US Outdoor Championships
By Jim Haught
Overview
The United States Outdoor Championships was held July 5–9, 1994 at the National Flying Site in Muncie, Indiana. Nearly 200 contestants from 22 states and Canada took part in a free flight contest that set new standards for large-event efficiency and organization.
Contest manager Norm Poti and a dedicated staff went well beyond the call to make USOC '94 as flier-friendly as possible. Registration was virtually painless; color-coded flight cards matched recording sheets for each event, virtually eliminating transcription and tabulation errors. Scorekeepers were always ready to record scores quickly, allowing more flying time.
Juniors and encouragement
Each Junior who pre-entered USOC received a free 1/2A T-Bird kit and Cox .049 engine — a great way to encourage participation. There was talk of a possible T-Bird event for Juniors in 1995 so they would have a place to fly the kits they got in 1994.
Organization and crew
Contest staff made operations smooth and flier-friendly. Joe Mekina, Norm Poti, and many volunteers were singled out for tireless efforts, including data-processing and photo support.
F1A (Nordic)
The contest opened with moderate temperatures and light winds. F1A (Nordic) fliers immediately found a "lateral hazard" in a number of hay bales scattered throughout the towing/launch area. The obstacle-course approach wasn't what the circle-tow group expected, but they managed.
Illinois' Chuck Markos seemed to have the event well in hand but suffered two disastrous late rounds when the air became turbulent and lift spotty. He also lost one model (later recovered) in a tall tree. Bill E. Shailor (Royal Oak, Michigan) caught Markos with some strong flying after a mediocre start.
Jim Thornberry (Madison, Wisconsin) had particularly bad luck. After an early flight, his Jim Parker–built high-tech model was inadvertently run over by another flier on a downwind chase. An errant power model even smacked the roof of a station wagon, leaving a large deep crease — insurance agents were kept busy that week.
B Gas
Columbus, Ohio's Gil Morris topped 59 entrants with 1,593 seconds for first place in B Gas with his ABC Toothpicks. Missouri's Bob Johannes finished second with one of his high-powered Buck derivatives.
C Nostalgia and Nostalgia Gas
Bill Hale (Columbus, Ohio) flew a Spacer to first place in C Nostalgia. That victory was the start of a strong run for Hale, who ultimately was named overall Nostalgia Gas Champion.
B Nostalgia was dominated by large versions of the Spacer and T-Bird. Tom Kirsch (Franklin, Kentucky) won B Nostalgia with 954 seconds.
D Gas
Day Two brought out the large D Gas models and one of the week's best stories. Alabama's Charles Caton cut his hand during the midst of a max string; competitors helped him get medical assistance and provided ground support so that he could complete his flights and win the event. Charles flew his 1994 NFFS Model of the Year Sundir design to a 2,100-second total, edging Virginia's Joe Clawson. Joe's son Glenn placed third.
F1C and F1J
F1C was the province of Ed Keck (Webster, New York). The 1993 team member won F1C by more than 500 seconds over fellow former team member Bob Sifleet (Glen Rock, Pennsylvania). Keck's models were of a world-standard configuration, while Sifleet used an extensively modified short-coupled layout; the wing flexed several times during the climb.
Ed Keck also won F1J. Gil Morris was another F1C favorite who suffered timer-related difficulties, totaling one model and narrowly avoiding disaster with another.
F1G and other events
Ed Konefes (Wauconda, Illinois) dropped only eight seconds to win F1G. Rod Iocoger (Fulton, Maryland), a Junior free-flight team member, gave Michigan's Paul Crowley a close contest in F1B; Paul won by only 14 seconds.
Nostalgia sub-events and Early 1/2A
Early 1/2A Nostalgia garnered 43 entries in its first year on the schedule. Guy Eaves (Geneseo, Illinois) won with an OK Cub–powered Fubar. The Cub seemed to be the engine of choice for the event, provided it was a good one.
Bill Vanderbeek (Los Altos Hills, California) discovered an unusual problem in Early 1/2A: his model returned from a test flight with a number of holes in the top surface of the wing. Red-winged blackbirds nesting downwind vigorously defended their territory and attacked models, at times knocking gliders out of the air and creating retrieval concerns.
Bill Hale stayed tough in 1/2A Nostalgia, being the only flier able to post four maxes.
