Society of Antique Modelers Championships 1993

For its 27th annual National Championships, the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM) management chose Condor Field at Taft, California as the venue - a site long ago dubbed "Mecca" by free flighters, because of its ample size and legendary thermal production. Nearby Taft offers amenities that increase the attraction of these events (restaurants, motels, shopping, auto parts and repair, a community recreation center large enough for awards banquets, etc.) but which are lacking at the only other major free flight site on the west coast (Lost Hills).

24th US Free Flight

Labor Day weekend in California's Great Central Valley was quite dry, calm, toasty warm, and loaded with airplane-hugging thermals, much to the delight of nearly 200 free flight enthusiasts who gathered at the Lost Hills site to contest the 24th running of the United States Free Flight Championships. Up for grabs were hardware and bragging rights to no less than 41 regular AMA, SAM, and NFFS rule book events, plus 15 "special" categories in Dawn to Midnight format (Sunrise Shootout Power, Dawn Mulvihill Rubber, and Night flying-dark until done-as examples) for the energetic insomniacs among the group.

Sam Champs '97

WHEN THE 1997 SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) Champs was announced, the details were quite compelling: The site was to be the fabled El Dorado Dry Lake outside Henderson, Nevada, with Contest HQ slated at the brand-new upscale Sunset Station Hotel/Casino, an easy 15 minutes away. Another short drive would take us to the heart of the vast entertainment attractions of the "new" Las Vegas. To the east, Henderson offered full shopping facilities, high-rated golf cources, plus many second-tier lodging spots for those who wished to be closer to the flying site. And lastly, those with spare time could make the short trek to view Hoover Dam and scout adjacent Lake Mead. And of course, Nevada's autumn weather is famous for balmy temps, brilliant skies, and calm winds. Altogether, SAM '97 was a terrific draw! Many who had previously flown at the splendid El Dorado venue immediately set off on a frantic build/test fly/repair/retest program in anticipation, as well as hoarding our "spare change" for those inevitable close encounters of the slot-machine sort. Others did their revving up by arriving a week early to the area to compete in an AMA/FAI/America's Cup event put on by the "modern" Free Flighters of Las Vegas.

US Free Flight Championships

Snapshot: Lost Hills California, August 30-September 1. Sandwiched as it was between the just-concluded FAI World Champs at Sazena, Czech Republic, and the fortnight-distant SAM (Society of Antique Modelers) Champs, the 27th USFFC drew fewer of the usual suspects than in recent years. Those who stayed home dealing with jet lag, still touring on the Continent, or hiding out in the workshop frantically building Old-Timers for the Henderson NV big show missed a delightful weekend of friendly low-key competition under better-than-average conditions. Temps were tolerable, albeit a trifle humid here and there as the dregs of tropical storm Jimena wandered way off course and stalled over the NorCal coast. Drift, wind, and dust cells, the triple bane of any major holiday meet, were nonexistent. Conversely, prolonged periods of calm extant also resulted in stingy thermals that stopped many a march to maxout. Air picks were quite difficult midmorning to midafternoon. Those of us who flew too early often found no support aloft and missed top-five placings.

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