Mid-America Free Flight Champs
Contest celebrates its silver anniversary
This year marked the silver anniversary of the Mid-America Free Flight Champs, as the event has come to be known. Tri County Aero, primarily a Radio Control (RC) club, has hosted this premier Free Flight (FF) meet in the Midwest each year. What was started in 1975, at the suggestion of Pat English—the club’s lone FF member at the time—has continued uninterrupted. Pat reasoned that the club had access to an excellent site and that FF events were scarce. He figured the contest would do well, and it did. Over the ensuing quarter-century it evolved from a one-day event with minimal attendance to an annual two-day weekend that averages 80+ contestants and has occasionally topped 100.
In all these years the event has had four Contest Directors (CDs). Pat English handled one day for many years, but he insisted this year was his swan song. The other day is normally CDed by Bud Brown—now the club’s active FF competitor. Don Satchjen (who flies Old-Time events) CDed a few years, and I have acted as backup on occasions when the main honchos were unable to run the show.
The event has been held each year at what is now known as the Mid America Air Center; it was George Field at the time of the first contest. The facility was a World War II Army Air Force multi-engine aircraft training base, where pilots and navigators were taught their trade in Beech AT-10s, Consolidated B-24s, and Curtiss AT-9s. After the last class graduated in 1945, the base was used for glider-towing training. The field sits just north of US 50 on Allison Prairie, between Vincennes, IN and Lawrenceville, IL. The nine-square-mile site hosted the 1990, 1991, and 1993 AMA Nationals and the 1988 SAM Champs (Society of Antique Modelers Championships), and it offers an excellent FF venue in the fall. Contests were originally held in the spring but were moved to the fall after a short time to avoid conflicts with growing crops and to make retrieval easier.
Throughout the event’s history the site has hosted many truly great modelers and has seen its share of national records set. At the time of the first contests, Harry Murphy was the Model Aviation FF columnist; he touted the event and flew in several meets. He was also editor of the CIA Informer—the newsletter of the Central Indiana Aeromodelers. Other celebrities include many-time world indoor champion Jim Richmond and the Konefes brothers, Ed and Joe. Joe designed one of the classic FF models, the Buzzard Bombshell, which is still kitted. That model is now flown primarily in old-time RC events.
Records established at this meet have included 1/2A Gas and C Gas (both since broken). However, the ornithopter record Roy White set in 1985 still stands. Beyond famous names and records, the Mid-America Free Flight Champs has become a kind of end-of-season gathering of the clan. Free flighters from across the Midwest make it a point to come and share the last hurrah of the season.
Some of those who helped make the event popular are no longer with us and others don’t attend for one reason or another, but they remain part of the legacy. The husband-and-wife team of Lewis and Dot Odem are such people. Lewis has passed away and Dot (Dottie) Odem doesn’t fly anymore, but we remember them fondly—everyone liked Dottie, who never met a stranger.
Most participants return year after year. The Wicks, who first attended in 1980, returned for their 20th contest. Larry Willis, who won high-point Rubber in part because of his efficient retrieval system—his wife and daughter—also is a longtime attendee. Others, such as Gary Oakins from Minnesota, who flew 1/2A, A, B, and D Gas, have contributed to the fun atmosphere of the event. Fliers of both sexes participate, and ages range from six to older than seventy. First-timer Jessica Mouzin was six years old and flew Catapult Glider.
This event has truly earned its heritage, and it is an exceptional FF happening. The fact that it continues to be run by a bunch of RCers tells me that we are all modelers first; we just enjoy different disciplines of modeling.
Come to the Mid America Air Center at the end of September or the first of October for the Mid‑America Free Flight Champs. I think you'll be glad you did.
Frank Roales 4585 E. State Rd. 61 Vincennes, IN 47591
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
