District I Report - 2003/02
Bob Wallace, the Associate Vice President for Connecticut, sent the following material. There is not enough space this month, so it will be continued next month.
2002 Dawn Patrol Fly-In
Six years ago, the Northern Connecticut Radio Control Club (NCRCC) in Ellington, Connecticut, hosted the first Dawn Patrol Fly-In. What began as a modest, local fly-in for giant-scale World War I and Golden Era aircraft has steadily grown into the second-largest gathering of this type in the eastern United States. Only the famous Rhinebeck Jamboree, held each year at Old Rhinebeck Airport in Rhinebeck, New York, attracts more participants and spectators for this type of event.
Traditionally held in early July, the Dawn Patrol Fly-In is an International Miniature Aircraft Association (IMAA) and AMA-sanctioned event. It is open to any vintage aircraft from WW I through the Golden Era; the only requirement is that the wingspan of the model must be a minimum of 60 inches for multiwing aircraft and 80 inches for single-wing aircraft.
This was a well-managed event enjoyed by pilots and the many spectators in attendance.
In past years the Dawn Patrol Fly-In has been referred to as "Little Rhinebeck," but with the number of participants steadily increasing each year it certainly isn't "little" anymore. The parking area rapidly filled to capacity, and by mid-morning it became necessary to utilize parking areas along the main entrance road into the flying field. The NCRCC refreshment stand staff kept busy but proved equal to the task of meeting everyone's gastronomic needs.
Event director Paul Savastano was assisted by Bob Boulais. The following volunteers also pitched in to assure that this year's Dawn Patrol Fly-In ran smoothly:
- Mike Ludlow
- Len Marchese
- Ken French
- Art Fischer
Congratulations to this hard-working crew for a job well done.
There were 38 pilots registered for this year's event and more than 50 beautiful aircraft were flown. Most of the aircraft were WW I models, but many were from the Golden Era. Popular designs included:
- Sopwith Pup — the most popular design in several scale sizes
- de Havilland Tiger Moth — the most popular in the Golden Era category
- Several Great Planes 1/5-scale Moths were also present
Mark Sunday, July 6, 2003, on your calendar. That's the date for next year's Dawn Patrol Fly-In — an event worth attending!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
