KRC Electric Fly
BOB KOPSKI
The 16th annual KRC Electric Fly was held the weekend of September 16–17, 1995, at Quakertown, Pennsylvania, on the "borrowed" Buc‑Le Aerosportsmen field—the largest model flying site in the immediate area. Buc‑Le refers to the Bucks‑Lehigh club, primarily a Giant Scale wet‑power group that is blessed with this spacious facility. The sponsoring KRC club is based about 20 miles south of the field.
This year's meet emphasized a friendly, noncontest atmosphere. KRC's format encourages cooperation rather than competition. In place of difficult-to-administer flight contests (rolls, spins, etc.) the club now holds all‑static judging activities such as smallest aircraft, best scale, and best technical effort.
Continuing features
- Low‑key "fun‑fly" nature
- Excellent facilities
- Heavy industry support with benefits to attendees
- A fantastic raffle
- Efficient frequency control
- On‑field charging stations
- Crowd‑pleasing flight demonstrations
- All-Up Last-Down (AULD) event
- Saturday dinner/social
Attendance and participants
Participating modelers came from far and wide: registered pilots from 24 states, plus Canada, Britain, Australia, and Puerto Rico. Saturday registration totaled 178—exceeding all previous two‑day counts. Normally Sundays add 30 or more new registrations, and attendance often approaches or exceeds 200.
The local Delaware Valley Federation of Model Airplane Clubs honored KRC with a special award tailored to the approximately 30 first‑time attendees. Bill Bowers of Richmond, VA was the first Best New Entrant winner.
Weather and impact
Rain began Saturday night and by Sunday morning the field parking area quickly became a mudhole. With a dismal forecast, many left early Sunday without venturing to the field. In a pleasant turn, skies cleared in early afternoon and those who remained enjoyed flying late into the day.
Because of the Sunday weather and the curtailed raffle, two airplanes and some larger merchandise items were held in reserve. Smaller items were distributed to attendees who braved the rain. Saturday's activity was sufficient to keep the meet financially "in the black."
Industry support and raffle
Industry support—mostly merchandise gifts or vouchers—far exceeded previous years, with 79 names on the appreciation board. The famous Electric Fly raffled four KRC‑built, fully equipped and tested electrics (some raffle contributions were incorporated into those planes). Additional raffle and door prizes included radios, power systems, speed controls, kits, and hardware. Much of the industry's outpouring was given away at the field and at the Saturday night dinner/social; it took several hours to distribute everything.
All support KRC receives is passed on to attendees in one way or another. The raffle is important to funding the next year's event.
Safety and spectator accommodation
With large crowds and busy skies there is concern about stepped‑on stabs, midairs, and other mishaps. Meet manager Anthony Asceto addressed these concerns with pilot mini‑cages and mandatory "spotters"—every pilot and photographer was required to have a right‑hand lookout. Only registered pilots and helpers were allowed past a field fence. These measures drew strong positive reaction.
Events and special activities
- AULD (All‑Up Last‑Down) — a popular, near‑annual draw for participants and spectators
- Flight demonstrations by notable pilots (e.g., Keith Shaw)
- Static judging categories: smallest aircraft, best scale, best technical effort, etc.
This year's flying day saw approximately 300 flights.
SR Batteries Symposium and Night Fly
The independent SR Batteries Symposium (Friday) and the Friday Night Fly coincided with the Electric Fly. This was the second year for the Symposium and the third for the Night Fly.
- The day‑long symposium was held at a nearby motel with guest speakers on a wide range of topics; more than 100 modelers attended the whole day.
- The Night Fly featured about 20 E‑models flown in darkness to entertain a field of spectators. Many models used built‑in lighting systems; others used chemical light sticks. There were no mishaps.
Friday's activity makes the Electric Fly a three‑day weekend for many visitors; families often schedule vacations around it.
Notable people and gestures
- Bernard Cawley (Puget Sound Electric Model Flyers, a Special Interest Group of the Boeing Hawks R/C Flyers) was honored by his home club with a surprise all‑expenses‑paid trip to KRC '95 for his many selfless contributions, publications, and product‑evaluation work. Bernard arrived late Thursday with delayed baggage (including his airplanes). A spare REVOLT was put on charge so he could fly; his luggage arrived Friday afternoon and he was able to fly his own two planes. Mitch Poling, another PSEMF member, also attended.
- Andy Clancy of Clancy Aviation donated kits to support the meet (his Lazy Bee kits are especially popular). He also donated an additional kit to be drawn among meet workers in recognition of the personal effort KRC members provide.
- Two long‑time "holdouts," Maynard Hill and Tom Runge, attended as spectators for the first time.
Electric Control Line (E‑CL) and youth outreach
Electric Control Line demonstrations (including those by Bob Hunt, editor of Flying Models and former world CL Stunt champion) reinforced the author's view that E‑CL could be an excellent, economical, quiet entry into aeromodeling for youngsters. E‑CL is well suited to schoolyard use and might be an effective way for E‑RC clubs to work with local grade and middle schools to encourage the next generation of modelers.
Operations and balance
The Electric Fly is an enormous undertaking that exhausts several KRC members each year. The club strives to balance competing interests—free flying vs. scheduled events like AULD and flight demos—while accommodating as many attendees as possible. In 1995 KRC adjusted AULD and other activities to minimize interruption of open flying.
A sincere thank you to all who participated—you are the makeup of the Electric Fly, and you can be proud of how this meet has matured over the years. See ya next year!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
