1991 Indoor Nats
Overview
The 10th annual U.S. Indoor Championships (USIC) were held June 6–9, 1991, at the East Tennessee State University Mini‑Dome in Johnson City, Tennessee. Twenty‑six events were flown under the Mini‑Dome’s 116‑ft ceiling. Nearly a hundred fliers competed for national trophies amid the unique atmosphere created by the venue, ETSU campus lodging, and Johnson City southern hospitality.
Venue — ETSU Mini‑Dome
- The Mini‑Dome features a football‑field‑size concrete floor surrounded by a track and lofty grandstands, with a 116‑ft clear ceiling and minimal drift.
- Astro‑Turf was rolled up for the meet to reveal a smooth concrete flying surface.
- Entrants set up tables in pit areas under seat overhangs and supplemented overhead lighting with drafting lamps.
- Vendors on site included Jim Jones, Ed Seay, and Lew Gitlow, providing exotic supplies.
Contest management and banquet
- Contest Director: Tony Italiano (NFFS), with NFFS staff support and AMA HQ staff Micheline Madison and Bob Vojslavek handling processing, judging, and timing.
- Management was described as smooth and professional; Tony, retiring as USIC CD, was presented a simulated autographed C‑note as a memento.
- The NFFS‑sponsored USIC banquet was held at the Sheraton Johnson City; Joe Baker (former B‑24 pilot and Olympic ice‑skating coach) gave the dinner speech.
Notable competitors
- Gil Coughlin (Tacoma, WA)
- Last member of the Tacoma Aeromodellers. Built his first free‑flight model at age six (a Folkerts Racer from a Hi‑Flyer kit).
- Professional modelmaker for Boeing (1953–1988); was on the 1956 Wakefield team.
- Brought a large collection of Pistachios and other small models packed in foam cartons and a fresh‑fish shipping box.
- Proxy‑flew a power model for Frank Huffman at Cranfield.
- Sidney Gilbert
- Retired newspaper reporter who built his first solid model at seven. Early efforts included a Megow P‑26 Peashooter and a Comet Zipper with an O&R .19.
- Flew with the Williamsburgh MAC; worked at Grumman and Chance‑Vought before a career in photography and journalism.
- Reported the 1968 AMA Nationals for the Kansas City Star; at this USIC (his first major meet) he flew only Bostonians and preferred to observe and kibitz.
- Dr. John B. Martin Jr., D.D.S. (“Doc”)
- Dentist in Coconut Grove and prime mover in the MIAMA Indoor club.
- Top Scale flier who also flies Bostonian, Embryo, Catapult Glider, and Mini‑Stick.
- Ran MIAMA events including the Cha Cha Coconuts Mass Launch, Coconut Scale, and Pistachio Grand Prix.
Event highlights and notable results
#### Special Delta Dart (charity, unofficial)
- Entry fee: $6; sponsors Micheline Madison and Bob Vojslavek donated $191 to the Junior FAI team fund (the team headed for Yugoslavia).
- Rules (summary):
- Use an unmodified prop and bearing/shaft except for balance/pitch/twist.
- Covering must be pre‑printed (legal size).
- Areas must match the original Dart and the 12‑in OAL constraint; otherwise open design.
- Notable entries:
- Kris Forward (Asheville, NC) won Junior with a stock Elhing design.
- Chuck Markos (Chicago AeroNuts) flew a stubby vee‑dihedral design to the event high time of 2:25.
- Dave Aronstein (Seattle) took top place with a Wakefield‑style design that scored three 2:19 flights.
- Author anecdotes: a failed “Divine Dart” and a successful “Star Wars Death Dart” that posted 1:48.
#### Specialty events
- Ornithopter: Frank Kieser — 14:09.
- Helicopter: Tom Vallee — 11:09.
- Peanut Speed: Chuck Markos — Dayton‑Wright Racer at 14 mph; also 14.2 mph with Goosey Mite Unlimited Speed (and a $14 prize from Hardy Brodersen).
#### Indoor Bostonian
- 45 entries. Top flier: Dave Aronstein (Boeing‑logo 777 design) with flights of 4:46 and 5:02.
- Runner‑up: Richard Miller (Blue‑Fin) with a best of 1:16.
- Several 7‑Up designs were present; John Blair’s “Boston Zip Code” featured zip numbers as registration numerals.
#### Mini‑Stick (unofficial)
- Sponsored by Burr and Alice Stanton.
- Rules (summary):
- Max 7‑in span, 2.5‑in chord, 10‑in max OAL.
- Bearings to rear, 5‑in motor sticks, max 50% stabs, all‑wood props; exotic materials allowed.
- Mass launches produced swarms of high‑performance indoor models; some reached the roof.
#### Kit Plan Scale
- Paul Avery (Louisiana) — first place with an eight‑gram yellow bird.
- John Blair (Warren, NC) — second with a Heath Midwing (1937 Peerless plan).
- Judges were discriminating; model scoring and time caps affected final placings.
#### AMA Scale and Peanut Scale
- AMA Scale: Jack McGillivray (Toronto) won with an SE5A (87 points; flew 90‑second max).
- Peanut Scale: Don Slusarczyk (Ohio) won with a Voisin Hydroplane “Bonus Baby” — triple 127 flight score and 127.2 judged points. Don De Loach (Dallas) also took Senior Peanut.
#### No‑Cal Scale
- Dave Aronstein tested a Tupolev canard SST but flew a Sukhoi Su‑27 Flanker canard fighter in contest.
- Chuck Slusarczyk won with a red Cassutt Racer; time was 6:15.
#### FAC Scale (new event)
- Sponsored by Jim Miller (Kanone King). Mass launches allowed—spectacular aerial swarms.
- Winners:
- Golden Age: Walt Eggert.
- WW I: Larry Lockau.
- Hi‑Wing Mono: Don Slusarczyk.
- Biplane: Don De Loach.
#### Cha Cha Coconuts Mass Launch
- Memorable mass launch. Dave Aronstein won flying a Cessna; Dave Rees nearly won with a General Aristocrat built in one piece.
- Notable entries: George Nunez (Potez 230), Doc Martin (BFW M‑20), author’s four‑foot Pilatus Porter Himalaya.
#### Pistachio events
- Pistachio fliers used cigar boxes for transport (an eight‑inch model fits well).
- Gil Coughlin had an extensive collection, including a Windham Tandem that flew long durations.
- George Nunez’s Nieuport featured a notable green finish.
#### Endurance events
- Catapult and glider endurance measured by altitude and duration.
- Chuck Markos posted glider times of 80 and 78 seconds with a 12‑in span glider.
- Strong‑arm IHLG: Bernie Boehm (Indiana) won with twin scores of 67.
#### Microfilm and other timed events
- F1D: Larry Cailliau — two‑flight total over 1 hour 19 minutes.
- AMA HL Stick: Don Slusarczyk — best flight 38:36.
- Cabin (ROG): Ron Garner — 24:26.
- Intermediate Stick: Dan Beilert — 28:23.
- Manhattan, Pennylane, and Easy B results were to be published in the September issue of Model Aviation.
Final notes
- The USIC provided a congenial, competitive atmosphere where old hands and newcomers mixed, traded T‑shirts, swapped plans, and tested boundaries of indoor free flight design and piloting.
- The meet combined high performance, inventive designs, and the usual mixture of agony and ecstasy that accompanies flying under girders.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
