AMA Nats: FF Outdoor Rubber
Larry Kruse
Competition summary
Competition at the Lincoln Nats was highlighted by the entry of 16 Wakefield fliers, many of whom had been finalists or semifinalists in prior U.S. World Championships team selection events. Flying by rounds, 14 of the 16 made official flights on what turned out to be the best flying day of the week-long schedule: Wednesday.
Wakefield
Jim O'Reilly had something to prove in Wakefield, and he did so in fine fashion. Although Jim had won Wakefield at previous national contests under weather conditions that either abbreviated the max times or necessitated modified rounds to prevent loss of models, this time everything was copacetic. Jim posted 1,250 seconds to best second-placer Bill Gibbons by a full 72 seconds. The next three finishers—Marty Richardson, Chris Matsuno, and Carl Perkins—were all bunched within 51 seconds of Gibbons in what turned out to be a good shoving match.
As a brief aside, several competitors in all FAI events, including Wakefield, had difficulty determining the start and finish of rounds because there was no audible signal from the scorers' table. A $5–$6 investment in a canned air horn to announce, if not the start, at least the finish of each round would have been appreciated.
Coupe d'Hiver
Coupe d'Hiver, flown on Thursday, had good representation but picking lift was tricky. John O'Dwyer was best at it and won Open Coupe with a 590-second total. John approaches flying from a very workmanlike stance at the flight line: his models are well-crafted, well-trimmed, and exceptionally reliable. Whether under windy conditions or in dead calm, his ships climb rapidly, center themselves in lift, and just keep going up. It's fun to watch John fly.
Top Open Coupe results:
- 1st: John O'Dwyer — 590 seconds
- 2nd: Marvin Bashaw — 519 seconds
- 3rd: Guenther Nowak — 514 seconds
Other winners:
- Junior Coupe: Jennette Yokel
- Senior Coupe: David Brown
P-30
P-30 was the most popular Rubber event in terms of entries, with 69 contestants, but unfortunately it became a blowout as winds worsened on Friday. Fewer than a third of the contestants braved the gusts to put up flights; most chose token attempts.
Notable performances and observations:
- The wind dominated the contest and largely determined results among those who flew.
- Steve Bard and Jim O'Reilly were among the brave and finished near the top (second and third positions are noted in reports).
- Don DeLoach led the Juniors with 263 seconds — a performance that would have placed him high in Open results.
- Junior Rod Hoerger also flew well enough to have been competitive in Open.
- In Senior P-30, Charles Gargiulo regained his winning form, soundly beating David Thompson and Mike Watson by almost doubling their scores.
Mulvihill
Mulvihill, normally the most exciting and competitive Rubber event with maxes that can stretch out to infinity, was a poor shadow of its usual self. Of over 40 contestants entered in Open, only one flier put up more than one flight. Only Guenther Nowak was tenacious enough to hand his ship over to Mother Nature twice, and he ended up in first. Only one other flier, Ron Joerger (a junior), attempted the risky second flight.
Electric / Power
Being blown off the field at the end of the week was not a satisfying way to finish any Nats experience, certainly not in Outdoor Rubber or in Power events.
Junior highlight:
- Jeff Pfeifer, a determined seven-year-old, won both A (six-cell) and B (eight-cell) Junior Electric classes with his red-and-white Lectric Coke Machine. Dressed to match his model, Jeff gave everything he had as he heaved the large model into the air against the buffeting gale. Two other juniors, Danny Ackerman and Kenny Wile, also put up flights, but Jeff stole the charisma award.
Open Electric / Power highlights:
- In Open Electric, Don Hughes and Bob Nichols were the top finishers in the A and B classes, respectively.
- Third in A: John O'Dwyer — flying a beautifully proportioned model that evoked a Sixties Wakefield design.
- Third in B: Duane Renken — closing out scoring in Power.
Assessment and thanks
Objectively assessing advances in the sport and new trends was difficult because the winds prevented a full spectrum of competition from emerging in most classes. The free-flight fliers who chose to compete should be applauded for their courage; those who elected not to risk their planes and equipment deserve credit for being judicious. For most, it was a frustrating week with little reward and no closure. Whether the site would have been considered adequate under better wind conditions remains an open question.
Looking ahead, as we reflect on Lincoln, most of us will hope and believe that next year things will be better.
Finally, I said in the first paragraph that there were three components needed for a good free-flight contest. There is actually a fourth: the group of officials who run the show. That hardworking cadre of Category Managers, Category Directors, Event Directors, scorekeepers, timers, and sundry other volunteers spend long hours hearing complaints and fielding moments of thanks. To Dr. Sandy Frank, Linda Brown, and all of their crew goes a big chunk of appreciation for their time and effort on our behalf. We know how much each of you does for us. Thanks for everything.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
