organizers-the Southern California Aero Team (SCAT), the National Free Flight Society (NFFS), and of course the AMA-had a tiger by the tail.
Free Flight: Duration
1980 NATS Unofficial Events: Here, at this writing, it isn't even certain that there will be a Nats, let alone where it will be, but Terry Rimert has the planning already started. Terry was NFFS Unofficial Events Director for 1979, and did a bang-up job of the rather thankless job (which reminds me; thanks, Terry) and figured he had learned enough from the experience that he could do an even better job of it for 1980. The planning of such events has been a bit chaotic in the past, and somewhat understandably, AMA has regarded the whole affair as a thorn in the side. But things have been looking up, despite the proliferation of such activities, which tends to multiply the chaos, and requires even more in the coordination department.
Free Flight: Duration
BUBBA CLEM: Whatever that means. Maybe it is as Nakashima put it in one of his cartoons, that the good names are all used up: Flapped Cream, Peas and Punch, Toothpicks. . . .Whatever, the three-view shows another design from the prolific pencil of Jim Clem. While it might not be the prettiest airplane Jim has ever designed, it must certainly be one of the simplest. It is doubtful if pretty pylons and rudders make models fly any better. But unless reinforced by a bit of spruce along the edges, that rectangular rudder might wear itself to a more pleasing profile anyhow.
Free Flight: Duration
Improved towhook. Hatschek Hook update: The circle-tow, zoom-launch towhook for Nordic gliders (see this column, May 1977) has been used by serious glider fliers in every country where glider flying is taken seriously, and has an excellent track record. Now Bob has designed a feature that can be easily added to the towhook to add an automatic timer-start function. That is, the DT timer starts operating when the towhook is unlatched. The price for the towhook is $20 in the U.S. and Canada ppd by first class mail, $21 elsewhere, airmail. A stamped addressed envelope will get you instructions for adding the timer-start function. Bob Hatschek, 316 Grosvenor St., Douglaston, NY 11363.
Free Flight: Duration
CHICAGO AERONUTS BANQUET: I seldom announce club banquets-mainly, because I am seldom asked to-and I'd be in big trouble if I announced every banquet given by every club in the country, so I don't want to start a trend. But this banquet is something special, especially since it has been five years since their last similar shindig and because the club running it is perhaps the most prestigious and venerable one in the country (second only to one which modesty prevents me from mentioning). The Big Deal is to take place on Saturday, April 19, cocktails and such at 6:00 p.m., Heck's, 5149 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Prime rib with all the trimmings goes for $11 a head. Max is 140 persons. Contact man is Rudy Schuh, 267 E. County Line Road, Barrington, IL 60010. Pete Vacco and Carl Goldberg are going from California, Jim Richmond from the East, and Ed Lidgard from the South. Like wow!
