Control Line: Aerobatics
Wynn Paul
The 1983 FAI team tryouts were held once again over the Labor Day weekend — a now-traditional date — with flying conducted in Dayton, OH, which has hosted many FAI tryouts. Two of the winners were repeat members of the team. For the sixth consecutive time, Keith Trostle served as Event Director.
Bob Baron (Claremont, CA) emerged as the overall winner, leading from the first round on Saturday. He will make his second appearance in the World Championships, which will be held in the United States next summer. The contest format had three rounds on the first day, with the two highest scores from those three added to the two highest of three rounds on Sunday for each contestant’s overall score.
Top finishers (selected)
- Bob Baron (Claremont, CA) — 4102.50
- Bill Werwage (eight-time team member; World Champion 1970, 1972) — 3983.25
- Jim Casale (1983 Nats champion) — 3897.75
- Bob Gieseke — finished fourth (score not reported)
- Windy Urnowski (alternate) — 3676.00
- Remel Cooper — 3401.75 (best finish to date, sixth)
The team tryouts have traditionally been harsh for newly crowned National Champions, but this year’s Nats winner, Jim Casale, completed a fantastic summer by qualifying for the team. After the second round on Saturday, first and second were reasonably secure; third place was closely contested, with veteran Bob Gieseke nipping at Casale’s heels. There was a sizable gap between fourth place and the rest of the field.
Current World Champion Les McDonald assisted Keith Trostle at the contest and served as one of the judges, along with Joe Reinhard, Jack Sheeks, Larry Lauer, Robert McDonald, and Bill Zimmer. Thanks to Keith, the judges, and their recorders for spending Labor Day weekend sitting in the sun and watching patterns.
Dayton may hold the record for the greatest number of Control Line sites. In the past, CLers have used Wright-Patterson AFB, the old circles by the power plant (now gone), and the University of Dayton parking lot. There are new municipal circles on the northwest side of town, but the 1983 FAI tryouts were held in the Wright State University parking lot — a reasonably good site with adequate practice circles available.
Turnout for the FAI team tryouts was low this year. Missing were several perennial contestants:
- Ted Fancher
- Wynn Paul (author)
- Dennis Adamisin
- Paul Walker (1983 Nats second-place finisher)
- David Hemstrought
- Stan Powell
Only eleven contestants showed up to fly. After Gieseke in fourth, the order for the other two alternates and remaining finishers included Windy Urnowski and Remel Cooper (already noted). Rounding out the flying order were Lou Dudka, Glen Meador, Dennis Harkai, Tom Dixon, and Frank McMillan.
With the World Championships to be held in the United States next year, the U.S. team should be even stronger: each member will be able to practice right up until a one- or two-day trip to the site, instead of the usual five- to seven-day trip required for overseas competition. Once again it will be Les McDonald against the world as he defends his individual title, while the three tryout winners will attempt to unseat him and retain the team title the U.S. has held since 1964. With two veterans and a much-improved Jim Casale on the team, the U.S.A. should again be the favorite to win the Precision Aerobatics team title.
Many thanks to Randy Hancock (Lexington, KY) for help in preparing this article.
Wynn Paul 1640 Maywick Dr. Lexington, KY 40504
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
