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After placing 3rd in Scale with a new model (Keith Rider R-2), 3rd in WWII with a new model (Peanut Barracuda), and 3rd in Old Time Cabin with a most unlikely model (14″ span Pacific Ace Jr), Friday was my day to try to excel.

Peanut Scale has always been a favorite to me; it is probably responsible for my entry into Free Flight, as I was inspired by the centerfold plans in Model Builder magazine, which were often Walt Mooney plans.  It was because of Model Builder and these plans that I shifted from r/c to FF.

On Friday morning, under a cloudless blue sky, I took out my Peanut Fairey Barracuda and tried to put in a time.  I figured it got a pretty good static score and I wanted to get some flights in on it before the winds came up (they were predicted to get up to 15 mph or so by early afternoon).  The Barracuda had flown 1 minute the day before in the WWII Mass Launch, so I expected a respectable time.  It was not to be.  I couldn’t get an official after a couple test flights and a couple of official attempts.  So I put it back in the box.

After a few minutes, I grabbed last year’s winning plane, my Pegna P.C.1 and decided to give it a shot.  I’ve been getting around a minute plus with it recently, but know it can catch air.  I wound it up, probably 1700 turns or so on the loop of 3/32″ rubber and called for a time.  I waited for a little until the air felt right and launched the little red plane.  It dutifully and purposefully climbed up in a left hand turn, getting higher and higher while I started chasing on my bike.

One problem with winds from the west in the early morning is that the model goes down wind and you are trying to follow it while it flies up by the sun – then you have to navigate the bumpy field on your chase bike.  Add to this a large swampy area in the middle of the flight path that must be skirted, sometimes by going north when you model is going south and you have a problematic situation.  My plane was getting higher and higher – into the sun and over the swamp.

But all’s well that ends well and my model finally came down after Hung teased it with a fly-away.  It cleared the swamp and eventually landed gently on the field.  My flight time was 1:51 – nearly the 2 minute max.  And that was just pulling the plane out of the box.  I got back and was happy.  I put the model down and sat back for the rest of the day, since there was a really good chance that the time would hold for the win – and this was around 9am or 9:30.

In the early afternoon, the AMA CD (Mike Fedor, I think) came over the the Flying Aces tent and showed us a trophy.  He said that it resides in the AMA museum and is the AMA’s Walt Mooney Memorial Perpetual Trophy to be awarded to the champion in the Peanut Event.  He said that AMA had allowed that several of the perpetual trophies be displayed on the field and the champions could have their photos taken with the trophy, but they would be returned to the museum.  He mentioned that past winners could also have their photos taken with the trophies.

I will settle for a single photo.  This is a proud moment for me.  I was unaware of the AMA Walt Mooney trophy, but I have seen many trophies in the museum.  I think the AMA has been lax in engraving the names – most of the trophies were not up-to-date.  Maybe someday my name will be on this trophy and if so, it will be on there at least three times, as I have now won this three consecutive years: 2013, 2014, and 2015.

(thanks to Don DeLoach for the phot0)

I just returned from 5 days of Flying Aces Club fun at the “non-Nats” (the FAC has a “Nationals” level contest every two years, however, they have a large contest yearly – alternate years are call the “non-Nats”).  This year there were 101 registered participants – roughly 10% of the FAC membership.

At one time or another, every Free Flight-er asks the question, “is Free Flight dying?”  This is a legitimate question for our segment of the aeromodeling hobby since it is so tiny and nearly invisible in comparison to r/c.  Our companions always seem to be older and pass away with alarming regularity; it’s very sobering.  Time, which robs us of our flying buddies, also provides us with a new perspective.  When I started Free Flight, I was a young man and part of the “new blood”.  The ten years I took off went by in a blink of an eye and when I returned, I noticed several things:  my friends were so much older than I remembered, many were no longer around, and…there were new people to get to know.

Free Flight is not dead.  We continue to get new people in and they will pick up the torch.  As I observed the crowd in New York this week, it is evident that there are many flyers that are younger than me – this is the new “new blood” crowd.  It’s good to see the people in their late 20s through 40; they are likely becoming settled in their life and finding hobbies that interest them for the long haul.  Two such people I saw this weekend were Gerard Kondrat and John Jackson.  We see Gerard at the New York events; he is from Canada and cannot get to the contests farther away.  He has a young family and usually brings his daughter, Marie, to the events.  Gerard picked up his FIRST  Flying Aces win this week at a contest where it is difficult for anyone to win (because of the high level of competition);  John Jackson has been flying with the Cloudbusters for about three years now.  He was awarded his “Blue Max” for achieving 16 wins in his FAC “career”.  He also has a young family and, as I said earlier, it is great to see younger people discover this hobby.  I am confident these two will continue with Free Flight and carry it forward.

John Jackson and his Korda Victory

And there are young people, too.  Not only kids that come with parents, but kids that BRING their parents and kids that WIN.  It’s always great to see anyone under 20 participating, but you have to wonder if they will continue with the hobby after college and family and such, only our Dear Friend Time will tell.  However, I do need to mention two bright young stars in the FAC:  Marie Kondrat and Oliver Stone.  Both are in their early teens and have been mentioned here before, but they deserve mentioning again.

A year or so ago, Marie won her first kanone in WWII-Combat in a smaller contest that she attended.  Last year at the Nats, she placed 4th in the BLUR Race (flying in a straight line, consistently and quickly) and this year she won the event.  Her plane was first across the line in every heat she entered and was clearly the most consistent plane and pilot.  Her father, Gerard, said she had been practicing a lot and he was justifiably proud of her win.

Marie Kondrat, Gerard Kondrad, and Bernard Dion in the BLUR Race

Oliver is an interesting case – he discovered Free Flight on his own, without the traditional introduction from his father.  I met him last year and observed great potential in his flying.  Well, one year makes a difference.  This year he placed 3rd in Embryo (51 entries!) and was the only contestant in Embryo to record two max flights.  He also placed FIRST in Dime Scale.  In fact, he flew two planes in Dime, but the lower scoring plane is eliminated by rule – however, it scored high enough that it would have been 4th place.  Oliver has done an amazing job learning Free Flight and Stick & Tissue.  He has even brought his father, Michael, into the hobby and Michael has started building and flying.  It is my strong hope that we continue to see these two young people at Free Flight events for years and years to come.

Matt King, Oliver Sand, and Pete Kateris in the BLUR Race

While this has been focused on the Flying Aces Club (Rubber Scale Free Flight), I know that there are younger people finding NFFS and AMA Free Flight, also, whether it is Indoor, or Outdoor Rubber, Gas, Glider, or even FAI Team Selection.  Us old, older, and oldest fogies can breathe a small sigh of relief that Free Flight still has life and will continue into the future.  We can always clamor for more participation and more new blood, but let’s not forget to acknowledge that the next generation is seeping in.