Radio Control Aerobatics
AS I MENTIONED in the May 1995 column, back in the 1960s and early 1970s Pattern contest reports throughout the Midwest would include descriptions of Emil Zutz' exploits. Emil was never reported as a winner, but he often did very well. It was amazing how many times his name appeared. It was especially amazing since Emil Zuts didn't exist. It was all an elaborate prank perpetrated by the contest reporters. Why did they do it? I don't know. Just for the heck of it, I guess. So who posed for the picture of Emil Zutz in the May column? It was me, of course. Why? Just for the heck of it. I'm sure that many of the people who know me from the contest circuit were wondering what I was up to. I'm writing this column a month before the prank will appear in print. In the time between publication of the two columns I expect to receive a few notes and telephone calls asking me what's going on.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
LET ME CORRECT a couple of errors I discovered in the Tournament of Champions coverage (March issue). The caption for a picture involving Steve Stricker read, "Steve Stricker is interviewed with his Extra 300S. Kit is by Ohio R/C (Geoff Combs)." Yes, the Extra 300S in the picture was produced by Geoff Combs, but Geoff's company is AeroSport Products 91066 Millford Drive, Pickerington OH 43147; Tel.: [614] 837-7058). Sorry about the brain fade when I wrote the caption. By the way, the matrix for the TOC shows that Colin Campbell flew Geoff Combs' Extra 300S. It should be noted that it wasn't Geoff's wing design on the airplane when it exploded during vertical down snap rolls early in the competition.
Tournament of Champions
Argentina's Quique Somenzini won the 12th International Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Las Vegas, Nevada. Quique won four of the six of the Finals flights to win going away. It was a popular win with the many spectators who filed the large bleachers and left many standing to watch. Sponsored by the Circus Circus Hotel/Casino, TOC is the unique creation of Bill Bennett and Walt Schroder. Bill (Mr. Bill) Bennett is the former Director of Circus Circus Enterprises, and Walt Schroder (deceased) was publisher of Model Airplane News for many years.
Radio Control: Aerobatics
SINCE THIS IS the youth issue, all of the columnists will be focusing on that aspect. The approach I am taking is probably not quite what you might expect, but it is pertinent to the future of RC Precision Aerobatics in this country. Participants in our phase of the hobby really do have a youth issue. By that I mean: Where are the youth? If you look around the flightline at almost any Pattern contest, you'll see many gray or bald heads. Unless youngsters are getting gray or bald prematurely, we don't have many young Pattern fliers. This doesn't bode well for the future. Many observers remember when the most popular event was Sportsman. There used to be twice as many contestants in Sportsman than in any other event. Nowadays, the number of Sportsman and Advanced fliers are about equal, and both have fewer fliers than the Masters competitors.
N-PAC
THE SECOND NSRCA (National Society of Radio Controlled Aerobatics) Pan American Championships (N-PAC) was held August 15-19, 1994 at Tullahoma, Tennessee. N-PAC is the largest RC Precision Aerobatics contest in the world, and is held in years that do not have an F3A World Championship. In 1994, 122 contestants competed in Novice (8), Sportsman (16), Advanced (30), Masters (32) and FAI (36).
