1986 Nats: General
John Worth
Overview
For most attendees it was a good — even a great — Nats, but for everybody it was a brutally hot one. Louisiana was hotter than normal; on the concrete at Chennault Air Base, where most events were held, temperatures were measured at 120 degrees. Amazingly, there were only a few cases of heat exhaustion; almost everyone managed to endure the torrid conditions. Over 2,100 pounds of ice were provided by Nats management to service water dispensers at the field events — the most ice officials could recall ever being needed.
Despite the heat, flying conditions were generally good: little wind and no rain. Thermals were plentiful during Nats week. The weather was especially notable because both before and after the Nats it rained regularly and was frequently windy, making the week of the contest unusually favorable.
Free Flight
- Free Flight experienced downwind conditions at right angles to the long-distance course; some compared it to Oshkosh 1973.
- Chasing was awkward: contestants often had to go about a quarter-mile sideways to the flight line and another quarter-mile back to get on track.
- Bikes were permitted for chasing on the concrete but not across grass between and beyond concrete areas, which limited ease of retrieval.
- Despite these problems, many who had been to the Chicopee Nats in Massachusetts said Lake Charles was better: Free Flight launches took place from a large grass area, and long calm periods produced many maxes within the launch area, minimizing chases.
Radio Control (RC) and Control Line
- RC and Control Line fliers enjoyed good conditions overall, though some early adjustments were needed due to heavy rains prior to the start.
- The Control Line Combat site was relocated but found a good spot close to Nats headquarters — the same site used at a prior Lake Charles Nats.
- Control Line and Scale events had good field and weather conditions, aside from the heat, with plenty of room and air time.
RC Helicopter
- The RC Helicopter site was relocated four times before settling at the local LARKS club field, about 20 miles away.
- The move required scrambling to provide portable toilets, refreshments, communications, and trash pickup, but these needs were met.
- The original helicopter site had been drowned by a tremendous rainstorm a couple of days before the Nats began; in the end the LARKS field proved the best option and worked out well for contestants.
RC Soaring
- A new RC Soaring site (compared to past Lake Charles Nats) proved to be good despite a nearby Air Force radar installation emitting substantial power across a wide frequency spectrum. A large number of soaring flights were registered without interference problems.
RC Pattern and Pylon
- Pattern and Pylon contestants swapped their usual time slots due to considerable tree growth since the previous Lake Charles Nats eight years earlier.
- Pattern had to fly in the morning (around 7 a.m.) to avoid afternoon sun in the judges' eyes; Pylon flew early afternoon until dark, often alone on the airfield after other events ended at 5 p.m.
- Pattern introduced an automatic score readout and processing system. Despite initial worries about humidity and human reluctance to change procedures, the system worked well and represented a progressive advancement in score handling.
Indoor Events
- Uncertainty about the indoor site until mid-year kept many potential contestants from entering; advance entries were low (only about 30), so it was uncertain whether Indoor events would be held.
- The Nats Steering Committee considered canceling Indoor because site rental and security costs were about $3,000 (roughly $100 per contestant). A compromise reduced Indoor days from three to two and cuts lowered costs to about $2,000 in hopes of late entries.
- Late entries did not materialize, making the Indoor category a financial loss. However, those who attended enjoyed a leisurely schedule in a good site; a smooth ceiling made the 55-foot vertical distance effectively much higher.
A Great Big Thank You!
The Nats could not function without the exceptional cooperation of many people and organizations. Apart from hundreds of AMA member volunteers, the Lake Charles area folks and firms who were very helpful in 1986 include:
- KPLC-TV Channel 7: their staff and camera crews
- Lake Charles American Press: reporters and editorial staff
- Lake Charles Jaycees: both men and women
- South Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce
- EconoLodge: management and staff
- Calcasieu Marine National Bank
- The City of Lake Charles: Mayor Watson and staff employees
- City of Lake Charles: Recreation Department; Sam Battaglia and staff
- Deputy Sheriff Cooper and all of his helpers
- Lake Charles Fire Department
- Alphagraphics: Dianna Huddle and her people (Nats News printer)
- McNeese University: for accommodations and flying privileges
- Sowela Tech: Aviation Department
- Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.
We would also like to thank all of the hotel, motel, and restaurant people of Lake Charles for their fine services to all Nats visitors. If we have missed anyone, we apologize; we love you too!
Operations, Staffing, and Logistics
Entries and Costs
- The relatively low total entry — less than a thousand — made operations easier than they might have been with larger numbers. However, fewer officials were used by design, with detailed pre-planning and specific worker lists defined for each event.
- Importing officials rather than relying on local modelers increased AMA expenses for travel and lodging. An entry of about 1,500 is estimated to be needed for a break-even operation; with less than a thousand, costs can be expected to be high.
Volunteer and Local Labor
- Local help was less than usual. Extra outside volunteers were arranged, but the area government’s assignment of prisoners from the local rehabilitation center solved many labor problems. Tasks performed included unloading and reloading the Nats trailer, setting up equipment, trash pickup, barricading restricted areas, erecting tents, tables and signs, cutting grass, painting event areas, and many other chores.
Locations
- Four separate locations were used:
- Chennault Air Base (main site)
- Remote RC Soaring site (about 3 miles away)
- Indoor site (about 5 miles away)
- RC Helicopter site (approximately 20 miles away)
- At Chennault, distances between events were larger than usual, with some events a mile or two apart on the same field.
