FF Scale at Mile Square
THE MAINSTAY of aeromodeling during its so-called Golden Age, roughly from 1930 to 1940, Flying Scale has been making a vigorous comeback of late. Though there have been cyclical bursts of activity in the more arcane process of researching, building, and competing in the replica class, the real nucleus of the Flying Scale revival is the gentle art of stick-and-tissue. Stick-and-tissue is thriving, and a wealth of quality kits, materials, plans service, and media support exists to help things along.
Tournament of Champions
The premier money event in all of aeromodeling is back with a style and flair that marks the way things are done in Las Vegas. Thousands of spectators got a chance to see the world's best of flying Radio Control Aerobatics go head to head for the $118,000 in prize money.
U.S. FF Champs
THE 18TH EDITION of the United States Free Flight Championships, held Memorial Day weekend in Taft, CA, will long be remembered as the contest when Mecca became (almost) mayhem. Bedeviled by fierce winds and a bone-chilling cold, the competition came to a halt for part of the three-day weekend, and some event rules had to be modified to suit the unpredictable weather once flying resumed. But Taft's fabled weather held for most of Day One, and it was not till Saturday afternoon that Mother Nature's mood turned freakish. The three-day championships got off to its usual gala start just scant moments after dawn on Saturday. Temperatures were mild, and with the ample, lofty boomers we had plenty of chances to do what Free Flighters love best-zoom straight up to the roof of the sky. We were playing to a good house, everyone seemed to be having fun, and the competition was terrific.
AMA National Fun Fly
ONE CAN STILL arrange a marriage or a divorce at the ranches surrounding the "biggest little city in the world," but most of the dudes and dudettes who showed up in Reno, NV over the weekend of June 24-26 came to indulge their alternate passion, aeromodeling. The first AMA National Convention and Fun-Fly was an occasion that offered a smorgasbord of events and activities amid first-class amenities. It was a highly successful gathering and
Free Flight: Duration
REFLECTIONS on yet another Monster Meet at Mecca, in this case the Max-Men FAI 14-rounder at Taft, CA last February. Because it was both a "designated" contest for the '88 World Cup Championships and a place to qualify for the October U.S. FAI team finals at Seguin, TX, the entry was very high: a combined 86 in all categories! Many U.S. states were represented, as well as more than a few countries. Canada had the largest contingent of foreign entries. Two traveled from Spain, as did a couple or so from Israel. The score sheets read very much like a Who's Who of Free Flight.
