Free Flight: Sport & Scale
Bill Warner
ONE MILLION BUCKS! That's what the school board wanted — to let us set up our little aeroplanes and look at them in their building! A cool million in insurance, just in case one of us stumbled over a folding chair or something.
I've always thought of Free Flight Scale as a rather harmless activity, and scale judging has never killed, injured, or maimed anyone. Still, people worry a lot about being sued and will often, rather than risk a lawsuit, just tell you that their property is unavailable for your use. Fortunately for the Flightmasters, the AMA had insurance in excess of the required amount and came to the rescue of our annual contest static judging at Loara High School in Anaheim, CA.
Still, the threat of lawsuit is becoming more dangerous to us than the bulldozer. Free Flight takes space, and all of the space on this continent seems to belong to someone. Owners sometimes tolerate us if they are interested in aviation or in supporting youth. Still, most of us are not all that young anymore, and the number of property owners who remain under the magic spell of Lindbergh's flight of fancy is rapidly approaching zero.
Bill Noonan's account
Bill Noonan, editor of the Scale Staffel newsletter in San Diego, a celebrated artist and master modeler, recounts a sad tale:
"It was not yet light when I finished breakfast and made my way to the station wagon packed with a couple of untested rubber models and the requisite support equipment. I headed for a test site about ten miles from my house, one I had used for years—but hadn't seen for about six months. The eastern sky began to glow, etching the hills and trees in silhouette. My anticipation of launching the untested models over the cool, damp grass caused me to apply a little more pressure to the accelerator.
"The hills slipped past on either side as I approached the last rise before dropping down to the bucolic meadow. As I drove over the crest, I was filled with a feeling of apprehension. Broad-bladed tractors and bright-yellow earthmovers lined the edges of the rustic road. As I slowly made my way past the machines, I could see that the meadow, my destination, was no longer a quiet setting for modelers, rabbits, and birds. Instead, it was a series of terraced, dun-colored stages. All vestiges of grass were gone. A chain-link fence festooned with concertina wire surrounded an ugly, utilitarian trailer which stood like some sort of monument surrounded by all sorts of building materials.
"I continued on in reluctant disbelief, passing a sign which proclaimed the desirability of the condos ('...only ten percent down with a 15 percent mortgage') which would spring from the site.
"My immediate disappointment at not being able to fly the models was soon displaced with more profound thoughts. What does this indicate for the future? Will Free Flight modelers turn to other, less-frustrating sports? Probably not, at least for some time to come. Modelers are an ingenious, resolute bunch.
"But I lament the loss of the bucolic meadow."
Can you identify with that? It saddens me more than I can say.
Evictions and bans
I remember our eviction from the Sepulveda Basin in Los Angeles after years of sunny weekend days flying with the gang. Why did it happen? A complaint had been made that a large Free Flight model had flown a bit too high, and a pilot approaching Van Nuys airport considered it a danger. Ever hear of a Free Flight model causing damage to an airplane in flight? Well, it might happen, said the LA City Parks and Recreation Department, and so Free Flight was banned.
The good people of Lake Elsinore have also banned all activity where we had flown for 20 or more years, blaming off-roaders and ultralighters who might get hurt and sue the city. The property owner who let us fly his land last time is skittish about us using his turf even with our AMA insurance guarantee, fearing the ubiquitous lawsuit over what might happen. Nothing ever has, but that is beside the point, isn't it?
Indoor flying and the loss of sites
What we love to do can sometimes be done in tiny, cramped gymnasiums. MIAMA is presently searching for an indoor site since the Opa‑Locka blimp hangar and the West Baden Atrium have been lost to "progress." It is living proof that even indoor flying, which never suited everyone, could eventually become extinct. It already has in places — we read of Peanut Scalers in the South of France who must drive hundreds of miles to find an indoor site. Time after time, the little real estate left to us is priced out of reach by managers who equate us with an admissions-paying basketball game.
I lament the loss of the bucolic meadow and of the open spaces that made Free Flight possible. Modelers are resourceful and determined, but the steady erosion of places to fly is a real threat to our hobby and to the legacy we might leave our children.
Race Report
Bill Hager
Helping juniors keeps the sport alive. At our recent meeting, Ed posted his fourth sub‑1:20 time. Dub and Norm headed out next for what promised to be one of the best races of the day. Six hard laps followed, with the lead changing hands at least six times. Neither gave up, not wanting to lose in only their second meeting this year. Suddenly, Norm's engine blew and forced him to land with the prop freewheeling. Dub got fast time with 1:16 — thanks, Norm!
In the meantime, Phil Bussell and Gary Heithold met for another exciting race. Both broke 1:20, with Gary winning by a nose.
The race ended with ties for first and second — Bruce against Fred — and Rankin versus Gary Heithold for fourth and fifth. Bruce and Fred, who was flying one of Jerry Small's Shoestrings, raced neck and neck for eight laps before Fred kissed the ground at pylon three. Dub, who was calling for Bruce, got so excited he called Bruce down on lap nine and Bruce had to dead-stick lap 10, landing about 500 feet long. Bruce was slightly upset.
The race marked the debut en masse for Jerry's Shoestring. Those who are flying them say they fly great (we know they are fast) and build in about eight hours. Jerry had one built for Dick Ritch that looked like a million dollars. The only other excitement was Bruce Richmond and his "beeper." Seems a "little" Richmond (God help us) was due, and he had equipped wife Sandi with electronic gear.
Things to look for in '86
- A new Formula One engine?
- A product list for racers: FAI racing props, props, fuel
- Lots of contest reports and more news
If you have anything of interest, please send it in — directly to me.
See you at the races!
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77385
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