Nats Manager and HQ
- Nats Manager Vince Mankowski lived on site in a camper unit for over a week; this was the center of field operations and contest control, separate from the Nats headquarters.
- The HQ operation ran smoothly in the gymnasium building of the airfield recreation center. It was not air-conditioned, making it a hot spot of activity, yet computer terminals, printers, and photocopiers performed well despite the heat and humidity.
Staff and Volunteers (Selected)
- Registration, tabulation, event coordination, Nats News production, trophies, and paperwork were handled by a combination of AMA employees and volunteers. Key names included:
- Bob Vojslavcek and Joyce Hager (ran HQ operation)
- Diane Hawley, Cathy Underwood, Lillian Worth, Geoff Styles, Elaine Thompson, Lou Ward, Darlene Stevick, Alice and Russ Nitsch, Al and Mary Hardy, Walt Stevick, Ed Warren
- At the airfield information booth: Doug Pratt, Evan and Ralph Biddle, Brian Brazier, Jerry McCluskey (also served as site coordinators for RC Soaring and Helicopter)
- Field operations assistance: Bob Landry, Paul Vivierito, Herb Morgan, Bryant Thompson, Dan Garfinkel, Greg Chartrand
- Souvenir Sales: Rae Underwood, Anne Underwood, Velma Teubner, Barb McGinnis, Jane Morgan, Joan Grigg
Hobby Shop and Donors
- The Nats Hobby Shop was operated by John Paton and Adam Strausner.
- Special appreciation to three hobby shop suppliers who donated merchandise to help offset Nats costs:
- Bob Hunter of Satellite City (Hot Stuff and related products)
- Victor and Joseph Stanzel (ready-to-fly Control Line models)
- Carolina-Traifinder (model fuel products)
- Fox Manufacturing Co. (engine-related products)
Communications and Power
- Communications was operated by Chuck Foreman, assisted by Bob Seilman and Al Guerrini.
- Francis "Nick" Nixon of the local LARKS club and Bo Hinch were instrumental in handling errands and securing a locally rented generator.
- A major electrical installation linked the field operations to the local power company via a pole at the edge of the site; AMA electricians built a distribution network from that point to multiple locations.
- Special telephone lines connected Nats headquarters with the Information Tent and Field Operations. An extensive network of radios and walkie-talkies provided excellent communications, though the remote Helicopter site was out of radio range and had to rely on long-distance telephone calls.
50th Anniversary Fun Fly and Industry Support
- An innovation this year was the 50th Anniversary Fun Fly for two days after the competition events ended (the Control Line Precision Aerobatics finals were held during part of the Fun Fly).
- The Fun Fly proved successful; one day of it may be included in future Nats. Many officials and non-contestants flew who otherwise would not have been able to.
- Model industry manufacturers were invited to have booths selling products. Booths were set up in tents under primitive conditions (especially given the heat). Participating companies included Eldon J. Lind Co., Cox Hobbies, Polk's Model Craft Hobbies, Baird Aircraft Designs, Carolina-Traifinder, Gorham Model Products, Sig Manufacturing, Ace RC, Hobby Industry Association, RC Video Magazine, McDaniel RC Service, All Phase Art, Lanier RC, Winning Image, and others. Their support is greatly appreciated.
Primary Contest Officials
- Gen. Manager: Vince Mankowski
- Contest Director: Ron Morgan
- Asst. Contest Director: Earl Witt
Control Line Category
- Manager: Bev Wisniewski
- Director: Jim Ricketts
- Aerobatics: Art Damian
- Racing: John Ballard
- Carrier: Leroy Cordes
- Speed: Bill Wisniewski
- Combat: Gary Arnold
Free Flight Category
- Manager & Director: Dr. Sandy Frank
- Indoor: Richard Doig
- Outdoor: Linda Brown
Radio Control Category
- Manager: Betty Stream
- Director: Richard Sonheim
- Helicopter: Frank Dykes
- Racing: Wayne Yeager
- Pattern: John Embry
- Soaring: Jeff Troy
Scale Category
- Manager: John Guenther
- Director: Dale Drew
- Free Flight: Bert Dugan
- Control Line: Bill Pepin
- Radio Control: Dale Arvin
Sound Testing
- The most extensive sound testing of engines to date was carried out at this Nats under the supervision of AMA Sound Committee Chairman Howard Crispin and his helpers. Engines were tested at all events (not just RC Pattern). New sound meters and support gear aided data gathering; results will be published in Model Aviation in the months ahead.
Conclusions and Future Sites
- Staffing and operating over 70 competition events across multiple sites is a gigantic undertaking. The Nats is annually the world's biggest model meet, involving well over a thousand participants; a report can only skim the surface of what is involved.
- Credit for operational improvement goes to the concept of a full-time Nats Manager (Vince Mankowski) and the AMA Executive Council's Nats Steering Committee: John Clemens (Chairman and VP of AMA District 8), Travis McGinnis (VP, District 9), and Don Kraft (VP, District 1). Their planning has helped ensure availability of the right officials and improved communications and public relations.
- The 1986 event had the necessary ingredients — money, people, acres, equipment, and good weather — and it came off well. It may, however, be the last Nats at Lake Charles: Boeing Aircraft Company was expected to move into the airfield to establish a KC-135 renovation base. The loss of Chennault would affect the AMA program to rotate the Nationals around the country, though several other sites are available for the immediate future. The next National Championships will probably be in Lincoln, NE, pending investigation of alternatives for the Free Flight site used previously.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
