Big Bird Bash
By Bob Beckman
The IMAA's first Giant Scale Fun Fly Festival was a giant success — with over 170 models in attendance, banquets, manufacturers' displays, flying demos, and countless breeze-batting sessions. This is a first-hand report of the festivities.
Overview
The International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) was officially formed during the 1970 Toledo show. Just 18 months later, its 1st Annual Giant Fun Fly Festival was held in Louisville, KY on September 25–27, 1981. Don Godfrey spearheaded the event for IMAA, and Dave Mullins was the focal point for the Louisville River City RC Clubs, which ran the field activities. Many others contributed as well; their efforts made the weekend exceptionally enjoyable.
Officially, 88 registered participants brought 178 Giant Scale aircraft. With helpers and families, roughly 200–300 people occupied the pit area. An estimated 30–40 campers, RVs, and motor homes used the space next to the field. Over the three-day period, between 40,000 and 50,000 spectators saw some portion of the continuous activity — a tremendous response for a first-time affair.
In addition, 25 exhibitors used outdoor displays near the flying activities. Manufacturers and distributors from across the country participated; several exhibitors said they preferred this active format to a strictly static show, which is not surprising since many suppliers are active modelers who like to fly.
Weather and Facilities
Weather and facilities were generally outstanding. Some wind Saturday afternoon was enough to stop flying; rain early Sunday morning dampened the field and slowed activity, but by noon the skies were sunny again.
The field, part of E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park, provides both paved and grass runways, ample parking for participants and spectators, a gymnasium a short walk from the field, and available overnight storage for aircraft — a real boon for big birds.
Safety and Flying
A possible criticism: the field was a bit small and the pits ended up too close to the runways. Giant Scalers are generally more safety-conscious than average R/Cers because Giant Scale aircraft are necessarily more dangerous than smaller models; their size and operating characteristics lead them to be treated like full-scale aircraft. The lack of a buffer zone between the flight line and the pit area is a constant concern.
Despite that, with care and attention to detail, over 200 flights were made during the three days with no injuries or major incidents.
Tight flying conditions and the pit layout caused some pilots to decide not to fly after seeing the layout. This affected not only less-experienced fliers; some of the best pilots refused to fly during the day when the pit and spectator areas were crowded. On Saturday evening, when the area was almost deserted, those pilots "flew up a storm."
Banquet
A banquet was held Saturday evening at the Ramada Inn's Convention Center. The agenda included:
- Cocktails: 6:00 p.m.
- Dinner: 7:30 p.m.
- Dancing: 9:00 p.m.
The author and his companion arrived at about 7:45 p.m. and enjoyed the evening — good food, good music, and excellent company. Don Godfrey kept speeches brief, introduced key people, and gave the crowd an opportunity to applaud the crews who had made the weekend enjoyable.
I am already looking forward to IMAA's 1982 BIG bird bash.
Aircraft Statistics
Vital statistics on the aircraft pictured here appear below, organized as: aircraft identification; owner; scale; building technique; engine; propeller; weight; remarks.
- Beechcraft G-17S Staggerwing; Ted Fletcher; Cleveland, OH; 1/4 scale; scratch-built using pictures and Wylam drawings; Kawasaki 3.15; Zinger 22-8; 40 lb.
- Beecrat; Wendell Roberts; Little Rock, AR; 1/2 scale; scratch-built; Westbend 5 cu. in.; Grish 24-10; 42 lb.
- Bowers Fly Baby Bipe; Terry Dench; Little Rock, AR; 1/2 scale; from Balsa USA kit; Kioritz .24; Dynathrust 20-10; 24 lb.
- Bucker Jungmeister; Wendell Hostetler; Orrville, OH; 29% of full scale; scratch-built, plans available; Kioritz .24; 26 lb.
- DH Chipmunk; Bob Campbell, N. Canton, OH, and Manly Williams, Memphis, TN; 1/4 scale; from RC Kits Mfg. kit (Bob's is prototype for kit); Quadra; Zinger 18-8; 20 lb.
- Fleet Biplane; Bob Siegelkoff; Hayward, CA; 1/4 scale; from Concept kit; Kawasaki 3.15; Top Flite 20-11; 24 lb.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
