Free Flight: Duration
Jim Haught
3069 Sovereign Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45251
Obituary: George Pharr
It is with great sadness that I report the March 22 passing of longtime Free Flight modeler George Pharr of Cincinnati. Modelers throughout the Midwest will remember George as one of the original Southwest Ohio Free Flighters (SWOFF) from the late 1960s. He was also a prolific builder and an excellent competitor. At times he dabbled in other modeling disciplines, but his primary interest was competition Free Flight.
His eldest son, George IV, or "Bubba," often flew with him and was quite successful in his own right—he was an AMA scholarship winner, valedictorian of his class, a Rhodes scholar, and so on.
George flew virtually every competitive Free Flight event at one time or another, but his flying skill is perhaps what I will remember least about him. He repeatedly gave his time, supplies, and knowledge to help other modelers—often at the expense of his own building and flying. Many times I and others built in his workshop, rode contests with him, and used his supplies—all without charge—simply because he enjoyed the company of modelers and had a strong desire to help.
In addition, he had a brilliant, dry wit—one that punctured a few modelers' overstuffed egos without causing a fuss or being offensive.
In recent years, a variety of health problems drastically curtailed his modeling activity, but he still kept informed through trade publications and personal contacts. I am certain his love of Free Flight helped him through some difficult moments. Many of his last years were spent in intense pain as he battled various ailments of mysterious origin. At least now the suffering he went through is over, and he may truly rest in peace.
George is survived by his wife, Pat; sons Lindsey and George IV; and several grandchildren. The family has requested that any donations be made to the Neediest Kids of All. Write to me for further information.
Free Flight has lost a good man, and I have lost a good friend.
Fedor — the next generation
Since the early 1960s the name Fedor has been synonymous with competition Free Flight. Until recently, however, the name Fedor meant Dallas–Fort Worth's Mike, one of the most ferocious competitors our hobby has ever seen. Now Mike's 15-year-old son, Jeff, is duplicating and surpassing some of his father's exploits by winning a place on this year's FIA Junior World Championships team.
Several modelers contacted me to say how proud Mike is of Jeff, so I contacted the Fedor household to get the story. As predicted, Mike couldn't be more proud:
"Jeff started competing in Free Flight contests when he was seven or eight years old, flying a Sig Mini-Maxer in P-30. Since that time he has built models for and flown in some 14 events."
Note Mike's emphasis on Jeff building his own models. That is not true among some other JWC competitors, even on the U.S. team. "I remember flying against 'daddy-built' when I was a junior, and it was discouraging," says Mike. Although technically legal now, one wonders how much good is realized by a kid merely piloting a model he didn't build.
Jeff has already won a number of major awards and grand championships, including six trophies at the 1991 Nationals and the Matty Sullivan Award, given for the top Junior performance at that contest. Jeff is also a record holder in Coupe and has won perpetual trophies in JSO competition in 1/2A and Mulvihill.
Somewhere along the way Jeff manages to squeeze in part-time work for a landscaping company, fishing, and participation on his school's cross-country, track, and soccer teams. "He's just like I was at his age. He will build and fly about anything and can run all day in 100-degree heat," Mike relates.
Jeff's emergence as one of the better young Glider fliers has been quite sudden. Despite having flown Rubber and Gas for a few years, Jeff had never flown a Towline Glider before the week of the 1991 Nationals. He finished an A-1 just before the contest but didn't get to test-fly until they got to Lawrenceville. As it was, he seemed to have a knack for flying a Nordic and ended up the high Junior in JSO A-1.
FF Duration / Haught — Continued from page 61
Jeff met Joel Grasmeyer (1990 F1A Junior team member) at the Nationals. Joel teamed up with his friend Jim Troutman (two-time F1C Junior team member) to encourage Jeff to build some F1A's and try for the team. Jeff built two straight-tow models with fuse DTs to use in the semifinals.
"Jeff also flew RTF at the semis and managed to fly all 16 flights (eight per event) without having to use his backup models. He ended up second on the Nordic team and third in Wakefield by a fraction of a percent. He chose to fly Nordic over Wakefield in the World Champs."
Since winning his team spot, Jeff has outfitted his gliders with circle-tow and continues to prepare:
"Jeff is practicing circle towing (and repairing!) with his old semis glider and is in the process of building a Czech‑Mate. He plans to have two more gliders built and tested by the World Champs. We have a full spring and summer of testing and contest flying to look forward to."
Our best wishes to Jeff and the other Junior team members, and to Team Manager Matt Gewain, who is coordinating this effort.
Duco update
Recent reports of the demise of Duco Household Cement may have been overstated. Old-Timers columnist Bill Baker reports plentiful supplies in Oklahoma, and I have had no problem finding it in several locations in Cincinnati (though I did buy up a stash, just in case).
If you aren't aware of this product—or haven't tried it—it's a great addition to both the workshop and the toolbox. It is clear, quick-drying, and low-shrink. I have used it on everything from Indoor models to large Gas models for many years. I began using Duco when other glue suppliers were hard to come by during the height of the sniffing craze some years ago. Any number of local hardware and discount stores carry the stuff, making it easy to keep a supply on hand.
It is excellent for basic construction and even better as a field-box item for tissue repairs, on-site adjustments, and other situations in which cyanoacrylate glues may not be appropriate and epoxies are too heavy or time-consuming. A 1-3/4-oz. tube sells for about $1.25 in my area.
National Free Flight Society
Several readers have requested information on whom to contact for various NFFS services. For their benefit, the parties to contact are:
- Membership: Nat Comfort, 12324 Percival Street, Chester, VA 23831. A year's membership for over-18 modelers is $15, which includes 10 issues of Free Flight, the National Free Flight Society's digest.
- Free Flight (editor-in-chief): Chris Weinreich, 905 W. 5th, Olympia, WA 98502.
- Plans: Bob Klipp, 10115 Newbold Dr., St. Louis, MO 63137. A SASE will get you the latest listing of available plans.
- Publications: Fred Terzian, 4858 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, CA 95129.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