Catapult Glider
Catapult Glider was run under a pen system similar to that used at the US Free Flight Champs, where all official flights are made from a marked pen. Only fliers were allowed in the pen; timers and support crews stayed outside. The setup aims to equalize weather conditions for all contestants and reduce "mystery scores." The practice of "goating" (launching a pilot model directly upwind of the pen) was allowed; assistant CD Joe Mekina said there was no intent to eliminate goating, and that keeping the pen is "the same for all" and generally received favorable comments.
Field issues and landowner relations
For the first two days drift was light enough to keep nearly all flyovers within the site. However, on Day Three a few inconsiderate fliers reportedly drove through crops (not all reports were confirmed) and retrieved models without asking landowners, upsetting property owners and threatening the contest. Competitions Director Chip Smith, PR Director Jay Mealy, NFFS president Bob Waterman, and others worked to settle things. When fliers agreed to always ask permission first, most landowners were cooperative and further incidents ceased.
Day Four: Haught's Corner and the banquet
Day Four began with stronger winds and forced an early move to "Haught's Corner," a newly developed launch area south of the hog barn. This location allowed models to max, DT, and land with plenty of field left even in a moderate breeze. Scattered showers and turbulence made max strings difficult.
Six Juniors entered the special ABCD Power event; only two posted flights. Billy Reuter (North Olmstead, Ohio) defeated Ryan Bane (Lyndonville, New York). "Professor" George Perryman (Smyrna, Georgia) continued his dominance in CO2, beating Francis Hodson (Elgin, Illinois) 449 to 373.
The annual NFFS Banquet was held after Day Four. A buffet dinner was followed by NFFS announcements, a talk by Norm Poti on contest organization, and presentation of awards. Overall championship awards (white jackets with a silkscreened USOC logo) were presented to those who had locked up their categories. The latest Symposium report was offered for sale through NFFS.
Final day: small models, weather, and championships
The final day began cool and light, ideal for small models (1/4A Nostalgia, P-30, Pee Wee 30, 1/2A Gas, and F1H). Unfortunately, breezy, turbulent conditions returned, making flying and retrieval difficult. A number of models entered head-high corn downwind and few came back out.
Gib Robbins (Anderson, Indiana) used a CO2-powered heavily modified Hydro-Star to blast through wind and turbulence and took first place in 1/2A.
In 1/4A Nostalgia I posted three early maxes with my new Dream Weaver and waited for a possible flyoff. Ben Cleveland (Tullahoma, Tennessee) posted three maxes as well, then won the flyoff with his Jay's Bird.
The Power Championship came down to Charles Caton and Joe Clawson. Charles dropped an early max in 1/2A Gas by not test-flying the model, which opened the door for Joe, but Charles hung on and was declared the Power Champion for USOC 1994.
A story about mentorship
A memorable scene involved 13-year-old Junior Justin Aronhalt (Bumpass, Virginia). Bill Saunders (Silver Spring, Maryland), Dan Belieff, and other regional fliers had taken Justin under their wing, offering mentoring and support. Justin had learned modeling through a school club and sought help from older fliers. His parents were supportive but not pushy. Saunders noted there are many other Justins who need exposure and a helping hand.
Key winners (selected)
- B Gas: Gil Morris (Columbus, OH) — 1,593 seconds
- C Nostalgia: Bill Hale (Columbus, OH) — Spacer; overall Nostalgia Gas Champion
- B Nostalgia: Tom Kirsch (Franklin, KY) — 954 seconds
- D Gas: Charles Caton (Alabama) — 2,100 seconds (Sundir design)
- F1C & F1J: Ed Keck (Webster, NY)
- F1G: Ed Konefes (Wauconda, IL)
- 1/2A (CO2): Gib Robbins (Anderson, IN)
- 1/4A Nostalgia: Ben Cleveland (Tullahoma, TN)
- ABCD Power (Juniors): Billy Reuter (North Olmstead, OH)
- CO2: "Professor" George Perryman (Smyrna, GA)
Thanks and acknowledgments
A final thanks to all who gave up part or all of their flying time to organize and execute the contest. Special thanks to Joe Mekina for tireless data-processing efforts, and to Norm Poti and Dale Mateer for photo support. It will be a tough act to follow!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
