Joe Nall Fly-In
By Jerry Smith
Overview
They came from many places—even as far away as Canada, Germany, Brazil, and South America—to be part of the largest gathering of Giant Scale model airplanes in the world: the 17th annual Joe Nall Giant Scale Fly-In, held May 13–15, 1999.
The Fly-In is a prestigious IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) event, sponsored by Chapter 94 of the IMAA with help from neighboring clubs. The four-day event has been held on Pat Hartness's 400-acre private estate at Greenville, SC for the last 16 years.
Arrival and Early Flying
Arriving two days early and passing through the big iron gates at the entrance, I looked skyward and noted many airplanes flying. It looked as if the event had already started. The idea of an early arrival was to get as much flying in as possible before the main event. All you needed was the frequency pin and a spot on the flightline.
Many pilots took advantage of this opportunity; the sky was filled with airplanes from dawn to dusk, then the night fliers took over. Some of the models were very fancy, with colored lights blinking off and on, looking like something from outer space.
One pilot, Don Helms of Wilmington, NC, had an accident Tuesday afternoon. Gravity won out and his Laser crashed, tearing off the nose section. Don claims that it was because gravity is stronger in South Carolina than it is in North Carolina.
Repairs and Support
The Hartness workshop (which is a great benefit) was available for repairs, and Don had his airplane flying before the event began. Eddie Clarke, Pat's chief mechanic, was on hand to help pilots find the tools and materials needed. Eddie is a likable, super guy, and will help you in a heartbeat.
If a model couldn't be fixed in the workshop, expert help was not far off at Hartness International—Pat's manufacturing facility.
Setup and Vendors
Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. pilots were allowed to set up their tents along the flightline. Staking out a site close to the action creates a flurry of activity. By the time the Fly-In was finished this year, it looked like Tent City for more than a quarter of a mile along the flightline, three and four rows deep.
Flying continued all day for those who were still coming in and needed a Radio Control (RC) "fix" at Hartness Field. By evening, all was in readiness for the big event to start the next morning.
Manufacturers and retailers were allowed to set up in a designated area and sell their merchandise. Wayne Matthews of Sew Busy (www.rcplanet.com/sewbusy) was there, taking orders for embroidery work on hats, shirts, and jackets.
Flight Operations
On Thursday morning the usual pilots' meeting took place, letting all of the pilots know what to expect—especially safety requirements. The weather was great—somewhat windy, but very flyable. On this day it wasn't simply a matter of getting a frequency pin, but signing up and waiting your turn to fly.
The flying was done in rounds. When Round One was complete, another was started. If pilots wanted to be a little sneaky, they could sign up for a round, then sign up later for the same round, allowing them more flying time. I'm sure this happened, but pilots still had to wait for their turns.
Some modelers don't care to fly; they set their models out on the flightline to be seen, then sit back and watch the flying. Others don't even bring a model; they consider it a big social event, and bring a few items to sell or swap. There was plenty of that going on.
I would estimate that 30–35% of the pilots did most of the flying. Approximately 487 pilots registered to fly.
This year I noticed an increase in aerobatic airplanes, which is a growing trend at Giant Scale fly-ins. Pilots have learned that they fly better, and there are many more of them on the market because of their popularity.
Evening Programs
Thursday evening, down by the hangar, a roaring bonfire fought off the chill, and a program was presented by Russell Munson—author, photographer, and correspondent for Flying magazine. Russ showed listeners some of his photography and talked about his experiences working for the magazine. He was amazed at how well our RC airplanes flew, never having been involved with them. Later on, I saw him shooting many pictures along the flightline.
Friday morning was cold and windy. A front had passed through, and the temperature dropped 20 degrees. Jackets and sweaters were the order of the day. In spite of the cool weather, flying continued most of the day for those who were brave enough to do so.
Friday evening there was another big bonfire in front of the hangar, and another great speaker: Ron David—producer, commentator, author, and narrator of the television show Wings. Ron read a few poems and short stories, then Saturday afternoon he spent time on the microphone at the flightline.
Demonstrations
During the noon flying breaks, the Southern Scale Warbirds Association flew demos in groups of five. Those mighty warbirds of the WWII era roaring by in near-formation around the field were a great sight. There were even a few airplanes from the WWI era.
The group was headed up by:
- Bobby Poston (Seneca, SC) — Commander in Chief (thunderbolt@usa.pipeline.com)
- Chris Joiner (Columbus, GA) — Founder of the organization
Other noon activities included an excellent flying program by an impressive German precision aerobatics team. The pilots flew FiberClassics Giles 202s, powered by Desert Aircraft’s new DA-150 engines. Many hours of flying together resulted in formation flying like I had never seen. Thomas Herkommer and Dieter Posi didn’t speak the best English, but they did understand the tremendous applause that they received.
Awards
Each year, the awards program is at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Trophies are awarded to:
- the pilot who does the most realistic flying—the Bob Smith Award
- the pilot who most exemplifies sharing and the ideals of a volunteer—the Joe Nall Award
These are not competition trophies given for performance, but rather for recognition of deserving individuals. A group of past recipients chose the winners.
This year:
- The Bob Smith Award was presented to the German formation-flying team—Thomas Herkommer and Dieter Posi. This is a traveling trophy, so they will have to bring it back next year.
- The Joe Nall Award was presented to Scotty Breeden of Maryville, Tennessee. Through the years, Scotty has done an outstanding job and is always there to help out.
Past recipients of the awards get the privilege of helping serve at the Saturday night barbecue—the final event of the Joe Nall Fly-In.
Barbecue and Farewells
The backyard of the Hartness mansion was teaming with modelers and their guests, and a bluegrass band added to the festive mood. The barbecue is a chance to meet and eat with your friends and discuss the past days of activity. It is also a chance to say goodbye to your friends for another year. Sunday is usually the day of packing up and leaving.
Moving to a New Site
This was the last year for the Fly-In to be held at Hartness Field. Next year there will be a drastic change in the geography; the Joe Nall event will be moved to a new flying site near Woodruff, SC, some 20 miles southeast of the present location.
A 500-acre tract of land, wide-open space, a 4,400-foot runway, and a 50-acre lake are waiting. It's a beautiful flying site now, but knowing Pat Hartness, it will be more than that when it's time for the next Fly-In. The annual barbecue will most likely still be held in the backyard of the Hartness mansion.
Thanks
Many thanks to Pat Hartness, Kirby McKinney, Contest Director Mike Gregory, and all of the Hartness gang, who put in many hours of planning to make it all come together.
The Joe Nall Fly-In is a major attraction and promises to continue for years to come at the new flying site. It's the most incredible sight in model aviation. Don't miss it next year!
Photos
The author has 8 x 12–inch aerial photos of the Joe Nall Fly-In left from last year. No aerials were taken this year's event, the last at the site. The photos are available for $5 plus $1 postage from:
Jerry Smith 2416 Carina Terrace Acworth, GA 30101 E-mail: jerryslw@mindspring.com
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
